Karen Valby's Books

The Swans of Harlem

Fifty years of sisterhood, five black ballerinas, one incredible story

By: Karen Valby

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The Swans of Harlem

Fifty years of sisterhood, five black ballerinas, one incredible story

By: Karen Valby

For fans of Hidden Figures and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks 'The kind of history I wish I learned as a child dreaming of the stage!' MISTY COPELAND 'Vibrant, propulsive and inspiring' TIA WILLIAMS Harlem 1969; it's the height of the Civil Rights era and the community is still reeling from the assassination of Martin Luther King. Arthur Mitchell, the first Black principal dancer at the New York City Ballet, takes his protest to the stage and establishes the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Here begins the story of the five extraordinary women at the heart of this book. Both a group biography and a story of a particular time, this is a book about ballet, the enduring allure of ballet for young girls, and about how these pioneers broke into a world that was closed to them and changed ideas of what a classical dancer could be. It is about the heart-breaking impact of the AIDS epidemic which claimed the lives of so many of the male dancers. It's about racism and activism through art. And it's about the eternal glamour of ballet; these swans appeared at the grandest opera houses and theatres, dancing at the White House, and even for the Queen. Their fans included Mick Jagger and they performed alongside the likes of Michael Jackson and Josephine Baker. But most importantly it tells the universal story of female friendship, and in particular how these five young women formed a bond - while experimenting with different ways of dying ballet shoes and tights to match their skin tones - which still endures many decades later.

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Page Count

336

Publisher

Bonnier Zaffre Ltd.

Published Date

ISBN 10

1786582511

ISBN 13

9781786582515

The Swans of Harlem

Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History

By: Karen Valby

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The Swans of Harlem

Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History

By: Karen Valby

THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS' CHOICE • 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.

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Page Count

313

Publisher

Pantheon

Published Date

ISBN 10

059331753X

ISBN 13

9780593317532

The Swans of Harlem

Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History

By: Karen Valby

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The Swans of Harlem

Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History

By: Karen Valby

The forgotten story of a pioneering group of five Black ballerinas whose legacy was erased from history—until now. 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. She was the first Black 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 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 their historic careers, and a window into the robust history of Black ballet, hidden for too long.

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Page Count

481

Publisher

Random House Large Print

Published Date

ISBN 10

0593862740

ISBN 13

9780593862742

Welcome to Utopia

Notes from a Small Town

By: Karen Valby

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Welcome to Utopia

Notes from a Small Town

By: Karen Valby

BONUS: This edition contains a new Afterword and a reading group guide. Utopia, Texas: It’s either the best place on earth, or it’s no place at all. In the twenty-first century, it’s difficult to imagine any element of American life that remains untouched by popular culture, let alone an entire community existing outside the empire of pop. But Karen Valby discovered the tiny town of Utopia tucked away in the Texas Hill Country. There are no movie theaters for sixty miles in any direction, no book or music stores. But cable television and the Internet have recently thrown wide the doors of Utopia. Valby follows the lives of four Utopians—Ralph, the retired owner of the general store; Kathy, the waitress who waits in terror for three of her boys to return from war; Colter, the son of a cowboy with the soul of a hipster; and Kelli, an aspiring rock star and one of the only black people in town—as they reckon, on an intensely human scale, with war and race, class and culture, and the way time’s passage can change the ground beneath our feet. Utopia is the kind of place we still think of as the “real America,” a place of cowboys and farmers and high-school sweethearts who stay together till they die. But its dramatic stories show us what happens when the old tensions of small-town life confront a new reality: that no town, no matter how small and isolated, can escape the liberating and disruptive forces of the larger world. Welcome to Utopia is a moving elegy for a proud American way of life and a celebration of our relentless impulse toward rebirth.

