Thank you Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and NetGalley for the ARC!

The Swans Of Harlem was WONDERFUL. I ashamed to say I didn’t know all of the history behind the Dance Theatre of Harlem and the Black ballerinas who got their start there., Now that I know the story, I am truly fascinated! I never had the gift of dance (see: me at anyone’s wedding) but I have nothing but respect for those able to use their body as their instrument. The Swans’ story of their overcoming adversities, navigating setbacks and accomplishing incredible feats is a story that deserves to be told!

Thank you again for the ARC!

The Swans of Harlem is a captivating, fascinating, and sometimes heartbreaking story about the first Black ballerinas, girls and women who paved the way for Maria Tallchief and Misty Copeland, who endured everything from white condescension to overt threats of violence in order to rise to the top of the ballet world. The Dance Theatre of Harlem believed in them, worked with and through them, and taught thousands of children that excellence can be theirs.

Arthur Mitchell founded the ballet school and company in a church basement the year Martin Luther King was assassinated. Author Karen Valby writes, "Art is activism. Let the gorgeous lines of his dancers' bodies serve as fists in the air."

They did.

When I was a child in the 60s I had a kids' collection of stories of famous ballerinas. They were all French and Russian, and ended up with Margot Fonteyn and Maria Tallchief. Dance did not become my thing, but I found this book impossible to put down.
Karen Valby creates an enthralling narrative, interweaving present day comments from the five women she follows into the stories of how they came to Dance Theater of Harlem and how their careers unfolded there and afterwards.
Despite not being a dancer herself, she clearly learned how to talk about it. The complexity of the art, as well as the crushing physical demands, are made understandable.
The psychological demands were perhaps even greater. All five of these women showed interest and promise in ballet from early ages in the 1950s and 60s, but were met with the unsurprising litany of "don't bother continuing, you're good but no company will hire a black dancer" and "you're going to have to have surgery to make your butt smaller" (which doesn't even make sense as the major muscles of movement lie there). When Arthur Mitchell founded the DTH, it was like a door opening for so many young people who found no other doors open.
The incisive profile of Mitchell that emerges over the course of the book made me ponder something I've considered many times - why does the ego required to create and lead such an organization so easily tip over into controlling toxicity? can't someone be an effective leader without having that kind of ego? I don't know the answer. All five women broke with Mitchell on bad terms when they left the company, but today they all view him with charity - despite making their lives hell, he also gave them a place to pursue their talents, and created something that has been hugely important to generations of black artists. No more would a black dancer have to hide in her hotel room in the American south, watching a cross burn on the hotel lawn, while the rest of the company gave their performance.
Even within an organization like DTH, colorism existed, and the women who were darker were generally given fewer opportunities to take leading roles. When one of them comments, in the present day, that Mitchell was really perpetuating, within a black company, the white standards of ballet beauty (pale, bone thin, classic hair buns) established in the US by Balanchine, I had already thought of that based on the stories told.
The weaving into the story of Misty Copeland was also done deftly. When Copeland became hugely famous as "the first" black ballerina, these women sat up and took notice because they had been doing it already although not within the white ballet companies of New York, and it appeared that what they did had been forgotten. Copeland has repeatedly made it clear she was NOT "the first" but even she did not know about these women, and as she met them and shared a podium with them at an event, she was as moved and enthralled by their stories as you will be if you read this book.
The only thing I could have asked for was PICTURES. I didn't just want to read about Lydia Abarca's elegance, or Karlya Shelton's amazing performance as Firebird, or any of the other beautiful things these women did. I don't know if the final book will have pictures, or maybe there could be a website for the Black Ballet group these women have founded. I am happy these women are all still alive to take a third-act bow, after long post-dance lives, and enjoy the renewal of the friendship that kept them going when they were young dancers at DTH.

very interesting story of the history of the dance theater of Harlem. and five women who danced there. well researched.

I've loved the Dance Theater of Harlem for (literal) decades and absolutely loved reading this spellbinding history of its origins and the ballerinas who made up the company. Riveting.

