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Dancing Star: The Story of Anna Pavlova
In this biographical novel, Gladys Malvern shares the incredible story of Anna Pavlova, one of the most revered and celebrated ballerinas of all time. Malvern presents Pavlova’s life in enchanting prose, allowing the reader to experience Pavlova’s inspirational first exposure to a performance of Sleeping Beauty, the origination of her defining dance The Dying Swan, her illustrious rise to fame as a prima ballerina, and her extensive world tours.
You don’t have to be a fan of the ballet to enjoy this captivating tale, available for the first time in ebook.
You don’t have to be a fan of the ballet to enjoy this captivating tale, available for the first time in ebook.
206 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1942
About the author
Gladys Malvern
55 books17 followersGladys Malvern wrote almost four dozen books in her prolific career as a writer of historical and biographical Young Adult fiction. She was born in Newark, New Jersey on July 17, 1897. Her family roots were in Virginia and her ancestors include such historic American names as Lee, Rolfe, Randolph, and Custis.
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July 12, 2026
When I was a youngster, one shelf of books I made a beeline for to spend any present money was Collins “Seagull Library”. These were inexpensive hardback editions of adventure stories, school stories, and classic children’s books. Some were reprints, and some were new stories, but all had a silver seagull vignette on the front cover and spine, with brightly designed pictorial covers over a hardback blue book. I’d borrow them from the library, and read the ones I owned over and over again. They looked good on my shelves as well, although they were of cheap paper which would brown with age.
The Seagull Library series ran from about 1948–1970, and there were around 120–150 titles in total, so they tend to turn up now in antiquarian book or charity shops. When I saw the familiar uniform edition of Dancing Star, it brought back strong memories. It was first published in 1954, so I’m not sure whether or not I had this one, but I’m pretty sure I borrowed it from the local library, as some of the story seemed familiar.
Dancing Star is a biographical novel about Anna Pavlova, from her early life, through to her rise to principal artist of the Imperial Russian Ballet, and her extensive world tours. There are 23 chapters, with a few line drawing illustrations by Dodo Adler.
The story begins with her as a tiny child “Niura”, travelling “swiftly and noiselessly” on a sleigh through the snow with her Mamasha (little mother) who has promised to take her to Fairyland. The child’s excitement grows as they journey from their home on the outskirts of St. Petersburg to the famous Marinsky theatre.
“There was never enough money. Anna knew her Mamasha had to scrimp and economise to eke out the bare necessities for the two of them; but somehow Mamasha always managed to have little fancy coloured eggs and toys at Easter, and always at Christmas there would be the little fir tree with its candles, a few toys, and perhaps some extra surprise, some extra treat; but never such a treat as this Christmas—there had never been Fairyland before.”
Anna avidly watches the ballet “Sleeping Beauty”:
“It was as if some magic wand had been waved over Anna Pavlova, changing her from a carefree child into a force, awakening her soul, giving her a new vision—a high, almost unbelievable vision. A little voice up in her head kept saying, ‘Dance … dance … dance. You must dance!’…
“Arriving home she went at once to tell the Virgin of this wonderful thing that had happened to her. As in most Russian homes, the Pavlovas had a small icon, a picture of the Virgin, before which always a little lamp burned. As far back as she could remember, Anna had loved the slender, girlish figure in the blue, flowing robes. She confided all her secrets to the Virgin, and always the Virgin was there, waiting to hear them, smiling that serene and tender smile.
‘I will be a great dancer’ Anna explained, ‘and you’ll help me, won’t you? You’ll look on while I dance and you’ll be glad?’
It seemed to the small girl that the Virgin smiled, and Anna went to bed feeling that she had received a blessing, that her beloved Virgin was approving, and that nothing would interfere.”
This novel is clearly for a young audience, and the events described are not always reliable. For instance, how could this poor country peasant family possibly afford to go to the main ballet in St. Petersburg? The facts are that Anna Pavlova was a premature child who regularly felt ill, and was sent to Ligovo village where her grandmother looked after her. In Dancing Star her mother and her grandmother have been combined into one character, but her mother did whisk her off to see the Marinsky ballet, and Anna did immediately become obsessed with ballet after this.
