Before Misty Copeland, there were other Black ballerinas. This book tells their story. It was a bit hard to keep the different people straight while reading. I also don't have a background or interest in ballet so I am probably not the intended audience for the book. I read an ARC and there were no photos - not sure if they will be in the final book but I would have enjoyed photos while reading. Anyone with an interest in ballet and the history of dance should enjoy this book.

Title: The Swans of Harlem
Author: Karen Valby
Publisher: Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Pantheon
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"The Swans of Harlem" by Karen Valby

My Thoughts:

This was my first read about these five black ballerinas, 'The Swans of Harlem.' I found the story very interesting, especially about their lives, the founding dancers of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, and their work with Arthur Mitchell. These women and even men danced on the stages of the United States and Europe, and we learned some of their culture and history through their contributions to the art. These ballerinas were fascinating dancers, although they were not accepted during the Civil Rights Movement. This story was a beautiful and essential part of our Black History Arts.

'The Swans of Harlem' was a fascinating story, and I am so glad I could read it. And oh my, that ending was superb. A must-read, that is all that is left to say about this novel.


Thank you, NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Sometimes you have to write your own history.

Let me ask you a question….what is the name of the groundbreaking female ballet dancer who made history by becoming the first African-American prima ballerina, and when did she achieve this accomplishment? If you are like most people, and I would have included myself in that group until this book entered my consciousness, you would say Misty Copeland, who was indeed the first African-American woman to be named principal dancer in the American Ballet Theatre. It happened fairly recently, in 2015, and it was Very Big News (as indeed it should have been). What was never mentioned in the breathless coverage of Ms Copeland’s achievement was the fact that the ABT is not the only world-reknowned ballet company in the US, and that there were in fact many other African American ballet dancers whose successes preceded her. The Swans of Harlem tells the story of one of these other ballet companies and the people who created it. Founded in 1968 by Arthur Mitchell, an accomplished dancer himself who trained with George Balanchine and danced with the New York City Ballet Company, the Dance Company of Harlem was a place designed to show the world that classical dance was for all. Lydia Abarca emerged as the unofficial principal ballerina in the DCH’s early years, turning away form her acceptance at Fordham University to pursue her dream of stardom. Others, including Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Marcia Sells and Karla Shelton-Benjamin, were every bit as integral to the fame the company would achieve, as were the male danseurs who supported them (literally and figuratively). How is it that this troupe of accomplished artists who travelled the world performing for people including presidents and members of royalty, who rubbed shoulders with celebrities from all walks of life, could have been so completely forgotten fifty years later?
The Swans of Harlem is a fascinating look at the lives of these five ballerinas, who came from very different backgrounds but who shared the dream of performing ballet at the highest level of accomplishment in a world that told them that they couldn’t. The color of their skin and (in many cases) the shape of their bodies just did not conform with the accepted image of a ballerina, everyone said….but they studied and practiced and dreamed anyway. In addition to the challenges that face any dancer, these women and others like them also had to confront other barriers, many of them racial in nature. Their company’s financial survival depended a great deal on the largesse of wealthy donors, whose commitment was never guaranteed. Mitchell was a highly driven and harsh taskmaster, whose own prejudices for slimmer and lighter skinned women of color was also very much in play. He could, and often was, verbally nasty and his moods were mercurial. As the company’s resources rose and fall, some of the dancers eventually looked to pursue their futures (some in dance, some not) elsewhere. Families, relationships, and the dancers’ own personal demons had an affect on each of them, and many experienced difficult times. But they were, and are, strong women who “knew their own value, no longer fighting for the attention and respect of their teachers or critics”. Their stories are becoming known, and it is due in no small part to their own determination to set the record straight. I loved learning about each woman, what inspired them, what they overcame, and what they accomplished. Readers of books like Sally H. Jacobs’ “Althea” and Margot Lee Shetterley’s “Hidden Figures” as well as biographies of dancers like Misty Copeland’s “Life In Motion” will find this an appealing tale. Many thanks to NetGalley and Pantheon Books for allowing me early access to this thoroughly readable and enlightening tale of the dedication and bonds of this amazing group of women.

A delightful peek into a history that has been forgotten and overlooked for too long.

