Karen Valby's *The Swans of Harlem* is a powerful and long-overdue tribute to five pioneering Black ballerinas—Lydia Abarca, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Karlya Shelton, and Marcia Sells—who helped redefine classical ballet during the Civil Rights era. As founding members of the Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH), these women performed for royalty, graced magazine covers, and danced alongside legends like Josephine Baker. Yet, their contributions were largely forgotten—until now.

Valby’s narrative is both intimate and expansive, weaving together the dancers’ personal stories with the broader history of DTH. Through extensive interviews, she captures the complexities of their experiences, including the challenges of navigating a predominantly white art form and the internal dynamics of the company. The portrayal of DTH founder Arthur Mitchell is particularly nuanced, acknowledging his visionary leadership as well as his authoritarian tendencies.

Critics have praised the book for its vivid storytelling and emotional depth. *PopMatters* describes it as “magnificent,” highlighting how Valby centers the dancers’ voices to reclaim a history that had been marginalized. However, some readers have noted that the narrative can feel disjointed at times, with shifts in time and perspective that may cause confusion.

Despite these structural issues, *The Swans of Harlem* stands as a significant contribution to the documentation of Black excellence in the arts. It not only honors the legacy of these remarkable women but also serves as an inspiring testament to resilience, sisterhood, and the transformative power of dance.

This was such a fascinating read! I loved the writing and how the author wove together the narratives of these 5 Black ballerinas and the Dance Theater of Harlem. This is an excellent non-fiction pick for lovers of dance and history alike.

This book was fantastic. I learned so much about pioneers in the world of dance especially ballet. These dancers fought so much to work on their craft.

An important story and clearly included a wealth of information from in-person interviews -- 4 stars for content, but unfortunately the structure and style wasn't as great in my opinion. It could be the digital formatting, but the frequent changes between first and third person narration in chapters could be jarring, and it was sometimes difficult to tell whether we were progressing chronologically, by character focus, or neither. Ended on a lovely and strong note though -- the last section or two was my favorite piece of the whole book! 3.5 stars rounded up.

Really lovely book about overlooked woman of color in ballet. The "swans" were recruited by Arthur Mitchell and formed the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Wonderful, inspiring story.

A beautiful book that highlights the women of ballet that the world has almost forgotten. As a former ballet dancer myself, learning so much about these fantastic women was delightful and I am so glad I came across this book. 4.5/5

Thanks to NetGalley & Pantheon Books for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

I wasn’t sure how much I was going to enjoy this book when I first started reading, as the writing style was somewhat awkward. But the more I read, the more I became involved with the lives of these five ballerinas – their careers, relationships, families. And I found myself sincerely moved as I finished the book. The author’s goal in writing was to give these women the acknowledgement they deserved. To tell their story and to give them back their voice and remind people that “they were there.”

Their careers were amazing, especially for the time period beginning in the early 1960s when the civil rights movement was gaining awareness. They had been told they couldn’t be prima ballerinas due to their ethnicity, yet they performed all over the world with the Dance Theater of Harlem, appeared on many magazine covers and numerous media outlets. They were admired and respected by everyone, including George Balanchine, known as the father of ballet and one of the most influential choreographers of the 20th century.

This nonfiction book contains layers of history – it’s a story of the remarkable careers of five black ballerinas. It’s also a story of civil rights, racism, and sexism in the ballet world. Just as importantly, it’s the story of finding strength, sisterhood, and validation, as well as the healing power of friendship.

You don’t need to know anything about ballet to enjoy this book, but you will learn so much from reading this inspiring, moving, and remarkable history.

If you only read one book this year, this is the one! This book was an eye-opener for me. I am so thankful to Karen Valby for writing such a moving, beautiful retelling part of history that I was completely unaware of. I know this is a book I will read over and over again.

The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History by Karen Valby, like it's title, was not a quick read. Even having grown up as a dancer and calling myself a lover of ballet and theatre, I was not familiar with many of the names mentioned and found myself stopping many times to look up dancers, YouTube videos, or refresh my memory of ballet movements. Thankfully there was a pretty decent amount of YouTube videos thanks to the Dance Theatre of Harlem and others working to preserve this valuable history.

Valby states "I'm a white woman with two Black daughters" and in the acknowledgements, "When you are the mother of a Black child, you look for representation in every room, on every screen, in every book, on every stage" and I believe she delivered on this promise by introducing us to these amazing people and their gifts and sacrifices. Completed during Black History Month, which I will continue to honor and celebrate diversity through the accomplishments of those who didn't know privilege due to marginalization. I'll step off my soapbox now.

Here are a few favorite quotes:

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

I didn’t have to be a star ballerina. It was enough that I was there. I was there. I was there.”

“You’re not going to stick a needle in your arm when your instrument is your body.”

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

“When you live in this skin, you grow up knowing you have a special position in the world that you must protect,”

“Always walk on stage like you are somebody!”

“Ma would pay Ms. Barbara with Pall Malls, a six-pack of Meister Brau, and maybe some baloney and cheese sandwiches and tomato soup to feed all us kids.” (Sheila objects to this recounting, insisting Ms. Barbara was paid in cash as well.)

Prior to her life at Dance Theatre of Harlem, Wynn had become famous for designing gowns for the likes of Josephine Baker, Dorothy Dandridge, Ella Fitzgerald, and Mae West, as well as collaborating with Hugh Hefner on what would become Playboy’s iconic bunny waitress ensemble.

Geoffrey Holder’s Dougla, which depicts the elaborate wedding ritual between partners of African and Indian descent.

Ballet is for everyone. The classical arts belong to all of us.

