Results 1 to 4 of 4
- The Swans of Harlem : five Black ballerinas, fifty years of sisterhood, and the reclamation of a groundbreaking history / by Valby, Karen,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."The forgotten story of a pioneering group of five Black ballerinas, the first principals in the Dance Theatre of Harlem, who traveled the world as highly celebrated stars in their field and whose legacy was erased from history until now. At the height of the Civil Rights movement, Lydia Abarça was a Black prima ballerina with a major international dance company--the Dance Theatre of Harlem. She was the first Black ballerina on the cover of Dance magazine, an Essence cover star, cast in The Wiz and on Broadway with Bob Fosse. She performed in some of ballet's most iconic works with her closest friends--founding members of the company, the Swans of Harlem, Gayle McKinney, Sheila Rohan, Marcia Sells, and Karlya Shelton--for the Queen of England and Mick Jagger, with Josephine Baker, at the White House, and beyond. Some forty years later, when Lydia's granddaughter wanted to show her own ballet class evidence of her grandmother's success, she found almost none, but for some yellowing photographs and programs in the family basement. Lydia had struggled for years to reckon with the erasure of her success, as all the Swans had. Still united as sisters in the present, they decided it was time to share their story themselves. Captivating, rich in vivid detail and character, and steeped in the glamor and grit of professional ballet, The Swans of Harlem is a riveting account of five extraordinarily accomplished women, a celebration of their historic careers, and a window into the robust history of Black ballet, hidden for too long"--- Subjects: Biographies.; Abarca, Lydia.; McKinney, Gayle.; Rohan, Sheila.; Sells, Marcia Lynn.; Shelton, Karlya.; Dance Theatre of Harlem; African American ballerinas; Ballet;
- Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
-
unAPI
- The wind at my back : resilience, grace, and other gifts from my mentor, Raven Wilkinson / by Copeland, Misty,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Misty Copeland made history as the first African-American principal ballerina at the American Ballet Theatre. Her talent, passion, and perseverance enabled her to make strides no one had accomplished before. But as she will tell you, achievement never happens in a void. Behind her, supporting her rise was her mentor, Raven Wilkinson, who had been virtually alone in her quest to breach the all-white ballet world when she fought to be taken seriously as a black ballerina in the 1950s and 60s. A trailblazer in the world of ballet decades before Misty's time, Raven faced overt and casual racism, hostile crowds, and death threats for having the audacity to dance ballet. The Wind at My Back tells the story of two unapologetically Black ballerinas, their friendship, and how they changed each other--and the dance world--forever. Misty Copeland shares her own struggles with racism and exclusion in her pursuit of this dream career and honors the women like Raven who paved the way for her but whose contributions have gone unheralded. She celebrates the connection she made with Raven, the only teacher who could truly understand the obstacles she faced, beyond the technical or artistic demands. A beautiful and wise memoir of intergenerational friendship and the impressive journeys of two remarkable women, The Wind at My Back captures the importance of mentorship, of shared history, and of respecting the past to ensure a stronger future"--- Subjects: Biographies.; Personal narratives.; Copeland, Misty.; Wilkinson, Raven.; African American ballerinas; African American ballerinas; Ballerinas; Ballet dancers; Ballet; Mentoring in the arts; Racism;
- Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
-
unAPI
- Dancing diva / by Goldberg, Whoopi,1950-; Underwood, Deborah.; Roos, Maryn.;
When Epatha tries to spice up the choreography of the new ballet in Harlem with her free-spirited style, the rest of the Sugar Plum ballerinas encourage her to keep her toes in line.LSC- Subjects: Ballet dancing; African Americans;
- © c2012., Disney-Jump at the Sun Books,
- Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
-
unAPI
- The Swans of Harlem Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History [electronic resource] : by Valby, Karen.aut; cloudLibrary;
A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK • The forgotten story of a pioneering group of five Black ballerinas and their fifty-year sisterhood, a legacy erased from history—until now. “This is the kind of history I wish I learned as a child dreaming of the stage!” —Misty Copeland, author of Black Ballerinas: My Journey to Our Legacy “Utterly absorbing, flawlessly-researched…Vibrant, propulsive, and inspiring, The Swans of Harlem is a richly drawn portrait of five courageous women whose contributions have been silenced for too long!” —Tia Williams, author of A Love Song for Ricki Wilde At the height of the Civil Rights movement, Lydia Abarca was a Black prima ballerina with a major international dance company—the Dance Theatre of Harlem, a troupe of women and men who became each other’s chosen family. She was the first Black company ballerina on the cover of Dance magazine, an Essence cover star; she was cast in The Wiz and in a Bob Fosse production on Broadway. She performed in some of ballet’s most iconic works with other trailblazing ballerinas, including the young women who became her closest friends—founding Dance Theatre of Harlem members Gayle McKinney-Griffith and Sheila Rohan, as well as first-generation dancers Karlya Shelton and Marcia Sells. These Swans of Harlem performed for the Queen of England, Mick Jagger, and Stevie Wonder, on the same bill as Josephine Baker, at the White House, and beyond. But decades later there was almost no record of their groundbreaking history to be found. Out of a sisterhood that had grown even deeper with the years, these Swans joined forces again—to share their story with the world. Captivating, rich in vivid detail and character, and steeped in the glamour and grit of professional ballet, The Swans of Harlem is a riveting account of five extraordinarily accomplished women, a celebration of both their historic careers and the sustaining, grounding power of female friendship, and a window into the robust history of Black ballet, hidden for too long.- Subjects: Electronic books.; African American; Classical & Ballet;
- © 2024., Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group,
-
unAPI
Results 1 to 4 of 4