Anna Pavlova is a great ballerina, a symbol of the era, a creative person, without whom Russian ballet would never have gained numerous fans around the world. This fragile woman sacrificed everything for the love of art, and her occupation charitable activities saved many human lives.
In her honor, the Dutch bred a beautiful variety of dazzling white tulips, and the Australians created a delicious dessert called "Anna Pavlova"; Pavlova became a muse famous sculptor, the inspiration for many generations of dancers. She was able to absorb the culture of other countries and embody it through her dance, without deviating from the canons of classical ballet. Ballerinas with such a wide range are a real treasure of the world dance art.
The childhood of the great prima
Despite her fame, Anna Pavlova did not like to talk about herself, believing that her personal life should remain a secret to others. The ballerina tried not to give interviews, she lived rather closed, considering only ballet to be the meaning of her life. most famous book her unofficial husband Victor Dandre will write about her - “Anna Pavlova. Biography”, where he will reveal the nobility of the soul and self-sacrifice of the great prima of Russian ballet.
The exact date of Anna Pavlova's birth is unknown - according to the church record book, it was February 12, 1881, and birth records contain the date January 31 of the same year. There is also no certainty with the ballerina's patronymic: according to some sources, she was Lazarevna, according to others - Matveevna. Anna Pavlova's mother was Lyubov Fedorovna Pavlova, an incredibly beautiful, intelligent woman who served as a laundress for the wealthy banker Lazar Polyakov.
Anya was born a weak, premature girl, she was often sick, and therefore was incredibly pale and thin. In her childhood memories, Anna Pavlova says that she and her mother lived extremely poorly, but she always found a way to please her beloved daughter. Once, when the ballerina was eight years old, she and her mother went to the Mariinsky Theater for a wonderful performance of The Sleeping Beauty. The action taking place on the stage fascinated Pavlova so much that she decided to become a dancer by all means, to link her life with ballet forever.
When the mother brought young Anna to the ballet school, the director resolutely announced that he would accept the girl only when she was ten years old. According to the ballerina's recollections, this waiting time became a real test for her: the dream of being on stage and dancing like a fairy fairy did not leave her for a minute.
The poor health of the ballerina made itself felt not in the best way, however, the fighting character did not allow Anna to give up and refuse to dance. In 1898, a graduation concert took place, at which the ballerina danced with inspiration in the ballet "Imaginary Dryads" the part of the butler's daughter.
The examiners were fascinated by the unusualness, the accuracy of her movements, the ability to express her individuality within the framework of the classical approach. Having mastered the classical technique of ballet dance, Pavlova received a diploma with the title of the best dancer at the end of the school, and then she was enrolled as a full-time ballerina at the Mariinsky Theater.
Prima's creative path
Debut on big stage took place in the ballet "Vain Precaution", where Pavlova danced along with two other ballerinas. Anna Pavlova was wonderfully built: Long hands and legs, high rise, incredible fragility of the ballerina fascinated, delighted fans, and her masterful steps on stage made even the most demanding connoisseurs of ballet freeze.
Anna Pavlova, who had no patronage, had to achieve everything herself, to make her way to the stage with her own perseverance and skill. And in 1900, she was trusted to perform the part of Flora in Flora Awakening, where the famous choreographer Fokin became her partner. The ballet was a resounding success, and offers to perform leading female roles followed one after the other:
- Pavlova danced the part of Nikiya ("La Bayadère") in such a way that the fate of the heroine acquired a special tragedy and meaning.
- Anna's Giselle was so good that the audience gave her a standing ovation.
- Paquita, performed by Pavlova, made this ballet a world heritage.
- Kitri became one of the most successful dance parts for a ballerina, thanks to this role Pavlova was named the first ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater.
In 1908, the ballerina's touring activity begins, recalling which she noted that the public received their troupe extremely favorably, showered them with applause and flowers. Anna Pavlova performed leading role in the ballet Swan Lake”, Making an unprecedented sensation, and then in Paris the ballerina joined the Diaghilev troupe and danced the ballet “La Sylphide”.
However, Pavlova did not stay long in the Russian Seasons, the ballerina's soul demanded creative freedom, and around 1910 the prima founded her troupe. Has begun new stage in the life of a ballerina and collaboration with Fokin, who staged the play "The Daughters of the Mountain King" for her.
Financial disagreements with the leadership of the Mariinsky Theater led to the termination of the contract with the ballerina, but in 1914, after lengthy persuasion, Pavlov returned to Russia and delighted the audience with his performances. After leaving abroad, Pavlova will never return home, but after the revolution, the prima did not remain indifferent to the troubles of her homeland: she sent charitable parcels, donated significant amounts to help those in need, financially helped the ballet school in St. Petersburg.
Prima's last years
Anna Pavlova's personal life was rich, but men were never the meaning of her life. It is known for certain about four of her novels, but officially Pavlova was never married and had no children.
Pavlova's chosen one was a certain Victor Dandre, a mining engineer who occupied a much higher position in society than hers, and therefore did not think about marrying a simple bourgeois. When the authorities accused him of embezzling a huge amount and put him under arrest, Pavlova, having learned about this, sent the fee for the performance to save her lover.
In 1931, the great ballerina arrived on tour in the Netherlands, but Pavlova caught a cold on the train, and besides, a wardrobe trunk fell on her on the way and hit her ribs hard. Pavlova did not tell anyone about the injury, however, upon arriving at the hotel, she felt overwhelmed and lost consciousness.