In the late 1960s during the height of the Civil Rights movement, the Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) had a troupe of Black ballet dancers, including prima ballerina Lydia Abarca. She was on the cover of Dance magazine and Essence, in The Wiz and a Bob Fosse production on Broadway. She and her close friends and fellow founding DTH members performed iconic ballet works in front of famous audiences, including the Queen of England, Mick Jagger, and Stevie Wonder. But now their history is almost entirely ignored or forgotten, so founders Lydia Abarca, Gayle McKinney-Griffith and Sheila Rohan and first-generation dancers Karlya Shelton and Marcia Sells have teamed together to share their story with the world. The Swans of Harlem are sharing a bit of the world of Black ballet with us all.

This book hit a major emotional punch. Each of these ballerinas has seen amazing highs and also incredible lows during their lifetimes. We watch them go from young teenagers (for the most part) joining a fledgling ballet company through their lives after ballet and into the modern times where they've formed the Legacy Society to preserve the history of DTH. As they worked to become the best at their craft, there were also intersectional challenges with the racism and the AIDS crisis and family difficulties. Their stories are simultaneously relatable and awe-inspiring.

Honestly, my biggest complaint with this book is that I just wanted more. It's impossible to give an entire history of ballet in the United States, even just focused on Black ballet, in a single book, but I can't help but want that after reading the stories of the Swans of Harlem. In this respect, I suppose they have fully achieved their goals, since I now have a desire to go out and explore more on my own.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. Everyone should read it and understand another piece of history. Be prepared for an emotional read, but it will still fly by as you feel like you're sitting in a room with these women hearing their story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pantheon for providing an advanced copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

Five strong women- strong physically and psychologically- breaking barriers in dance. This is a must read for fans of the ballet. These women and Arthur Ailey forged a path for those like Misty Copeland and others but they never received the individual attention they deserved. This is well researched and written in an accessible, entertaining way. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Wonderful,

I loved this book! THE SWANS OF HARLEM recounts the experiences of five Black women who navigated the world of Ballet during an era when Black women were not welcomed in the dance realm. It's a wonderful read for all dance enthusiasts and for those who enjoy a historical read that fully embraces history that is rarely, if ever told. Kudos to the author and much appreciation to the publisher and to NetGalley for the advanced read.

The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas Fifty Years of Sisterhood and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History opened my eyes to a story I never knew in this world of dance.

This novel focuses on five women who came up through Arthur Mitchell’s Dance Theater of Harlem during the height of the Civil Rights movement: Lydia Abarca-Mitchell, who was the first Black prima ballerina at this studio, fellow Founding members Gayle McKinney-Griffin and Shelia Rohan, and First Generation members Karyla Shelton and Marcia Sells. It details the formation of Dance Theater of Harlem and their legacies, which has been mostly underwritten and lost to history. It details their struggles in this industry and their triumphs.

I really adored hearing these women’s stories. They had ups and downs, but their legacy was important! Arthur Mitchell was blunt and tough in the way he handled the men and women in his company, but it was because he wanted greatness from them. The woman detail this in their stories and there are conversations about colorism in their company and the fight to get the roles they knew they could perform. I also enjoyed the stories of taking younger incoming dancers under their wing and showing them the ropes.

This book also shares a lot about the formation of Dance Theater of Harlem and the inner workings of shaping perceptions of the company both within the dance industry and with the general audiences. Beyond creating a dance company, Mitchell helped people in all aspects of the production at the studio from music to costume creation. The book talks about their financial struggles, as time went on how those who wanted to help Black organizations during the Civil Rights era withdrew their support when they no longer thought the causes needed their help.

I do wish the story had had a bit more of the women’s stories as opposed to the history. I got a bit bogged down in some of the history at times.

Overall, I really liked this story and am happy this book is getting out there to further cement these women’s legacies.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pantheon books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a terrific story of the Black women who wanted to dance and had to crash barriers that kept them from taking the stage. To be able to join a company that had been started by a Black male dancer was almost as challenging as trying to get on a troupe of white dancers. I enjoyed meeting these strong, courageous women in a well written narrative that made them and their circumstances come alive. Well done!

“The world goes hard on us all, even mythical creatures like ballerinas. Their lives have been set to thunderous applause and the damp hush of obscurity. They once soared under the brightest of spotlights but have struggled since to find contentment and in some cases equilibrium and financial security.”

Misty Copeland is a household name and is often credited for being the first black ballerina, but decades ago five women blazed the trail for her and others:
Lydia Abarca, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Marcia Sells, and Karlya Shelton. They waited in the wings for 50 years for their story to be told, and finally, five pioneers of black ballet take center stage.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, assassination was the catalyst for dancer Arthur Mitchell’s creation of The Dance Theater of Harlem, a black ballet school and company. From a church basement to renowned venues across the globe, this book highlights the triumphs and the tragedies. On the other end of the timeline, the recent global pandemic inspired these 5 women to come together and establish the 152nd Street Black Ballet Legacy Council. A particularly well written section describes the impact of the AIDS crisis in the company and the dancers.

