A very compelling read about the history of black dancers in ballet, way before the time of Misty Copeland. At times I was a bit confused as to whose POV I was following.

This was a story I had never heard before and I so enjoyed reading it. The personalities sparkle as you learn how the dancers and leaders of the Dance Theatre of Harlem negotiated racism, budget constraints, and other major obstacles to bring ballet with Black dancers to the world. They weren’t the first or the only Black ballet dancers of their time, but their accomplishments and development of chosen family make this story so compelling. I have to say that throughout reading this book, I wondered if this story would better be told as historical fiction, rather than nonfiction with quotes. Not totally sure where I landed on that. It was very interesting to hear directly from the people involved.

At the height of the Civil Rights movement, Lydia Abarca was a Black prima ballerina with a major international dance company—the Dance Theatre of Harlem, a troupe of women and men who became each other’s chosen family. She was the first Black company ballerina on the cover of Dance magazine, an Essence cover star; she was cast in The Wiz and in a Bob Fosse production on Broadway. She performed in some of ballet’s most iconic works with other trailblazing ballerinas, including the young women who became her closest friends—founding Dance Theatre of Harlem members Gayle McKinney-Griffith and Sheila Rohan, as well as first-generation dancers Karlya Shelton and Marcia Sells.

These Swans of Harlem performed for the Queen of England, Mick Jagger, and Stevie Wonder, on the same bill as Josephine Baker, at the White House, and beyond. But decades later there was almost no record of their groundbreaking history to be found. Out of a sisterhood that had grown even deeper with the years, these Swans joined forces again—to share their story with the world.

Captivating, rich in vivid detail and character, and steeped in the glamour and grit of professional ballet, The Swans of Harlem is a riveting account of five extraordinarily accomplished women, a celebration of both their historic careers and the sustaining, grounding power of female friendship, and a window into the robust history of Black ballet, hidden for too long.

My Take:
I often question: does the book fulfill its initial promise? The answer here is only partially: the book does reveal the personal and professional backgrounds of Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Karlya Shelton, and Marcia Sells. However, the reporting felt detached, as if observing them through a barrier, rather than participating in their sisterly gatherings or allowing me to "witness" their performances. Since this is an advanced reader's copy, it lacked photographs that could have enriched my understanding by showing these artists in motion, on magazine covers, or in various endeavors. I yearned for a glimpse of their costumes or more vivid descriptions. Ultimately, I wasn't transported back to witness the pioneering dance troupe during the twilight of the Civil Rights Era—a journey I had eagerly anticipated.

Nevertheless, for those with an interest in dance, African American, or New York history, this book can provide artistic insight to supplement further research, though additional context will be necessary.

The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History by Karen Valby was both heartbreaking and inspiring. It told the story of five aspiring black ballerinas that grew up knowing that they were talented but were almost always denied the opportunities to dance as the principal dancer just because of the color of their skin. Outrageous, you say? That was the mentality of the big dance theatres during the 1960’s and in subsequent years that followed. These young ballerinas found this belief and practice frustrating and it saddened them beyond measure. The roles of classical ballerinas were reserved and opened to white ballerinas exclusively in the elite dance programs like The American Ballet Theatre and the New York City Ballet. During that time, Black ballerinas were encouraged to pursue Modern dance no matter how talented they were in the art of ballet. There was no place, dance school or teacher who was willing to award a black ballerina a chance based on her talent alone. Skin color was the deciding factor.

In 1969, with the catalyst of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Arthur Mitchell, had a vision which gave birth to the Dance Theatre of Harlem. It would become a school where Black ballerinas could learn, make their dreams come true, be taught by black dance instructors and be recognized for their accomplishments and talents. Arthur Mitchell had grown up in Harlem and was an accomplished black male ballet danseur. He knew what it was like to be the “lone” black danseur amongst a sea of white ballet dancers. Arthur Mitchell was intent on opening “the first permanent Black ballet company “. Among the first ballerinas at the Dance Theatre of Harlem were Lydia Albarca, a Harlem native, Gayle McKinney-Griffith who was brought up in a Connecticut suburb, Shelia Rohan from Staten Island, Marcia Sells from Cincinnati and Karlya Shelton who grew up in Denver, Colorado. They each grew up being told, NO! even though they each belonged on the stage. Over the years that these five talented Black ballerinas practiced, performed, cried, smiled, laughed and became friends, they also found a place that recognized them for who they were, a place that was safe and a home they called The Dance Theatre of Harlem. They formed a special bond, a sisterhood. They became each other’s family, shoulder to cry on, sounding board and receptor for the great things they accomplished individually and collectively. These five black ballerinas, under the umbrella of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, performed for Queen Elizabeth, an American president and quite a few celebrities during their prime years as Black ballerinas. They performed in both Europe and the United States. In later years, these five groundbreaking black ballerinas, went on to form The 152nd Street Black Ballet Legacy Council. Their relationship under the guidance of Arthur Mitchell had been tested over and over but it only got stronger. Arthur Mitchell was like a father figure to these young ballerinas. He was demanding, critical and sometimes verbally abusive but deep down he loved them all. He required perfection from them and nothing less.

