Anna Pavlova - Extended film of ‘The Dumb Girl of Portici’ (1916)

This footage of Anna Pavlova dancing is identified in the Dance Heritage Collection as ‘The Dumb Girl of Portici’, filmed in 1916 – with which Judy and David concur in comments on my upload 'Anna Pavlova in Lake Side and Stage Set Ballet Fragment':

'We think this could be a sequence from ‘The Dumb 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 lakeside background is simply a bit of later matting. 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.'

I hope you don’t mind, Judy and David, quoting this in fill – it makes it a bit easier for people to recall what you told us previously.

Enjoy!