Lulu's Reviews > The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History

For me this was a beautifully written introduction to the Swans of Harlem (Lydia Abarca, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Marcia Sells, and Karlya Shelton) and the creation of the Dance Theatre of Harlem founded by Arthur Mitchell.

Like many others, I considered Misty Copeland to be the first black ballerina, but these women were breaking barriers and forging paths even before Copeland was born! It’s sad how there identities and accomplishments have been buried and almost forgotten. In this book, we get first hand accounts from these incredible women.

This is an important of history that everyone should familiarize themselves with. This book is definitely worth reading.