Student Auditions

 

Photo Credit: Anna Pavlova Her Life By Keith Money- Anna Pavlova with Clustine and some of the 
pupils selected for her Free Ballet School at the Hippodrome.

Before Anna Pavlova started teaching ballet classes at her home, she had her own Free Ballet School but admitted you had to pass an audition, but what was the audition process?

There were over twelve hundred applicants for Pavlova's School.  Pavlova and her colleagues Clustine, a dance instructor, and Charles Dillingham were managing the auditions. Dillingham allowed Anna Pavlova to use his ballet room at the Hippodrome in New York, and this was where Pavlova would have her classes. The school was only accepting those from the U.S., specifically from the New York Area, which left them with eight hundred applicants. Still, there were too many applicants to take, so Pavlova created auditions. Anna Pavlova decided a group of students sixteen and over would be the requirement, and Pavlova would limit the class to a size of fifty. If the students showed in their auditions aptitude and ability, they were then sent on the list for advancement to practice. However, impossible, those passed were accepted and taken in the order of receipt of their application.

 Seventy-five passed, succeeding the original number set for Pavlova's School at the Hippodrome. All the future students prepared to be evaluated by Anna Pavlova herself, and the group would then be narrowed to a smaller number by Pavlova. Anna Pavlova initially was looking for a group of students who were not under sixteen, still though those younger always came to the auditions with their guardians. Yet, to their dismay, they were weeded out, and each child that was younger than sixteen was disappointed they couldn't be part of the group. One little girl affected Pavlova so much by her crying that Pavlova took it upon herself to go over to the child and picked her up, setting her on her knee talking to the child until she settled down. Once calm, the girl got down off Anna Pavlova's lap and performed all the girl knew of ballet. The  girl always had her eyes on Anna Pavlova's face while she danced. After this, Pavlova reconsidered only having a group of older students and created a children's group where those younger than sixteen could join.

Photo Credit: Anna Pavlova Her Life And Art by Keith Money- An audition for stunned adjudicator featuring Anna Pavlova with Clustine.  

During the audition process, Pavlova was still performing her ballet roles while managing the auditions. She narrowed the older group finally to ten future pupils. The ten that passed were the ages between fifteen and twenty-two. Clustine took the older group of students on Mondays and Fridays, and Pavlova took the younger group of students on Saturday mornings. Anna Pavlova saw there was talent in America and that American girls could become good dancers. She believed there could be American Ballet.

"The longer I remain in America, the more convinced I am that there lie distinct possibilities in and entirely American ballet. It merely requires the awakening on the part of the musicians before this  reality is accomplished. I have often dreamed of an American ballet, because I can see infinite possibilities in the action and vitality of the native dancers.... I can see it all- the grandeur of the West, the romance of the South, the pastoral beauty of the East and all. The complications are apparent, but one could weave in the ballet dances of a fantastic as well as a realistic nature. For a ballet to be really striking, the accompaniment must be striking. Feeble music is fatal and no matter how cleverly the dancers perform and the stage manager directs , there is no effect without a vivid musical accompaniment.  I have heard some of the American folksongs. They are charming and mystical, and they would make an excellent foundation for a great artistic ballet. but these melodies would have to be orchestrated by a complete musician , and one who understood the traditions... Just as present I am as much interested in my productions new to America, and in helping young Americans to to dance correctly. It is quite thrilling to have pupils and watch them follow instructions. I don't think an artist can ever do greater service to her generation than to teach the younger folk whatever she has learned by experience and labor".- Quote from Anna Pavlova on  American ballet