The Dying Swan is a solo created by Michel Fokine for Anna Pavlova, one of the last centuries greatest dramatic ballerinas. Pavlova never achieved great fame with any particular company, and was physically not built for the art of Ballet, but made her fame by travelling worldwide in her own productions. The solo is not to be confused with Swan Lake, the Ballet, they are distinct and separate artistic projects. She is said never to have danced the solo the same way twice. She wore a massive ruby broach in the centre of her costume to signify the gun shot which killed her swan, and sometimes would re create the moment of the gun shot about six barres into the music. We chose smoking over gun violence in our solo.....

Anna Pavlova died at the early age of 50, her last words were said to have been-"prepare my swan costume". She was buried in it.