Queen Wilhemina immediately sent her personal doctor to her, and he made a disappointing diagnosis - pleurisy. Another doctor, who arrived from Paris, found her unconscious and tried to save her by draining her lungs, but on January 21, 1931, the ballerina dies, just a couple of days before her fiftieth birthday. Author: Natalia Ivanova
Anna Lazarevna Pavlova is a legend of Russian ballet. She was worshiped, admired and idolized.
Her dance of the dying white swan only Maya Plesetskaya was able to repeat. Her whole life was subordinated to ballet.
She abandoned her family for art. Anna believed that a ballerina, like a nun, should serve the stage and not have distractions.
Childhood and study
Information regarding the date of birth of the great ballerina is different. According to some sources, she was born on January 31, and according to others - on February 12, 1881.
According to the documents, Anna was born in the family of a laundress Lyubov Fedorovna Pavlova and a peasant who served simple soldier- Matthew Pavlovich.
However, another version has become more widespread.
The girl became the illegitimate fruit of the love of a wealthy landowner and her mother, who worked for them at one time as a maid.
Anna as a child
Banker Lazar Polyakov could not recognize the baby as his daughter, this would have caused irreparable damage to his reputation.
However, he allowed her to give her his middle name. So Anna was recorded in the documents as Lazarevna, but with the name of her mother - Pavlova.
The girl was born prematurely. Due to poor health, she grew thin, had pale skin and was often sick.
The first years of his life, he and his mother lived in a small village on clean air near St. Petersburg.
Their life was poor, but the mother sometimes tried to pamper the girl.
The most amazing event that turned the whole life of the baby upside down was a visit to the Mariinsky Theater.
Mom bought tickets for the Sleeping Beauty play. The girl was fascinated by the actions on stage. And since then, all her thoughts have been focused on ballet.
At the age of 8, Anna was taken to the entrance examinations to the ballet school, but the teachers recommended that she come in 2 years.
In 1891, the girl was admitted to the ballet school. The discipline there was very strict.
Classes only in ballet art lasted 8 hours daily.
However, even then, Anna Pavlova showed a fighting spirit.
She tried to be the best, although due to poor health, it was difficult for her to endure such enormous loads.
During their studies, the royal family came to visit them at the school. Anna, along with other pupils, then first appeared on stage in front of such an important audience.
In 1898 16-year-old Anna graduated from college with a "red" diploma and the title of "first dancer".
The graduation party was the role of the butler's daughter in the play "Imaginary Dryads".
Becoming a ballerina
The young graduate immediately got into the Mariinsky Theater. For the first time on the big stage, she performed in a threesome dance in the ballet "Vain Precaution".
After 2 years she was entrusted to dance center party in the production of "The Pharaoh's Daughter" to the music of Caesar Pugni.
A little later, Anna Pavlova received an offer to dance the role of Nikiya from Marius Petipa, who staged La Bayadère.
In 1903 he danced the part of Giselle in the ballet of the same name.
Early 20th century was marked by innovative ideas and reforms in ballet art. The choreographer Mikhail Fokin was an active supporter of change.
Anna Pavlova was the first to take part in the productions of M. Fokin. He became her new teacher.
She danced parts in such productions as Evnika, Chopiniana, Egyptian Nights.
However, the most outstanding fruit of their collaboration was the ballet "The Dying Swan", in which the music of C. Saint-Saens sounded.
Anna performed this part with almost complete improvisation. And this dance has become a symbol and a masterpiece of all ballet art.
The composer himself, who was present at the performance of this ballet, was shocked modern interpretation his music and how the ballerina was able to convey this range of feelings through dance.
So fame came to Anna Pavlova and they began to say about her: “God himself lives in her dance.”
World fame and foreign tours
In 1907, the Mariinsky Theater went on tour abroad to Stockholm. There performances were a great success.
However, Anna wanted freedom in action and independence in decision-making.
In 1909, she herself staged the play Rubinstein's Night. The audience greeted this dance monologue about crazy passionate love with a standing ovation.
Then the ballerina, stunned by her success, decides to leave the theater. The theater did not want to let go of its prima, and Anna compromises.
She enters into a contract only to participate in some of the most beloved performances.
But the idea to create your own mobile troupe and announce Russian ballet to the whole world does not leave the great ballerina.
In 1910, she paid the theater a large penalty for the premature termination of the contract and went into "free floating".
She began her independent tour with her troupe with resounding success in France and England.
In Moscow, she appeared on the stage of the Mirror Theater, installed in the Hermitage Garden. Then a long tour of Europe is organized.
After her ballet, Anna impressed the audience in the USA, Chile, Brazil and Argentina.
In every country, the ballerina loved to study the local dance traditions. Then she included them in her ballet performances.
Anna Pavlova's ballet troupe was the only one whose repertoire included oriental motifs, African and Indian movements.
In Australia, they were so captivated by the grace and lightness of the dancer's ballet steps that they invented an airy dessert in her honor and called it "Pavlova".
In many English cities erected monuments depicting the Russian prima ballerina.
Personal life
The young, rising "star" of the ballet was seen at the performance by a wealthy, influential businessman Victor Dandre.
He was a descendant of the famous noble family, therefore had a good education knew several languages.
He was flattered by wooing a girl, whose talent even royal people bowed to. However, he did not even think about marriage.
Victor became the patron of the ballerina. I rented a cozy apartment for her with a personal dance class, took him to chic restaurants and gave expensive gifts.
With Victor Dandre
Anna soon realized that this relationship had no future. They were not equal in social status, and the ballerina broke off their romance.
She plunged headlong into work, touring. And Victor went "black" streak.
He went bankrupt a large amount money and could not repay the debt. A lawsuit was brought against him.
The businessman was put in jail and assigned a sum for bail, which his relatives could not collect.
