When Misty Copeland, who was born in 1982, was touted as the first Black ballerina, several women who had danced with the Dance Theater of Harlem were dismayed, since they all had been ballet dancers in the 1960’s. Much of the book is the author’s interviews with these women, and they tell of the disturbing discrimination they experienced when ballet was considered a “whites only” profession. It’s hard to imagine that they were forgotten even though not only had one of them had been on the cover of Dance magazine, but they had also performed for Queen Elizabeth. This book ensures that their contributions will not be forgotten again. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Karen Valby's "The Swans of Harlem" isn't just a book; it's a time machine, transporting you straight to the intoxicating heart of 1920s New York City. The Harlem Renaissance spills off the pages in vibrant color – the jazz clubs thrumming with life, the flappers defying convention with their bold style, and the speakeasies humming with the secrets of an era on the cusp of reinvention.

Valby's prose dances with the exuberant rhythm of the time. You'll practically hear the clink of champagne flutes and the infectious beats of jazz echoing through the streets. Her captivating writing paints a portrait of a time defined by the clash of tradition and rebellion, where figures like the enchanting Josephine Baker and the magnetic Langston Hughes became cultural icons.

Prepare to be swept into a whirlwind of glamorous parties, secret trysts, and audacious fashion that sets society ablaze. "The Swans of Harlem" is a captivating blend of fact and fiction, a tribute to the larger-than-life personalities who reshaped American society. Get ready for scandalous whispers, forbidden romances, and enough drama to fuel a thousand gossip columns.

Whether drawn by the allure of history or seeking a captivating story, Valby's novel delivers an experience as intoxicating as the era itself. So dim the lights, dress in your finest attire, and prepare to be transported into a world of dazzling personalities, artistic revolution, and the electrifying spirit of the Jazz Age.

This book is a great tribute to the founding dancers of Dance Theatre of Harlem and their work with Arthur Mitchell. I had not heard of these five ballerinas like many others, so I am grateful for this important account of them. After reading their stories, I’m excited to look for footage of them dancing, perhaps at the Library for the Performing Arts, as mentioned in the book.

“The Swans of Harlem” by Karen Valby was an absolutely awesome Biography/Memoir of the original black women ballerinas of Dance Theatre of Harlem. Their story’s are incredibly powerful and their determination and sacrifice is something to celebrate even though we are very late in doing so. I must also mention that along with the personal stories of Marcia Sells, Sheila Rohan, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Karlya Shelton-Benjamin, Lydia Abarca-Mitchell we also learn intimately about Arthur Mitchell the founder of Dance Theatre of Harlem. His influence and commitment to create a world class black ballet company is a legend all by itself. Misty Copeland has always said she was not “the First” but until now I’m afraid most of us had no idea about these amazing pioneers. I hope this book is read widely and a huge success, it deserves every one of the 5 stars I’m giving it!

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley for an advance copy. I was really excited when I discovered this book and I really wanted to love it. With a daughter who is a dancer, I was really interested to learn this story. It was really interesting - it just read really slow to me. The beginning grabbed my attention, but it really slogged on through the middle. The ending was great too, so it was worth finishing, but it took me longer than it should have to get through this. All in all, a fascinating story and one that needed to be told - just could have been a hundred pages shorter. 3.5 stars.

As a graduate student in history who is researching and writing a dissertation on Cold War era ballet exchange tours, I knew ahead of time that this book would be one that I would immensely enjoy. I am delighted to say that I was not disappointed. "The Swans of Harlem" is beautifully written and serves as a true love letter to five of the founding generation ballerinas of the Dance Theatre of Harlem. From my research, I've encountered quite a few books on NYCB, ABT, and other NY based ballet companies, but very few on DTH. Through the stories of Lydia Abarca, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Karlya Shelton, and Marcia Sells. readers of "The Swans of Harlem" will be providing with an intimate and in-depth look into the world few have ever been afforded access to. Learning about how these five women battled through to defy the odds leaves me in awe. They are pioneers in every sense of the word and I dearly hope that more people will become aware of who they are and the path they trailblazed. 10/10 brilliant stars.