United by their experience with DTH, divided by separate personal challenges after leaving, these five ballerinas came together to embrace their past and share their stories. Ms. Valby has written a clear, emotional and impactful account for us to embrace, and I hope it gets the attention it deserves. I have a profound love for dance and activism, and the two concepts married here, created a riveting and immersive reading experience for me.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Pantheon for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

In The Swans Of Harlem by Karen Valbey we learn about five ballet dancers spanning the ages of 62 to 80 and they have all attended the ballet school in Harlem started by Arthur Mitchell the first black man to dance in a ballet with a white woman he was set to open the school in South America but due to the death of Martin Luther King Jr. he felt spiritually called to start one in the neighborhood he grew up in Harlem. The five ladies who this book is based on whose names I will probably not spelled right or Lydia A barker Mitchell no relation to Arthur, Gail McKinney Griffith, Marsha Cells, sheila Rohan and last but not least Carlyia Shelton Benjamin they were all members in the schools beginning and had different levels of success Lydia was even all the perfume box for Houston Charlie perfume were many things I love about this book but there were also things I didn’t care for like at the end how she said eating too much ice cream killed Arthur Mitchell in for a man who accomplish so much to be wrote off with such a put down statement just rubbed me the wrong way for one thing ice cream has never killed anyone so I would really find it more respectful to just state what finally took his life I mean he was 84 when he died was it really ice cream that took his life or old age? Moving on there were other things I found that a lot of authors do when writing about minorities and that is making their growing up years sound like they were always left wanting in the main focus was on Lydia Barker Mitchell who for one train that Juilliard for another went to Catholic school in yet another had a scholar ship to Fordham university instead of writing about what a great job her parents did giving her so much in a world that didn’t want her to have much of anything instead we focus on all that she was left without which wasn’t much and most was just fanciful material things. And in most cases the same things other little girls who dream would want. This was a pretty good book for the most part as you get the bones of the story before ending my review I have one question I am blind and if they put on a ballet for me I would be sitting there bored to tears so please explain to me how they dance for Stevie Wonder and how that benefited him? I can’t wait until the day comes that we can just write a respectful homage to those who have accomplished so much as the women in this book is done. As far as misty Copeland goes from what I hear she is a beautiful skilled dancer and always mentions the ladies in interviews that is not the fault of misty Copeland but the fault of the idiot reporters who try and make her the first even though she’s just the latest in a long line. Estelle read the book from beginning to end and do recommended as it is a great piece of African-American history and for the most part truly interesting my opinion is probably in the minority so definitely give it a chance. I want to thank The publisher for my free arccopy via NetGalley please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I am not a fan of ballet and am a novice when it comes to the ballet culture. However, I don’t have to enjoy it to appreciate the talent, hard work and dedication needed to be a ballet dancer. My main interest in wanting to read this book is because I continue to find so many instances that Blacks are excluded from history. I appreciate the author’s effort to give us a more accurate picture of the true history black ballet and The Dance Theatre of Harlem.

I was inspired by the sacrifices made by Lydia Abarca, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Shelia Rohan, Marcia Sells and Kayla Shelton to ensure the success of the Dance Theatre of Harlem and for Arthur Miller for creating the environment for black dancers to fulfill their dreams. I can’t imagine how it would feel to rarely find someone who looks like me when seeking out my roles models and these five women became those role models for numerous black children who were interested in ballet.

Because I have such limited understanding and knowledge of the ballet world, some of the details were lost on me but that is about me and not the content of the book. However, I did struggle keeping track of the characters because of the periodic switching of first/last name references throughout the book. In spite of that, I still feel strongly that this was well worth the read because it gave me a more accurate understanding of the history of black ballerinas and the impact, they had on the ballet world.

Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

#TheSwansofHarlem, #KarenValby

What a heartbreaking - because it has been silenced, marvelous - because they endured so much to follow a dream in a world determined to ignore and break them, true story of our history. Not Black history, American history. These are the stories I wish were shared so that all children could see what each of us are capable of. It is not about skin color but talent, drive, and a willingness to be your best. These women's stories broke my heart. At times I wanted to cry. Their fight was something else. Beautifully written and captivating to read. Wow! Excellent!