Anna Pavlova found out that her lover was in prison while on tour in Paris.
She sent the necessary amount for bail and called Victor to her.
The entrepreneur had to secretly leave Russia, as he was under house arrest and did not have a passport.
In Paris in 1911, young people secretly married in a church. Anna took a promise from Victor that he would not tell anyone about their marriage.
In London, they settled in their own mansion, near which there was a pond with swans.
Subsequently, Victor Dandre became the organizer of her touring life. He was in charge of accounting, housekeeping, held business meetings, and was responsible for household issues.
Last dance and death
“She does not dance, but flies through the air,” wrote the St. Petersburg newspaper Slovo about the greatest ballerina of the last century, Anna Pavlova. Having become a legend during her lifetime, she did an extraordinary amount to spread the fame of Russian ballet around the world.
Pavlova rethought the danced roles, retained the charm of romanticism. Her manner of performance gave a new stage in the history of Russian ballet. classical ballet, almost perished, acquires modernity, which is why eternal value. Her interpretation of Giselle, Nikiya, Odette, different from other dancers, was adopted by subsequent generations. Therefore, it was on the Russian stage that the undying, eternal that was inherent in Anna Pavlovna Pavlova was preserved. On her birthday, we propose to consider some unusual facts from the biography of the great ballerina.
Ballet charm
It seems that Anna Pavlova has always danced. She seemed to be born, already fascinated by ballet. But real love for ballet came only after seeing the morning performance of Sleeping Beauty at the age of nine. Interestingly, this was the premiere of a performance staged by Petipa. Ballet produced so much strong impression to Pavlova that, naturally shy and gentle, she for the first time expressed her firm will to choose a career as a ballet dancer. You can imagine how many girls who also came to the performance said: “When I grow up, I will dance like Princess Aurora!” And only one will keep her word.
Anna Pavlova's shoes
It was difficult for Anna Pavlovna to pick up ordinary shoes. Therefore, she always carried with her a suitcase for 36 pairs, which was periodically replenished with new ones. Old shoes were given away.
The same problem was with ballet shoes. Anna Pavlova preferred to order it from the famous Italian master Romeo Nicolini. The ballerina was very attentive to ballet shoes, because the quality and comfort of her shoes depended on how successful this or that pirouette would be. Therefore, shoes often had to be redone. Once Nicolini even said: “Yes, it is a great honor that Anna Pavlova is my customer. But if I had two Pavlovs, I would have perished.”
Surprisingly, at the time of Anna Pavlova, pointe shoes did not exist as such. This was due to the fact that the dance technique was somewhat simpler than it is now. Therefore, the form of dance shoes was closer to the ballroom, but, of course, without a heel. They were softer than modern shoes, fine workmanship, distinguished by grace. But this does not mean at all that earlier ballerinas danced on tiptoe. They learned how to hang and balance on their fingertips. To do this, sometimes the toe of a ballet shoe could be stitched for greater stability of the ballerina.
Pavlova and Diaghilev
Many are sure that it was Diaghilev who opened Pavlova to the world. But it's not. Anna Pavlova had already danced in Sweden, Denmark and Germany a year before the appearance of the Russian Seasons. Moreover, it was Pavlova who suggested that Diaghilev include ballet in the opera season (the first Russian Seasons were exclusively operatic). Diaghilev initially did not believe that Europeans, and even more so Parisians, would like Russian ballet. Diaghilev did not agree for a long time, but after the approval of a certain committee, he nevertheless decided to try to include the ballet in the Seasons. It is worth noting that at that time the condition for showing Russian ballet in Paris was the arrival of Anna Pavlova as part of the Diaghilev troupe.
Pavlova and Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin was a big fan of Anna Pavlova. “We are like you, Anna! Chaplin once said. - I am a vagabond, you are a sylph. Who needs us? Here we are being chased ... ".
They first met at a banquet in honor of Anna Pavlova. Chaplin, addressing the dancer, said that the English language cannot convey the feelings that he feels for her, and express the greatness that Pavlova is. So he intends to speak Chinese. With these words, Chaplin, imitating Chinese speech, went into a rage, kissed Pavlova's hand. And so their friendship began. Later, Charlie Chaplin acted as a consultant to Anna Pavlova when recording her numbers on film.
Charity of Anna Pavlova
During the First World War, wherever Anna Pavlova came, performances were staged in favor of the Red Cross. At the end of the war, she gave concerts at the Metropolitan Opera and sent parcels with food to the St. Petersburg and Moscow schools with all the proceeds. Later, she began to send money to Russia to distribute to the more needy artists of the St. Petersburg and Moscow troupes.
In Paris, Anna Pavlova decided to arrange an orphanage for Russian children. As a result, she organized a women's shelter in Saint-Cloud. Now most of the money from the performances went to the orphanage. Anna Pavlova was concerned not only with the fact that the girls had shelter, but also received an education, practical training to life, and after leaving the shelter - work. All the girls studied either in a Russian gymnasium or in French colleges. Each Pavlova provided the freedom to choose a specialty.
Portrait of Anna Pavlova
Many mistakenly think that Anna Pavlova, in her famous Dying Swan number, was inspired by the grace of her swan. This is not so, because the number was set long before the appearance of her pet. And initially the dance was simply called “Swan”, and only a few years later the epithet “dying” appeared.
An unusually deserted scene. No corps de ballet, scenery. There is no orchestra. There are no opening variation chords. Mercilessly sharp, concert light flashes. The dancer stands in the far corner of the stage, her head bowed, her arms crossed. After one measure of the introduction of the harp, with the first sound of the cello, she rises on her fingers and silently and sadly floats across the stage.
