Dancers of Color in Ballet

Misty Copeland has brought into the spotlight the story of Black artists in ballet, and two new titles expand this story with history about more artists of color in the form. Karen Valby’s The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History is an incredible chronicle and documentation of a dance history few have known. Valby captures the journeys of five of the original Dance Theatre of Harlem ballerinas: Lydia Abarca, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Karlya Shelton, and Marcia Sells. It’s a story of the company, of artistic director Arthur Mitchell, and of the careers of these remarkable women, decades before Misty Copeland. There’s extra delight with an audiobook version, and it’s narrated by numerous people, including four of the five dancers highlighted. 

Additionally, Nyama McCarthy-Brown’s Skin Colored Pointes: Interviews with Women of Color in Ballet documents the career paths of 13 ballerinas who identify as African American, Asian American, and Latina. McCarthy-Brown published the stories in interview format, which powerfully allows each dancer, in her own way, to express her story. Expanding on ideas from her first book, Dance Pedagogy for a Diverse World: Culturally Relevant Teaching in Theory, Research and Practice, this book is bookended in McCarthy-Brown’s own words about race, identity, and the ballet field and concludes with a powerful essay about teaching and inclusive practices, with numerous reflection questions for dance educators. 

Biographies and Memoirs

2024 also brought forth Halifu Osamare’s second memoir, Dancing the Afrofuture: Hula, Hip-Hop, and the Dunham Legacy. In her latest book, Osamare describes her continued research, curiosity, and intersectionality with hula, hip hop, and Dunham technique. At the same time, the book shares her journey in higher education and working at several institutions. 

Dance scholar and Oberlin College professor Ann Cooper Albright published her sixth book, a biography of living postmodern legend Simone Forti. Simone Forti: Improvising a Life is a hefty 416-page book that brings together both research and interviews to illustrate the life and vision of groundbreaking improviser Simone Forti. 

Plus, beloved dance critic and writer Deborah Jowitt takes on the Graham origin story in Errand Into the Maze: The Life and Works of Martha Graham. Jowitt spent over a decade crafting her own telling of Martha Graham’s life story and Graham’s role in the creation of the modern dance form. Like The Swans of Harlem, you’ll enjoy Errand Into the Maze in audiobook form, as well.

Company Stories

Another wonderful new edition for dance history studies is Pilobolus: A Story of Dance and Life. The book tells of the creation and success story of this five-decade-old company that shifted the modern dance world in terms of physicality and vision. Author Robert Pranzatelli chronicles the development of the company, the people, and some of their significant choreographic works. 

A Sense of Shifting: Queer Artists Reshaping Dance amplifies 12 queer companies and artists through photos and essays. Writer Coco Romack and photographer Yael Malka spent a year traveling in the U.S. and Europe to interview and document queer artistry and voices in a variety of dance styles, from ballet to flamenco to country western.

Plus, Writing Your Own Story

Last, on a personalized note, Janaea Rose Lyn’s Choreographing Your Dance Career is a way to write your own story. This paperback is a great new option, especially for seniors in college, to reflect, consider career paths, and learn the basics for tasks like writing your bio and building a production budget. The evergreen material is helpful for dancers at various career stages, not just college students. It is a book, workbook, and reflection guide all in one. 

Editor’s note: This article was updated on July 22, 2024, to correct the title of Pilobolus: A Story of Dance and Life.