Pavel Gerdt facts for kids
Pavel Andreyevich Gerdt (born November 22, 1844, near Saint Petersburg, Russia – died August 12, 1917, in Vamaloki, Finland) was a very famous ballet dancer. He was known as the "Premier Danseur Noble" (which means "First Noble Dancer") at the Imperial Ballet in Saint Petersburg for an amazing 56 years! He started dancing professionally in 1860 and retired in 1916. His daughter, Elizaveta Gerdt, also became a well-known ballerina and teacher.
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A Long and Famous Career
Pavel Gerdt was a principal dancer at the Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre and the Mariinsky Theatre. He was often called the "Blue Cavalier" of the Saint Petersburg stage. This nickname showed how graceful and noble he was in his performances.
Training and Secret Age
Gerdt learned ballet from excellent teachers like Christian Johansson, Alexander Pimenov, and Jean-Antoine Petipa. Jean-Antoine Petipa was the father of the famous ballet master Marius Petipa. He taught Pavel the older style of acting through dance, called pantomime.
Pavel Gerdt was known for always looking young. Nobody in the theater knew his real age. If anyone asked, he would always jokingly say he was 23!
Creating Iconic Roles
Throughout the late 1800s, Pavel Gerdt created many lead male roles in new ballets. These were often the main male characters in the stories. Some of his most famous roles include:
- Prince Désiré in The Sleeping Beauty
- Prince Coqueluche in The Nutcracker
A Great Teacher
Pavel Gerdt also taught many future ballet stars at the Imperial Ballet School. His students became some of the most famous dancers and choreographers in history. Some of them were:
He taught Anna Pavlova a special "soaring leap." This was a jump that looked like the dancer was floating in the air, similar to how famous dancers Marie Taglioni and Carlotta Grisi used to jump.
See also
In Spanish: Pável Gerdt para niños