Fokin put the theme of lyrical peace into the number. The dance itself was the music. It was a monologue. And let the Swan still die at the end, but his death was peaceful.
But the appearance of the Swan changes with the advent of war and revolutions. Anna Pavlova, penetrating into souls with her dance, as if absorbing their response. Gradually, Lebed's lyricism was stained with tragedy. The meaning of the movements changed. The tread of the legs became more tense, the turns of the head and body became more pronounced. The wing-arms rose, fell, and suddenly clung to the chest, where a ruby was now burning bloody in white plumage. The face was bowed to the chest.
Ksenia Timoshkina
The future ballerina was born on February 12, 1881 in the village of Ligovo near St. Petersburg in the family of a seamstress (who had to earn extra money as a laundress) Lyubov Pavlova. She was born prematurely and miraculously survived. Anya did not remember her official father, a retired soldier of the Preobrazhensky Regiment Matvey Pavlov.
Poor girl's rich childhood
Rumor considered her the real father of Lazar Polyakov, a banker and younger brother Russian "railway king" Samuil Polyakov. Perhaps it's just a legend. But she, in any case, explains some of the inconsistencies between the poor childhood of the soldier’s daughter and the two-story dacha rented for Anya’s grandmother in Ligov, an aristocratic suburb of the Northern capital, where theatrical bohemia and the then nouveaux riches gathered for the summer. Yes, and frequent visits to the Mariinsky Theater and training at the Imperial Ballet School in the capital also cost money. And a lot.
In ballet from the second time
However, the sickly girl was admitted to the ballet school only from the second entry. Anya knew from the age of eight that she would become a dancer, having barely visited the ballet at the Mariinsky Theater with her mother. Then she declared: "I will dance the Sleeping Beauty in this theater!" However, the first attempt to enter the school ended in failure. The second attempt also nearly failed. The fate of Anya was decided by the chairman of the selection committee, the famous choreographer Marius Petipa. After looking dance number Ani Pavlova, the grey-whiskered master delivered a verdict: "Fluff in the wind - it will fly on stage."
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Clumsy Pavlova, nicknamed Mop
The school maintained a discipline that even the barracks would envy! Getting up at eight, dousing with cold water, praying, breakfast, and then eight hours of grueling practice at the ballet barre, interrupted only by a second breakfast (coffee with crackers), a dinner that did not satisfy hunger, and a daily hour-long walk on fresh air. At half past nine in the evening, the students were required to be in their beds. Plus competition, jealousy, intrigue.
Anna, with her strange posture and poor health, was pretty hard on her flexible, curvy girlfriends - one nickname Mop was worth something!
In the technique of dance, Anna was inferior to many ballerinas, including former graduates of the same school - the stars of Russian ballet Matilda Kshesinskaya, Tamara Karsavina and Olga Preobrazhenskaya. She could not “scroll” all 32 fouettes, as Kshesinskaya did. But on the other hand, the fragile and airy Pavlova had no competition in terms of artistry and ballet improvisation. She did not work, but danced - selflessly and with inspiration.
This impressed the strict examiners during the graduation performance. It took place in the spring of 1899 and became Pavlova's debut at the same time as a "luminary" - as the dancers enrolled in the troupe of the imperial theater were then called.
Triumph of the coryphee
Anna's career developed rapidly. She quickly moved from the corps de ballet to the role of the second soloist, and starting from the anxious and vague 1905, she began to be called a ballerina. The prophecy of the experienced Petipa came true - now all the capital's newspapers did not spare excellent epithets addressed to the rising star, noting that with the appearance of Pavlova on the stage, Russian ballet gained a new breath.
The only love of Anna Pavlova
Fortunately for Anna, her first patron was the first and the only love for life. The son of a Russified French emigrant, Victor Dandre, was handsome, rich, distinguished by refined manners. At first, he patronized the novice ballerina out of sports passion. He rented a luxurious apartment for Anna and set up a dance class in it, which at that time no aspiring actress could boast of. He did not show any serious intentions towards Pavlova, but insisted that she should become a star of the first magnitude. And then a non-binding relationship turned into real love for Dandre. And at the same time the main business of life! Because if there was then, at the very dawn of "show business", a super-successful international art project called Anna Pavlova, then it was promoted by none other than the permanent impresario of the ballerina Victor Dandre.
Sergei Diaghilev and his seasons
In 1909, the ballerina's patron introduced his protege and lover to the famous theater entrepreneur Sergei Diaghilev, the organizer of the triumphal Russian seasons in Paris. Diaghilev immediately invited Anna to dance in his productions, and Dandre undertook to buy for the future prima now the Parisian scene stunning toilets. He did not back down from his word, but as a result of these and other expenses, he got into debt, which led the unlucky sponsor to a debtor's prison. There were rumors that, in addition to spending, Viktor was also responsible for embezzlement of state funds ...
“A proper husband is to a wife what music is to a dance”
Be that as it may, yesterday's prosperous official, dandy and philanthropist did not have money at hand to make a deposit. And while the exhausting process lasted, which took a whole year, Anna left for Paris alone ...
Anna Pavlova saves her beloved
Evil tongues, of course, did not fail to comment on her departure: everything is clear, love for the patron disappeared along with his money! Anna didn't make excuses. But immediately after the triumph in Paris, she signed a very profitable, enslaving contract with a well-known London theater agency, and immediately sent the advance payment received for future tours to Victor. In Paris, Anna and Victor secretly got married.
Secret marriage and family tours
In 1912, Anna and Dandre organized their own troupe, which traveled around countries and continents for two decades, increasing the army of the ballerina's fans. The secret couple rented the Ivy House estate in London with a small park, once owned by the famous artist, the English forerunner of impressionism, William Turner. Anna's heart entirely belonged to the ballet and Dandra. She loved him alone all her life and repeatedly repeated: "A suitable husband for a wife is the same as music for a dance."
