Anna Pavlova in Lake Side and Stage Set Ballet Fragment

[judyanddavid]

These sequences were, it seems, not much to do with the plot - more of a safeguard by Weber because it was felt that audiences would want to see AP dancing. Apparently, one of these sequences appeared at the end and represented Fenella ascending to Heaven, with the assistance of the invisible partner. P.W. Manchester clearly recalled these sequences ' Pavlova floating and leaping against a black background'. There's a photograph of one in Keith Money's book and the costume is about the same.

[judyanddavid]

Nick, we think this could be a sequence from Dum Girl of Portici - Lois Weber did insert some dancing shots of Pavlova against a black background with a black-velvet clad partner to give invisible support and lifts (Keith Money in Pavlova in Art and Life describes this, and P.W. Manchester in the insert with the Homage to Pavlova LP references these sequences). It's quite possible that the lakside background is simply a bit of later matting.

[nickwallacesmith]

hi judy and david

good to hear from you.

a very interesting idea. when you see her bouree-ing it seems as though it's across a flat surface, like a stage, and i seem to remember 'Dumb Girl of Portici' being outdoors and with rough surfaces and more free form classical dancing. so this would be a re-creation indoors in a studio with the lakeside backdrop? do you think such choreography would have worked outdoors in the film in some way?

best, nick

[Qbendanny]

What stands out is how perfectly square the arabesque is.

[nickwallacesmith]

hi Qbendanny - yes, exactly - i love dancers where all the alignments of the body are unfussily 'correct'

[Qbendanny]

@nickwallacesmith - Margot always had a square arabesque, Always, Not the tilt to the side to raise the leg more which became fashionably incorrect at NYCB.

[nickwallacesmith]

hi Qbendanny - i couldn't agree with you more - i hate hate hate to see the tilt in arabesque - do you think people accept it as the dancer can get the leg higher? but as i say i love it squared off

[Qbendanny]

@nickwallacesmith - Do something often enough and it's accepted. Not to us .

[nickwallacesmith]

@Qbendanny - that is exactly right - not unlike the phenomenon 'if you tell a lie often enough it becomes the truth'