Ballerina Marcia Sells revisits Cincinnati

“The Swans of Harlem” by Karen Valby unveils the forgotten legacy of five Black ballerinas who made history with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Marcia Sells, a Cincinnati native who was among them, now serves as the Metropolitan Opera’s chief diversity officer. The book is a captivating journey of sisterhood, resilience, and the enduring power of Black ballet. It tells the forgotten story of a pioneering group of five Black ballerinas and their fifty-year sisterhood, a legacy erased from history — until now.& Marcia Sells returned to her hometown on May 10 to discuss and sign “The Swans of Harlem” at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Norwood. 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 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, the youngest of the group. During the book signing event, Marcia Sells...