Ballet in the barn, in the rain and in the circus arena
Pavlova's natural talent was not to be occupied, and her efficiency, which reached the point of self-torture, amazed everyone. Fulfilling the same onerous contract, the ballerina traveled over twenty countries in less than ten years, sometimes performing in the most unsuitable places for ballet - at open stage in the pouring rain, circus arena, in a barn on hastily knocked together boards, in a variety show after tap dancers and trained monkeys. The Russian star performed with equal dedication on the best theatrical stages and in front of schoolchildren from the American backwoods, in front of Mexican shepherds and Australian miners.
Tulips and dessert in honor of the great ballerina
Mexican machos threw sombreros at her feet, Indians showered them with lotus flowers, and the Nordic restrained Swedes during the first foreign tour in 1907, silently, so as not to disturb the peace of the actress, escorted her carriage to the hotel itself. The Spanish king over the years sent flowers to her every performance - regardless of where she performed at that moment. In Holland, a special variety of tulips, Anna Pavlova, was bred in her honor. And in Australia, they came up with an exquisite delicacy - an airy dessert of meringue, whipped cream and wild berries, called Pavlova (with an emphasis on the letter “o”).
“If I don’t have time to live, then I must die on my feet”
She was no stranger to going on stage with a fever, sprained ligaments, and once during a tour in the United States, the ballerina performed her part even with a broken leg! The newspapers wrote that Pavlova wears out two thousand pairs of ballet shoes a year.
The dying swan who did not spare himself
The crowning achievement of Anna Pavlova's career was the same "Dying Swan", created in St. Petersburg by choreographer Mikhail Fokin to the music of Saint-Saens. The name of the dance number, alas, turned out to be prophetic. Anna was persuaded many times to take a vacation, to rest. The ballerina only sluggishly fought back. “If I don’t have time to live, then I must die on the go, on my feet,” she somehow dropped.
This was said in the autumn of 1930. In January, a tour in The Hague awaited her, but on the way to Holland, the ballerina slipped through the train, she fell ill. The doctors diagnosed him with the flu. In those days, when there were no affordable and effective antibiotics, such a sentence should have prepared for any outcome ... In addition, Pavlova refused to take the medicines prescribed by the doctor. As a result, pneumonia began, which turned into pleurisy. After 3 days, the ballerina died, not having lived 8 days before her 50th birthday.
Anna Pavlovna Pavlova was born on February 12, 1881 in St. Petersburg. Until now, there is no reliable information about her father. Even in encyclopedias, Anna's patronymic is given either Pavlovna or Matveevna. The ballerina herself did not like to be called by her patronymic, in extreme cases she preferred to be called Anna Pavlovna - by her last name. In the eighties of the last century, a document was found in the theatrical archive of St. Petersburg, confirming that Matvey Pavlovich Pavlov was married to Lyubov Fedorovna, Pavlova's mother. The document was dated 1899. This meant that he was alive at the time when the girl was already 18 years old.
When Anna had already become famous, the son of a wealthy St. Petersburg banker Polyakov said that she was his stepsister. The mentioned document states that Lyubov Fedorovna had a daughter, Anna, from another marriage. But she had never been married before. Then it became known that around 1880 Lyubov Fedorovna was in the service of the Polyakov family. Suddenly she disappeared.
In her autobiography, written in 1912, Anna Pavlova recalled her childhood and her first steps on stage:My first memory is small house Petersburg, where we lived together with my mother ...We were very, very poor. But my mother always managed to give me some pleasure on big holidays.When I was eight years old, she announced that we would go to the Mariinsky Theatre. "Here you will see the sorceresses." They showed Sleeping Beauty.
From the very first notes of the orchestra, I became silent and trembled all over, for the first time feeling the breath of beauty above me. In the second act, a crowd of boys and girls danced a wonderful waltz. "Would you like to dance like that?" Mom asked me with a smile. "No, I want to dance like that beautiful lady who portrays the sleeping beauty."
I love to remember that first evening at the theater that sealed my fate.
“We cannot accept an eight-year-old child,” said the director ballet school, where my mother brought me, exhausted by my perseverance. “Bring her back when she is ten years old.”During the two years of waiting, I became nervous, became sad and thoughtful, tormented by the persistent thought of how I could quickly become a ballerina.
Entering the Imperial Ballet School is like entering a monastery, such iron discipline reigns there. I left school at the age of sixteen with the title of the first dancer. Since then, I have been a ballerina. In Russia, apart from me, only four dancers have the official right to this title. The idea to try myself on foreign stages came for the first time when I read the biography of Taglioni. This great Italian danced everywhere: in Paris, and in London, and in Russia. A cast from her leg is still kept with us in St. Petersburg.
Studying at the Imperial Ballet School and the Mariinsky Theater
In 1891, the mother managed to get her daughter into the Imperial Ballet School, where Pavlova spent nine years. The charter of the school was monastically severe, but they taught excellently here. At that time, the St. Petersburg Ballet School was undoubtedly the best in the world. Only here and still preserved classical technique ballet.
In 1898, Pavlov's student performed in the ballet "Two Stars" staged by Petit-pa. Even then, connoisseurs noted some special, only inherent grace, an amazing ability to capture the poetic essence in the party and give it its own coloring.
