Lynn Garafola, a dance historian and critic, is professor emerita of dance at Barnard College. She is the recipient of multiple awards and fellowships and the author of La Nijinska: Choreographer of the Modern, Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, and Legacies of Twentieth-Century Dance.

“What do we ask of great dance visionaries? We ask their work to join impeccable detail with transformative imagination. This is what Arthur Mitchell did in his life, and it is what Lynn Garafola does in this virtuosic biography.”—Margo Jefferson, author of Negroland“At Juilliard, James Baldwin awakened my imagination; after graduation, Arthur Mitchell became its living force. This book honors his remarkable legacy of artistry, service, and unwavering cultural stewardship.”—Robert Garland, Artistic Director, Dance Theatre of Harlem“Dance history at its most encompassing.”—Mindy Aloff, Why Dance Matters“This mesmerizing biography by one of our greatest dance historians takes us behind the scenes of Mitchell’s towering achievements and sheds unprecedented light on the gay life he felt compelled to hide.  A triumph of research, insight, and compassion.”—George Chauncey, author of Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940

• IntroductionChapter 1. BeginningsChapter 2. FathersChapter 3. New York City Ballet in Black and WhiteChapter 4. An International StarChapter 5. Conundrums of RaceChapter 6. A Miracle in HarlemChapter 7. “We Were Family”Chapter 8. Trouble in ParadiseChapter 9. A New StartChapter 10. Top of the WorldChapter 11. Snapshots of a CommunityChapter 12. To Russia with LoveChapter 13. Africa and BeyondChapter 14. Changing of the GuardChapter 15. SunsetChapter 16. NadirChapter 17. LegacyList of author interviewsList of abbreviationsNotes

Lynn Garafola, a dance historian and critic, is professor emerita of dance at Barnard College. She is the recipient of multiple awards and fellowships and the author of La Nijinska: Choreographer of the Modern, Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, and Legacies of Twentieth-Century Dance.

“What do we ask of great dance visionaries? We ask their work to join impeccable detail with transformative imagination. This is what Arthur Mitchell did in his life, and it is what Lynn Garafola does in this virtuosic biography.”—Margo Jefferson, author of Negroland“At Juilliard, James Baldwin awakened my imagination; after graduation, Arthur Mitchell became its living force. This book honors his remarkable legacy of artistry, service, and unwavering cultural stewardship.”—Robert Garland, Artistic Director, Dance Theatre of Harlem“Dance history at its most encompassing.”—Mindy Aloff, Why Dance Matters“This mesmerizing biography by one of our greatest dance historians takes us behind the scenes of Mitchell’s towering achievements and sheds unprecedented light on the gay life he felt compelled to hide.  A triumph of research, insight, and compassion.”—George Chauncey, author of Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940

• IntroductionChapter 1. BeginningsChapter 2. FathersChapter 3. New York City Ballet in Black and WhiteChapter 4. An International StarChapter 5. Conundrums of RaceChapter 6. A Miracle in HarlemChapter 7. “We Were Family”Chapter 8. Trouble in ParadiseChapter 9. A New StartChapter 10. Top of the WorldChapter 11. Snapshots of a CommunityChapter 12. To Russia with LoveChapter 13. Africa and BeyondChapter 14. Changing of the GuardChapter 15. SunsetChapter 16. NadirChapter 17. LegacyList of author interviewsList of abbreviationsNotes

Lynn Garafola, a dance historian and critic, is professor emerita of dance at Barnard College. She is the recipient of multiple awards and fellowships and the author of La Nijinska: Choreographer of the Modern, Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, and Legacies of Twentieth-Century Dance.

“What do we ask of great dance visionaries? We ask their work to join impeccable detail with transformative imagination. This is what Arthur Mitchell did in his life, and it is what Lynn Garafola does in this virtuosic biography.”—Margo Jefferson, author of Negroland“At Juilliard, James Baldwin awakened my imagination; after graduation, Arthur Mitchell became its living force. This book honors his remarkable legacy of artistry, service, and unwavering cultural stewardship.”—Robert Garland, Artistic Director, Dance Theatre of Harlem“Dance history at its most encompassing.”—Mindy Aloff, Why Dance Matters“This mesmerizing biography by one of our greatest dance historians takes us behind the scenes of Mitchell’s towering achievements and sheds unprecedented light on the gay life he felt compelled to hide.  A triumph of research, insight, and compassion.”—George Chauncey, author of Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940

• IntroductionChapter 1. BeginningsChapter 2. FathersChapter 3. New York City Ballet in Black and WhiteChapter 4. An International StarChapter 5. Conundrums of RaceChapter 6. A Miracle in HarlemChapter 7. “We Were Family”Chapter 8. Trouble in ParadiseChapter 9. A New StartChapter 10. Top of the WorldChapter 11. Snapshots of a CommunityChapter 12. To Russia with LoveChapter 13. Africa and BeyondChapter 14. Changing of the GuardChapter 15. SunsetChapter 16. NadirChapter 17. LegacyList of author interviewsList of abbreviationsNotes