THE SWANS OF HARLEM Will Honor Black Ballerinas at 14th Street Y
A free master class and panel discussion with author Karen Valby will precede the theatrical performances at the 14th Street Y.
Clark Center NYC and From the Horse's Mouth (FTHM), will celebrate the legacy of five Black ballerinas whose careers and sisterhood are chronicled in journalist Karen Valby's acclaimed book, The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History.
The three tribute performances of From the Horse's Mouth: The Swans of Harlem will take place October 16–18, 2026, at the Theater at the 14th Street Y, supporting the forgotten legacy of a group of five pioneering Black ballerinas during the formative years of Arthur Mitchell's Dance Theatre of Harlem. The cast will include the four surviving “Swans” Marcia Sells, Sheila Rohan, Karlya Shelton-Benjamin and Lydia Abarca Mitchell and in memory of Gayle McKinney-Griffith, alongside former DTH dancers, colleagues, and collaborators.
From the Horse's Mouth blends dance and theater to tell the personal stories of dancers, combining storytelling, dance, and archival material to create a unique, one-time-only legacy-based theatrical event. For The Swans of Harlem, FTHM brings this distinctive format to the story of five women whose careers helped transform the landscape of American ballet.
The story of the “Swans” encompasses extraordinary achievement, friendship, resilience, and the often-overlooked realities of being Black women in the ballet world. The “Swans” challenged longstanding barriers in classical ballet and claimed space on some of the world's most prestigious stages, while helping to expand possibilities for generations of Black dancers who followed.
The celebration begins on Wednesday, October 14, with a master class in the basic principles of ballet taught by Theara Ward, followed by a conversation with Marcia Sells, Sheila Rohan, Karlya Shelton-Benjamin, and Lydia Abarca, moderated by Karen Valby, author of The Swans of Harlem. Both programs are free and open to all; registration is requested.
From the Horse's Mouth performances will follow, beginning on Friday, October 16 and continuing through Sunday, October 18.
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