Anna Pavlova Love For Learning New Things

Photo Credit: Pavlova visiting the Laura Knight exhibition in 1920: behind her are Knight's paintings of Pavlova taking a curtain call after Autumn Leaves, and her company in The Magic Flute From V& A Images

 Anna Pavlova wanted to enrich her company dancers' lives with not just ballet but knowing other arts. She did this by sending them to visit many art museums to see all types of different art. When she would see them when they return from the gallery, she would quiz them on what they saw. Some of her company dancers embraced the idea while others did not and would go to the galleries and leave right after entering. These actions frustrated Pavlova and hurt her because she could not understand why they did not want to brighten their horizons, learn new things and learn about another culture like she loved doing. No, her company dancers seemed not to share Pavlova's interest in enrichment, and I think this complacently bothered Pavlova deeply.

Pavlova loved art, and she would always make time before a local art gallery opened to visit it. She would always come out of the museums excited and inspired by what she saw. 

This same feeling she expressed when she would travel to another country for a tour. She would always meet with the country's people and learn about their culture and customs through their eyes and talk to the people. She also loved meeting with each country's children since she loved children and loved to hear their stories. She was always fascinated by different countries, customs, cultures, and people and learning new things. She was always wanting everyone  that was with her to go on sight seeing tours when they were in a different country.  She embraced this fascination for learning and discovering new things  with all her being, just like her dancing.

Photo Credit: Anna Pavlova with her Japanese teacher, Kikugoro, his wife and their youngest son in Japan, 1922 from Anna Pavlova Her Life And Art by Keith Money