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  • The Swan Brand:Reframing the Legacy of Anna Pavlova
  • Jennifer Fisher (bio)

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[End Page 50]

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.

By the time of her death at age 49 in 1931, Pavlova had become one of the most recognizable people in the world, and for at least a few decades afterward, her name was virtually synonymous with the word "ballet." She was a celebrity, known in the many countries where she toured as "the incomparable Pavlova" and "genius of the dance." Yet, arguably, she is remembered today as more of an inspirational personality than a solid contributor to the art form. She is perhaps most associated with the brief but impactful solo called The Dying Swan, and also for her world travels as a "missionary of dance," taking ballet to places where dance as a concert form was often unknown. Pavlova most certainly made a mark that still lingers, but I suggest that her status is diminished by its characterization in dance history. Pavlova, seen only in terms of her "star power," appears to be a flame that glowed briefly and then burned out. [End Page 51]


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Photo 1.

Pavlova in The Dying Swan.

Is there any reason to remember Pavlova beyond her traveling-ballerina-swan image? Is it sufficient to emphasize her star status in dance history books? A typical text says that the name of Pavlova "is legendary as the greatest female dancer in ballet history" (Kraus, Hilsendager, and Dixon 1991, 147), though it is clear from the existing film footage and eye-witness accounts that her technique was surpassed even at the time, and there might be many competitors for this title since then. Another dance history text lauds her because "she made ballet an internationally popular art" (Au 1988, 117), although, interestingly, Joan Acocella has recently claimed that Ballets Russes impresario Sergey Diaghilev, working at the same time, was the one who "saved ballet from certain death" (Acocella 2010, 112). Sometimes, the fact that Pavlova inspired many young dancers and future choreographers becomes foremost in history text accounts (Au 1988, 117). Dance writers often characterize her success as one of overwhelming personal charisma, despite her technical limitations and questionable taste (Anderson 1986, 112-3). Critics who wrote lovingly about Pavlova's style and impact during her lifetime tended to see her as a decorative jewel in an imperial ballet crown, one talent among many distinguished dancers of the era. I argue here that Pavlova's history can be reframed to see beyond her relatively essentialized identity as a charismatic, peripatetic dancer, in order to recognize a figure of more dimensions and impact. I suggest that her identification...

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