She practised every moment she could, and nagged to be taken to audition for the Imperial Ballet School at nine years old. The director there said she was too fragile; she was small, thin, and did not look not very strong. He pretended that nobody was accepted until they were 10. However Anna refused to lose sight of her dream. She tried to eat more, and studied dancers obsessively, imitating their steps at home, despite her physical disadvantages. Anna had severely arched feet, thin ankles and long limbs, which looked odd with her small, compact body. In fact her oddly formed feet would be a constant problem all her life. Her special shoes had to be made by one shoemaker, and led to a different accepted way of balancing "en pointe", with her entire weight on one big toe.
This early part of her story emphasises her inner resolve. Then at 10 years old Anna Pavlova was accepted by the Imperial Ballet School. The audition was thorough and lasted for several hours. This chapter goes through the procedure in great detail, narrowing all the candidates down until only four were selected. Her first teacher was Alexander Oblakov, a prominent dancer in the Imperial ballet who created many principal classical roles. He had no sympathy when the young Anna complained that attaining the first position hurt. Anna quickly learned that ballet was a difficult discipline, and her demanding, temperamental teachers showed her that only perfection would do.
Soon she demanded this of herself—and later of others. She learned of Marie Taglioni, who had died in 1884 when Anna was 2, and who also was frail, with a physique which was considered “unsuitable” for ballet, requiring extreme corrective training. Yet with constant exercises devised by her father, Taglioni became one of the most celebrated ballerinas of the romantic ballet, and a central figure in the history of European dance. Anna Pavlova was inspired by her story.
In Anna Pavlova’s second year, she was taught by Ekaterina Vakem and Christian Johansson and in her third, by Eugenie Sokolova. Then in her 4th year she was taught by Marius Petipa and Enrico Cecchetti—considered the greatest ballet virtuosos of the time—as well as learning pantomime skills with the great Pavel Guerdt. Their coaching became crucial to Anna Pavlova’s development. She had “bad habits” such as touching her hands to her sides, and her back was not straight enough, but under Enrico Cecchetti’s tutelage she corrected these faults, and she was to stay in close touch with Cecchetti all her life. Anna began to understand that ballet was not only beauty but also sacrifice, repetition, and pain.
Throughout her time at the Imperial Ballet school she had admired an older pupil—Mathilde Kschessinska—and finally Anna Pavlova herself graduated at 18. Her abilities were so remarkable that she was the only new entrant to the Imperial Ballet to ever be offered a small solo part, rather than being just a member of the corps de ballet. New names begin to come into the narrative: Sedova, Trefilova, and Michel Fokine, who is remembered as one of the greatest ever choreographers.
By a third of the way through the book, Anna has become a Prima Ballerina: a huge achievement. She had met Sergei Diaghilev, an art critic who often visited the Imperial Ballet to watch young Mathilde Kschessinska, who was flattered by the attention of an already famous art connoisseur. Diaghilev was supremely confident, boasting that he was: “the only one, without whom nothing can be done”—and he profoundly disliked Teliakovsky, the director of the Imperial Ballet. Diaghilev published an Arts magazine and became known in the theatrical world, having success as a promoter. Leo Bakst, who was to achieve world acclaim as an innovative designer of scenery, was a close friend of Diaghilev’s, and the small group of friends began to meet regularly.
Anna Pavlova also met Victor Dandré at one of Diaghilev’s parties. He was a mining engineer, and at 27 was almost 10 years older than Anna. She tried to convince him that she was only interested in dancing, and not in marriage. He should look elsewhere for a wife: “I have to satisfy myself!” she insisted. But Dandré would not listen. Like her teachers, he believed that Pavlova had a unique talent, and he wanted to support her in making the most of it. The two married and Dandré was true to his word for the rest of her life, staying close wherever she travelled, and acting as her business manager. He supported Pavlova’s decisions, sometimes advising against them, but never insisting, when she felt her way forward was clear.