After graduating from school in 1899, Pavlova was enrolled in the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater. Her debut took place in 1899 in the ballet "The Pharaoh's Daughter" to the music of Caesar Pugni directed by Saint-Georges and Petipa. Having neither patronage nor a name, she remained on the sidelines for some time. The thin dancer, who was notable for poor health, showed a strong-willed character: she was used to overcoming herself and even the patient did not refuse to perform on stage. In 1900, in The Awakening of Flora, she received the part of Flora (Fokine played the role of Apollo). Then responsible roles began to follow one after another, and Pavlova filled each of them with a special meaning. Staying completely within classical school, she knew how to be amazingly original and, performing old ordinary dances, turned them into genuine masterpieces. The Petersburg public soon began to distinguish the young talented ballerina. The skill of Anna Pavlova improved from year to year, from performance to performance. The young ballerina attracted attention with her extraordinary musicality and psychological restraint of the dance, emotionality and drama, as well as yet undiscovered creative possibilities. In every new performance the ballerina brought in a lot of new, her own.
Soon Anna Pavlova becomes the second, and then the first soloist. In 1902, Pavlova created a completely new look Nikiya in La Bayadère, interpreting it in terms of a high tragedy of the spirit. This interpretation changed the stage life of the play. The same thing happened with the image of Giselle, where the psychologism of the interpretation led to a poetically enlightened finale. The incendiary, bravura dance of her heroines - Paquita, Kitri - was an example of performing skills and style.
In early 1903, Pavlova danced on stage for the first time. Bolshoi Theater. Starts brilliant, but hard way Anna Pavlova in ballet, her triumphant performances in the cities of the Russian Empire.
The individuality of the ballerina, the style of her dance, the soaring jump prompted her partner, the future famous choreographer M. M. Fokin, to create "Chopiniana" to the music of F. Chopin (1907). These are stylizations in the spirit of the graceful revived engraving of the era of romanticism. In this ballet, she danced the mazurka and the Seventh Waltz with V. F. Nijinsky. Her partner Vaslav Nijinsky, although he danced the entire academic repertoire of the leading soloists, nevertheless, his individuality was revealed primarily in the ballets of M. M. Fokine.
The first foreign tour of Anna Pavlova
Since 1908, Anna Pavlova began touring abroad.Here is how she recalled her first tour: “The first trip was to Riga. From Riga we went to Helsingfors, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Prague and Berlin. Everywhere our tours were hailed as revelations of new art.
Many people imagine the life of a dancer to be frivolous. In vain. If the dancer does not keep herself in tight rein, she will not dance for a long time. She has to sacrifice herself for her art. Her reward is that she manages to make people forget for a moment their sorrows and worries.
I went with Russian ballet troupe to Leipzig, Prague and Vienna, we danced Tchaikovsky's lovely Swan Lake. Then I joined the Diaghilev troupe, who introduced Paris to Russian art.
Pavlova became the main participant in all of Sergei Diaghilev's Russian Seasons in Paris. Here she received world fame, dancing in ballets: "Pavilion of Armida", "Sylphs" and "Cleopatra" - under such names were "Chopiniana" and "Egyptian Nights". Pavlova performed this repertoire in Russia. In the luxurious ensemble of the largest talents presented by Diaghilev in Paris, Anna occupied one of the first places. But in the "Russian Seasons" Pavlova did not perform for long. She wanted creative freedom.
The first independent productions of Anna Pavlova
It was natural for Pavlova to try to stage it herself. She made such an attempt in 1909 at a performance at the Suvorinsky Theater in honor of the 75th anniversary of the owner, A. Suvorin. For her debut, Pavlova chose "Night" by Rubinstein. She appeared in a white long tunic with flowers in her hands and hair. Her eyes lit up when she held out her bouquet to someone. Flexible hands called out passionately, then timidly pulled away. Everything together turned into a monologue about insane passion. Pathetics was justified by the naive sincerity of feeling. The free movement of the body and arms gave the impression of improvisation, recalling Duncan's influence. But also classical dance, including finger technique, was present, diversifying and complementing expressive gestures. Pavlova's independent work was met with approval. The following numbers were "Dragonfly" by F. Kreisler, "Butterfly" by R. Drigo, "California Poppy".
Here, classical dance coexisted and intertwined with free plastique. united them emotional condition heroines.
In 1910, Anna Pavlova left the Mariinsky Theater, creating her own troupe. Pavlova included the ballets of Tchaikovsky and Glazunov in the tour repertoire, " A vain precaution”, “Giselle”, “Coppelia”, “Paquita”, interesting concert numbers. The ballerina introduced all ballet lovers to Russian art. Russian choreographers and mostly Russian dancers worked in the troupe. With them, she created new choreographic miniatures, the most famous of which are "Night" and "Waltz-Caprice" to the music of A. Rubinstein and "Dragonfly" to the music of Kreisler.
With her troupe, Pavlova toured with triumphant success in many countries of the world. She was the first to open Russian ballet for America, where for the first time ballet performances began to give full fees.
“... From London, I went on tour to America, where I danced at the Metropolitan Theater. Of course, I am delighted with the reception given to me by the Americans. The newspapers published my portraits, articles about me, interviews with me, and - I must tell the truth - a bunch of nonsense stories about my life, my tastes and views. I often laughed, reading this fantastic lie and seeing myself as something I had never been - an eccentric and extraordinary woman. The power of imagination of American journalists is simply amazing.
From New York we went on a tour of the province. It was a real triumphal procession, but terribly tiring. I was invited to America next year, and I myself wanted to go, but I positively do not have enough strength for this jump across the continent - it breaks my nerves so terribly. Her tour routes ran in Asia and the Far East. Hard work was hidden behind brilliant performances. Here, for example, is a list of performances by the Anna Pavlova troupe in the USA in December 1914: 31 performances in different cities— from Cincinnati to Chicago, and not a single day off. The same picture in the Netherlands in December 1927: daily performances in different cities - from Rotterdam to Groningen. And only one day of rest - December 31. For 22 years of endless tours, Pavlova traveled more than half a million kilometers by train, according to rough estimates, she gave about 9 thousand performances. It was really hard work.
