The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, a Legacy of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History (Adapted for Young Adults)
Karen Valby
Delacorte Press
Published January 14, 2025

Penguin/Random House | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Swans of Harlem (Adapted for Young Adults)

A full accounting of five incredibly talented Black ballerinas from The Dance Theater of Harlem, founding members among them, that illuminates their hard-fought, historic, and overlooked contributions to the world of classical dance at a time when racism shut out Black dancers from major dance companies.

It was true until only recently, their past achievements had been erased—that’s what happened to five Black ballerinas, members of the groundbreaking Dance Theater of Harlem. At the peak of the Civil Rights Movement, Lydia Abarca, who dance critics praised effusively, was the first Black prima ballerina of this major dance company, performing lead roles in the most iconic ballets. She was also the first Black ballerina to grace the cover of Dance magazine.

Alongside fellow founding members Sheila Rohan and Gayle McKinney-Griffith, and first-generation dancers Karlya Shelton and Marcia Sells, these swans of Harlem shone a bright light on the depth of Black professional classical dancers. Their grit, determination, and exquisite artistry propelled them to dizzying heights, but over the decades, their trailblazing and triumphs were largely forgotten.

Now these ballerinas and longtime friends are giving voice to their stories on and off stage—reclaiming a past so that it is finally recorded and acknowledged.

My Review

I couldn’t put this incredible book down. As a former dancer myself, I love reading about dance history. This book is packed with personal stories and experiences centering on five Black ballerinas who had ground-breaking careers beginning in the Dance Theatre of Harlem.

One of the things the book does so beautifully is to hold many things concurrently. For example, it acknowledges the five dancers’ love and appreciation for Misty Copeland and her career but also respects their frustration at the way their own achievements have been erased.

The book celebrates the incredible achievements of the Dance Theatre of Harlem but doesn’t shy away from the flaws or harm that existed in the company, whether through colorism or harsh criticism from its director.

Really, the story continually centers the stories of these five incredible women. It follows the paths of each one’s career to their reconnection during the COVID-10 pandemic and their reflections on the past from that vantage point.

When I received my review copy of this book, I grabbed my copy of Misty Copeland’s Black Ballerinas: My Journey to Our Legacy. I’d read it back in 2023 wanted to see if it included any of the women featured in this book. It doesn’t, and in fact, Copeland didn’t even know about these dancers until after writing her book. In a chapter near the end, the five ballerinas join her on stage and share their history with her. I wasn’t expecting to have their absence in Copeland’s book explained. I love that it was something the author included, though.

Conclusion

Dance fans and fans of the arts will especially want to check out this book. The writing is compelling and makes you feel like you get to know each dancer personally. The story is perfectly timed to add to our conversations about the erasure of Black achievements in history and the importance of continuing to tell these stories.

Don’t miss the giveaway at the end of the post!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 13 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
References to verbal abuse. References to colorism and fat-phobic comments.

Romance/Sexual Content
Very brief references to marriage and divorce.

Spiritual Content
One dancer eventually converts to Islam. Another uses yoga and Buddhist practices to manage stress.

Violent Content
See above references to verbal abuse. Brief reference to a marriage ended by domestic violence.

Drug Content
Reference to a partner’s cocaine addiction and two dancers’ struggles with alcoholism.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Swans of Harlem Tour Schedule

Visit the other stops and get more information about the book.

February 24th — The Candid Cover

February 25th — The Story Sanctuary (you are here)

February 26th — Lit Lemon Books

February 26th — Tea Time Lit

February 27th — Twirling Book Princess

February 28th — Bloggin’ ’bout Books

Giveaway for The Swans of Harlem

Enter to win a copy of the book!

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