What readers think of The Swans of Harlem, plus links to write your own review.

Thanks to NetGalley & Pantheon Books for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

I wasn’t sure how much I was going to enjoy this book when I first started reading, as the writing style was somewhat awkward. But the more I read, the more I became involved with the lives of these five ballerinas – their careers, relationships, families. And I found myself sincerely moved as I finished the book. The author’s goal in writing was to give these women the acknowledgement they deserved. To tell their story and to give them back their voice and remind people that “they were there.”

Their careers were amazing, especially for the time period beginning in the early 1960s when the civil rights movement was gaining awareness. They had been told they couldn’t be prima ballerinas due to their ethnicity, yet they performed all over the world with the Dance Theater of Harlem, appeared on many magazine covers and numerous media outlets. They were admired and respected by everyone, including George Balanchine, known as the father of ballet and one of the most influential choreographers of the 20th century.

This nonfiction book contains layers of history – it’s a story of the remarkable careers of five black ballerinas. It’s also a story of civil rights, racism, and sexism in the ballet world. Just as importantly, it’s the story of finding strength, sisterhood, and validation, as well as the healing power of friendship.

You don’t need to know anything about ballet to enjoy this book, but you will learn so much from reading this inspiring, moving, and remarkable history.

The Swans of Harlem is a long overdue celebration of five African-American pioneers of the Dance Theater of Harlem. With the leadership and vision of Arthur Mitchell, these five ballerinas and others in the company paved the way for decades of Black dancers to come. They achieved many “firsts” in a classic dance discipline which was considered by some people of the time to be a white dance discipline.

The book follows the lives of these five amazing dancers during and after their years with the Dance Theater of Harlem - their sacrifices, their successes, their challenges, and their sisterhood. It is an inspiring story which sent me down a rabbit hole as I researched additional information and watched video clips of their performances. I loved this book.

An added bonus - the audiobook version had sections towards the end in their own voices.