The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History

“She was the face of the company, the body that launched a thousand dreams.”

Lydia Abarca was the first Black ballerina on the cover of Dance Magazine. She was a superstar but the world tried to forget her name.

“He was their creator and their tormentor.”

Arthur Mitchell could be incredibly cruel to his dancers. He pushed them until they broke because he felt the stakes were that high.

“They sat in a circle, pancakes and brushes in hand, turning pink silk into brown skin.”

These women had to paint their pink pointe shoes with foundation to match their skin. It was a daily ritual of claiming their place on stage.

“They were a sisterhood forged in the heat of a rehearsal studio.”

Sheila Bradley and the others shared apartments and meager meals for years. Their bond survived even when the spotlight faded away.