The Swan Brand: Reframing the Legacy of Anna Pavlova

Abstract

How does legendary status evolve in the world of ballet? Are the most brilliant dance figures simply bound to be recognized by the public and discerning critics alike? Or does historical importance depend on specific strategies? Or on the serendipity of circumstance? Joan Acocella notes that genius owes much to “ego strength” as well as luck (2007, xii). Perhaps the element of fame is always interlocked with market forces, even in the dance world, where artists are affected by what is written about them, whether it appears in influential places, and how much can be gained by selling an image. But how does history arrive at the consideration of a dance legend's substance and contributions? Being respected in the long run might inevitably depend on a combination of circumstances, including whether the popular imagination or the attention of academics can be captured. In the case of Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, a legend has grown around a particular set of glorifying associations. My question here is whether or not these associations, while celebrating Pavlova as a dance “star,” have also limited consideration of her as a significant figure in dance history. Often categorized as “old-fashioned” and “conservative,” Pavlova was in fact an innovator, I suggest, in terms of the way she combined ballet and dance influences from around the world, as well as her role in revivals of neglected dance forms, and, lastly, in her rhetorical framing of ballet as a serious endeavor and an empowering pursuit for women.

The Shock of the Risky(qué) Female: Femininity and the Trauma of the Great War Era in the Dancing of Maud Allan and Anna Pavlova

“…It is perhaps telling that Pavlova's memory and her influence has experienced sustained cult status. Much of the work concerning Pavlova is hagiographic and intended for visual as much as textual impact (MON-EY, 1982;GLASSTONE, 1984;PRITCHARD, 2013;KERENSKY, 1982;CASEY, 2013;FISHER, 2012) 23 . There is little discussion about the critical impact Pavlova's dancing and celebrity had on different social formations of the last 100 years.…”

“…Allan's legacy is a footnote in Edwardian history (MCDEARMON, 1978). Pavlova, on the other hand, has experienced a sustained cult status as one of the greatest ballerinas of all time (FISHER, 2012). Allan and Pavlova had similar beginnings to their London dance careers.…”

Dancing in the Blood

“…94 Anna Pavlova endorsed a cold cream and a mouthwash, and a brand of silk stockings named after her. 95 In all these ways, the modern dancers were tapping into the new mass market for consumer goods, and into the new mass media. A very important part of the mass-market appeal of modern dance, however, was its association as well with the social elite -the aristocracy and the business and fi nancial elite.…”

"The Dying Swan" by A. Pavlova: Choreography and Iconography of the Image

“…A. Pavlova's creativity constantly attracts the attention of researchers, "...New generations of people discover with astonishment the true meaning of a set of ideas and values of creativity, destiny and personality of Anna Pavlova" (1881-1931, one of the leading representatives of Russian ballet in the early twentieth century. When examining the ballerina's artistic heritage, Russian and foreign researchers aim to actualise its content, discover new facts, disclose littleknown hypostases of her personality and destiny, and reveal a 'dialogue' with the present" (Smirnova, 2004:11;McLean, 2008;Fisher, 2012;Edward, 2018). Indeed, Pavlova's creativity and its display in related arts have not yet been comprehended in various aspects.…”