In more recent years, the accomplishments of these barrier breaking ballerinas have all but been forgotten. Misty Copeland earned the respect of being named the first Black ballerina to “kick down doors”. Lydia Abarca’s granddaughter, Hannah, came home one day from her preschool class and questioned her mother and grandmother about the truth about that fact. She had grown up being told that her grandmother held that title. Little Hannah and her classmates had been studying Black History in their preschool class. Each child was given the assignment to choose a famous Black American to report on for this project. Four of the girls in Hannah’s class had chosen Misty Copeland. Hannah was confused. She had always been told that her grandmother held that special place in Black history. Why was Misty Copeland receiving this recognition then? Unfortunately, Lydia and the other pioneer Black ballerinas that had broken down those doors during the 1960’s at the Dance Theatre of Harlem had never been given the recognition they deserved. Their accomplishments and roles they had in promoting the acceptance of Black ballerinas had long been buried and forgotten.

The Swans of Harlem brought forth the incredible achievements, talents and stories of these five talented Black ballerinas who forged a path for all the Black ballerinas who followed them. I vaguely remember seeing advertisements for the Dance Theatre of Harlem in the newspaper growing up in a suburb not that far from New York City. Even though I am not an avid ballet fan, I really enjoyed learning about these ballerinas and all they went through to be recognized for their innate talents. I thought it was extremely well written and it educated its readers about a piece of history that was not widely known. It made me extremely happy to learn how these five ballerinas stayed in contact with each other even when their careers as ballerinas were long over. The Swans of Harlem touched upon the AIDS epidemic and the impact it had on the ballet community, racism and discrimination, friendship, the act of resilience, the effects of verbal abuse, the nonexistent act of being able to decide independently what was best for each dancer and a beautiful and special sisterhood. I really enjoyed reading The Swans of Harlem by Karen Valby and highly recommend it.

Thank you to Pantheon Books for allowing me to read The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History by Karen Valby through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Before Misty Copeland burst upon the ballet scene, many people had forgotten or were unaware of a number of dancers from earlier
generations who had danced with the Dance Theater of Harlem. This is the ballet version of Hidden Figures. Hidden Figures was a true story about three Black women who worked as mathematians making important computations for the NASA Apollo space missions to rhe moon.

Anyone with an interest in Black history or classical dance history in the US would enjoy reading this book that talks about these dancers' journeys.

This is an interesting book for anyone who follows the art of ballet in the USA. We seldom hear about the Black American ballet dancers. The author gives us insight into the trials and tribulations of the first group of Black American ballet dancers. Well done!

I absolutely loved this book!! The narration was beyond perfect. I gave it 4 stars only because the format wasn’t ideal. It was written at times like a first hand memoir/biography and other times like quoted secondary source history. The prologue set the stage that the author consulted personally with The Black Swans to tell their story. I feel like it would have worked better for her to have written each character in the first person, as she was telling their stories from their own mouths. This book was not an impersonal historical reenactment based on secondary analysis of first hand accounts, so the format didn’t really make sense.

The Swans of Harlem is a nonfiction book about the Black ballerinas that preceded the famous Misty Copeland, specifically focusing on the Dance Theatre of Harlem. I enjoyed these women's stories and the description of their leader Arthur Mitchell, who was an interesting character. I didn't completely understand the structure of the book, there were some chapters told from the perspective of an individual dancer, when that seemed unnecessary since the whole book was based on these interviews. And sometimes there was too much focus on the perspective of a family member, etc. But in general, this is a story that is important and should not be forgotten, and it's fun to follow up the read with searches on YouTube for the dances.

