Anna Pavlovna Pavlova (born Anna Matveyevna Pavlova; February 12, 1881 – 23 January 1931) was a Russian prima ballerina. She was a principal artist of the Imperial Russian Ballet and the Ballets Russes of Sergei Diaghilev, but is most recognized for creating the role of The Dying Swan and, with her own company, being the first ballerina to tour the world, including South America, India, Mexico and Australia.
Unlike many of her contemporaries who focused on athletic power and technical perfection, Pavlova was celebrated for her poetic expression. She possessed a slender, delicate frame that contrasted with the more muscular “Italian style” dancers of the time. She rose to the rank of Prima Ballerina in 1906 after a successful performance in Giselle. She premiered her most iconic solo in The Dying Swan (1905), choreographed by Michel Fokine, which became her lifelong signature role.
After a brief stint with Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes in 1909, she formed her own company in 1911. She traveled extensively for over 20 years, performing in North and South America, Asia, and Australia, often for audiences who had never seen classical ballet. In 1912, she settled in London at Ivy House, which served as her permanent base and rehearsal space.
Despite having “unconventional” feet for the era, her ethereal style and emotional depth defined a new aesthetic of grace. To support her highly arched feet, Pavlova added hard leather soles and flattened the box of her shoes. This innovation is considered the precursor to the modern pointe shoe.
Her 1926 tour of Australia and New Zealand was so significant that the Pavlova dessert was named in her honor. Pavlova died of pleurisy in 1931 while on tour in The Hague. Her legendary final request was reportedly, “Get my swan costume ready.”
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