Meanwhile Marius Petipa, the choreographer now acknowledged as the “father of classical ballet” revised many “grand pas” for Anna (dances designed to showcase the technical virtuosity of principal dancers). Pavlova was gaining in popularity all the time, and was much celebrated by the fanatical balletomanes of Tzarist Saint Petersburg; much admired for her expressive style, rather than technical perfection. When Mathilde Kschessinska became pregnant in 1901, she coached Pavlova in the role of Nikiya in “La Bayadère”. Anna Pavlova was flattered by this, but Kschessinska had another motive; she wanted to make sure that she was not upstaged. She was certain that Pavlova would fail in the classical role, because of her small ankles and long legs. However Kschessinska’s plan backfired. Audiences became enchanted with Pavlova and her frail, ethereal look, which suited the role perfectly.
Anna Pavlova went from strength to strength. She developed her own style, which was mocked by the critics. She paid little heed to academic rules, frequently performing with bent knees and a bad turnout, harking back to the time of the romantic ballet. Her weak ankles frequently led to difficulties while performing. Once, during class, she attempted Legnani’s famous fouettés, (a dynamic movement in which a dancer swiftly whips their free leg around while standing on one foot). Her teacher, Pavel Gerdt, flew into a rage, shouting:
“Leave acrobatics to others. It is positively more than I can bear to see the pressure such steps put on your delicate muscles and the severe arch of your foot. I beg you to never again try to imitate those who are physically stronger than you. You must realise that your daintiness and fragility are your greatest assets. You should always do the kind of dancing which brings out your own rare qualities instead of trying to win praise by mere acrobatic tricks.”
By chapter 8, the tone is noticeably darker; the “chatty” style of the beginning belies what is to follow. The last two thirds of the book are not only information-heavy, but often rather grim reading, only suitable for early teens or older.
The book tackles a key episode in Russian history: the 1905 Revolution, from the dancers’ point of view. The Imperial Ballet was facing internal conflict. By now Diaghilev hated the director Teliakovsky and all he stood for, and had persuaded quite a few of his circle round to his more progressive way of thinking. Anna and her friends believed that they had a right to be independent of the classical tradition, and held meetings at the house where Pavlova had moved with her mother. Anna viewed herself as a liberator of the ballet, and made impassioned speeches insisting on the importance of freedom to express new ideas.
Pavlova, Diaghilev and Fokine made a petition, saying that they wanted the right of autonomy. Several others became involved, such as Tamara Karsavina (although she was worried about the consequences) and the artist and ballet librettist Alexandre Benoir. They decided they needed Sergei Levat on their side. He had married Marie Petipa, and had originated the dual role of the Nutcracker/Prince in Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet. He reluctantly agreed to sign their petition to the government for higher salaries, and the freedom to govern their own activities in theatre. Sergei Levat was a great coup for the group, but their joy soon turned to horror. With weeks he had killed himself in Saint Petersburg, by slashing his throat with a razor. He viewed himself as a traitor.
A wave of mass political and social unrest was continuing across the Russian Empire. The day the group went to present their petition to the Director (Teliakovsky), most of St Petersburg was in turmoil. It was 7th November 1905, and the Cossacks began to charge down the streets on their way to the Winter palace. They:
“brandished their long whips this way and that, lashing out in all directions.
Just in time Dandré pushed Anna back against a building. The whips were lead-tipped, as dangerous as bullets. Anna’s eyes were bright with agony …
The crowd surged forward with a roar .. there were shouts. Outside the doorway people fell writhing to the ground. Others were shoving, striking out in all directions with clubs and guns. Women were trampled on, crushed, in their mad rush to get away from the shooting.“
There was to be a scheduled commemorative gala marking the first anniversary of the death of Alexander III, in which the prima ballerina, Olga Preobrajenska, was due to perform. All the seats had been sold in anticipation. Would she go on? Teliakovsky had escaped to Moscow, but Preobrajenska performed as planned—but to an empty theatre. The group realised that people did not dare to leave their homes.
Anna was chastened and horrified. She had had to navigate political tensions, artistic disagreements, and the changing landscape of Russian ballet—but had no idea this sort of violence was about to erupt. She had met the Tzar and his family after a performance, and she remembered a gentle smiling man, who appreciated the ballet. What would these Cossacks do to him? Nevertheless she remained committed to her art, rather than get involved. We see her independence and her refusal to be constrained by institutional politics.
