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Anna Pavlova (http://xoomer.virgilio.it/lillial2004/AnnaPavlova.htm) |
"To
dance is to be out of you. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful. This is
power, it is glory on earth and it is yours for the taking." (Agnes De Mille). Anna
Pavlova rose into a poor family on February 12, 1881 in St. Petersburg, Russia. Not knowing that she would
be a Prima Ballerina, a teacher, dancer, but most of all a Hero to other
people. As a child Anna was weak, but that didn't stop her strength to becoming
one of the most famous ballerinas. Anna wanted to be part of a dancer, but she didn't
know what type of dancer. This is until her mother took her to see "Sleeping
Beauty" at the Imperial Maryinsky Theater, at the age of eight. Looking at the
ballerinas dance across the stage, Anna opened up her eyes and looked at them
like they were "Flying Angels". From that exact moment, she was determined to becoming
a "Rosen Swan Ballerina". Anna's first audition at Imperial Ballet School was
known as "sickly", because of her weak appearance. As the year went by, Anna
was still determined to become a ballerina and she never gave up her strengthness.
Through the year of Anna's training at the age of nine, she was later accepted
one year later. Young Anna's training came difficult for her, knowing that she
was like a Swan who is so fragile. The tenderness of the swan, describes Anna
Pavlova as a fragile human-being. After graduating in 1889, Anna was glad to be
part of Maryinsky Theater. Anna's weak appearance, arched feet, thin ankles,
and clashed legs didn't get complains. Though she didn't get complaints, she
was determined to be a better ballerina. "Leave acrobats to others. It is positively
more than I can bear to see the pressure such steps put on your delicate
muscles and the severe ache of your foot. I beg you to never again try to
imitate those who are physically stronger than you. You must realize that your
daintiness and fragility are your greatest assets. You should always do the
kind of dancing which brings out your own qualities instead of trying to win praise
by mere acrobatic tricks," this is what Anna's teacher quoted to her, (Pavel
Gerdt). This quote sums up her weakness, and strengths, by the technique of
words her teacher thought her, and hopefully she teaches herself. Pavel Gerdt proved
to Anna that watching other mirrors are bad, because we all individual and have
our own powers. To the world, Anna proved that anything impossible can become
possible, if you have the heart to do it.
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Point Shoes (http://rakstagemom.wordpress.com/tag/breaking-poin ()) |
The rising swan, from
being born to being accepted at Maryinsky Theater, wasn't the end of her life;
she just began it and had many more adventures ahead of her. Known as the "Prima
Ballerina", Anna Pavlova traveled many unforgettable miles, to share the love
of ballet to her students. "When a small child, I thought that success spelled
happiness. I was wrong, happiness is like a butterfly which appears and
delights us for one brief moment, but soon flits away." (Anna Pavlova). You may
wonder what this saying means, it means happiness comes then all of a sudden
vanishes on you. Anna Pavlova performed throughout America, leaving people in
the "aahhh" moments by her gracefulness. She has traveled other countries for about
fifteen years, living her life. Though she is skinny and weak, it definitely
does not mean she has given up on dancing. Anna has performed about 4,000 shows
throughout the country in her life time. She never got tired of dancing, and
she proves that by traveling and traveling again, waiting to show off to the
world her "Dying Swan" performance. "No one can arrive from being talented
alone. God gives talent, work transforms talent into genius." (Anna Pavlova). Sharing
dance to the world, made Anna's people believe in there themselves more. Her
audience didn't look at her poor appearance, or her arched feet, they looked
for a girl who loves to dance by gliding across the stage. Anna didn't not just
become a ballerina magically, she became one my using her heart and soul to do
so. Pavlova's pirouettes were unpleasing to watch, but at the end though, she
turned them into a "Flying Angel". Though Anna was a hero to people, she was
also a teacher. Anna thought her students to dream big and reach for the stars.
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Anna's weaknesses were
born with her since she became a swan and still has them, but her strengths never
stopped her from trying. Anna Pavlova took her uniqueness and turned them to
beautiful moments. "Once we realize that imperfect understanding is the human
condition there is no shame in being wrong, only in failing to correct our
mistakes. (George Soros). Being imperfect is not a bad thing, it just means
that we have to get up and try them, to succeed. Anna proves that to us by
showing us her imperfectness, but as the same time uses her imperfectness in astonishing
ways. Anna just used her imperfectness and hid then in her gracefulness. She used
it as a disguise, but she never stopped teaching herself. Since Anna's feet
were arched feet, she used wood to help her stay up longer on her toes. This is
what she called pointe shoes. Pointe shoes changed the shape of her point, how
her foot pointed, and how she moved with them. Though many people hated it, and
called out for it, she was proud of it. It made Anna feel more comfortable and
she had a sense of proud carrying inside her. One thing little thing she didn't
like about point shoes, was wearing them in pictures. Anna always hated to
pretend to be someone who she's no, because she wanted people to see her weak
feet. The reason she did this was to prove to people that we are beautiful; it doesn't
matter about our appearance. "To follow without halt, one aim; there is the
secret of success. And success? What is it? I do not find it in the applause of
the theater. It lies rather in the satisfaction of accomplishments." This
quotes sums up why Anna was a hero. Anna Pavlova was a hero to many people
because of her strengths, beliefs, spirit and soul to do anything. Anna is
teaching her people that the success of happiness lies inside of you, not from people.
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Mariinsky Theater (https://www.russiantourguide.com/uncategorized/mar ()) |
"The rising of the swan
ballerina", not only inspired many other people, she also thought herself by
learning from her audience. "The right to happiness is fundamental." (Anna
Pavlova). Anna got the gift of happiness from God, but she also got it from
dancing. Number one Anna never gave up, she always tried her best in
everything. Number two, the audience, God, and her teachers taught her
self-esteem. Anna than spread her swan feathers to people around her to give
them hope. Though Anna died of pleurisy on January 31, 1931, she will always be
remembered as a hero to people around the world. "Get my swan costume ready"
then "play the last measure softly" (Anna Pavlova), these were the dying swan
words of hers. Even getting ready to die, she died in the happiness of dance
around her. "When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I
would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you
gave me' (Erma Bombeck). At the end Anna
Pavlova was always pointed out as a hero, but as a child she was pointed out as
a "Dying Swan". Anna was a hero who lived her life fully through her imagination,
and so can anybody.
Works
Cited
"Anna Pavlova." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2nd ed. Vol. 12.
Detroit: Gale, 2004. 157-
159. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.
"Anna Pavlova." Encyclopedia of World Biography.
Detroit: Gale, 1998. Student Resources in Context. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.
"Anna Pavlova." Wikipedia. Wikimedia
Foundation, 12 July 2013. Web. 09 Dec. 2013.
Matheson, Katy. "Pavlova, Anna." World Book
Student. World Book, 2013. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.
Page created on 5/29/2014 10:57:54 AM
Last edited 5/29/2014 10:57:54 AM