The Swans of Harlem: Karen Valby in Conversation

Author Karen Valby takes us on a journey forged by a pioneering group of five black ballerinas whose sisterhood created a legacy in the dance world, but whose history has been dismally overlooked until now. 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. Abarca and other trailblazing ballerinas performed in some of ballet’s most iconic works, 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.