The group of friends all expected to go to prison, for inciting a strike. But in October the Duma was created. A new elected national parliament of the Russian Empire was created when Tzar Nicholas II issued the October Manifesto. Sparked by the “Bloody Sunday” massacre—where troops fired on peaceful protesters—the Tzar was forced to create the Duma as a national parliament. It granted civil liberties, expanded political rights, and marked the beginning of a shift from absolute autocracy toward a constitutional monarchy.
The Tzar granted amnesty to all strikers, the Imperial Ballet director Teliakovsky returned from Moscow, and to their huge relief, forgave them. He said that he understood why they wanted to be more independent and inventive. The ballet was moving forward.
Pavlova remained with the Imperial Ballet for the next two or three years, as their prima ballerina. Fokine created “The Dying Swan” for her: a short solo that became her signature piece and a symbol of her artistry. Diaghilev wanted her to dance the lead in Mikhail Fokine’s “The Firebird”, but she refused the part, as she could not come to terms with Igor Stravinsky’s avant-garde score. The role was given to Tamara Karsavina. All her life, Anna Pavlova preferred melodious, romantic ballet roles.
Then a day came when her friends were delighted for her. She was to be offered the title of Ballerina Absoluta. It was a tremendous honour, since there had only ever been three. To their astonishment Anna Pavlova refused the title and said she wanted to tour the world. She knew from countless people that her dancing brought great joy to them, and she wanted to bring joy to everyone, all over the world. Her friends tried to persuade her to stay. The Imperial ballet was secure, offered a good salary, and dancers were only expected to perform 6 times a month. On tour it would be constant travel, to places where they did not appreciate ballet, and performances almost every day. But nobody could dissuade her, not even Dandré.
Rather than remain confined to the Imperial stage, Anna Pavlova formed her own company of young dancers. Victor Dandré supported her as ever, handling the finances, logistics, and the company’s organisation. They organised international tours, often bringing ballet to audiences who had never seen it. The tours were exhausting and financially risky, but she had a missionary zeal, believing that ballet belonged to everyone, not only the elite.
Pavlova was determined to win over everyone to ballet. She said that France had considered dancing a lesser Art before her tour, whereas the Scandinavians did not applaud at first; stunned to silence by their first sight of ballet. These tours were not only to European countries, but also across America, which Anna had said was only bothered about making money. She became close to Charlie Chaplin and his wife, and in chapter 11, when she was 24, Anna met Isadora Duncan, whose style of dancing was poles apart from her own. Again the two became close, although Isadora Duncan professed to hate the constraints of ballet. Later, Anna was shocked to hear of her early death.
Over time Anna changed her mind about America. Chapter 17 shows how distraught she was at the idea of the Boston Opera company collapsing. She had made millions—she could save them—at least for a season. And she did finance them, but it left her without enough money to pay for her next tour. When Dandré told her the company must disband, as they could not afford to pay them except the bare minimum, they all voted to stay with her.
Pavlova was the first ballerina to tour the world, including India, Mexico, Australia, and South America. She saw great poverty in Guayaquil, (Ecuador) sometimes having to travel and stay in filthy conditions, but she remained encouraging for her company, whilst insisting on perfection in the ballets.
In England she needed an agent, so she went to one who specialised in variety acts for Vaudeville. Incredibly he told her “Bring your tights and we’ll see what you can do”. She also worked at the Hippodrome for 6 months twice a day—with the clowns and elephants—but earned enough money to mount a tour again. She loved England, buying J.M.W Turner’s huge “Ivy House” in Hampstead, and making a home there with her mother, her pets and her beloved pair of swans in the extensive grounds.
But she worked and toured excessively, and became ill while travelling from Paris to The Hague. She had pleurisy, and was offered an operation (trepanning on the ribs) but refused, saying “How could I exist if I couldn’t dance.” Anna Pavlova asked for her swan costume, fluttering her arms up and down as in her signature piece, and died just twenty days short of her 50th birthday.
In my opinion, Dancing Star is rather over-written for modern tastes. Its tone is bright and deliberately inspirational; depicting a romanticised portrait of Anna Pavlova, with an almost spiritual devotion to dance. Nevertheless, it has been reprinted many times, until 2016.