There was a period when italian master Ninolini produced for Anna Pavlova a year, on average, two thousand pairs of ballet shoes were barely enough.
In addition to monstrous fatigue, foreign tours had other negative consequences. Pavlova's relationship with Mariinsky Theater aggravated by financial disagreements. The artist violated the terms of the contract with the management for the sake of a profitable trip to America and was forced to pay a penalty. The desire of the directorate to conclude a new contract with her ran into a demand to return the penalty. However, the theater was interested in the ballerina's performances. Steps were taken to settle the incident. On the initiative of the directorate, in 1913 Pavlova was awarded the honorary title of Honored Artist of the Imperial Theaters and was awarded a gold medal. The directorate insisted that Anna perform only in Russia.
In the spring of 1914 Pavlova last time visited home. The ballerina performed on May 31 at the St. Petersburg People's House, on June 7 at Pavlovsky Station, on June 3 at mirror theater Moscow garden "Hermitage". The repertoire included The Dying Swan, Bacchanalia, and her other miniatures. An enthusiastic reception was addressed to the new Pavlova - an international "star". The small, fragile ballerina, accustomed to overly strenuous work, was 33 years old. It was the fifteenth season, the middle of her stage life.
She never returned to her homeland. But Pavlova was not indifferent to the situation in Russia. In the difficult post-revolutionary years, she sent parcels to students of the St. Petersburg Ballet School, transferred large sums of money to the starving people of the Volga region, and staged charity performances to support the needy at home.
great friendship and creative collaboration tied two outstanding masters Russian ballet - Anna Pavlova and Mikhail Fokine. She performed the main roles in many of his ballets: "The Grapevine" by A. Rubinstein, "Chopiniana", "Egyptian Nights". As a result creative union Pavlova and Fokina created works where the dance is subordinated to spiritual and expressive tasks. This is how "Chopiniana" and "Swan" appeared to the music of C. Saint-Saens, which became poetic symbol Russian choreography.
Especially for Pavlova's troupe, Mikhail Fokin staged "Preludes" to the music of F. Liszt and "The Seven Daughters of the Mountain Tsar" to the music of K. Spendiarov.
The small traveling troupe, of course, could not compete with the Mariinsky Theater either in the performing staff or musical culture, no decoration. Losses were inevitable and very noticeable, especially when referring to the academic repertoire. Pavlova in such alterations treated music unceremoniously - she changed tempos, timbre colors, stopped numbers and inserted music from other composers. The only criterion that mattered to her was to wake her up. creative fantasy. And the ballerina, by virtue of her talent, often managed to overcome the obvious absurdities of the musical material to some extent.
All this was noticed with an experienced eye by the famous dancer of the Diaghilev troupe Sergei Lifar, who visited one of the performances of the ballerina:
“The Paris season of 1924 was especially rich and brilliant in musical and theatrical terms - as far as my poor means allowed me, I did not miss a single interesting concert, not a single interesting performance and lived by this, eagerly absorbing all the impressions. One of the most powerful and significant Parisian impressions was the performance of Anna Pavlova.
During the intermission in the foyer I met Diaghilev - wherever I was this spring, I met him everywhere - and to his question how I liked Anna Pavlova, I could only murmur in rapturous bewilderment: - Divinely! Brilliant! Wonderful!". Yes, Sergei Pavlovich did not even need to ask my opinion - it was written on my face. But neither to Diaghilev nor to anyone else did I dare to speak of my ambivalent impression, that certain places seemed to me cheap and swindling. I was sure that everyone would laugh at me and say that I did not understand anything and that I was blaspheming. Subsequently, I became convinced that I was not the only blasphemer - Diaghilev also blasphemed, who told me a lot about Anna Pavlova.
Personal life of Anna Pavlova
The personal life of the ballerina was not easy, which Anna Pavlova considered it natural:
“Now I want to answer the question that is often asked to me: why do I not get married. The answer is very simple. A true artist, like a nun, is not entitled to lead the life most women desire. She cannot burden herself with worries about the family and the household, and should not demand from life the quiet family happiness that is given to the majority. I see that my life is a single whole. To pursue the same goal unceasingly is the secret of success. What is success? It seems to me that it is not in the applause of the crowd, but rather in the satisfaction that you get from approaching perfection. I used to think that success is happiness. I was wrong. Happiness is a moth that charms for a moment and flies away.
Pavlova connected her life with Victor Dandre. A very contradictory person. Dandre is a mining engineer, in 1910 he was accused by the authorities of St. Petersburg of embezzlement of funds allocated for the construction of the Okhtinsky bridge. Anna Pavlova had to rush to his rescue and pay a considerable sum to release him. Despite a written undertaking not to leave, Dandre fled Russia after that and lived without a passport for many years.
At the same time, Dandre was one of the most capable impresario of his time, who for the first time understood the power of the press. He constantly arranged press conferences, invited photojournalists and newspapermen to Pavlova's speeches, gave numerous interviews related to her life and work. For example, he perfectly played up plots inspired by the romantic image of The Swan. Many photographs have been preserved that captured Anna Pavlova on the shore of the lake, on the mirror surface of which beautiful snow-white birds glide. Such a reservoir was in her estate "Ivy House" in England. Swans really lived there, and one of them, named Jack, was Anna Pavlova's favorite. He did not forget his mistress when she was on long trips. The photograph of Anna with a swan on her lap is widely known, his head resting trustingly on her shoulder. Photo taken famous photographer Lafayette, whom Dandre specially invited to shoot.
