{"title":"Performing Arts--Dance--Classical \u0026 Ballet","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"the-swans-of-harlem-five-black-ballerinas-fifty-years-of-sisterhood-and-their-reclamation-of-a-groundbreaking-history","title":"The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History","description":"\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eNEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW \u003c\/i\u003eNOTABLE BOOK - Finalist for the PEN\/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe forgotten story of a pioneering group of five Black ballerinas and their fifty-year sisterhood, a legacy erased from history--until now. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"This is the kind of history I wish I learned as a child dreaming of the stage!\" --Misty Copeland, author of \u003ci\u003eBlack Ballerinas: My Journey to Our Legacy\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Utterly absorbing, flawlessly-researched...Vibrant, propulsive, and inspiring, \u003ci\u003eThe Swans of Harlem\u003c\/i\u003e is a richly drawn portrait of five courageous women whose contributions have been silenced for too long!\" --Tia Williams, author of \u003ci\u003eA Love Song for Ricki Wilde\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAt 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 \u003ci\u003eDance \u003c\/i\u003emagazine, an \u003ci\u003eEssence \u003c\/i\u003ecover star; she was cast in \u003ci\u003eThe Wiz\u003c\/i\u003e 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThese 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCaptivating, rich in vivid detail and character, and steeped in the glamour and grit of professional ballet, \u003ci\u003eThe Swans of Harlem\u003c\/i\u003e 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.\u003cdiv style=\"display:none\"\u003eISBN-10: 0593469666\u003cbr\u003eISBN-13: 9780593469668\u003cbr\u003eAuthor: Valby, Karen\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: Vintage\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Vintage","offers":[{"title":"Paperback (Feb 2025)","offer_id":46079914311877,"sku":"9780593469668","price":17.1,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0708\/6414\/2533\/files\/9780593469668.jpg?v=1776033047"},{"product_id":"martha-graham-dance-company-100-years","title":"Martha Graham Dance Company 100 Years","description":"***Winner of the International Photography Award for Best Book of 2025*** \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA stunning photographic celebration of The Martha Graham Dance Company on its 100th anniversary, from Ken Browar and Deborah Ory, the creative team behind NYC Dance Project.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e Founded in 1926 by Martha Graham, The Martha Graham Dance Company is the oldest dance company in the United States and remains one of the world's most distinguished and highly acclaimed. Graham's original works drew from a variety of influences, notably Greek mythology, the American frontier, and traditional Native American ceremonies, and were characterized by her trademark technique of \"contraction and release.\" She is also renowned for her ongoing collaboration with several of her contemporary creative visionaries, including sculptor Isamu Noguchi, actor and director John Houseman, composer Aaron Copland, and fashion designers Halston, Donna Karen, and Calvin Klein. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eMartha Graham Dance Company 100 Years\u003c\/i\u003e is a monumental photographic tribute to Graham's profound creative heritage. Featuring a joyous selection of twenty-four of Graham's most memorable works, Browar and Ory capture the beauty and the precision of dancers who make up today's company and who carry the mantle of Graham's legacy. Each featured dance is prefaced by a piece of archival imagery as well as a description of the dance and notes on costume design, set design, and accompanying music. An in-depth feature on Noguchi's set design as well as an introduction by Martha Graham Dance Company artistic director Janet Eilber round out the program. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"display:none\"\u003eISBN-10: 0762487445\u003cbr\u003eISBN-13: 9780762487448\u003cbr\u003eAuthor: Browar, Ken, Ory, Deborah\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: Black Dog \u0026amp; Leventhal Publishers\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Black Dog \u0026 Leventhal Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover (Oct 2025)","offer_id":46080253984965,"sku":"9780762487448","price":75.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0708\/6414\/2533\/files\/9780762487448.jpg?v=1776035686"},{"product_id":"infinite-steps-thirty-three-dancers-and-their-lives-in-ballet","title":"Infinite Steps: Thirty-Three Dancers and Their Lives in Ballet","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePortraits of dancers rendered through reflective storytelling and exquisite photography, illustrating the varieties of individual paths within the world of ballet\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eInfinite Steps\u003c\/i\u003e invites readers into the deeply personal journeys of thirty-three ballet dancers from around the world, tracing their paths from first pliés to final bows and beyond. Through intimate profiles by writer and dancer Gavin Larsen and stunning photographs by Gene Schiavone, this book reveals the physical demands and quiet triumphs that define a life in ballet. Each chapter offers a glimpse into a dancer's inner world, illuminating the realities behind the moments portrayed by the images.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe dancers featured in this book span generations, career stages, and perspectives. Some, such as Misty Copeland, are internationally celebrated stars, while others are just beginning their journeys, and still others have transitioned into new lives beyond the stage. Alina Cojocaru began dancing in Kyiv at 9 years old before becoming a principal dancer with The Royal Ballet and English National Ballet. Paloma Herrera became one of the youngest principal dancers in the history of American Ballet Theatre, and Marja' Quaqua received Copeland's prestigious Ballet in the City Scholarship for emerging Black dancers. Kylie Edwards performed with the City Ballet of San Diego and transitioned to an acting career, while Vjola Hajati found a second home performing cabaret at the Moulin Rouge in Paris.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom the discipline of training to the vulnerability of retirement, these stories reflect the full spectrum of what it means to be a dancer, resonating with Schiavone's images of the artists at work and rest. \u003ci\u003eInfinite Steps\u003c\/i\u003e is a tribute to the resilience, craft, and humanity of dancers. For lifelong ballet lovers, students dreaming of the stage, or anyone interested in learning about the people behind incredible art, this book offers a rare and heartfelt look at the many ways a life in dance can unfold.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"display:none\"\u003eISBN-10: 0813081505\u003cbr\u003eISBN-13: 9780813081502\u003cbr\u003eAuthor: Larsen, Gavin, Schiavone, Gene\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: University Press of Florida\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"University Press of Florida","offers":[{"title":"Paperback (Mar 2026)","offer_id":46099722764485,"sku":"9780813081502","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0708\/6414\/2533\/files\/9780813081502.jpg?v=1776644359"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.inveni.store\/collections\/performing-arts-dance-classical-ballet.oembed","provider":"Inveni","version":"1.0","type":"link"}