Historical Impersonations
Bringing History to Life through First-Person Portrayals

Anna Pavlova (1881?-1931) was a Russian ballerina from the Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg.  After performing in Paris with the Ballet Russe, she became the “ambassador of dance,” journeying to far-off places including North and South America, Japan, and India and exposing countless people to her art for the first time.

Following the Russian revolution, she and her husband Victor Dandré lived in England.  She continued to tour until her death in the Netherlands.

 Developed for the Monongahela Ethnicfest 1999, Madame Pavlova has also performed at the Fayette School of Ballet, California University’s Summer Dance Camp 2000, the Vaganova Summer Intensive 2001, and for the Rosa Garibaldi Lodge (Brownsville, Pennsylvania).  In addition to speaking about her life and art, Madame Pavlova has performed “The Dying Swan” (her most famous solo variation) and has appeared at several elementary schools in “La Naissance du Papillon” with students from the Fayette School of Ballet.

Greasepaint & Memories: A Tribute to Anna Pavlova aired on the CUTV series “This Intellectual Life.”

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