International Dance Day 2026

Alberta Dance Alliance is celebrating International Dance Day with a number of new initiatives this year including free Public Programming, Giveaways, and messages from impactful community members, and a new public awareness campaign being launched April 29 in Edmonton.

Alberta’s Dance Day Messages by ADA

Adrian LaChance

Tansi Hello. My name is Adrian LaChance, and I come from the James Smith Cree Nation.

I honor you all in a good way

I was asked to share about my experience with pow wow dance. I’ve been a dancer since 1997 but the first time I was exposed to it was I think, in back in 1993. In 1997 was when I first got that motivation, that bug, to be a dancer. it began to fill a void in my life, something that was missing, something I couldn’t find with drugs and alcohol. Something that filled my spiritual cup, overflowed it with a good vibe, a good energy, that I couldn’t find any other substance or behavior. And so when I first danced I was given many teachings, and the very first teaching I was given was that when you dance, especially the men’s traditional, you’re a warrior, you’re a symbol of something very powerful, something very unique and that you have to honor that the best way you understood that. And to do that was by keeping your body, your mind, and your spirit clean, and so I understood that because for me that’s how our ancestors live a long time ago. When you dance you’re telling the story of long time ago before KFC, before McDonald’s. When we go out there and hunt, when we go out there and battle, maybe protect our people. Those are some of the stories we bring back, and so for me when we dance the first thing we’re told is think about the Creator,think about those ones who are blind, sick or deaf, think about those ones who are hungry, those ones who are in the belly of their mother. Think about those ones so they don’t have to suffer as we as First Nations people have suffered in our own backyard.

It is a celebration of life, but also sometimes you get asked pray; pray for my daughter, pray for my son, pray for my dad, pray for my wife, pray for our grandparents, pray for our people and our community. And so it becomes a ceremonial dance, that’s because you’re putting that good energy that good thought into whoever requested that of you so it’s a great honor a great privilege to be a men’s traditional dancer and I’m really grateful to share that story with each and every one of you

Thank you!

Caroline ‘Lady C’ Fraser

What dance means to me…

For me, dance has been a journey. A vehicle to move me through life. It has offered me a unique way to express myself, access to community and relationships, knowledge and understanding about different human experiences, and a connection to a spiritual force that reminds me that I am a part of everything around me.

In the beginning of this journey as a young kid, dance was a source of excitement. Moving my body to music and the connection between physical and sonic experiences was just a visceral feeling that I instinctively felt in my DNA. It was play, it was joy, and I still feel connected to these same feelings 35 years later.

Along the way, dance offered an opportunity to connect to other humans. It offered a common ground to build relationships – some of these relationships have become as close as family.

The practice of Street Dance forms involves participation in a community construct that was so healthy for me and my coming of age. It helped me understand the world, it helped me understand people, it helped me understand myself. In social spaces it offers a moment for people to engage in the same collective contagious energy just by moving our bodies together in space and sound. This has always been a source of positive uplifting energy for me and others in the community.

Dance is also a cycle of inspiration that connects people within and through different generations – videos from the past still offer information, a feeling, a spirit that moves my mind and body in the present moment. Dances from past decades are passed on through practice and tradition and they carry important cultural notes within the movement. This culture holds stories of people’s experiences, where music and movement reflected the energy in the environment, and people shared in this together. It’s important to honour these stories, these moments, these experiences.

Performance has been a very beautiful source of inspiration and imagination for me both as an artist and an observer. There are shows I have seen that have changed my life, made me cry or laugh, or sparked a new idea of my own to which I created something new. And I know I have provided these same experiences for others as well – what a beautiful thing. Dance offers a more complex language that allows us to express things that words can’t. We can engage in conversation with each other, with the music, with the audience.
We can tell stories and express feelings without speaking at all. We learn the vocabulary, we become fluent in the language, we learn the art of conversation and story telling and then we can express more freely and deeply what it is we want to say. Dance is and has always been a physical interpretation of music. The dance forms that I practice now are directly tethered to the music that inspired them and for me, at the highest level of this practice the dancer becomes a visual representation of the music, but also becomes
music itself.