The Seagull Library series ran from about 1948–1970, and there were around 120–150 titles in total, so they tend to turn up now in antiquarian book or charity shops. When I saw the familiar uniform edition of Dancing Star, it brought back strong memories. It was first published in 1954, so I’m not sure whether or not I had this one, but I’m pretty sure I borrowed it from the local library, as some of the story seemed familiar.
Dancing Star is a biographical novel about Anna Pavlova, from her early life, through to her rise to principal artist of the Imperial Russian Ballet, and her extensive world tours. There are 23 chapters, with a few line drawing illustrations by Dodo Adler.
The story begins with her as a tiny child “Niura”, travelling “swiftly and noiselessly” on a sleigh through the snow with her Mamasha (little mother) who has promised to take her to Fairyland. The child’s excitement grows as they journey from their home on the outskirts of St. Petersburg to the famous Marinsky theatre.
“There was never enough money. Anna knew her Mamasha had to scrimp and economise to eke out the bare necessities for the two of them; but somehow Mamasha always managed to have little fancy coloured eggs and toys at Easter, and always at Christmas there would be the little fir tree with its candles, a few toys, and perhaps some extra surprise, some extra treat; but never such a treat as this Christmas—there had never been Fairyland before.”
Anna avidly watches the ballet “Sleeping Beauty”:
“It was as if some magic wand had been waved over Anna Pavlova, changing her from a carefree child into a force, awakening her soul, giving her a new vision—a high, almost unbelievable vision. A little voice up in her head kept saying, ‘Dance … dance … dance. You must dance!’…
“Arriving home she went at once to tell the Virgin of this wonderful thing that had happened to her. As in most Russian homes, the Pavlovas had a small icon, a picture of the Virgin, before which always a little lamp burned. As far back as she could remember, Anna had loved the slender, girlish figure in the blue, flowing robes. She confided all her secrets to the Virgin, and always the Virgin was there, waiting to hear them, smiling that serene and tender smile.
‘I will be a great dancer’ Anna explained, ‘and you’ll help me, won’t you? You’ll look on while I dance and you’ll be glad?’
It seemed to the small girl that the Virgin smiled, and Anna went to bed feeling that she had received a blessing, that her beloved Virgin was approving, and that nothing would interfere.”
This novel is clearly for a young audience, and the events described are not always reliable. For instance, how could this poor country peasant family possibly afford to go to the main ballet in St. Petersburg? The facts are that Anna Pavlova was a premature child who regularly felt ill, and was sent to Ligovo village where her grandmother looked after her. In Dancing Star her mother and her grandmother have been combined into one character, but her mother did whisk her off to see the Marinsky ballet, and Anna did immediately become obsessed with ballet after this.
She practised every moment she could, and nagged to be taken to audition for the Imperial Ballet School at nine years old. The director there said she was too fragile; she was small, thin, and did not look not very strong. He pretended that nobody was accepted until they were 10. However Anna refused to lose sight of her dream. She tried to eat more, and studied dancers obsessively, imitating their steps at home, despite her physical disadvantages. Anna had severely arched feet, thin ankles and long limbs, which looked odd with her small, compact body. In fact her oddly formed feet would be a constant problem all her life. Her special shoes had to be made by one shoemaker, and led to a different accepted way of balancing "en pointe", with her entire weight on one big toe.
This early part of her story emphasises her inner resolve. Then at 10 years old Anna Pavlova was accepted by the Imperial Ballet School. The audition was thorough and lasted for several hours. This chapter goes through the procedure in great detail, narrowing all the candidates down until only four were selected. Her first teacher was Alexander Oblakov, a prominent dancer in the Imperial ballet who created many principal classical roles. He had no sympathy when the young Anna complained that attaining the first position hurt. Anna quickly learned that ballet was a difficult discipline, and her demanding, temperamental teachers showed her that only perfection would do.
Soon she demanded this of herself—and later of others. She learned of Marie Taglioni, who had died in 1884 when Anna was 2, and who also was frail, with a physique which was considered “unsuitable” for ballet, requiring extreme corrective training. Yet with constant exercises devised by her father, Taglioni became one of the most celebrated ballerinas of the romantic ballet, and a central figure in the history of European dance. Anna Pavlova was inspired by her story.
