Mental Health For The Dancer

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Photo Credit: Anna Pavlova studio portrait, 1911 from Pavlova Repertoire of a Legend by John and Roberta Lazzarini


Anna Pavlova interviewed with the Observer in 1921, where she addressed mental health.

Pavlova didn't hide anything in the interview. She was very open about dancers dealing with depression, including her own. 

Others in this period saw this as a taboo subject and were afraid to even talk about mental health in public. Vaslav Nijinsky wrote about his mental health struggles in his diary because he felt this was the only safe place he thought he could express his feeling and not be judged or criticized for them. Others who had struggles with their mental health would only share their struggles with trusted confidants and letters. Again people were so afraid of public scrutiny they would only let this be known in their private writings.

Pavlova was very open-minded about things that most people were not. She was a visionary and forward thinker, so it shouldn't be surprising that she would talk about the struggles of others or her own dealing with depression.  She would cheer herself up by seeing her beautiful swans Jack in the pond, so she never avoided the subject; instead, she was always open about it. 


Her feelings about depression and openness let the interviewer and the public see and hear what an artist truly feels like when they dedicate their souls to their art. I think she wanted everyone to know that it's not always beautiful there are struggles and hard times sometimes.


"I do not think it is realized how hard it is for an artist to produce of the best in these days of trouble. How can one give oneself in this time of uncertainty and distress? And without that absolute giving of oneself, there no real art." But oh! She cried sadly, How depressed one is sometimes tempted to be in a storm-tossed world! And how fatal depression must be to those who wish to put their soul into their world."- Quote from Anna Pavlova with the Observer 1921

Photo Credit: Anna Pavlova studio portrait, 1911 from Pavlova Repertoire of a Legend by John and Roberta Lazzarini




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