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.

Shared on NetGalley and Barnes & Noble

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.

When a kid came home from school claiming that Misty Copeland was the first Black ballerina to break the race barrier, it caused consternation among some who had gone before, and seemed to be completely forgotten.

This book sets out to fix that by giving a vivid, well-researched account of the founding of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, and focuses in on the lives of five of its original ballerinas. This long-overdue examination highlights an important segment of Black cultural and artistic history by restoring the women to their proper groundbreaking place. And it was groundbreaking. Not only had these women had the ferocious discipline required of a ballet dancer, they had to face the nasty barrier that had been keeping the ballet world white.

The book shifts skillfully between the women's artistic and personal lives, highlighting their families, their teachers, and their colleagues in the world of dance, giving us a vivid portrait of each ballerina. The research is impressive, with an emphasis on presenting the women with their individual voices. With the publication of this book, their overdue credit is re-established--something that Misty Copeland herself would applaud.

I think one of the best aspects of the book is how it shows not only how tough they were to endure the long-established and unexamined racism of the dance world, but how much they supported one another.

“But what about Grandma?”

The Swans of Harlem was a reclaiming of historical Blackness in ballet as told through five women who were at the forefront. Lydia Abarca, Sheila Rohan, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Karlya Shelton-Benjamin, and Marcia Sells were part of the founding core at Arthur Mitchell's Dance Theatre of Harlem. If you're a fan of ballet, then you've probably heard of Arthur Mitchell, a dancer himself who broke color barriers and after Martin Luther King Jr's assassination, decides to start and build DTH, with a board including Cicely Tyson, Brock Peters, George Balanchine, Lincoln Kirstein, and Charles De Rose. Such powerful figures helped to contribute to DTH's success, along with philanthropists' donations, that the company was in constant need of, but the heart of the success lies in the dancers who sacrificed, worked, and understood the importance of what their mission was. Told in three acts, the book successfully tells their stories and brings you back to a world of the Civil Rights Movement, it's lingering effects, and the reclaiming of history.

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.
Art is activism. Let the gorgeous lines of his dancers’ bodies serve as fists in the air.

The first Act was all about the building of the DTH and how each of the five women entered Arthur Mitchell's world. I enjoyed how we really got to not only know these women's individual stories but a part of their families. One thing is clear while reading this, rarely does anyone do it alone and the support these women's families gave them, made all the difference; it's not just the story of these women but generations. I also enjoyed how, while Mr. Mitchell was celebrated for his strength and perseverance, he wasn't canonized, he was a living breathing man who's personality was formed in a different era and had all the highs and lows of it (colorism is discussed). It added to the carrying over and intertwining of generational butterfly effects.

“We all understood this to be a higher calling,” says McKinney-Griffith. “Suddenly that step on pointe made a difference. We were a group of brown people, of all different shades from different cities and countries. For those of us who’d felt for so long adrift and like a lonely standard bearer— to look around and feel the power of numbers was just extraordinary. We were en masse, so we were protected. Can you imagine the energy that freed up? The freedom to just focus on our craft. We never had to justify to each other our right to ballet.”

The second Act, focused more on the five women's individual stories and when they finally left DTH to move on and explore other avenues in life. Intermingled with the individual women's stories were chapters that also continued the timeline of what was happening at DTH. This timeline see-sawing tripped me up as a reader a few times and I thought hurt the flow of the book.

When the evening’s moderator, WBUR culture and arts reporter Cristela Guerra, asks the members of the Legacy Council to discuss the importance of telling their stories now at this moment in history, McKinney-Griffith responds with terrific gravity. “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.”

