Karen Valby

The Swans of Harlem (Adapted for Young Adults)

Five Black Ballerinas, a Legacy of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History

• Gebundenes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

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.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Random House Children's Books
• Seitenzahl: 288
• Altersempfehlung: 13 bis 17 Jahre
• Erscheinungstermin: 14. Januar 2025
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 210mm x 140mm x 18mm
• Gewicht: 422g
• ISBN-13: 9780593643570
• ISBN-10: 0593643577
• Artikelnr.: 70743542

Autorenporträt

Karen Valby’s work has appeared in Vanity Fair, where she is a frequent contributor; The New York Times; O, the Oprah Magazine; Glamour; Fast Company, and Entertainment Weekly, where she spent fifteen years writing about culture.

Rezensionen

Until Valby's utterly absorbing, flawlessly-researched book, I never knew the story of the original Dance Theater of Harlem ballerinas-and now, I demand that their lives be taught in schools! Valby finally sheds light on these towering dance pioneers, all of whom triumphed as dancers in a world that didn't believe Black people had a place in the classical art form. Vibrant, propulsive, and inspiring, The Swans of Harlem is a richly drawn portrait of five courageous women whose contributions have been silenced for too long! Tia Williams, author of Seven Days in June