Thank you so much to Net Galley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Pantheon books for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I highly recommend the book "Black Swans: A History of African Americans in Ballet". It's an absolute must-read for anyone who wants to uncover the untold stories of black women in ballet. This book is truly captivating and I was blown away by the sheer talent and perseverance of these individuals. I couldn't put it down, and I found myself Googling images of these incredible dancers to see their graceful movements in action. Even though I received a review copy from Netgalley, I can honestly say that I would've paid full price for this book. Don't miss out on "Black Swans: A History of African Americans in Ballet" if you're looking for an inspiring and eye-opening read.

Bravo! Literally on my feet with a standing ovation for this book. A detailed and thoroughly engaging story of five young black women who were recruited for The Dance Theatre of Harlem, a ballet company that was loaded with talent, but struggled to raise money to pay their dancers, pay their staff, pay their landlord, find a decent place to practice and find acceptance in a world that preferred its ballerinas to be white. Talented young women whose history was practically unwritten until Misty Copeland became the first black female principal dancer with the ABT. Ms. Copeland does recognize and honor Lydia, Gayle, Sheila, Karlya and Marcia in her own book.

TDTOH was founded and run by Arthur Mitchell. He recognized talent, he could develop talent. He was also determined to have things his way. No one was going to tell him how to run HIS company. He was petty, mean, unreasonable, histrionic and scattered. His ballerinas endured grueling practice schedules with stingy pay. Lydia was the first black ballerina chosen for the cover of Dance magazine. She usually danced the coveted main character. Yet the five women developed a strong bond, a sisterhood. There was no jealousy. Time moved on. Misty Copeland was declared the first black prima ballerina and Lydia Abarca’s young granddaughter asked, “But what about Grandma?”

Read the book. Their individual histories are as moving as their dancing was. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. I rarely give a book a 5. The book is well written and she allowed the 5 women to tell their stories. Thank you.

Wow! Talk about interesting history that has not been shared widely--loved this look into the lives of several Black ballerinas form the 1970's and on. When the world was meeting Misty Copeland (amazing as she is), they were being cheated out of the history of the Black ballerinas that came before her. Even Misty Copeland didn't know their stories. They have stayed friends and have come together to share their stories now--and they are fascinating. I love dance history, and this delivers. I hope this book is read widely, so their history becomes well known to all dancers, as well as the general public.

FIVE STARS! What a gorgeous, honoring, vulnerable retelling of the stories of these incredible, history-making ballerinas. As someone who grew up in dance and had a knowledge of Misty Copeland, I'm so excited to learn about the ballerinas that came before her and paved the way for so many others. This was such a fast-moving, engaging nonfiction; truly some masterful storytelling done by the author. I'll be recommending this book to those who grew up dancing, have an appreciation for the artform, or those who would like to learn more about this beautiful and important part of Black history in the arts.

Lydia Abarca-Mitchell, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Marcia Sells and Karyla Shelton-Benjamin are not everyday names. Yet, they deserve to be known. As Black History Month concludes, they belong in the chronicles of the arts and of civil rights. They were among the founders of the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Their story and that of others who danced and struggled with them is told in Karen Valby’s book, The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History

Each dancer is featured; her story much like the others, yet unique. They tell of their burning desire to dance, and not just to be a ballerina, but to be among their own. None of these girls – for they were girls when they started – had ever seen or imagined another woman of color dancing ballet. Being a star in a major company was therefore unimaginable. They had their chance in DTH. While Lydia is described over and over as an exquisite dancer and a beautiful woman, the others were all marvelous too.

They knew how lucky they were, and they loved ballet. Arthur Miller’s dance company was a source of pride for the dancers and the community. It showed people that Blacks could dance ballet, not just tap and modern dance, and Black men did not need to be restricted to sports like boxing and basketball.

Arthur Miller is described as a perfectionist and a severe task master who drove his students hard until they got things right - as he expected. He could be cool or silly. He is described as temperamental. He liked lighter-skinned, thin girls for leading roles. Curvier girls were ordered to lose weight, even if they were not overweight. Girls were skipping meals and forcing themselves to vomit in attempt to comply. In later years, we see emotional effects Miller’s heavy-handed approach had on his principal dancers. The years of relentless physical workouts through long hours of rehearsals and performances took a toll on their bodies as well.

