Although starting off slow, and some parts being more difficult to get through this is one of the most enthralling non fiction stories I have read. As. a dancer this book continuously kept me interested and needing to know more about the stories of these women and how they ended up at Dance Theater of Harlem. Even without any dance knowledge I believe book can still be greatly enjoyed due to the heartwarming nature of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Pantheon, as well as Karen Valby for providing me this book.

Growing up in the late 70s and 1980s, when I thought of premier professional ballet, I thought of the Dance Theatre of Harlem. So, when I found out there was a book about the company’s forgotten ballerinas, I was instantly interested in reading it. I was not disappointed. The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History by Karen Valby is a poignant tribute to five of the company’s first ballerinas, whose time for recognition is long overdue. Valby brings the women’s stories to life by weaving their voices throughout the book. In fact, many times, it felt as if you were in the room with the women as they shared their stories. You really get to sense their emotions—laughter, disappointment, anger, tears, jealousy, joy. There was no sugarcoating, especially as they shared their recollections about the challenges they faced as a black woman in an industry that placed not a glass ceiling in their way, but a brick wall. A bonus of The Swans of Harlem is that you also get an insider’s view of the early days of the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Many times, histories are told from the perspective of the visionaries and leaders, but not from those who were the “workers”, in this case the actual dancers. Through their eyes, you got to see the sacrifices made to ensure that the company was a success. You also get a glimpse into the world of the legendary and extremely private Arthur Mitchell. Again, Valby does a good job balancing his portrayal in a way that actually humanizes him as a person as one who definitely deserves admiration, but also had flaws.

I would love to see this book adapted to a young reader’s version or even a picture book so that the black and brown girls who dream of being a ballerina can find inspiration to keep chasing their dreams and to know that their were trailblazers before them who also were the “Swans” of ballet.

Thank you to the publisher Pantheon for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

THE SWANS OF HARLEM – by Karen Valby

I have never been to the ballet before in my life, and after learning these five beautiful women endured to fulfill their dreams, I hope I one day get the chance.

I Love This Passage:

‘If Arthur Mitchell was once a lighthouse, may new generations of dancers look to the women in the Legacy Council as lanterns. The path is long and uncertain, but it has been traveled before. Trust in the light and the promise of a long table up ahead. A Black child twirling in front of a mirror deserves to know that being the only one in the room doesn’t mean that they’re alone. The elders, even the ones who have passed on, wait with arms outstretched.’

My Heart! Highly Recommend!


‘In 1968, his career at City Ballet still going strong, Mitchell was under commission to form the National Ballet Company of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro when news of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, assassination shook the world. The trauma ignited within him a sense of spiritual purpose. He was needed at home. He would build a ballet school in Harlem, the neighborhood that had raised him up. And because children deserve role models who show them what is possible, he would simultaneously establish the first permanent Black professional ballet company.

Lydia Abarca
Sheila Rohan
Gayle McKinney-Griffith
Karlya Shelton-Benjamin
Marcia Sells

‘They trained in pointe shoes that felt like cement blocks on their feet, practicing until their toes bled and their nails peeled off in surrender. They obsessed over their every line and angle and gesture. And they gave of themselves gratefully. All that discipline, all that grind, they undertook as acts of love.’

Thank you, NetGalley and Pantheon Books (Penguin Random House LLC.), for providing me with an eBook of THE SWANS OF HARLEM at the request of an honest review.

A perfect read for February and March. Black History month and Women's Day. This book encompasses all. Five women, with five amazing talents, who were once on the world stage and yet no one knows their names. Nor does anyone associate their names with the role women and entertainers played in the civil rights movement.
Excellent eye-opening read on women, women of color, and the world of elite ballet.

"The Swans of Harlem" by Karen Valby is a poignant and inspiring account of five Black ballerinas who overcame racial barriers to achieve recognition in the ballet world. Despite facing discrimination and limited opportunities due to their skin color, these talented dancers found solace and success at the Dance Theatre of Harlem, founded by Arthur Mitchell. The book sheds light on their remarkable journey, their enduring sisterhood, and their significant contributions to ballet history, making it a compelling read that resonates with themes of resilience and friendship. Highly recommended for anyone interested in untold stories of perseverance and achievement in the arts.

