The Swans of Harlem

Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History

By: Karen Valby

Narrated by: Karlya Shelton-Benjamin, Sheila Rohan, Lydia Abarca Mitchell, Marcia Lynn Sells, Khadija Tariyan McKinney G., January LaVoy

THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW NOTABLE BOOK • The forgotten story of a pioneering group of five Black ballerinas and their fifty-year sisterhood, a legacy erased from history—until now.

“This is the kind of history I wish I learned as a child dreaming of the stage!”—Misty Copeland, author of Black Ballerinas: My Journey to Our Legacy

“Utterly absorbing, flawlessly-researched…Vibrant, propulsive, and inspiring, The Swans of Harlem is a richly drawn portrait of five courageous women whose contributions have been silenced for too long!”—Tia Williams, author of A Love Song for Ricki Wilde

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.

©2024 Karen Valby (P)2024 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

A New York Times Notable Book of 2024

Named a Best Book of the Year by NPR and O Magazine

A Most Anticipated Book from The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vanity Fair, Goodreads, The New York Post,Town and Country, Oprah Daily, AARP, Cosmopolitan, The Week, The Millions, Chicago Tribune, Book Riot, and Arlington Magazine

“If [The Swans of Harlem] were just a quest for cultural redress, the result might have been a dusty scroll of the Swans’ ballet bona fides. It’s by getting personal that it leaps high…Valby skillfully maps the ugliness of a segregated art form…All of this [history] is absorbing. Yet it’s the odd details that shine brightest…There’s so much meaning and humanity in this kind of minutiae…The moral of this important and tear-stained book is actually a reminder: Bare oneself, fly into the grandest of jetés and live free.”—New York Times Books Review

"Rich, prismatic...A joyful, spirited corrective."—New York Times "Notable Books of 2024"

“Karen Valby’s The Swans of Harlem brings to life the stories of Black dancers whose contributions to the world of ballet were silenced, marginalized, and otherwise erased. Karen introduces readers to important figures of our past, while inspiring us to courageously chase our dreams. This is the kind of history I wish I learned as a child dreaming of the stage!”—Misty Copeland, New York Times-bestselling author of Black Ballerinas: My Journey To Our Legacy

Beautiful, complex story, and important history!

A gem of a book. These women are powerful trailblazers and it’s wonderful to have their history captured with such detail and nuance. As a dancer myself, I loved so many aspects of this book - the accurate description of the unique bond dancers have, the complexity of the struggles we face, and the indescribable way the art form lives in those of us who were born to be dancers.

Truly Captivating Read, So Good

"The Swans of Harlem" is a remarkable audiobook that offers an in-depth look into the lives of extraordinary women. Their challenges, determination to succeed, and quest to be recognized for their talents are truly inspiring. Each of their stories captivated me, and I gained a newfound appreciation for the arts and the struggles these women endured due to racial discrimination. I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially those interested in understanding the true essence of determination. poise, and hard work. Thank you so much for this wonderful book and thank you to the women featured in the book, truly inspiring!!!

history

they need to be in the hall of fame and more please 🙏 work on this

Wonderful

We need more of these untold stories!! So beautiful I’m so glad I was originally gifted this book.

Fantastic

What a page turner I couldn’t put this book down .what I really liked is that I had no idea. I learned this whole chapter of my history black ballet and black ballerinas don’t stop and end with Misty Copeland. Having some type of archive type of like document of everything down so it doesn’t disappear.

Superb! Well written and informative

This was a great book which provided background and did s full circle from describing early black ballerina treatment to current day.

An important story finally told

I am an eighty year old, straight, white man. I know little of ballet. This book is a fascinating description of the strength, determination, suffering, and sisterhood of superb artists in gaining the recognition that is so often denied black Americans. The story is sometimes hard to hear, but so very necessary to be told. I will be watching videos of these dancers and their ballets.

A Story That Needs to Be Heard Again and Again!

This is a story that reaches beyond the Dance Theater of Harlem, Arthur Mitchell, and the 152nd Street Ballet Legacy to the contemporary history and experiences of Black Americans in the arts. Wonderfully told and comprehensively researched, author Karen Valby brings to life the stories of five Black ballerinas whom Misty Copeland wishes she had learned about as a child. You need not be a fan of ballet or the performing arts to appreciate the stories of these five groundbreaking women.

Finally - Acknowledgement!

It was enjoyable and eye opening. Thank you ladies for sharing your experiences. Loved it!

call Ken Burns!

this would make a fascinating documentary where I could see pictures or even just video of generic ballerinas showing the moves discussed... but I struggled to just listen to it.