A review by momadvice
The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History by Karen Valby

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

 At the height of the civil rights movement, Lydia Abarca was a well-renowned ballerina whose credentials boasted performing for queens and kings, dancing in the movie production of The Wiz, and dancing for Bob Fosse on Broadway. She was an Essence cover star, one of Revelon's original Charlie models, and the first Black ballerina to grace the cover of Dance Magazine. 

But half a century later, during Black History Month, Abarca's thirty-two-year-old daughter Daniella's granddaughter wanted to share about her ground-breaking grandmother at school. However, when their family searched for information about the first Black ballerina, only one ballerina's name appeared- Misty Copeland. 

At the time, Copeland was unaware of Abarca and her fellow dancers work in ways that genuinely surprised me, leading to beautiful full-circle moments when the discovery of their historic work became known. But the payoff for for formal recognition was long overdue. 

Karen Valby, whose New York Times article about the Legacy Council ignited public interest in creating a book about these dancers, meticulously documents their journey from a church basement in Harlem to their incredible rise onto the world's stages. 

But this story is as much about the passion of the five women profiled as it is about their fearless founder, Arthur Mitchell, who did all he could to keep the dream of this ballet troupe alive. He sacrificed any money he had earned from his dance career that would go to his retirement to fund this dream instead. Training, costuming, and each show's execution are described in vivid detail, along with the challenges each dancer faced working under Mitchell's strict eye. 

As this sisterhood of women navigates pivotal moments—like the discovery that dyeing their shoes and tights to match their skin tone helped them feel connected to their bodies—navigating the AIDS crisis that took their lifelong dance partners, and navigating another pandemic together—the camaraderie is gorgeously captured. 

While this examination certainly does not set out to discredit Copeland's work, it does ask why "there only can be one" regarding Black Excellence. It helps us understand and acknowledge the rich history of a sisterhood of pioneer ballerinas who were part of the revolutionary Dance Theatre of Harlem: Lyida Abarca, Gayle McKinney Griffith, Shelai Rohan, Marcia Sells, and Karlya Shelton. 

The novel is divided into three acts, and the accounts of these five women's stories are narrated. To fully appreciate the stunning images of their performances and better understand the plot, I suggest obtaining a physical copy of the book. The story comprises a large cast of characters, and having a hard copy would help you keep track of all these incredible women. 

TAGS: Books About Dance, Black History