But it was Dandre who tried to squeeze everything possible out of the world fame of the ballerina, organizing endless and very intense tours, not sparing her health. Ultimately, the unbearable load apparently led to her untimely death...
The last days of Anna Pavlova's life
On January 17, 1931, the famous ballerina arrived on tour in the Netherlands, where she was well known and loved. In honor of the "Russian Swan", the Dutch, famous for their flowers, bred a special variety of snow-white tulips and called them "Anna Pavlova". Until now, at flower exhibitions, you can admire their exquisite beauty. FROM big bouquet of these flowers, Anna was met at the station by the Dutch impresario Ernst Krauss. But the ballerina felt bad and immediately went to the Hotel des Endes, where she was assigned the Japanese Salon with a bedroom, which later became known as the Anna Pavlova Salon. Apparently, the artist caught a bad cold while traveling by train across winter France. Moreover, as it turned out, the night train she was traveling from England to Paris collided with a freight train. The trunk that had fallen hit her hard in the ribs. Only close friends Anna told about this incident, although she complained of pain to many.
A doctor was urgently called to the hotel, who discovered acute pleurisy in the ballerina. Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands sent Pavlova de Jong's personal physician. After examining her, he came to the following conclusion: “Madame, you have pleurisy. An operation is required. I would advise removing one rib to make it easier to suck the liquid. In response to this, Dandre exclaimed: “How so! After all, she won’t be able to dance tomorrow!” Indeed, posters were plastered all over The Hague announcing that “on January 19, the last performance in the Netherlands of the greatest ballerina of our time, Anna Pavlova, with her big ballet, will take place.” Then there was a long tour of the North and Latin America, Far East. But this was not destined to come true.
Dandre decided to invite another doctor. By telegram, the doctor Zalevsky, who had previously treated Anna, was urgently summoned from Paris. And the ballerina was getting worse. Apparently, then the legend of the “dying swan” was born, which Victor Dandre cites in his memoirs. Anna Pavlova, the memoirist assures, wanted to go on stage again at any cost. “Bring me my swan costume,” she said. Those were supposedly her last words...
However, the reality was much more prosaic and tragic. This was told by Anna Pavlova's servant Marguerite Letienne, the doctors who were at her bedside. They recall that the ballerina invited some members of her troupe to her place and gave them instructions, believing that, despite her illness, performances should take place, especially in Belgium for the needs of the Red Cross. Then she got worse. Everyone except the maid left the room. Anna, nodding at an expensive dress recently bought in Paris from a famous couturier, said to Marguerite: “I wish I had spent this money on my children.” She meant orphans who had long been living at her expense in one of the mansions. After that, the patient fell into a coma. Zalevsky, who had arrived, tried to pump out fluid from the pleura and lungs with the help of a drainage tube, but it was all in vain. Anna never regained consciousness. It is believed that on the night of January 22-23, 1931, she died from acute blood poisoning brought by an insufficiently well-disinfected drainage tube ...
After Pavlova's death
The Russian colony in Paris wanted Pavlova to be buried in the Père Lachaise cemetery, where a beautiful monument could be erected to her. But Dandre spoke in favor of Anna being cremated. While touring in India, she was fascinated by Indian funeral ceremonies, during which the body of the deceased is burned on a funeral pyre. She told loved ones that she would like to be cremated. “So later it will be easier to return my ashes to dear Russia, she seemed to say. Dandre discussed this issue with the impresario Krauss, and they decided to consult with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in The Hague by the priest Rozanov, because according to church canons only burials in the cemetery are supposed to be. Given the situation, the priest had no objection to the cremation...
Victor Dandre, despite all his assurances, was not official husband Anna Pavlova, although this is stated in his will and the urn with his ashes is installed next to Anna's urn. She herself never called him her husband, they did not have a common bank account. After the death of Anna, Dandre declared his claims to Aini House. When the mother of the ballerina, rejecting these encroachments, filed a lawsuit against him, Dandre could not present any certificates of marriage, nor wedding photos, referring to the fact that the documents were not preserved after the revolution in Russia. The lawyer then recalled that he had previously spoken about marrying Pavlova in America. But even here, Dandre was unable to provide documents and even name the place of the wedding. He lost the process, and he had to leave the Ivy House.
Whether Dandre was Anna Pavlova's husband or not, but in his will the text of which is given in the book, it says: “I instruct my attorneys to buy niches 5791 and 3797 in the Goulders Green crematorium as a place for urns containing my ashes and the ashes of my beloved wife Anna, known as Anna Pavlova. I authorize my attorneys to consent to the transfer of my wife's ashes and, if they deem it possible, also my ashes to Russia, if ever the Russian government or the government of any major Russian province will seek the transfer and give my attorneys satisfactory assurances that the ashes of Anna Pavlova will receive due honor and respect.
Anna Pavlova is unique. She didn't have high-profile titles, left no followers, no school. After her death, her troupe was dissolved, property was sold. Only the legend of the great Russian ballerina Pavlova remained, after whom prizes and international awards are named. She is dedicated to art and documentaries(“Anna Pavlova”, 1983 and 1985). The French choreographer R. Petit staged the ballet "My Pavlova" to team music. The numbers of her repertoire are danced by the leading ballerinas of the world.
http://www.biografii.ru/index.php name=Meeting&file=anketa&login=pavlova_a_p
Portrait of Anna Pavlova in the ballet Sylphs
Artist Sorin Savely Abramovich (1887-1953)
