Анна Павловна Pavlovna Матвеевна Matveyevna (Павлова) Pavlova (1881 - 1931)

Born 12 Feb 1881 in Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire

Died 23 Jan 1931 at age 49 in The Hague, South Holland, Netherlands

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Biography

Anna (Павлова) Pavlova is Notable.

• Famed Russian Prima Ballerina, Imperial Russian Ballet, Ballet Russes; First ballerina to tour around the world^[1]

• Anna Pavlova is believed to be the the daughter of Matvey Pavlovich Pavlov & Lyubov Feodorovna Pavlova

Anna Pavlova studied at the Imperial School of Ballet at the Mariinsky Theatre from 1891, joined the Imperial Ballet in 1899, and became a prima ballerina in 1906. In 1909 she went to Paris on the historic tour of the Ballets Russes. After 1913 she danced independently with her own company throughout the world.

During their 1926 Tour of Australia we see an interesting article on her childhood in the News newspaper of Wednesday 14 July 1926, reproduced below:

ANNA PAVLOVA

Wonderful Exponent

Madame Annia Paviova; that brilliant exponent of the terpsichorean art, tells how at the age of 10 years she began her training like any other boy or girl who seeks success in art.

In Czarist times a child dancer was brought up at the cost- of the State. Dancers were educated as well as trained, four hours a day being devoted to dancing throughout the eight years pupils remained at the school.

During training the students appeared among the crowd in operas where children were needed, out (sic) the actual career as members of the corps de ballet began at the age of 17.

Paviova, supported by Laurent Novikoff and her entire, organisation, will open her Adelaide season of 10 nights on Satuday week. Plans at Allan's. Plans for the upper circle for the opening night only will open at Allan's on Monday.

From WIKIPedia we also see her sad death in 1931:

While travelling from Paris to The Hague, Pavlova became very ill, and worsened on her arrival in The Hague. She sent to Paris for her personal physician, Dr Zalewski to attend her.

She was told that she had pneumonia and required an operation. She was also told that she would never be able to dance again if she went ahead with it. She refused to have the surgery, saying "If I can't dance, then I'd rather be dead." She died of pleurisy, in the bedroom next to the Japanese Salon of the Hotel Des Indes in The Hague, twenty days short of her 50th birthday. ^[2]

Memorial services were held in the Russian Orthodox Church in London for Anna Pavloa. And she was cremated, with her ashes placed in a Columbarium at Golders Green Crematorium, in London.

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia: Anna Pavlova, accessed 29 Dec 2020.
2. ↑ Burgerlijke Stand Overlijden 1931, 's-Gravenhage, Zuid-Holland, Nederland. Akte 288 (1931-01-23), Haags Gemeentearchief accessed via OpenArch Permalink

• Walker, K. Sorley (2022, February 8). Anna Pavlova. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Anna-Pavlova (first accessed online on the 22nd of May, 2022.)

• Find a Grave, database and images accessed 22 May 2022, memorial page for Anna Pavlova (12 Feb 1881–23 Jan 1931), Find a Grave Memorial ID Find A Grave: Memorial #1380, citing Golders Green Crematorium, Golders Green, London Borough of Barnet, Greater London, England ; Maintained by Find a Grave .

Further Reading

• Anna Pavlova as the Dying swan, Melbourne, 1926 / Spencer Shier. Author: Shier, Spencer, 1884-1950, photographer - Online Version first accessed on the 22nd of May, 2022 at the: National Library of Australia . A digitised item. Description: 1926, 1 photograph : silver gelatin ; 19.6 x 14.4 cm, on mount 50.7 x 40.5 cm. (Title from inscription and acquisitions documentation. Inscriptions: "Spencer Shier Melbourne 1926"--Signed lower right; "Anna Pavlova as the Dying Swan"--In pencil on reverse] also available at: https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-138204672/view

• ANNA PAVLOVA from the Queensland Figaro (Brisbane, Qld. : 1901 - 1936) of Saturday 3 July 1926, Page 1. first accessed on TROVE on the 22nd of May, 2022 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/84897464?

• MDLLE. ANNA PAVLOVA,from the Queensland Figaro newspaper of Sat 26 June 1926 a further photograph advertising her 1926 Tour of Australia from TROVE

• ANNA PAVLOVA from the News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954) of Wednesday 14 July 1926, Page 5. first accessed on TROVE on the 22nd of May, 2022 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/129742231?

• Anna Pavlova Biography (Ballet dancer) from the website: TheFamousPeople.com first accessed online on the 22nd of May, 2022 at: https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/anna-pavlova-4237.php

• In Famous Footsteps: Anna Pavlova at Government House from the Governor of New South Wales website

• Anna Pavlova from the THE MARIUS PETIPA SOCIETY Blog.

• p a v l o v a ’ s whistlestop tour Article in NSW State Library Magazine, Spring 2010 pp18-21 accessed online 6th November 2023 at https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/about-library/publications/sl-magazine-archive