In Anna Pavlova’s second year, she was taught by Ekaterina Vakem and Christian Johansson and in her third, by Eugenie Sokolova. Then in her 4th year she was taught by Marius Petipa and Enrico Cecchetti—considered the greatest ballet virtuosos of the time—as well as learning pantomime skills with the great Pavel Guerdt. Their coaching became crucial to Anna Pavlova’s development. She had “bad habits” such as touching her hands to her sides, and her back was not straight enough, but under Enrico Cecchetti’s tutelage she corrected these faults, and she was to stay in close touch with Cecchetti all her life. Anna began to understand that ballet was not only beauty but also sacrifice, repetition, and pain.
Throughout her time at the Imperial Ballet school she had admired an older pupil—Mathilde Kschessinska—and finally Anna Pavlova herself graduated at 18. Her abilities were so remarkable that she was the only new entrant to the Imperial Ballet to ever be offered a small solo part, rather than being just a member of the corps de ballet. New names begin to come into the narrative: Sedova, Trefilova, and Michel Fokine, who is remembered as one of the greatest ever choreographers.
By a third of the way through the book, Anna has become a Prima Ballerina: a huge achievement. She had met Sergei Diaghilev, an art critic who often visited the Imperial Ballet to watch young Mathilde Kschessinska, who was flattered by the attention of an already famous art connoisseur. Diaghilev was supremely confident, boasting that he was: “the only one, without whom nothing can be done”—and he profoundly disliked Teliakovsky, the director of the Imperial Ballet. Diaghilev published an Arts magazine and became known in the theatrical world, having success as a promoter. Leo Bakst, who was to achieve world acclaim as an innovative designer of scenery, was a close friend of Diaghilev’s, and the small group of friends began to meet regularly.
Anna Pavlova also met Victor Dandré at one of Diaghilev’s parties. He was a mining engineer, and at 27 was almost 10 years older than Anna. She tried to convince him that she was only interested in dancing, and not in marriage. He should look elsewhere for a wife: “I have to satisfy myself!” she insisted. But Dandré would not listen. Like her teachers, he believed that Pavlova had a unique talent, and he wanted to support her in making the most of it. The two married and Dandré was true to his word for the rest of her life, staying close wherever she travelled, and acting as her business manager. He supported Pavlova’s decisions, sometimes advising against them, but never insisting, when she felt her way forward was clear.
Meanwhile Marius Petipa, the choreographer now acknowledged as the “father of classical ballet” revised many “grand pas” for Anna (dances designed to showcase the technical virtuosity of principal dancers). Pavlova was gaining in popularity all the time, and was much celebrated by the fanatical balletomanes of Tzarist Saint Petersburg; much admired for her expressive style, rather than technical perfection. When Mathilde Kschessinska became pregnant in 1901, she coached Pavlova in the role of Nikiya in “La Bayadère”. Anna Pavlova was flattered by this, but Kschessinska had another motive; she wanted to make sure that she was not upstaged. She was certain that Pavlova would fail in the classical role, because of her small ankles and long legs. However Kschessinska’s plan backfired. Audiences became enchanted with Pavlova and her frail, ethereal look, which suited the role perfectly.
Anna Pavlova went from strength to strength. She developed her own style, which was mocked by the critics. She paid little heed to academic rules, frequently performing with bent knees and a bad turnout, harking back to the time of the romantic ballet. Her weak ankles frequently led to difficulties while performing. Once, during class, she attempted Legnani’s famous fouettés, (a dynamic movement in which a dancer swiftly whips their free leg around while standing on one foot). Her teacher, Pavel Gerdt, flew into a rage, shouting:
“Leave acrobatics to others. It is positively more than I can bear to see the pressure such steps put on your delicate muscles and the severe arch of your foot. I beg you to never again try to imitate those who are physically stronger than you. You must realise that your daintiness and fragility are your greatest assets. You should always do the kind of dancing which brings out your own rare qualities instead of trying to win praise by mere acrobatic tricks.”
By chapter 8, the tone is noticeably darker; the “chatty” style of the beginning belies what is to follow. The last two thirds of the book are not only information-heavy, but often rather grim reading, only suitable for early teens or older.
