Anna Pavlova, the Embodiment of the Past and the Future


Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. “Anna Pavlova in Russian dress” The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1910.

Student Name:
Halima Mossi

Project Link:
https://mediathread.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/s/CUdnce3985/project/40754 

Statement:  I argue that Anna Pavlova took ballet from an imperial, restrictive Russia and made it a global, accessible phenomenon. She transformed ballet into a freeing, lively style, adapting it to reflect 20th century aspirations and innovations. This course has taught me to think creatively and consciously about how best to represent dance in scholarly projects. Embedding photos and video into my composition enhanced my argument on Pavlova, in that it brought her energy and enthusiasm to share dance with as many people as possible to life. Pavlova is a great subject to integrate new digital technology with because she focused on adapting ballet to suit the new technologies, like film, in her era.