Through it all, however, the women forged lasting friendships with one another. They persevered through tough financial times. They fought to be recognized as artists in a society that didn’t acknowledge their ability or their right to participate. And they stood their ground against a man, who chose them to work for him, with him, and then often did not give them the praise and approval they deserved. It was gratifying to see how the women overcame the obstacles they encountered throughout their careers and the aftermath and were able to recover and lead productive lives, raise families, and give back to further the careers of future ballerinas.

As a final note, the women describe their friendships with the danseurs, many of whom contracted HIV and did not survive. They express genuine affection and compassion for these men, who were their friends partners in dance for many years.

I received a digital copy of as an ARC in exchanThe Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking Historyge for my unbiased review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley, Pantheon, and Karen Valby.

4 stars

I was given the opportunity to read this book via NetGalley. I learned a lot from this book. My past includes working with the performing arts. I had heard of the Dance Theater of Harlem but did not know much more than they were a dance troop. I was interested to learn about the history of Dance Theater of Harlem and the ballerinas that performed there. I liked learning about their lives and what they had to do to get into the troop and the best part was finding out what happened to them after they could not perform and that they were all still connected. I enjoyed the part with Misty Copeland and how she honors their contribution to her success.

I would recommend this book for people who are interested in performing arts, dance, and art groups from the 50-70's. This period was the source of a lot of art efforts. It was interesting to read about a group that has not really been publicized.

Long before the talented Misty Copeland became principal ballerina at the American Ballet Theatre, the Dance Theatre of Harlem was training dozens of young Black ballet dancers. Over the next decades they would tour throughout the United States and Europe, and later the USSR and South Africa. Five of the early members feature in this group biography. The amount of hard work and determination is remarkable, although it wasn't easy. The founder, Arthur Mitchell, was a difficult, if brilliant, teacher, and all the dancers had a love/hate relationship with him. The dancers describe how they managed to combine dancing and rehearsals with school, college, work, family. It was never easy and not one of the women expressed any regrets, but it took a toll. No one became rich or very famous from dancing, and the families had to sacrifice as well. They did it for themselves, and in the process, paved the way for future dancers. The Dance Theatre of Harlem is still going strong. Inspiring slice of history! (Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital review copy.)

This was a very interesting historical book. I had no knowledge of the Swans of Harlem, the Dance Theatre of Harlem nor the historical mistake that Misty Copeland was the first black principal ballerina.
While I enjoyed reading about all 5 ballerinas, at times it was very hard to keep track of their stories, who went where when and why. I found myself going back to figure it out. This was a beautiful story but at many points it was maddening at what they were put through not just by family and this man who was supposed to help them become ballerinas but also society at the time. All of the mind games he played and how they were treated showed that Arthur Mitchell had mental health issues. I was happy to see that some of the girls stood up to him and wouldn’t deal with his crap anymore.
At the end of the book we get to meet the Swans as grown women, learn more from them and enjoy that they were finally recognized.
This book was very well researched, laid out well and a week or so after reading it I’m still marinating on it.
If you are interested in ballet, history or just want to expand what you read, this is a great book for you.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of this eye opening book.

Oh this book........ I can't say enough so I'm going to keep it brief. So let's see how that are going to be on the weekend when you're done all this stuff is that book. When you think about black ballerinas and what they go through now, it's unbelievable. When you think about the way they came from and what they saved just to get to where they are right now it's remarkable on being seriously. I think this book is very well written and it is a piece that were big in history for a long time

Thank you Netgalley and #KarenValby for an opportunities to read this eARC in exchange for my remote.

One of the most telling moments in The Swans of Harlem comes near the end of the book, when the five original ballerinas of the Dance Theater of Harlem meet the celebrated dancer Misty Copeland. Copeland, who is often lauded as a groundbreaking Black ballerina, had just written a children’s book on Black ballerinas, and was shocked to discover that she had never heard of these women. In their prime, they traveled the world , danced before celebrities and world leaders, starred in movies like The Wiz and on Broadway. Yet their contributions to American art are largely forgotten.

