The Petersburg newspaper "Slovo" wrote about Anna Pavlova, the greatest ballerina of the last century: "She does not dance, she flies through the air." Her talent amazed the whole world, even imperial figures applauded her, and she was the main star in Diaghilev's "Russian Seasons."

Anna decided to dedicate her life to ballet at a young age, although it happened by chance. At the age of nine, after visiting the Mariinsky Theatre with her parents, she was so inspired that she told her mother: "When I grow up, I will dance like Princess Aurora!"

Her stage debut in the Imperial Theatres took place in 1899 in the performance "The Dangers of False Caution," after which she gained her first popularity. Her signature piece became "The Dying Swan," which she performed almost improvisationally. This dance became a symbol and masterpiece of ballet art. The composer present at the performance was astonished by her interpretation of the music and how she conveyed emotions through dance.

Thus, Anna Pavlova gained fame, and it was said of her: "In her dance lives God himself."

Ballet shoes for Anna were custom-made. On tours, she always took 36 pairs of pointe shoes with her. Surprisingly, at her time, pointe shoes in the modern sense did not yet exist. The dance technique was simpler, and the shape of the shoes resembled ballroom shoes but without heels.

Among her admirers was Charlie Chaplin, who later consulted her when recording numbers on film. However, Pavlova never acted like a star. During World War I, she sent her entire fee to the Red Cross fund. In the 1920s, she finally moved to England but passed away in The Hague from pneumonia.

Anna Pavlova glorified Russian ballet worldwide, becoming a legend even during her lifetime. Each of her dances awakened a whole world of thoughts and emotions in the audience, joyful and sad, but always poetic and elevated.