The Swans of Harlem (Adapted for Young Adults) TR by Karen Valby

Product Details

• Publisher: Delacorte Press (2026-05-26)
• Language: English
• Paperback: 288 pages
• ISBN-13: 9780593643563
• Item Weight: 246.64 grams
• Dimensions: 0.0 x 0.0 x 0.0 cm

In this young adult adaptation of Karen Valby's adult non-fiction title, you'll meet five amazing Black ballerinas from The Dance Theater of Harlem, including some of the founding members, who broke barriers and made history in the world of classical dance, at a time when racism shut out Black dancers from major dance companies.

At the peak of the civil rights movement, Lydia Abarca was the first ballerina in a Black ballet company to grace the cover of Dance magazine. Alongside founding members Shelia Rohan and Gayle McKinney-Griffith and first-generation dancers Karlya Shelton and Marcia Sells, Abarca invited a bright light to shine on Black professional classical dancers. Grit, determination, and exquisite artistry propelled these swans of Harlem to dizzying heights as they performed around the world for audiences that included celebrities, dignitaries, and royalty.

Now, decades later, these trailblazing ballerinas and longtime friends are giving voice to their stories on- and offstage, reclaiming their past so that it is finally recorded, acknowledged, and lauded, never to be lost again.

About the Author

Karen Valby is the author of two books of nonfiction: The Swans of Harlem and Welcome to Utopia: Notes from a Small Town. A contributing editor for Vanity Fair, she also writes for the New York Times, O Magazine, Glamour, Fast Company, and EW, where she spent fifteen years writing about culture. She and her family live in Austin, Texas, where her daughters study dance at Ballet Afrique.