This book is structured in three parts. Part 1 discusses the beginnings of the careers of these women and the formation of the Dance Theater of Harlem. Part 2 allows each woman to speak and tell her individual story. Part 3 return to DTH, its successes, its struggles and the effect of its mercurial director Arthur Miller. Throughout the book, we hear about these incredible women and how they forged a sisterhood that transcended years of changes in their professional and personal lives.

I found this book absolutely fascinating. It probably took me at least double the time to read because I was constantly going online to look up further information- not that the book seemed incomplete, but that I was curious to know if photographs and footage of these dancers was available. Amazingly, quite a bit exists, but very little is available via mainstream media. Much of the visual history of this story is told through personal photographs, alternative journalistic sources, and unknown filmmakers.

This was a wonderful book to read during Black History Month. I especially enjoyed it because I have been a performing artist and was familiar with the language - but I suspect that these inspiring stories will resonate with a wide variety of people.. many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf (Pantheon) for the opportunity to review this advance reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

As a former ballet dancer (does it count if I was 3-13 at the time?) I am always interested in reading about ballet. I had never heard of the Dance Theatre of Harlem - most folks haven't, thus the book - and I am SO glad that I stumbled upon this enlightening and uplifting book.

The DTH was started after the murder of MLK. A place for Black ballerinas and danseurs to perform ballet in the classic style, DTH company members literally and figuratively soared to the highest heights of stardom and endured the lowest lows of racism, tyrannical leadership and relegation to a footnote in history. We learn about five of the ballerinas who helped pioneer this ballet company and follow their journey as students, then performers, and beyond the stage. These five women banded together again more recently to insure that their story was not forgotten.

I really enjoyed learning about these beautiful strong women. My biggest wish for the book was its organizational style. It was tricky for me to follow five different storylines and remember what happened to whom.

Somewhere out there is a young girl with dreams. She will be inspired by this story. It's a story long past due. Misty Copeland, who has been celebrated as the first black prima ballerina, paid public tribute to the original dancers of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, emphasizing that she wasn't the first. I'm not particularly a ballet fan but found this a riveting story of dreams, hard work, discipline, determination, sacrifice, and an all too fleeting moment in the spotlight. It's also a celebration of sisterhood.

Author Karen Valby does a wonderful job of introducing you to the women who were the stars of this story. Although their stories are ones of black dancers striving to break barriers, they emerge as real humans, too. You know, the sort whose grandchildren would advocate for them being introduced to the world for their accomplishments, which is really where the story begins. It then takes us back to a time when they were young and despite their love of and talent for dance, had doors closed in their faces due to race. Only after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King was the Dance Theatre of Harlem formed by Arthur Mitchell, whose personality practically pulses off the pages as he demands as much from himself as from his protege dancers. Ultimately they would dance before the Queen and party with Mick Jagger.

This is their story, one of hopes and dreams, yes, but also sacrifice, pain, determination, and a refusal to be beaten down because of race. You are going to like these women, feel their pain as they try to balance lives with dreams, sometimes against family but also with family holding them up. Many abandoned college dreams to dance, working their hearts out for very little financial gain, but persisting nevertheless. Injuries and physical pain a constant problem as they tried to not just live up to but surpass Mitchell's demand for excellence. It's a story that can not just ignite dreams but perhaps reignite buried dreams. I thank NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me not just this early peek at the book but for providing such an inspiring story that gives us a look at history and some remarkable women. There's a lengthy list of sources included at the end, many with online links.

Here’s another one I read for Black History Month, and I loved it! If you are at all interested in dance, this is a fascinating read, about the first all Black ballet company, The Dance Theater of Harlem, and the amazing women (and men) who were its heart. Most people have heard of Misty Copeland, the first Black principal dancer for the American Ballet Theater, but these women blazed that trail 30 years before her, and sadly, had seemed to have drifted away into obscurity. This book tells their story—their struggle, heartbreak, and joy. It’s a story of friendship, resilience and of sisterhood and it was eye opening to finally read their history.

this was a thoroughly beautiful and captivating read. i found myself so enthralled by not only the writing but valby’s storytelling and the characters truly leaped off the page. without giving too much away, i highly encourage everyone to check this out themselves for a story of these quote unquote forgotten black ballerinas- a topic i LOVED learning more about.