REVIEWS
ARABESQUES THROUGH TIME
by
Adam Darius
"Arabesques Through Time is a masterpiece. Bravo!"
Dr. Alberto Testa,
Italy's leading dance historian
"an extremely fascinating book...a treasured addition to my very large dance
library of approximately 13,000 volumes"
John Neumeier,
choreographer and director of the Hamburg Ballet, Germany
"This feast of dance is more than an arabesque. It is a grand jeté, a Spectre's leap through the window of time. Adam Darius encompasses the lives of those dedicated to dance in all its forms, from the early Russians to the present day. Throughout this odyssey we accompany him as he journeys across the world, meeting old friends and new. The youngster who sought autographs at stage doors emerges as a master of his art. Throughout this metamorphosis is a deep interest in the human psyche, a dislike of pretension, and a light touch of humour which makes his detailed book immensely readable."
Kay Hunter,
co-author of Ballet in the Blitz and Last Words with Sir Anton Dolin
"Arabesques Through Time is a wonderful journey through a great artist's life and through dance history. "Arabesques Through Time" by Adam Darius is a thoughtful book dealing with the big issues in the art of dance. But it also covers the adventures - big and small - in a dancer's life. Adam Darius has known so many important people in the dance world and we meet them in his marvelous descriptions. It is both moving and exciting reading"
Erik Aschengreen,
Denmark's leading dance historian
"Superb...a vivid and evocative portrait of dancers past and present, which expertly captures the essence of dance. This hugely entertaining and immensely enjoyable book will delight ballet lovers everywhere."
Coryne Hall,
author of Imperial Dancer, Mathilde Kschessinska and the Romanovs
"A superb book...the reflections and recollections of a master artist...a fascinating procession of characters moves through Arabesques Through Time...yet, when the final page has been arrived at, it is ultimately the author, Adam Darius, who emerges as the book's most compelling figure."
Hal de Becker,
Dance Magazine critic, New York
"Adam Darius is a master of the dance and the world's greatest living mime... Arabesques Through Time is a composite memoir containing mini-essays, anecdotes, histories and observations, including interviews with some of ballet's greatest exponents...a big, daring, generous book by an artist whose clarity of vision touches and thrills us...the canvas is huge in this richly varied, hugely informative, relentlessly clear-sighted, splendidly outspoken, seriously funny, wickedly wise, unsentimentally poignant and warmly human testament"
Richard Burns,
award-winning international poet
"a charming cornucopia of memories, conversations and interviews with the
many dance figures he has encountered during his life...a lovely book...he
writes with sharpness, clarity, wit and wisdom"
Karen van Ulzen,
editor, Dance Australia
"When my uncle, Otto Frank, told me about Adam Darius' superb staging of The Anne Frank Ballet, it was my desire to see my cousin's story performed by this great dancer. Unfortunately, I was never able to see it. Only through his wonderful, informative book Arabesques through Time could I at least see some pictures of it and, through this book, enjoy meeting some of the greatest dancers and performers of the world of dance, including this highly versatile and humanistic Adam Darius."
Buddy Elias,
first cousin of Anne Frank
and President of The Anne Frank Foundation, Switzerland
"an exciting tale of lives in ballet...Adam Darius, a master of dance and a great mime, is also a gifted author who in precise words and rich poetic style presents a splendid description of artists who, for over a century, have sustained the spirit of classical dance...His interviews with outstanding artists are documents of history...Arabesques Through Time is a generous book with reflections of backstage passions with serious and often humour-tainted considerations about fame, artists and life"
Alexander Scarlat,
Editor, Ditt & Datt, Stockholm
"A treasure of a book, I could not put it down...a winner...A writer with great insight, he has a fantastic command of the English language...I was spellbound"
Barbara Bocher,
formerly of the New York City Ballet
Harlequinade Books
Runeberginkatu 17 B 25
00100 Helsinki
Finland
tel: +358 9 44 80 56UK £15 USA $30 Europe 23 euros
Hardcover, over 400 pages
including over 200 photographs
ISBN 951-98232-4-7
