Anna Pavlova in New Zealand

The legendary Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova poses with a flock of sheep during her visit to New Zealand in 1926. Backed by a 50-strong dance troupe and 22-member orchestra, Pavlova enthralled audiences in Auckland, Whanganui, Hastings, Napier, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch, Timaru and Dunedin, performing an exhausting 38 shows in 39 days.

Credit

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference Number: 12-089575-F
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any reuse of this image

How to cite this page

Anna Pavlova in New Zealand, URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/anna-pavlova-new-zealand, (Manatū Taonga — Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 13-Jan-2016

Keywords

Dance
1920s

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J Martin Posted: 30 Jan 2012

Pavlova. About time somebody got story correct. Recipe came via Hanson's from Sheffield, England to East Tamaki, NZ. They were friends of the Smales of East Tamaki one of whom married a Davis which became Davis Gelatine. The woman who took this recipe to South Island I think was ? Stevens & claimed it as her's. 2 great aunt Hanson hated the name Pavlova but never found out when it was named that. I have tried for years to set record straight but nobody will listen. Same with what they now call Jell Pavlova. It was an accident - jelly crystals dropped accidentally by Isabel of Mt Eden, Auckland, into kenwood cake mixure when making pav. In 1968, my hubby was transferred to Invercargill & I was making them then. I remember giving Isabel's recipe to several women. It wasn't long before some were claiming it as their own.

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Corieltauvus Posted: 23 Dec 2015

What an absolute load of rubbish! Even the Oxford English Dictionary verifies the NZ story. Pavlova's own biographer Keith Money reports that it was invented by a Wellington chef in honour of Ann Pavlova's visit in 1926.

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J Martin Posted: 28 May 2016

My mother + family members got the same reaction.
All I can say there are 2 radio recordings - hope these come to light soon. All I know is that 1 recording is from 1YA Auckland.
My mother was born in 1912.
1918 she remembered well. They had a "snow" party like her parents had in Sheffield.

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