Such an informative read! I really enjoyed this. Reading about these women persevering in the face of injustice was inspiring.

The Swans of Harlem is a well done look into the history of five Black ballerinas, Arthur Mitchell, and the Dance Theatre of Harlem. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the perseverance, dedication, and passion these women had. I do not have any kind of background in ballet, and I found this book fascinating. These women were some of the best in the world while also contending with discrimination and inequality. It is maddening and heartbreaking the things they had to go through outside of the everyday ups and downs of ballet. I was able to get my hands on the audiobook and to hear the women tell their stories was really special. I think this is a great read and can be enjoyed by those in and outside of the ballet world.

This tells the true story of the groundbreaking, international ballet company, Dance Theatre of Harlem, created at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. and its troupe of Black dancers. The book focuses mainly on the company’s founder and visionary, Arthur Mitchell, and five of the company’s ballerinas. The ladies have generously shared their history of struggle to create a place for themselves in the very white world of ballet, way before Misty Copeland came on the scene.
I found this to be an interesting account of true trailblazers; it’s unfortunate, though, that the main reason for this book is to remind the world that these dancers actually existed.
Unsurprisingly, a lot of the writing was about ballet, which is fine with me, but people not super into dance might find it boring.
Thanks to #netgalley and #pantheonbooks for this #arc of #theswansofharlem in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book. It’s a story that needed to be told. Racism pervades all aspects of life and to see how it affected these women and their perseverance through it together was very inspiring. The research was thorough and delivery was sensitive yet poignant.

"The Swans of Harlem" by Karen Valby is a poignant and evocative novel that explores friendship, art, and resilience. Set against the backdrop of Harlem in the 1920s, the story follows a group of diverse women who find strength and solace in their shared passion for dance. Valby's rich prose brings to life the vibrant atmosphere of the Jazz Age, capturing both the exuberance and challenges faced by these captivating characters.

While the pacing occasionally slows, the depth of the characters and the exploration of racial and gender dynamics add layers of complexity to the narrative. The bond between the women is beautifully portrayed, making their triumphs and struggles deeply moving. I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this novel, which immersed me in a captivating world of art, friendship, and personal growth.

A beautiful and much needed microhistory that encompasses so much.

While at times a bit of information overload, the stories of the different ballerinas were woven together so well and made up a story that was a joy to experience. I liked that we saw the breadth of their lives (even after the DTH) and got to see the many different experiences that they all had through firsthand accounts. This book holds a new lens up to both the Civil Right Movement as well as the world of dance that I feel better off for learning.

I am so happy to see the new trend of stories about women and their unknown contributions/struggles/lives in historical moments. Having records celebrating their contributions is a trend I hope continues.

Such an interesting history that I knew so little about! I loved reading about the lives of these women and how they are still working today to protect their legacy. If you’re interested in history or ballet or New York, I’d definitely recommend!

This is a must read for those wanting to continue to fill in places in history that are not discussed and expressed often enough. It has heart, it tells the true story of the lives of these women and offers great insight into the love and groundbreaking work these women put into dance and American history.

Valby does an excellent job letting the Swans of Harlem tell and reclaim their story! There are so many things I could say about this book, but really the best thing to say is go read this book. Learn about their story and continue to tell others about it.


Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review in exchange for the eARc of this work.

Loved it! What a gorgeous history written in a sincerely relatable and truthful way. Those women are true heroes who don't get recognized enough.Graceful and poised, I hope this story makes them role models.

The stories in this book are incredibly important and powerful. But I had a really hard time keeping track of names and people, which made for a sloppy read. The switching from first to last name and back again made it even worse. I hope these details were cleaned up before the final publication.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early review copy. Rooting for someone to pick up the film or TV rights to bring these ballerinas’ history to the spotlight again.

I have really enjoyed the recent slate of books released regarding women’s untold stories in history. Here is one about the first black ballerinas, mostly unknown, and so deserving of having their stories told. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️: 5 / 5

Publication Date: April 30, 2024

I want to thank Pantheon and Net Galley for allowing me to get an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The prologue does a masterful job of discussing not just the groundbreaking accomplishments of Misty Copeland but mentions the lack of documented history of other black ballet dancers. It aligns these moments of success with pivotal moments of the civil rights movement to provide further historical context.