This was such an interesting topic to read about, and one that I had absolutely zero existing knowledge on. The book started off really strong for me, but there were so many ballerinas being discussed that it was hard to keep track of them all, and I really found myself struggling through the middle.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for sending me this book!

The Swans of Harlem is a beautifully written story about 5 black ballerinas and their journey with the Dance Theater of Harlem, the first black ballet company.

I normally don’t go for nonfiction books, but this book was so well written I kept forgetting it was about real events and people.

Thank you Pantheon and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

This is a really fascinating look into a part of the dance world that I honestly knew nothing about.
Karen Valby explores the forgotten history of the once thriving Dance Theatre of Harlem. A talented, young pool of black ballet dancers trying to make their mark during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. With the rise of current stars like Misty Copeland their fifty year history has all but been erased. The story mostly follows the five founding ballerinas and with candid conversations and revealing tidbits about their tough love director, Arthur Mitchell, it’s an intimate look inside their difficult but ultimately rewarding dance life.

The pacing moved the story along well even though there are a lot of names to keep track of. I especially loved the chapters the ballerinas wrote themselves about their own journeys.

As a ballet mom, I could relate to a lot of the different dance numbers, movements and even complaints about painful pointe shoes!

I came to care deeply for these charming woman and am so happy to see their story finally being told.

Thank you to the author, Net Galley & Pantheon Books for an early copy of this book!

While this is a great book filled with interviews and insights from the first black ballerinas, I do take issue with the statements that these dancers were "forgotten." The press surrounding Misty Copeland's achievements didn't erase these dancers from the history of ballet in America.
Each dancer has a specific distinction as to what made them the "first" and unfortunately that distinction is what gets forgotten sometimes.
lunderstand that is part of the author's selling point that these dancers were forgotten somehow or their careers and achievements were erased by one ballerina who the media latched onto, but it really does a disservice to ballet and dance historians, lovers and performers to suggest that the ballet world is so fickle.
As I stated, I loved this book for the insights from the dancers themselves and I think it's absolutely wonderful that these dancers are having their stories told, I just wish it weren't under the misleading banner of it being a reclamation of history.

When I picked up this book I thought it would be a simple biography which would teach me about women I’d never heard of. And. To be clear. It did.

But the book is so much more about community - the development of it, and the importance of maintaining it. I really enjoyed reading this and will recommend it broadly.

What a wonderful story about the first all black ballet company. The careers of these five ballet dancers is a tribute to the dedication and hard work that goes into becoming a dancer. The obstacles that these ladies had to overcome was huge but they never gave up. And then to have their story forgotten and untold was a grave oversight.
The author gives us the whole story of how these dancers contributed to the world of ballet.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

This is a beautiful book detailing the history of black ballet. I am not an expert or even all that interested in ballet but this story, this tribute to these talented and amazing dancers still grabbed my attention and made me want to keep reading.

At the start of the Covid 19 pandemic, five original dancers from the Dance Theater of Harlem formed the 152nd Street Black Ballet Legacy Council. Lydia Abarca, Gayle Mc-Kinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Marcia Sells, and Karlya Shelton embarked on a journey to reclaim their rightful place in the narrative of ballet. They got together online weekly to “write themselves back into history”.


One incident that prompted this was that Lydia Abarca’s daughter couldn’t find anything about how her mother aided in breaking the color barrier in ballet over fifty years ago. In fact, she was the first black ballerina to be on the cover of Dance Magazine. 


The Swans of Harlem delves deep into the dancers’ personal and professional lives, unraveling the intricate tapestry of their experiences—from childhood aspirations to the arduous path to becoming ballerinas, to current- day. It sheds light on the barriers they faced as black girls aspiring to excel in a predominantly white dance form, as they were often shoved towards modern dance instead of ballet. Despite the odds, they persevered, buoyed by the unwavering support of their families. As we read on, we learn that there were black ballerinas before them who were virtually forgotten.


Readers gain insight into the company's rich history, its trials and triumphs, and the indelible mark it left on the world of dance. Their interactions with the late founder and director Arthur Mitchell, both positive and negative, offer a look into the complexities of mentorship and leadership. We learn how difficult it is financially to just keep a dance company afloat.



One section of the book pays homage to their dance partners who died of AIDS—a poignant reminder of the fragility of life.



The Swans of Harlem will resonate with readers irrespective of their familiarity with ballet. It serves as a testament to the power of perseverance, the importance of reclaiming one's narrative, and the transformative potential of ballet in transcending barriers and inspiring change.

(This review will be posted on UnderratedReads on April 30, 2024, its release date.)