The book tackles a key episode in Russian history: the 1905 Revolution, from the dancers’ point of view. The Imperial Ballet was facing internal conflict. By now Diaghilev hated the director Teliakovsky and all he stood for, and had persuaded quite a few of his circle round to his more progressive way of thinking. Anna and her friends believed that they had a right to be independent of the classical tradition, and held meetings at the house where Pavlova had moved with her mother. Anna viewed herself as a liberator of the ballet, and made impassioned speeches insisting on the importance of freedom to express new ideas.
Pavlova, Diaghilev and Fokine made a petition, saying that they wanted the right of autonomy. Several others became involved, such as Tamara Karsavina (although she was worried about the consequences) and the artist and ballet librettist Alexandre Benoir. They decided they needed Sergei Levat on their side. He had married Marie Petipa, and had originated the dual role of the Nutcracker/Prince in Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet. He reluctantly agreed to sign their petition to the government for higher salaries, and the freedom to govern their own activities in theatre. Sergei Levat was a great coup for the group, but their joy soon turned to horror. With weeks he had killed himself in Saint Petersburg, by slashing his throat with a razor. He viewed himself as a traitor.
A wave of mass political and social unrest was continuing across the Russian Empire. The day the group went to present their petition to the Director (Teliakovsky), most of St Petersburg was in turmoil. It was 7th November 1905, and the Cossacks began to charge down the streets on their way to the Winter palace. They:
“brandished their long whips this way and that, lashing out in all directions.
Just in time Dandré pushed Anna back against a building. The whips were lead-tipped, as dangerous as bullets. Anna’s eyes were bright with agony …
The crowd surged forward with a roar .. there were shouts. Outside the doorway people fell writhing to the ground. Others were shoving, striking out in all directions with clubs and guns. Women were trampled on, crushed, in their mad rush to get away from the shooting.“
There was to be a scheduled commemorative gala marking the first anniversary of the death of Alexander III, in which the prima ballerina, Olga Preobrajenska, was due to perform. All the seats had been sold in anticipation. Would she go on? Teliakovsky had escaped to Moscow, but Preobrajenska performed as planned—but to an empty theatre. The group realised that people did not dare to leave their homes.
Anna was chastened and horrified. She had had to navigate political tensions, artistic disagreements, and the changing landscape of Russian ballet—but had no idea this sort of violence was about to erupt. She had met the Tzar and his family after a performance, and she remembered a gentle smiling man, who appreciated the ballet. What would these Cossacks do to him? Nevertheless she remained committed to her art, rather than get involved. We see her independence and her refusal to be constrained by institutional politics.
The group of friends all expected to go to prison, for inciting a strike. But in October the Duma was created. A new elected national parliament of the Russian Empire was created when Tzar Nicholas II issued the October Manifesto. Sparked by the “Bloody Sunday” massacre—where troops fired on peaceful protesters—the Tzar was forced to create the Duma as a national parliament. It granted civil liberties, expanded political rights, and marked the beginning of a shift from absolute autocracy toward a constitutional monarchy.
The Tzar granted amnesty to all strikers, the Imperial Ballet director Teliakovsky returned from Moscow, and to their huge relief, forgave them. He said that he understood why they wanted to be more independent and inventive. The ballet was moving forward.
Pavlova remained with the Imperial Ballet for the next two or three years, as their prima ballerina. Fokine created “The Dying Swan” for her: a short solo that became her signature piece and a symbol of her artistry. Diaghilev wanted her to dance the lead in Mikhail Fokine’s “The Firebird”, but she refused the part, as she could not come to terms with Igor Stravinsky’s avant-garde score. The role was given to Tamara Karsavina. All her life, Anna Pavlova preferred melodious, romantic ballet roles.
Then a day came when her friends were delighted for her. She was to be offered the title of Ballerina Absoluta. It was a tremendous honour, since there had only ever been three. To their astonishment Anna Pavlova refused the title and said she wanted to tour the world. She knew from countless people that her dancing brought great joy to them, and she wanted to bring joy to everyone, all over the world. Her friends tried to persuade her to stay. The Imperial ballet was secure, offered a good salary, and dancers were only expected to perform 6 times a month. On tour it would be constant travel, to places where they did not appreciate ballet, and performances almost every day. But nobody could dissuade her, not even Dandré.