First of all, thank you to Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the ARC in exchange for an honest review of "The Swans of Harlem" by Karen Valby. This was an expansive account of Arthur Mitchell and the foundation of the Dance Theatre of Harlem which included five Black ballerinas; Lydia Abarca-Mitchell, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Marcia Sells, and Karlya Shelton-Benjamin. Before Misty Copeland became the first Black principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, these women were touring the world and bringing the idea of Black classical ballerinas to people who couldn't even imagine it.

I am not shy about reading about Black history. I am well aware of the fact that there are many Black trailblazers whose stories have been lost to history or white-washed so I've read many books and accounts about people like this. I am very familiar with the Dance Theatre of Harlem so it was easy for me to get an idea of who these women are and I quickly understood their stories. The book starts like most biographies about lesser-known figures. I was more interested in how they got into ballet and their lives after they retired from dancing. The middle is where the book sags for me. Again, it's not lost on me that Black people have to be spectacular and perfect. Nothing mentioned in this book about racism, misogynoir, and colorism taught me anything new about either of those things and so when the book begins to focus more on that, it was difficult for me to read through it. Not because those topics are painful, but because I am used to talking and thinking about them. I wanted a bit more of these women's stories and this book did a great job of breaking down these five Black ballerinas and giving a historical account.

It's great for people with little to no knowledge of ballet culture or Black history, but it can feel repetitive for those who are fully invested in both. This is more like a 3.5.

The Swans of Harlem is a must read for those who love ballet and social history. Here readers will meet some remarkable women. They are Lydia Abarca, Gayle McKinney Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Karlya Shelton, and Marcia Sells. Readers will also spend time with the Dance Theater of Harlem and witness the many accomplishments of that company and its dancers.

In her prologue, the author notes that Abarca’s daughter was very proud of all that her mother had done as a dancer who broke barriers and was an exquisite performer. However when she did some research, she found that there was a dearth of material on any Black dancer except for the wonderful Misty Copeland. This book is in some ways a response to the need for documentations and recognition of the contributions of earlier ballerinas. No one who reads it will forget these dancers/friends/colleagues/barrier breakers and more.

This book benefits from the author’s connection to her subjects. She documents their beginnings, careers, retirements and legacy. Those who read it will have met some remarkable women and deepen their knowledge of dance.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Pantheon for this title. All opinions are my own.

In Swans of Harlem, Karen Valby brings to life five pioneer members of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, the all-black ballet troupe started by Arthur Mitchell (1934-2018), the first black dancer in the New York City Ballet. Valby organizes the book into three acts, typical of many ballets.

Act One focuses on the formation of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, telling the stories of its director, five major female members, and the black ballet troupes’ revolutionary role in a white ballet world. Among the pioneer members of the resulting Dance Theatre of Harlem were the five women at the center of this outstanding, emotional history: Lydia Abarca-Mitchell (no relation to Arthur), Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Marcia Sells, and Karlya Shelton. Whether from the projects in Harlem or prosperous neighborhoods in other parts of the country, the five young women came together not only to fulfill their personal dreams but also to make history as the first all-black ballet troupe—and to fulfill their personal dreams.

Following the eleven chapters comprising Act One, the six chapters of Act Two are divided among the five women. No matter how successful, performing lives are generally short, and over time, each woman left the troupe. What would each do with the rest of her life? How would Shiela, Gayle, Marcia, Lydia, and Karlya adjust to life after no longer in the spotlight and with their fame forgotten? Wherever life took them, whether excessive drinking or career success, the five “sisters” kept in touch.

Roughly a half century after retirement from the stage, Act Three brings them back together, determined to let the world know who they once were, members of the long-forgotten Dance Theatre of Harlem. Valby also devotes a portion of Act 3 to Arthur Mitchell and several other former members of the troupe, mostly male, who had passed away. After forming a non-profit organization called the 152nd Street Black Ballet Legacy, the women meet Misty Copeland for the first time, a much younger dancer whose name appears earlier in the book. With Copeland touted as the first black ballet star, the Dance Theatre of Harlem having been long forgotten, readers have previously seen Lydia Abarca’s thirty-two-year-old daughter and only granddaughter react to the history-making label assigned to Copeland. Not only the five former dancers but also descendants felt “the anointing of Misty Copeland” was “a deliberate scrubbing of their groundbreaking history.: Although I’ll give away no further details, rarely does a history book bring tears to a reader’s eyes, but portions of Act Three brought tears to mine.

