The Swans of HarlemThe Swans of Harlem

"At 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 ... She was the first Black company ballerina on the front of Dance Magazine and an Essence cover star; she was cast in The Wiz 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--Dance Theatre of Harlem's founding members Gayle McKinney-Griffith and Sheila Rohan, as well as first-generation 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; and 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, the Swans joined forces again--to share their story with the world ... The Swans of Harlem is a[n] ... account of five extraordinarily accomplished women; a celebration of 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"--Dust jacket flap.