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258

Publisher

Random House

Published Date

ISBN 10

1588369684

ISBN 13

9781588369680

Silent Women

Pioneers of Cinema

By: Kevin Brownlow,Shelley Stamp,Bryony Dixon,Karen Day,Maria Giese,Tania Field,Francesca Stephens,Ellen Cheshire,K. Charlie Oughton,Patricia di Risio,Pieter Aquilia,Julie K Allen,Aimee Dixon Anthony

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Silent Women

Pioneers of Cinema

By: Kevin Brownlow,Shelley Stamp,Bryony Dixon,Karen Day,Maria Giese,Tania Field,Francesca Stephens,Ellen Cheshire,K. Charlie Oughton,Patricia di Risio,Pieter Aquilia,Julie K Allen,Aimee Dixon Anthony

The first ever overview of women's contributions to the dawn of cinema looking at a variety of roles from writers and directors to film editors and critics. Why have women such as Alice Guy-Blache, the creator of narrative cinema, been written out of film history? Why have so many women working behind the scenes in film been rendered invisible and silent for so long? Silent Women, pioneers of cinema explores the incredible contribution of women at the dawn of cinema when, surprisingly, more women were employed across the board in the film industry than they are now. It also looks at how women helped to shape the content, style of acting and development of the movie business in their roles as actors, writers, editors, cinematographers, directors and producers. In addition, we describe how women engaged with and influenced the development of cinema in their roles as audience, critics, fans, reviewers, journalists and the arbiters of morality in films. And finally, we ask when the current discrimination and male domination of the industry will give way to allow more women access to the top jobs. In addition to its historical focus on women working in film during the silent film era, the term silent also refers to the silencing and eradication of the enormous contribution that women have made to the development of the motion picture industry. “The surprise of the essays collected here is their sheer volume in every corner of a business apparently better able to accommodate female talent then than now..” Danny Leigh, Financial Times, July 2016 “ It's a fascinating journey into the untold history of a largely lost era of film..” Greg Jameson, Entertainment Focus, March 2016 "This book shows how women's voices were heard and helped create the golden age of silent cinema, how those voices were almost eradicated by the male-dominated film industry, and perhaps points the way to an all-inclusive future for global cinema..” Paul Duncan, Film Historian “Inspirational and informative, Silent Women will challenge many people's ideas about the beginnings of film history. This fascinating book roams widely across the era and the diverse achievements and voices of women in the film industry. These are the stories of pioneers, trailblazers and collaborators - hugely enjoyable to read and vitally important to publish.” Pamela Hutchinson, Silent London “Every page begs the question - how on earth did these amazing women vanish from history in the first place? I defy anyone interested in cinema history not to find this valuable compendium a must-read. It's also a call to arms for more research into women's contribution and an affirmation of just how rewarding the detective work can be.” Laraine Porter, Co-Artistic Director of British Silent Film Festival “An authoritative and illuminating work, it also lends a pervasive voice to the argument that discrimination and not talent is the barrier to so few women occupying the most prominent roles within the industry." Jason Wood, Author and Visiting Professor at MMU “I was amazed to discover just how crucially they were involved from not just in front of the camera but in producing, directing, editing and much, much more. An essential read.” Neil McGlone. The Criterion Collection

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Page Count

353

Publisher

Aurora Metro Publications Ltd.

Published Date

ISBN 10

0993220703

ISBN 13

9780993220708

Poems and Life of Karen Valborg Sofie Rasmussen

By: Seena Karen Rasmussen Drapala

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Poems and Life of Karen Valborg Sofie Rasmussen

By: Seena Karen Rasmussen Drapala

This book details the history of Karen Sofie Valborg Rasmussen, with photographs and poems. She was a governess, seamstress, mother, wife, and widow who emigrated from Denmark in 1906. She lived in Schenectady, New York for her remaining years, returning to Denmark at least twice. She was a founding member of the Danish Sisterhood Society Lodge #142 in Schenectady and encouraged the assimilation of many young immigrant Americans. She was a seamstress in great demand in the days before store bought clothes. She befriended and sewed for many of the society ladies in the community. Her poems are infused with caring, faith, friends, family, and most of all encouragement. Author, Seena Karen Rasmussen Drapala, her granddaughter, recounts her memories of her beloved Grandma Val.

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Page Count

162

Publisher

Lulu.com

Published Date

ISBN 10

1365315843

ISBN 13

9781365315848

Book's by Karen Valby

The Swans of Harlem

The Swans of Harlem

The Swans of Harlem

The Swans of Harlem

The Swans of Harlem

The Swans of Harlem

Welcome to Utopia

Welcome to Utopia

Silent Women

Silent Women

Poems and Life of Karen Valborg Sofie Rasmussen

Poems and Life of Karen Valborg Sofie Rasmussen

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