Rather than remain confined to the Imperial stage, Anna Pavlova formed her own company of young dancers. Victor Dandré supported her as ever, handling the finances, logistics, and the company’s organisation. They organised international tours, often bringing ballet to audiences who had never seen it. The tours were exhausting and financially risky, but she had a missionary zeal, believing that ballet belonged to everyone, not only the elite.
Pavlova was determined to win over everyone to ballet. She said that France had considered dancing a lesser Art before her tour, whereas the Scandinavians did not applaud at first; stunned to silence by their first sight of ballet. These tours were not only to European countries, but also across America, which Anna had said was only bothered about making money. She became close to Charlie Chaplin and his wife, and in chapter 11, when she was 24, Anna met Isadora Duncan, whose style of dancing was poles apart from her own. Again the two became close, although Isadora Duncan professed to hate the constraints of ballet. Later, Anna was shocked to hear of her early death.
Over time Anna changed her mind about America. Chapter 17 shows how distraught she was at the idea of the Boston Opera company collapsing. She had made millions—she could save them—at least for a season. And she did finance them, but it left her without enough money to pay for her next tour. When Dandré told her the company must disband, as they could not afford to pay them except the bare minimum, they all voted to stay with her.
Pavlova was the first ballerina to tour the world, including India, Mexico, Australia, and South America. She saw great poverty in Guayaquil, (Ecuador) sometimes having to travel and stay in filthy conditions, but she remained encouraging for her company, whilst insisting on perfection in the ballets.
In England she needed an agent, so she went to one who specialised in variety acts for Vaudeville. Incredibly he told her “Bring your tights and we’ll see what you can do”. She also worked at the Hippodrome for 6 months twice a day—with the clowns and elephants—but earned enough money to mount a tour again. She loved England, buying J.M.W Turner’s huge “Ivy House” in Hampstead, and making a home there with her mother, her pets and her beloved pair of swans in the extensive grounds.
But she worked and toured excessively, and became ill while travelling from Paris to The Hague. She had pleurisy, and was offered an operation (trepanning on the ribs) but refused, saying “How could I exist if I couldn’t dance.” Anna Pavlova asked for her swan costume, fluttering her arms up and down as in her signature piece, and died just twenty days short of her 50th birthday.
In my opinion, Dancing Star is rather over-written for modern tastes. Its tone is bright and deliberately inspirational; depicting a romanticised portrait of Anna Pavlova, with an almost spiritual devotion to dance. Nevertheless, it has been reprinted many times, until 2016.
October 31, 2014
My copy of this book belonged to my mother when she was young, and I could tell it had been read many times. I picked it up eagerly hoping it would be good. But while Dancing Star does a great job describing Anna's childhood, the book loses steam shortly after. Strangely, it leaves out a lot of interesting facts of Anna's life, for example her feet were completely wrong for ballet and it was only through altering her shoes that she was able to dance. This caused controversy, with many people claiming she wasn't a "real" ballerina.
In addition, the book sort of meanders along with no one event seeming to be more important than any other. This takes drama away from her life.
Anna Pavlova was a strong, brave and almost obscenely talented woman. This book doesn't do her justice.
In addition, the book sort of meanders along with no one event seeming to be more important than any other. This takes drama away from her life.
Anna Pavlova was a strong, brave and almost obscenely talented woman. This book doesn't do her justice.
March 15, 2015
donated to the Smith Family charity march 2015 (sigh I just can't keep everything)
Illustrated by Dodo Adler.
Illustrated by Dodo Adler.
June 14, 2021
I was given an old bound copy of this book which had been in my family and was clearly well read. I was intrigued by the life of star ballerina Pavlova and was certain I'd enjoy reading about her life. Unfortunately I found the writing so dull I could barely concentrate, and I had to skim. I felt like I was reading for high school English again, I feel I've learned enough to pass the exam, but it was not enjoyable.
June 17, 2018
Inspired by the New Testament story of John the Baptist and the vicious Salome. Here is a link to my review: https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/20...
August 26, 2013
this was a good story but halfway through it became very slow and boring
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