Some of the coolest aspects of this story, were the way each character’s story was woven into each other. The story also while highlighting the lives of our 5 protagonists she also presents formative groundbreaking women and men who preceded them along with other people of color within the Arthur Mitchell school of dance who helped their careers as well. I loved in Act 2 that you get to hear a story from each of these women’s own voices which makes some of the tales even more impactful.

As for my reservations, I didn’t really have any. I found the story to be a joy to experience and would absolutely recommend this for others to read. I do wish that there had been photos included in the story or added as an appendix.

Overall I adored this book and the stories shared within. If you’ve ever had an inkling of wonder towards classical ballet or dance training you’ll absolutely adore this book. It shares the highs and lows of these women while they find each other again.

Would recommend for those who are fans of
- Ballet/dance
- Afro Latina and African American rep
- Found family
- Character driven stories

⚠️ racism, colorism, abortion, domestic violence, alcoholism

From the first sentences of the prologue, I knew this was going to be an important book. The story of these ballerinas is amazing and complete. I really like how their lives are followed through to current times and how they lived their lives after DTH. Unfortunately, at times I felt the story got bogged down in some of the details, but it is certainly an interesting, educational, and worthwhile read! Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

I learned a lot about the history of Black ballerinas from this book. It was my first-time hearing of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, it's fearless yet somewhat controversial leader and its role in the Civil Rights Era.

We learn about the Black women who were the trailblazers of this ballet company. They had been breaking barriers long before Misty Copeland. Who I and probably many others thought was the first Black ballerina.

It’s sad and makes me angry how their identities, story and accomplishments have been buried as if they didn’t exist. Thanks to these women for being so brave and willing to rehash this time in their lives with and for us. How they became family, supporters, and protectors of each other as they navigated the institution of ballet that was everything but accepting of them and their talents. They accomplished so many firsts. The struggles within their company and with their mentor. They didn’t have an easy road. They had to fight for every opportunity in a world where whiteness not talent was their biggest barrier. But the passion for their artistry and doing what they loved kept them pushing, striving for more for themselves and others. This book gives us firsthand accounts from them. The book is filled with history and personal accountings of their stories.

This was a very interesting read and even more important history. Our histories should and need to be told. Kudos to the people who write books like this to keep these stories alive. This book is most definitely worth reading if you have an interest in ballet or not. Read Black history, learn Black history.

For decades, when one thinks of a ballerina, a lithe swanlike dancer emerges, She emulates the traditional standard of beauty and elegance required to dance in a premier ballet company. This ideal of a slender, languid, waifish woman/child fits like a puzzle piece into the assembly line of dancers just like her. And she is white. This very exclusive club seldom opens its doors to women of color nor are they included in the long, elegant history of ballet. Occasionally a dancer will slip in the title role whose talent overcame the obstacles of her color, for example Maria Tallchief or Misty Copeland. But for the vast majority of African American girls who dream of being a prima dancer one day face a daunting white wall. Less than 3% of ballerinas are women of color. Black males outnumber them at a little over 4%.

These sad statistics carry over to the reality of capturing the story of dance, a lily white tale of beauty and talent. But Karen Valby recounts the story of the five black ballerinas in Swans of Harlem. Her rich narrative examines a segment of dance history overlooked and overshadowed by the traditional narrative. These five dancers challenged the status quo and became principal dancers for the Dance Theater of Harlem. Widely renowned and highly celebrated, these dancers dazzled audiences and captured the hearts of many including performances for the Queen of England and the President of the United States.

Lydia Abarca, Marcia Sells, Karlya Shelton,Sheila Rohan, and Gayle McKinney-Griffith star in this wonderful story that will inspire young girls of color to follow their hearts and soar. Their singular and collective hard work and discipline in the midst of the Civil Rights movement emboldened them to fight the good fight.

As a Women's History professor, I was so glad to see this narrative added to the ever growing list of works about women and their fight for rights. Valby's work is very detailed and the reader will learn of the world of ballet in a way not visualized till now. While written for the adult audience, it would be great if a YA version of the book becomes available. Imagine how many young girls it would inspire to follow their dream.