The Life And Career Of Anna Pavlova Essay Example

A symbol of ballet is the distinct pointe shoe that many dancers wear when they perform on pointe. This shoe originated from Anna Pavlova, one of the most well-known ballet dancers in history (Bedinghaus). Pavlova was born prematurely in St. Petersburg in the early 1800s (Mercurio). She had weak ankles and curved feet, which were the reason she developed special shoes to help her dance (Bedinghaus). These were important for her because recent developments in pointe technique allowed ballerinas to rise up onto the tips of her toes and dance on them (Scholl). Without her specially-made shoes, dancing on pointe would have been very difficult. Despite her troubles with her frail body, Pavlova worked diligently to earn success. Pavlova is praised around the world for her expressive ballet dances. As a testament to her hard work, she held the title “Prima Ballerina Absoluta,” which was “the symbol of absolute perfection, achieved in the tradition of the classical ballet” (Mercurio). However, she was not alone in achieving her goal of becoming a ballerina: she had constructive mentors to guide her. After becoming a ballerina, Pavlova also toured the world, where she experienced many other cultural dances. Anna Pavlova’s ballet work, technique, and style are influenced by her teachers, such as famous ballet masters Marius Petipa and Enrico Cecchetti, and her travels around the world.

Anna Pavlova’s technique is influenced by her teachers, such as Marius Petipa and Enrico Cecchetti because they taught Pavlova ballet techniques and critiqued her so that she could improve. The teachings of Petipa and Cecchetti gave Pavlova the foundation of ballet (Mossi). Pavlova’s success in ballet can be partially credited to her mentors: According to economists Raj Chetty and John N. Friedman of Harvard and Jonah E. Rockoff of Columbia, “when a high VA [value-added] teacher joins a school, test scores rise immediately in the grade taught by that teacher; when a high VA teacher leaves, test scores fall” (qtd. by Bennett). While Pavlova’s tests may not have been the same as modern ones, her improvement could be seen as a result of her instructors. Pavlova’s mentors may both have been high VA teachers to her since they helped her succeed in her career. One of her mentors, Cecchetti, recalls “that while he could not influence Pavlova's character, he felt he had helped her perfect her technique” (“Enrico Cecchetti”). Her technique is widely praised around the world, and that was perfected by Cecchetti himself. Although Pavlova herself was weak and did not have the proper body of a ballet dancer, her instructor did not exempt her from criticism: Cecchetti attended Pavlova’s performances and where it was needed, gave her criticism, which Pavlova highly respected and sought after (Mercurio). Cecchetti recognized Pavlova’s diligence and helped her accomplish her goals. Due to Cecchetti’s influence, Pavlova was able to apply the proper skills of ballet to her own dances. Cecchetti also notes that he “could give her the benefit of a technique which was strengthening, and which assisted her in expressing herself more freely … she herself had a passion for perfection which stopped at nothing!” (“Enrico Cecchetti”). Pavlova’s mentors helped her shape her own ballet styles, by allowing her to express herself freely. According to Psychologist Julius Segal, a factor in what helps children overcome adversity is a charismatic adult, who is likely a teacher (qtd. by Brooks). Because of Cecchetti’s confidence in Pavlova’s ability to learn techniques, Pavlova was able to master ballet, even with her weak body. Pavlova became a coryphée and entered the Maryinsky Theater in 1899; there she got the attention of Marius Petipa (Pouncy). After Pavlova became a pupil of Petipa, he helped her gain fame by giving her roles in ballet dances such as the title role in Giselle (Pouncy). With the help of Petipa, Pavlova gained more fame, which made her take more criticism to improve her dancing. Anna Pavlova followed the steps of her mentors and became one of the most influential ballet figures in history. The influence of Pavlova’s teachers helped her overcome difficulties in her career, which assisted Pavlova to create her own style.

Anna Pavlova’s work was directly inspired by her frequent travels and touring during her ballet career and showcased elements from countries she visited. Pavlova’s success on tours came from her ability to adapt, which allowed her to create a more inclusive variety of dances (Mossi). Pavlova toured many places around the world, such as “Central and South America, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, East and Southeast Asia, Egypt, and India” (Pouncy). As a result of her global travels, Pavlova gained insight about and creativity from new cultures. She often created dances based on the different cultures from the countries she visited. For instance, when Pavlova visited India, she based dances on “the ancient frescoes on the cave walls at Ajanta” (Turchette). While in India, she also made a dance inspired by an Indian wedding she attended (Chang). Another country that she was inspired to make ballet dances from was Japan. Pavlova had studied with a Japanese dance master and inspired by the national dance she “arranged three Japanese dances to music by Henry Geehl” (Turchette). Pavlova expanded on her knowledge of ballet by creating art that differed from what she knew before. Her world tours helped differentiate her style of ballet. Pavlova was also respectful and put forth the effort to understand the new culture: “she made a point to get to know the local people, understand their customs and habits, and to see their dances” (Chang). She believed that ballet should be inclusive (Mossi). Her effort to understand new cultures and her ballet skills all contributed to her success around the world. However, not only were her world tours successful, they also provided her insight and helped her develop a differentiated style. 

Anna Pavlova’s ballet teachers and her travels around the world influence Anna Pavlova’s ballet work, technique, and style. Pavlova learned basic techniques with her mentors, which allowed her to build her own style. She toured the world and was influenced by the vast cultures. Although Anna Pavlova’s work was influenced by these factors, her accomplishments were all due to her willpower and resolution to dance: “She understood profoundly that the poetry of movement is attained only through tremendous effort. She exercised constantly; she rehearsed constantly” (Mercurio). With her effort, she overcame her hardships. Anna Pavlova worked hard and followed her dream. Even though she is no longer here, her contributions to the world can still be seen today because she, in turn, influenced the viewers of her dances. In fact, a chef was so moved by her performance that they named a dessert after her, which mimicked her billowy dress (“Chocolate Pavlova”). While the Pavlova dessert can be enjoyed by any food connoisseur, the pointe shoe can be seen by any viewer of ballet, which illustrates an example of Pavlova’s impact on the ballet world. Therefore, Anna Pavlova was also an influential figure to many others.