Black Swans

by Laurel Van Der Linde, Ralaiarisolo Vohary Soa (Illustrator)

The stories of six daring, groundbreaking Black ballet dancers leap off the pages of this beautifully illustrated nonfiction picture book. Meet Essie Marie Dorsey, who in 1926 opened one of the first ballet schools for Black students; Arthur Mitchell, the first Black dancer with the New York City Ballet; Christian Holder, a principal dancer with the Joffrey Ballet; choreographer Dwight Rhoden; and present-day ballerinas Misty Copeland and Michaela DePrince. With a leap of faith and a love of dance, these Black Swans overcame obstacles and opened doors for all the children who dream of dancing.

Library Binding

Published January 1, 2023

About the author

Laurel van der Linde’s first career was as a ballet dancer. Trading her pointe shoes for character pumps, she segued into Broadway musical theater dancing in A Chorus Line, Annie, My Fair Lady, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. She also worked with legendary choreographers Gower Champion and Micheal Kidd. Van der Linde is also a voice-over artist and an instructor of creative writing for children at UCLA. She has published four books for kids. She has two sons, Gower and Gavin, and breeds and trains Arabian horses on her ranch in Valencia, CA.

Reviews

[Jennifer]

Educational and inspiring.