{"product_id":"the-swans-of-harlem-five-black-ballerinas-fifty-years-of-sisterhood-and-their-reclamation-of-a-groundbreaking-history-9780593469668","title":"The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTHE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW \u003c\/i\u003eEDITORS' CHOICE - The forgotten story of a pioneering group of five Black ballerinas and their fifty-year sisterhood, a legacy erased from history--until now. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"This is the kind of history I wish I learned as a child dreaming of the stage!\" --Misty Copeland, author of \u003ci\u003eBlack Ballerinas: My Journey to Our Legacy\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\"Utterly absorbing, flawlessly-researched...Vibrant, propulsive, and inspiring, \u003ci\u003eThe Swans of Harlem\u003c\/i\u003e is a richly drawn portrait of five courageous women whose contributions have been silenced for too long!\" --Tia Williams, author of \u003ci\u003eA Love Song for Ricki Wilde\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAt 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 \u003ci\u003eDance \u003c\/i\u003emagazine, an \u003ci\u003eEssence \u003c\/i\u003ecover star; she was cast in \u003ci\u003eThe Wiz\u003c\/i\u003e 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThese 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCaptivating, rich in vivid detail and character, and steeped in the glamour and grit of professional ballet, \u003ci\u003eThe Swans of Harlem\u003c\/i\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Vintage\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/11\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780593469668\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 320\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.58lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.00h x 5.19w x 0.59d","brand":"Karen Valby","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44916362739893,"sku":"9780593469668","price":15.3,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_012ddabc-c7e7-44ee-b6d0-e15d20eb02d3.jpg?v=1734450096","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-swans-of-harlem-five-black-ballerinas-fifty-years-of-sisterhood-and-their-reclamation-of-a-groundbreaking-history-9780593469668","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}