This book was very interested.because I never heard of these black dancers. I appreciate the author including so many details about the subjects life and environment. While telling the dancers stories, the author also included history thats not included anywhere else.

Interesting. Well researched. Long overdue. I really enjoyed this book. Karen Valby has done a fabulous job shining a light on these forgotten women in history. Thanks #NetGalley

This made me laugh, tear up, proud and angry. It brought back some very fond memories of seeing performances at the Dance Theatre of Harlem that were offered by an undergrad professor for "Extra Credit" to any students who wanted to "up their average"--something I did not need. All I know it was free and I went every time she offered an invite. I absolutely love that someone made this history known. I had no idea of this history and of the man who suffered physically mentally and spiritually for this art form. And the women who had to hone advanced mental gymnastics to deal with him and his misplaced anger and frustrations. He was moody AF but these women had his back for the love of the Classical Ballerina Art Form. This was extremely well done. This is a must read. I got lost in the research rabbit hole I fell into. #TheSwansofHarlem #NetGalley

As a former ballet dancer and an afro-latina I always love books like this that dive into the backstories that we normally don't hear about. I really loved learning more about the space that shaped my youth and hearing about how these pioneers in the sport brought more recognition. I really wish these stories were already out there and well known but hopefully this book can do that for future ballerinas.

What a story! The lives of five incredible elms. Lydia Abarca-Michell, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Marcia Sells and Karyla Shelton-Benjamin who have been life long friends of one thing, the beautiful ballet that they all feel in love with. Although only would become Ms. Prima ballerina. She strived to do more than just dance. She wanted to help the community. She was able to do this with her four closest friends they kept them all very grounded thought out their lives. Such a powerful story that gave a fabulous insight of the “first professional” black ballets way before Misty Copeland.

While I've long been aware of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, like many who will read Karen Valby's "The Swans of Harlem," I was largely clueless to its history and to its role for the Black community and for America's ballet community.

If you were to Google Black ballet dancers, there's a pretty good chance that the first name to pop up would be American Ballet Theatre's Misty Copeland.

In fact, I just did this and such was the case.

However, "The Swans of Harlem" lays the foundation that allowed for a dancer like Copeland's rise including, more specifically, the five Black ballerinas at the center of "The Swans of Harlem" - Lydia Abarca, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Karlya Shelton, and Marcia Sells.

Abarca, McKinney-Griffith, and Rohan were founding dancers in the 1969 establishment of Arthur Mitchell's Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH). Mitchell was the first Black principal dancer at the New York City Ballet and a protégé of the choreographer George Balanchine. Determined to provide opportunities in education and professional dance for the community in which he grew up, Mitchell quickly established DTH as a powerful presence in dance. 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.

Yet, for many, they became lost to history and largely unacknowledged when DTH would eventually succumb, thankfully temporarily, to financial issues. As Copeland would begin her rise and the media would embrace her as the first Black dancer in a major ballet company, these five swans would be left to wonder "What about us?"

With vivid character development and detailed storytelling, Valby has crafted an engaging and informative account of five Black ballerinas, fifty years of sisterhood, and a passionate reclamation of a truly groundbreaking history.

By the end of "The Swans of Harlem," you'll likely find yourself rushing to find out more about these five swans and the people who surrounded them from Mitchell, who passed away from heart failure in 2018, to many of the male dancers who comprised DTH and even those who would come and go from this groundbreaking dance organization.

I found myself completely immersed throughout "The Swans of Harlem," though the multiple narratives also occasionally allowed for confusion to creep in. At one point, right about the time DTH's financial issues were at their peak, it was clearly stated that DTH had closed. A couple pages later, there were conversations about DTH events and it was obviously operational. For the uninitiated folks like me, it's a tad confusing though eventually clarity reigns again.

I will confess that at book's end, I had to look up Dance Theatre of Harlem just to clarify if it was still in existence.

