TY - GEN
T1 - Anna Pavlova by Valerian Svetloff (1931): Body and Archetype: A few thoughts on Dance Historiography
AU - Sorgel, Sabine
N1 - Sorgel, S., 'Anna Pavlova by Valerian Svetloff (1931): Body and Archetype: A few thoughts on Dance Historiography', Seminar: International Theatre Collection, Centre for Performance Research, May 2010
PY - 2010/5
Y1 - 2010/5
N2 - When it comes to history writing, dance is probably in an even worse position
than theatre, if one considers its ephemerality. There is not much evidence of
Anna Pavlova’s actual dancing, yet images, news paper clippings,
autobiographical accounts on her personality abound. In an interview available
on youtube, Frederick
Ashton comments how Pavlova was actually not even that much of a ballet
dancer in terms of her limited vocabulary and technique and yet he confirms
that no one like her personified what is oftentimes perceived of as “the
essence” of dance. Pavlova was a phenomenon of her time and continues to
fascinate. The item from the collection I picked is a little book written by
Valerian Svetloff, a Russian ballet critic of early 20th century, and presents us, to
use the author’s words, with a ‘choreographic portrait.’
AB - When it comes to history writing, dance is probably in an even worse position
than theatre, if one considers its ephemerality. There is not much evidence of
Anna Pavlova’s actual dancing, yet images, news paper clippings,
autobiographical accounts on her personality abound. In an interview available
on youtube, Frederick
Ashton comments how Pavlova was actually not even that much of a ballet
dancer in terms of her limited vocabulary and technique and yet he confirms
that no one like her personified what is oftentimes perceived of as “the
essence” of dance. Pavlova was a phenomenon of her time and continues to
fascinate. The item from the collection I picked is a little book written by
Valerian Svetloff, a Russian ballet critic of early 20th century, and presents us, to
use the author’s words, with a ‘choreographic portrait.’
M3 - Other contribution
PB - Prifysgol Aberystwyth | Aberystwyth University
ER -