born Feb. 12, 1881, St. Petersburg, Russia
died Jan. 23, 1931, The Hague, Neth.
Russian ballet dancer.
She studied at the Imperial Ballet School from 1891 and joined the Mariinsky Theatre company in 1899, becoming prima ballerina in 1906. In 1913 she left Russia to tour with her own company, which showcased her outstanding performances in classical ballets such as Giselle ; the most famous numbers were a succession of short solos such as The Dying Swan , choreographed for her by Michel Fokine . Her tours took ballet to audiences in many countries for the first time and did much to popularize ballet worldwide.
Anna Pavlova.
Culver Pictures