Although Valby provides a chapter-by-chapter list of selected resources at the back of the book, much of her information came from her close contact with the five former Dance Theatre of Harlem pioneer dancers. A white woman herself, Valby dedicates the book to her two black daughters, who she hopes will someday share a similar passion for their future careers, whatever those careers may be.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pantheon for an advance reader egalley of Karen Valby’s important and engaging contribution to American cultural history.

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The Swans of Harlem is not just a book; it's a deeply moving journey through history. Valby's poignant narrative brings to life the forgotten story of these pioneering Black ballerinas, stirring emotions of both heartbreak and pride. With each turn of the page, I sometimes found myself struggling to keep up with the multitude of remarkable individuals, each deserving of their own exploration. This book is a testament to the resilience and talent of these extraordinary women and a reminder of the importance of preserving their legacy for generations to come.

This book is being voluntarily reviewed after receiving a free copy courtesy of NetGalley, the Publisher, and Karen Valby.

"Because we all have a voice," she says, looking intently around the room. "And we all need to project that out into the world. Otherwise, someone else is going to write our history. Or not."

The Swans of Harlem by Karen Valby is the voice of women and men, too, who literally danced and performed ballet but were forgotten in history. These are not any ballet performers but pioneers. These are the black ballet performers who fought against discrimination and laid out a foundation for the next generations.

The Swans of Harlem tells the story of Lydia Abarca, a Black prima ballerina with a major international dance company—the Dance Theatre of Harlem, and her closest friends—founding Dance Theatre of Harlem members Gayle McKinney-Griffith and Sheila Rohan, as well as first-generation dancers Karlya Shelton and Marcia Sells.

This book is a celebration and also is a riveting history of black ballet performers. In all honesty, I do not know much about ballet, but to read the stories of these amazing women and men fighting against prejudices and discrimination, one doesn't need to know about the field. I am deeply honored to read about these wonderful women.

Thank you, Pantheon Books @pantheonbooks and Netgalley, for this book.

I'm so glad that the fascinating story of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, founded in 1969 but largely ignored in dance history, is finally being told! Misty Copeland broke through barriers, but there were many incredibly talented Black ballerinas who led the way before her. Karen Valby does a great job of balancing the story of Arthur Mitchell, the visionary yet complicated dancer and artistic director who founded the company, with the perspectives of the dancers who brought his vision to life. An excellent read for anyone interested in classical dance or African American history.

This book shines a fascinating, detailed light on the women who helped start the renowned ballet company Dance Theater of Harlem—and their struggles to adjust to a world that didn’t see black women as ballerinas. Part a story of representation, part a story of artistic endeavor, part a story of coming to terms with what their careers meant 50 years after the fact, The Swans of Harlem kept me turning the pages.

I was intrigued by how these women confronted not only prejudice from outside, but from the insular ballet world and even within their newly formed troupe (where lighter-skinned black women tended to get larger roles). Valby jumps between then and now with aplomb; I never felt jarred by it. And seeing the celebrity founder of Dance Theater of Harlem, Arthur Mitchell, from the perspective of these women who helped establish this company and dealt with both his good and bad sides enriches his story as well.

But it’s the women front and center here, from the astounding prima ballerina onstage and insecure teenager offstage, Lydia Abarca, to stalwart Virginia Johnson, who danced with the company for decades before becoming its artistic director during its renaissance. There are women who made lasting careers in the arts and others who ultimately moved away from that. It’s a heartening story of women supporting women, and I loved the portrait it gave me of how a longstanding classical artistic form can still break new ground by including underrepresented people. How fitting to see these women, unheralded today, received their well-deserved due!

Even though my daughters took ballet lessons for a few years, I am not that up on professional ballet beyond seeing Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker at the local theatre. I am glad that this story about the original dancers at the Dance Theatre of Harlem has been written. It dives deep into the extra hard life of being a black ballerina from the 1960’s through recent times and deserves a movie like Hidden Figures got to bring it to the attention of more people.

I learned a lot about the history of Black ballerinas through this book. I'd never heard about the Dance Theatre of Harlem or its role in the Civil Rights Era. It was fascinating to learn about the Black ballerinas and I loved their dynamic and friendship - but it was so frustrating to see all the things they had to put up with. Arthur Mitchell was great but also frustrating. I appreciated Mitchell's wisdom, but the way he treated the ballerinas in pursuit of it was aggravating. How the ballerinas inspired young, Black dancers was my favorite part of the book!

