Black Women Center Stage: Prima Ballerinas and the Opera Carmen
2:15 PM - 3:00 PM
Saturday, November 16
Capitol Extension Room: E2.014 (1100 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701)
Join us for a fascinating panel that spotlights the pioneering contributions of Black women in ballet and opera. In The Swans of Harlem, Karen Valby uncovers the untold story of five Black ballerinas from the Dance Theatre of Harlem, their 50-year sisterhood, and their trailblazing careers during the Civil Rights era. Jennifer M. Wilks' Carmen in Diaspora explores how the iconic character of Carmen has been reimagined in African diasporic contexts, from Harlem to Africa, highlighting the intersections of race, gender, and adaptation in global opera. This discussion celebrates the reclamation of hidden histories and the powerful legacies of Black women in the arts.
- Books: The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History, Carmen in Diaspora: Adaptation, Race, and Opera's Most Famous Character
- Book Type: Non Fiction
- Authors: Karen Valby, Jennifer M. Wilks
- Moderator: Hon. Gigi Edwards Bryant
- Book Signing: 3:15 PM at Main Signing Tent