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Reviews tagging 'Racism'
The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History by Karen Valby
4 reviews
abigailkate's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
jenabest's review
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
4.0
*Thank you to Libro.fm, Pantheon, & Penguin Randomhouse for the free ALC in exchange for an honest review*
This was so, so informative, but so emotional. Most people today with even a cursory knowledge of dance have heard of Misty Copeland and think of her as the "first Black principal dancer" or "first Black prima ballerina". This book - The Swans of Harlem - highlights just how much cultural erasure has happened within the world of ballet and within the greater culture (at least here within the United States) that has hidden all the Black dancers that came before.
Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) began in 1969 during the Civil Rights Movement (and still exists today). The women discussed within this text - Lydia Abarca, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Karlya Shelton, & Marcia Sells - performed ballets across the world, graced the covers of magazines, and even starred in The Wiz. Yet they have been largely forgotten to history.
During the struggle to bring DTH and Black dancers into the ballet world, there was a heavy amount of body shaming to keep the women "bone thin" to fit the typical thin, white, ballet "ideal" and honestly it was really uncomfortable to hear the Director, Arthur Mitchell, forcing this "standard" on these young women. These women (and their male counterparts) battled through racism, colorism, extreme pressure on their weight, and so much more just to pursue their passion for their art. They pioneered the expansion of flesh tones by literally painting their shoes with makeup to match their skin! They had to fight for so much, only to need to fight to be remembered now.
The audio version includes segments by the women themselves (or family members if the women highlighted here were not able to read for the book).
This was so, so informative, but so emotional. Most people today with even a cursory knowledge of dance have heard of Misty Copeland and think of her as the "first Black principal dancer" or "first Black prima ballerina". This book - The Swans of Harlem - highlights just how much cultural erasure has happened within the world of ballet and within the greater culture (at least here within the United States) that has hidden all the Black dancers that came before.
Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) began in 1969 during the Civil Rights Movement (and still exists today). The women discussed within this text - Lydia Abarca, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Karlya Shelton, & Marcia Sells - performed ballets across the world, graced the covers of magazines, and even starred in The Wiz. Yet they have been largely forgotten to history.
During the struggle to bring DTH and Black dancers into the ballet world, there was a heavy amount of body shaming to keep the women "bone thin" to fit the typical thin, white, ballet "ideal" and honestly it was really uncomfortable to hear the Director, Arthur Mitchell, forcing this "standard" on these young women. These women (and their male counterparts) battled through racism, colorism, extreme pressure on their weight, and so much more just to pursue their passion for their art. They pioneered the expansion of flesh tones by literally painting their shoes with makeup to match their skin! They had to fight for so much, only to need to fight to be remembered now.
The audio version includes segments by the women themselves (or family members if the women highlighted here were not able to read for the book).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Racism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Abortion, Death, Alcoholism, Cancer, and Terminal illness
morethanmylupus's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I learned a lot about the history of Black ballerinas through this book. I'd never heard about the Dance Theatre of Harlem or its role in the Civil Rights Era. It was fascinating to learn about the Black ballerinas and I loved their dynamic and friendship - but it was so frustrating to see all the things they had to put up with. Arthur Mitchell was great but also frustrating. I appreciated Mitchell's wisdom, but the way he treated the ballerinas in pursuit of it was aggravating. How the ballerinas inspired young, Black dancers was my favorite part of the book!
Most of the videos I was able to find on YouTube were interviews with the ballerinas or videos of Mitchell dancing. I could only find pictures and no videos of the ballerinas dancing, which was disappointing. I think they added some depth and context to the story, but the story stood without them too.
I wish we'd come further as a society but we still have so many people who get riled up about the role of Black people in the arts. The way so many people lost their mind because Beyonce, a Texan, put out a Country Music album is absurd. Especially given so much of the Country Music genre is built on Black musical roots. In many ways, I think reading this book in the midst of that outrage really brought home the themes about the Swans of Harlem.
Most of the videos I was able to find on YouTube were interviews with the ballerinas or videos of Mitchell dancing. I could only find pictures and no videos of the ballerinas dancing, which was disappointing. I think they added some depth and context to the story, but the story stood without them too.
I wish we'd come further as a society but we still have so many people who get riled up about the role of Black people in the arts. The way so many people lost their mind because Beyonce, a Texan, put out a Country Music album is absurd. Especially given so much of the Country Music genre is built on Black musical roots. In many ways, I think reading this book in the midst of that outrage really brought home the themes about the Swans of Harlem.
A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
creativelifeofliz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Body shaming, and Racism
Moderate: Fatphobia, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Homophobia
Minor: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, and Death
More...