Most of the videos I was able to find on YouTube were interviews with the ballerinas or videos of Mitchell dancing. I could only find pictures and no videos of the ballerinas dancing, which was disappointing. I think they added some depth and context to the story, but the story stood without them too.

I wish we'd come further as a society but we still have so many people who get riled up about the role of Black people in the arts. The way so many people lost their mind because Beyonce, a Texan, put out a Country Music album is absurd. Especially given so much of the Country Music genre is built on Black musical roots. In many ways, I think reading this book in the midst of that outrage really brought home the themes about the Swans of Harlem.


A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

“Starting a Black ballet company at the end of the civil rights era.” This was no easy task for Arthur Mitchell, who, with sheer determination proved a harsh, and effective, taskmaster as he worked with and trained Black classical dancers. These would-be ballerinas mostly unheard of in the world of classical ballet.

It was 1969, and the Dance Theater or Harlem (DTH) was founded by Mitchell, and featured Black ballet dancers. This involved breaking the color line Fighting racism. Even fighting colorism. Where did Black dancers belong? Mitchell wanted to pull them from modern dance and turn them into ballerinas.

The DTH began with five ballerinas, among men also being trained by Mitchell. We have Lydia Abarca, who achieved more than a bit of success. This success included being the first Black ballerina on the cover of the now defunct Dance magazine, popular with Essence, and even cast in the Wiz. Then she was cast by Bob Fosse and was on broadway. This in no way was a life of ease for Lydia. Pain came in a close second, often even first when it came to fame. Lydia was only one of the five ballerinas Mitchell worked hard to gain recognition. However, without research resources, their names are largely hidden in history.

Karen Valper and Pantheon do a fabulous job of celebrating these five women, even correcting popular history when it needs correcting. Mitchell became a ballet dancer of some fame himself - breaking the stereotype often expected of Black dancers during that era. As this led to him creating the DTH, he broke that stereotype. These Black dancers were pioneers and they really belonged in classical dancing

Arther Mitchell was hard on his female ballet dancers. Strict beyond belief, he wanted these young ballerinas to get the notoriety they deserved. In most cases at the beginning, at least, these young Black ballerinas went mostly unnoticed. A lonely world to be sure. But these young people had artistry and, although time ran out for most of them, the AIDS crisis really hitting the dance world hard, it was a true epidemic that ended many careers.

Lydia Arbaca was only one of the five ballerinas featured in this book. There were also Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Karlya Shelton and Marcia Sells. These women belonged on the classical stage. Of that there was no doubt. Their lives and careers hit a lot of stumbling blocks, but with great research having gone into this book, it was easy to connect to each dancer. This was made possible by some of the dancers’ own words at times. These women deserve to be celebrated, honored and are due our respect.

Many thanks to Pantheon and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Most people who are interested in ballet know of Misty Copeland, a principal ballerina with the American Ballet Theater, but they are unaware of the women who paved the way for her in the dance world decades earlier. This book tells the history of 5 black ballerinas who, after the civil rights movement, started dancing with the newly formed Dance Theater of Harlem and shared their triumphs and struggles becoming dancers who performed all over in the United States and overseas. I learned so much about these women, their love of dance, what it took to become a disciplined dancer, and what they gave up to pursue their dreams. Thank you to Pantheon and to NetGalley for an early copy. The Swans of Harlem is available now.

There are stories told in history books that we can recite from our childhood lessons, ones everyone knows. Too often though, history has been written from one point of view. As such, significant contributors have been forgotten– until now.

The Swans of Harlem by Karen Valby tells the story of five Black ballerinas who sought to prove that ballet was an art form for all people. It follows the founding of the Dance Theatre of Harlem and the women who became stars on its stage and all over the world.

Following the imperfect but beautiful careers and lives of Lydia Abarca, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Karlya Shelton, and Marcia Sells, Swans allows the readers an inside look at the world of professional ballet.The narrative involves all of the women, introduced one at a time as they join the company, beginning with Abarca just two months after the assassination of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968. Throughout the story, the women share the truth about how they were treated as Black women during this tumultuous time. As the narrative progresses, the AIDS epidemic is also discussed in relation to the many danseurs and artists lost to the disease.

There was so much to love about this biography/memoir. If you enjoy dance, history, or women’s stories, this is a book to read! Occasionally I found myself forgetting which dancer was which, since there were five main characters and many, many side characters, including family members, lovers, celebrities, and teachers. That aside, it was easy to get lost in the story of these women and the incredible challenges they overcame to perform the dances they loved.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the ARC. All opinions are my own.