Anna Pavlova

Anna Pavlova remains the most universally recognised name in ballet -- not merely a great dancer but the person who made ballet a global art form. Born in St. Petersburg in 1881 and trained at the Imperial Ballet School, she became the prima ballerina of the Mariinsky before leaving to form her own company and tour the world for three decades. Her signature role, The Dying Swan -- a four-minute solo choreographed for her by Michel Fokine in 1905 -- was performed over 4,000 times and inspired generations of dancers across six continents who had never seen a professional ballet before she arrived in their city.