Act three and the conclusion of the book brought the eventual closing of Dance Theatre of Harlem (due to lack of funds) but the creation of the 152nd Street Black Ballet Legacy Council. After seeing Misty Copeland hailed as the first Black ballerina (Copeland often works to praise those that came before her), erasing all of DTH's successes, which are accounted in the book, had these five women wanting to reclaim their spot in history, along with the many others that worked to make DTH a success (there's a touching moment where the women talk about the men of the company and how hard the AIDs crisis in the '80s and '90s hit them). Through their work with the Council, new names and trailblazers are being rediscovered and their history brought to light and preserved. Even if you're not a fan of ballet (there's terms used that assume you have at least a rudimentary understanding of the world) this was a great cultural and historical door into a moment in time that helped build and feed into the next generation of Black dancers.

He wasn’t a Black man who dared to dance ballet. He was a dancer who dared ballet to see and celebrate his Blackness.

From the first lines of THE SWANS OF HARLEM, author Karen Valby enraptured me with the stories of five ballerinas who accomplished extraordinary feats of beauty against impossible odds. I loved learning their history, the richness and the diversity of their endeavors, the courage it took to face assumptions and dance unbelievable beauty. A standing ovation for an important, essential book shedding light on forgotten and incredibly influential and important women. I received a copy of this book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.

This book truly is a reclamation. It covers the founding of the Dance Theatre of Harlem and especially the lives of five of its original ballerinas, filling in essential Black artistic history and restoring the women to their proper groundbreaking place. I sometimes get lost in group histories, wishing I knew more about each subject individually, but while all five are fascinating and could serve as the focus for a more focused biography, this book does an excellent job of moving between the women's artistic and personal lives--we meet their families, their teachers and their dance collaborators, and it manages to provide a fulfilling and satisfying portrait of each one. The best part of it is how much of it is in their own words--we hear their voices.

Thanks to the publisher, the author, and Netgalley for my free earc. My opinions are all my own.

We are blessed and eternally grateful for this publication, which is only the beginning of our Act Three. Act One brought us together as pioneers in the world of ballet, and Act Two was going our separate ways to explore what else life had to offer. Throughout it all, our sisterhood stayed very much alive. Thank you all, and thank you, Heavenly Spirit and Creator. ~ Acknowledgments from the Swans of Harlem

I love this quote that ended the book for a couple of reasons. One, it highlights the structure of the narrative, separated into three acts. Two, it shows the resilience of these five swans and the many other black ballerinas they represent. The five swans featured are: Lydia Abarca, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Marcia Sells, and Karlya Shelton. They were all integral members of the Dance Theater of Harlem which was started and maintained for decades by the late Arthur Mitchell.
I googled DTH and these individual women and spent some time admiring the artistry and the images available honoring their legacy. This book is an important step in bringing their work back to life. There is quite a bit of ballet lingo that went over my head, but I still enjoyed reading about their dedication to their craft and the groundbreaking work done by Arthur Mitchell, these women and the hundreds of others who have been a part of DTH in the past 50+ years.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knoph, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. Happy Publication Day!

The Swans of Harlem is a beautifully written retrospective histo-biography of Lydia Abarca and the Dance Theatre of Harlem chronicled by Karen Valby. Released 30th April 2024 by Knopf Doubleday on their Pantheon imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is a meticulously researched and appelaingly accessible tribute to the beauty and resilience of these 5 ballerinas and the Harlem dance theatre. Ms. Abarca was an international success and celebrated as the "dreaming soul of dance" during the height of the civil rights movement. She was the first ballerina of color to be featured on the cover of Dance Magazine. 50 years later, her stories and successes were largely forgotten. This book is a tribute to her and other classical black dancers' beauty and strength.

There is poignancy and sadness, but awe-inspiring spirit and (although overused) resiliency. For any readers who are interested in classical dance and ballet, there is fascinating background and behind-the-scenes history to be found here. That the principals are also women of color is impressive.

Well written, thorough, and balanced history very much focused on the individual dancers involved. In the ARC and materials provided for review, there are no illustrations or photographs, but there is a very well researched bibliography and chapter notes which include many links for further reading.

Five stars. A good choice for public or school library acquisition, home use, and gift giving to culture/dance/dance history interested readers.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.