The Swans Of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years Of Sisterhood, And Their Reclamation Of A Groundbreaking History,New

The forgotten story of a pioneering group of five Black ballerinas and their fiftyyear sisterhood, a legacy erased from historyuntil now.At the height of the Civil Rights movement, Lydia Abarca was a Black prima ballerina with a major international dance companythe Dance Theatre of Harlem, a troupe of women and men who became each others chosen family. She was the first Black 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 ballets most iconic works with other trailblazing ballerinas, including the young women who became her closest friendsfounding Dance Theatre of Harlem members Gayle McKinneyGriffith and Sheila Rohan, as well as firstgeneration 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 againto 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.