Many little girls dream of becoming a ballerina. Some make it, and some continue to dream about it. The Swans of Harlem by Karen Valby focuses on five Black ballerinas who joined the Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) because of their love of dance. They also joined this company because they were not given a chance to join predominantly white companies in the late 1960s and 1970s. These incredible women performed before the Queen of England, Mick Jagger, and Stevie Wonder. They attracted the likes of Bob Fosse and casting directors from The Wiz among many other prominent opportunities. Now their stories come to life in this enlightening book.

This book would be a perfect read for Black History month or for Women's History month. It's ideal for anyone who wants to learn about this little known ballet troupe who produced one of the first Black prima ballerinas, Lydia Abarca, and inspired dancers like Misty Copeland and probably many more. The women are a diverse group of dancers who came from different backgrounds and led very different lives after they left their roles as ballerinas. There's triumph and heartache and many lessons to be learned.

If you don't like ballet, and I'm not a huge fan, you'll still enjoy this book. It's a story about people and how they got along in this world. While you may think the racism that prevented them from becoming part of historically white companies was all they faced, within the troupe, dancers encountered racism, competition, and deathly diseases. They also pushed on and made great strides for others today and showed their mettle on the stage and outside of the tight-knit community they developed by being a part of DTH.

Except for being a little slow in parts, I thought this was a satisfying read. At times, it was entertaining, and, at other points, it was heartbreaking. These women were tough yet dealt with the stress of being a ballerina and facing their ultimate taskmaster, Arthur Mitchell, who ran the troupe with exacting standards. Each woman was easily identifiable, and you rooted for them all the way. I found this book to be inspirational and the words danced off the page.

Books like these remind me of why we need non-fiction, written from so many different perspectives. This is a huge part of history that is left out or never told the right away. What a fun read about the first Black ballerinas with a major dance company. Although I am no dancer, I appreciate the journey it takes to take dancing from a hobby to a profession. These women had to fight harder for their spots, even with more talent. I am inspired and in awe of their determination and pride to share their story. Just a wow!

The Swans of Harlem is an amazing book. You learn about the women and men who were the founding dancers of the Dance Theater of Harlem (DTH) as well as Arthur Mitchell the founder and force behind DTH. The book introduces us to the dancers and their families and the struggles they go through. You will learn history of dance and how these Swans are reclaiming their place in history. This is a book that anyone who likes dance should definitely read. I highly recommend it.

Beautifully written book by Karen valby, the swans of Harlem had me at the title.

I used to teach dance and ballet so I knew I needed to read this book and also love history. I was not mistaken with choosing this book, i loved it.

It's about 5 black ballerinas Lydia Abarca, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Marcia Sells, and Karlya Shelton-Benjamin and the struggles they went through to do what they loved dancing. These women were forgotten and so glad their stories are being told.

These remarkable women helped in starting the Dance Theatre of Harlem in the 1960s and 70s.

It's a story of love, resilience, ballet, civil rights, strength, friendship and determination. These women helped in opening the path for other women of color to dance and be successful.

This is a must read for any dance, ballet lover, civil rights and strong women

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this book.

The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History by Karen Valby is a 2024 Pantheon publication.

Full disclosure: I know next to nothing about ballet. The reason I picked this book is because of the history, which seemed to be forgotten, or ignored, and was finally coming to light, giving the ladies some long overdue recognition.

On that level the book delivers, even if one doesn’t really understand the world of ballet. The women featured in this book were all members of the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Lydia Abarca, Gayle McKinney- Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Marcia Sells, and Karla Shelton. It was Arthur Mitchell who brought the Dance Theatre of Harlem to fruition, which then led to the sisterhood of the 152nd Street Black Ballet Legacy.

The history is fascinating- but it was also heartbreaking too. The world of ballet is a complicated and secretive one in many ways. Getting a peek into that culture is a rare treat and I found it to be an eye-opening experience. I was not always able to understand the mindset and Mitchell just seemed like a monster to me. It was not always easy reading, for me at least, and I struggled to keep reading it at times. But, overall the book is organized, very personal, giving these women room to tell their stories and bringing their pioneering genius into the spotlight. I’m glad they finally got the credit they deserved.

4 stars

The Swans of Harlem by Karen Valby is a novel of resilience and the pursuit of dreams set against the backdrop and rich cultural history of Harlem. The story follows Nina, a young gifted dancer, who defies racial and societal expectations with her goal of joining a prestigious ballet company. The characters and the plot are both captivating and multi-dimensional. Crowley clearly portrays the challenges faced by black artists trying in succeed in a predominantly white art form. The book is moving and inspiring. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

The Swans of Harlem is a marvelous story about five Black ballerinas. It tells the story of the first Black ensemble and how the women formed a sisterhood there. Their story is important because these groundbreakers and trailblazers are not as well known, and their history has been erased to an extent.

The best part about reading is learning stories and history you didn’t know before. That’s exactly what this novel did and I’m so happy to see it getting national acclaim. Was initially drawn to the cover, but the story itself is incredible and so well written.

The Swans of Harlem by Karen Valby is such an important work of nonfiction, as it introduces readers to the women who set the stage as the leaders of the Black ballerina movement in Harlem. I've learned a good bit about this time period, and this was new information to me.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

It was so interesting to learn about these pioneers of Black ballet! I had never heard of these women prior to reading this book, but I am now going to do more research about their lives, and maybe make a trip to Dance Theater of Harlem in the future!

Karen Valby's The Swans of Harlem is a mesmerizing and poignant exploration of art, identity, and the indelible bonds of friendship. With lyrical prose and a keen eye for detail, Valby crafts a narrative that is as graceful and layered as its title suggests.