Anna Pavlova - ’Californian Poppy’ (1916) BEST QUALITY

The choreography for ’Californian Poppy’ is by Anna Pavlova (Ack. ‘Ballet Alert’) to music is by Tchaikovsky, with the first performance being given in 1915 at the Cort Theatre San Francisco. This footage was shot in 1916. What I like particularly in this footage is that you see how expressively Pavlova uses her upper body. At the end of the ballet, Pavlova draws the the poppy’s petals around her which seems to reflect a similar sentiment to that of ‘The Dying Swan’, though it might just be expressing what poppies do in the evenings. Perhaps both meaning are packed in together. Enjoy!
Back to Top