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Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Swans of Harlem by Karen Valby! This historical YA book is an incredible adaptation of the author’s adult novel. It is a perfect book to add to your TBR for Black History Month. Keep reading to learn more about the book and enter the giveaway to win a copy for yourself. (US only)
Title: The Swans of HarlemAuthor: Karen Valby
Genre: Historical Fiction, Non-fiction, Young Adult
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: January 14, 2025
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.
Available wherever books are sold!
Praise for The Swans of Harlem
★ ”This powerful account is part cultural history, part biography as it traces the formation, rise, and decline of DTH through the experiences of these five ballerinas, as well as their continued importance to dancers of color today…this will appeal equally to fans of forgotten histories.“
—Booklist, starred review
“A poignant and gripping piece of little-known history.”
—Kirkus
Q&A with Karen Valby
Author of The Swans of Harlem (Adapted for Young Adults)
How did you first learn about the Dance Theatre of Harlem and their groundbreaking journey? What inspired you to write The Swans of Harlem?
One of the Swans lives on the same Harlem block as Barbara Jones, a dear family friend who is a literary agent. The neighbors got to talking, as neighbors do, and Marcia told Barbara about her former life as a professional ballerina and how she and some of her closest friends from her youth who helped form the Dance Theatre of Harlem had started a legacy council to remind the world of their tremendous accomplishments. As the white adoptive mother of two Black girls who are dancers themselves, I know just how essential a Black dance studio has been to their sense of themselves and the power of their art. I met with the Swans and we fell in love and trust.
How does the young adult version differ from the adult edition? What led to the decision to release an adaptation?
We’ve streamlined the story a bit and removed some of the harsher moments of the women’s histories. These Swans came of age during a pivotal time in American history. They danced on the grandest of stages at the end of the Civil Rights Movement, at a time when the world assumed the Black body and temperament wasn’t suited to the classical stage. Together, they proved that they were in charge of their art and their destiny. It’s a story as much about passion and artistry as it is about the power of friendship. What young child with a dream can’t benefit from their gorgeous example?
What was your research process like for these books? What was the most surprising thing you learned while writing this story? Is there anything you’d like readers to know about the swans that you weren’t able to include in the book?
I was blessed to have five primary sources who were ready to tell their stories, as well as their family members who witnessed them in the spotlight and supported them through their hard times as well. I suppose one of the harder surprises was realizing how resigned the women felt during their busy second acts to live with the fact that their feats as groundbreaking prima ballerinas had been erased from the history books. We sometimes resign ourselves to our fates, or the careless acts of others. I think the marvel of the Swans is their late-in-life realization that they could take charge of their legacy if no one else would. What agency!
What do you most hope teen readers take away from The Swans of Harlem (Adapted for Young Adults)?
I hope they’re moved by the idea that dreams accomplished amongst friends are the most rewarding. None of us should have to go it alone.
Have you always wanted to be a writer? If not, what future career did you envision as a teen?
Always, always, always. Though the Swans have wondered if I’ve missed my calling as a therapist!
What can readers expect to see from you next?
I’m finishing my first YA novel about a 12-year-old girl whose father is getting out of prison. She’s trying to hold onto her innocence and her sense of possibility. I love her and the odd friends and unlikely family members who surround her and try to see her clearly for all she can be.
About Karen Valby
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.
Giveaway
Tour Schedule
February 24th — The Candid Cover
February 25th — The Story Sanctuary
February 26th — Lit Lemon Books
February 26th — Tea Time Lit
February 27th — Twirling Book Princess
February 28th — Bloggin’ ’bout Books
About The Candid Cover
Olivia ❀ Canadian YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, & professional bibliophile.
Sounds like a great read!
I heard about this book. Sounds like a good book.
Sounds like a great read.
This looks really intriguing. Thanks for sharing.
I am checking this book out for sure.