While we learn much about DTH throughout "The Swans of Harlem," there's never any doubt that the book is truly about the swans themselves. From the early days of DTH through burgeoning successes to the AIDS crisis that savaged dance organizations everywhere to a current day America that celebrates Misty Copeland and is just learning about DTH's history all anew, "The Swans of Harlem" is an ideal read for Black History month but a vital read for every month of the year.

What a thrilling enchanting read. The story of these remarkable women is finally being told. I read it quickly over course of three days, but was constantly sidetracked googling away in search of pictures of the women, clips of the dances and the recorded interviews mentioned. Ms, Valby has written a very thorough, enjoyable account, she has helped bring the reality of the dance world and lives of these “forgotten” black ballerinas to the light of day.

Thank you, NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the copy of The Swans Of Harlem by Karen Valby. I make it a point to read at least one nonfiction book a year, and I’m so glad I picked this one because it is bound to be on my top books of 2024. Long before Misty Copeland took the dance world by storm, Lydia Abacara, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Karlya Shelton, and Marcia Sells made their marks at the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Valby has woven a rich tapestry of these pioneering ballerinas' lives, skillfully interspersed with personal memories in their own words. I loved how their sisterhood has survived for decades and they still hold each other up. Their stories were at times infuriating, beautiful, tragic, and touching; I found myself tearing up many times. I learned a lot, then was so intrigued in their lives I had to google them to learn even more. If more nonfiction books were as compelling as this one was I would read them more often.

Amazing book written about the first Black ballerinas. Lydia Abarca was one of these. The book begins with Abarca's daugther and granddaughter seeing media about how Misty Copeland was the first Black prima ballerina and questioning where was the press regarding their mother/grandmother, who, decades before had lit up the stage with her dancing?

The story evolves from there with the Harlem Dance company and the role it played in bringing ballet to non-white dancers, As Karlya Shelton stated in the book, " The thing is, I never thought of ballet as a white art form, becauase I could do it. Show how could it not belong to me too?"

There are stories from different dancers talking about their experiences. I do not want to give too much away, but found this to be a great read about history and how quickly the media is to erase people from it.

This is a beautiful book. I picked it up this afternoon and couldn't put it down. I felt captivated and inspired by these women, their dedication, hard work, and passion. It's disappointing their accomplishments seem to have been forgotten over time. I'm glad Ms. Valby's book will help to right that wrong.

Ms. Valby tells these women's stories in a lovely, vivid way without going off on unnecessary tangents. This is a riveting book about these women and their role in American history. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy culture, history, and biographies/memoirs.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the advance copy of The Swans of Harlem.

Beautifully written informative look at the original black ballerinas.I love watching ballet and reading about ballerinas I had never head of this group.A group of ballerinas who not only danced together but also formed a sisterhood.A wonderful read.#netgalley #knopf

A story of Black ballerinas before Misty Copeland, this is a fascinating recovered history that gave me insight into the artistic process and the bonds of shared experience these women felt

As I immersed myself in 'The Swans of Harlem', I was enveloped in a warm embrace of sisterhood, resilience, and grace. The story of these five remarkable Black ballerinas touched my heart, filling me with a sense of pride, wonder, and joy. Their journey, marked by obstacles and triumphs, reminded me of the transformative power of passion, perseverance, and friendship. I felt my heart swell with admiration for these women who dared to dream, who lifted each other up, and who left an indelible mark on the world of ballet. 'The Swans of Harlem' is a love letter to the human spirit, a testament to the beauty and strength that emerges when women support and uplift one another. This book will forever hold a special place in my heart, reminding me of the boundless potential that lies within us all.

Thank you Netgalley and Pantheon for my ARC in exchange for an honest review ♥️

Thanks to NetGalley and Pantheon for the opportunity read The Swans of Harlem by Karen Valby, a meticulously researched and beautifully written account of an art, the friendships, and sadly forgotten part of history. I love d this book.

This book was so good! I loved reading about the experiences of the first Black ballerinas and the first all Black ballet company! It gave a really interesting insight into the world of ballet and the mindsets and prejudices that are included in it. I really appreciated the fact that these girls' story was being told, since it is one that no one really talks about!