Anna Pavlova
Ballerina Anna Pavlova was born Anna Matveyevna Pavlovna Pavlova on February 12, 1881—a cold and snowy winter's day—in St. Petersburg, Russia. From early on, Anna's active imagination and love of fantasy drew her to the world of ballet. Although they were poor, Anna and her mother were able to see a performance of The Sleeping Beauty at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg when Anna was 8 years old. Captivated by what she saw, the wide-eyed little girl declared she was resolved to become a ballet dancer
Within just two years, Anna was accepted at the St. Petersburg Imperial Ballet School. t the Imperial Ballet School, Petipa and Anna's teachers, Ekaterina Vazem and Pavel Gerdt, quickly recognized her extraordinary gift. A dedicated and ambitious student, Anna knew a successful ballet career would require a lot more than just talent. Her natural gift for dance, combined with her tireless work ethic, is here summarized in her own words: "No one can arrive from being talented alone. God gives talent, work transforms talent into genius." In 1899 Anna graduated the St. Petersburg Imperial Dance School at the age of 18—gracefully leaping from school to stage in her hard-earned transformation from ballet student to prima ballerina in the making.
Because Anna graduated as a coryphée she bypassed the usual initiation rite of dancing in large groups, and was permitted to dance in smaller groups right away. Fresh out of dance school, on September 19, 1899, the gifted young ballerina made her company debut, dancing in a group of three in La Fille Mal Gardée. Pavlova's career soon blossomed. With every performance, she gained increasing critical acclaim and subsequent fame. But it was in 1905 that Anna Pavlova made her breakthrough performance, when she danced the lead solo in choreographer Michael Fokine's The Dying Swan. Anna continued to rise quickly through the ranks. By 1906 she had already successfully danced the difficult part of Giselle. Just seven years
Within just two years, Anna was accepted at the St. Petersburg Imperial Ballet School. t the Imperial Ballet School, Petipa and Anna's teachers, Ekaterina Vazem and Pavel Gerdt, quickly recognized her extraordinary gift. A dedicated and ambitious student, Anna knew a successful ballet career would require a lot more than just talent. Her natural gift for dance, combined with her tireless work ethic, is here summarized in her own words: "No one can arrive from being talented alone. God gives talent, work transforms talent into genius." In 1899 Anna graduated the St. Petersburg Imperial Dance School at the age of 18—gracefully leaping from school to stage in her hard-earned transformation from ballet student to prima ballerina in the making.
Because Anna graduated as a coryphée she bypassed the usual initiation rite of dancing in large groups, and was permitted to dance in smaller groups right away. Fresh out of dance school, on September 19, 1899, the gifted young ballerina made her company debut, dancing in a group of three in La Fille Mal Gardée. Pavlova's career soon blossomed. With every performance, she gained increasing critical acclaim and subsequent fame. But it was in 1905 that Anna Pavlova made her breakthrough performance, when she danced the lead solo in choreographer Michael Fokine's The Dying Swan. Anna continued to rise quickly through the ranks. By 1906 she had already successfully danced the difficult part of Giselle. Just seven years