The dancers that I have looked up to and strive to become myself, are those who embody sound and texture. Those who can transfer the feeling in the music to the feeling in the body and to those around them. Those who can translate the lyrics and the story of the music into physical poetry. Those who can deliver the cadence in their body the same way a musician would deliver that same flare and versatility in their instrument. This is the dancer that I aspire to be and these days is the primary focus of my practice.

What started as a vehicle for the human experience, has now also become a vehicle for the spiritual experience. There’s a certain frequency where you become a vessel for music and the movement is in an open flow state. There’s many names for this, but in my crew we call this ‘catching the ghost’. For me, there is nothing more pure than this state. It is euphoric, it is metaphysical, it is medicine. This is not something I ‘practice’ … this is something I understand is a gift in a particular moment, in a particular atmosphere. I can not create it, I am only there to experience it.

For me now, I think dance is the thing that is still so closely connected to the human experience. Dance has been a part of my life through the invention of the internet, social media, ai etc and I still know to my deepest core that this real time physical exchange of energy, connection to sound and spirit is irreplaceable and it is unique to the human soul.

ITI Dance Day Message 2026

Humans move – our arms reach out, our knees collapse, our heads nod, our chests cave in, our backs arch, we jump, we shrug, we clench our fists, we pick each other up and push each other away. This is language as much as it is action. This is what the body has to say about need, defeat, courage, despair, desire, joy, ambivalence, frustration, love. These images flash with meaning in the mind because we have felt these things so purely in the body – we have been moved.

We are dancers, all of us. Life moves us; life dances us. Ephemeral as breath, concrete as bone, a dance is made of us. We sculpt space. We write with our bodies in a wordless language that is deeply understood. We grace the space within and around us when we dance.

Like life, a dance creates and destroys itself in every moment. Like love, it is beyond reason.

I like to think of the body as a location; a place where being is held and shaped. When we dance, we are profoundly engaged in being there.

I’m writing this in early 2026, when there seems to be no end to the oppression, upheaval and suffering in our world. Daily, as we witness the horror of what humans are capable of doing to each other and the machinery of power that funds and fuels unspeakable violence to people and planet, dance feels like a facile, useless response. It’s hard to imagine what a dance artist can do in a world that so badly needs radical change and healing.

And yet – art, like hope, is a form of love. Defiantly generative in the face of desecration, art is a solvent for the calcifying mind and a balm to heal it. Art is a vessel to hold us while we grapple with questions – together – in a way that is different from news, different from documentary and education, different from opinion and social media, different from activism and protest, but not incompatible.

Through creativity, we accumulate resistance and hope through small acts of courage, curiosity, kindness and collaboration. In dance, and in dance-making, we find proof that humanity is more than our latest heartbreaking global failure.

But dance needs no justification, no explanation. It’s made of us yet owes us nothing. It only needs to inhabit a willing body. From that location, it can translate the ineffable; acting as an intermediary between us and the unknown.

We are moved by these vanishing traces of beauty in the present moment. And as we embody both the dance and its disappearance, we are reminded of our impermanence. At the same time, if we are paying attention, dance will give us an occasional glimpse of the soul.

2026 IDD Programming

Celebrate Dance with Free Public Programming

Alberta Dance Alliance invited Dance Studios throughout the province to participate in celebrating, sharing and uplifting dance by providing free public programming. Events will take place over the course of several weeks so check out events near you!

Look all Events at ADA’s: dancelink-calendar

Dance Day Giveaway

We’re celebrating International Dance Day with ticket giveaways from our amazing community partners who have generously donated the gift of dance for incredible upcoming performances! Please note, all performances will take place in Calgary.

To enter, email events@abdancealliance.ab.ca starting 6pm April 28. Include your name & phone number. By entering you agree to have your information shared with participating Dance Companies and Alberta Dance Alliance for the purpose of redeeming your prize. If you do not wish to have only your name shared publicly should you win, please indicate so in your email.

Alberta Ballet – Two tickets to one show during the 2026/2027 session

Join Alberta Ballet for their 60th Anniversary season! The winner will receive two tickets to a show of their choice in the 2026/27 season, valued at approximately $400. Details of the 2026/27 season will be announced soon. Visit albertaballet.com after May 15, 2026 to make your show selection

Decidedly Jazz Danceworks – Two tickets to their January 2027 show

Decidedly Jazz Danceworks has been supporting Calgary dance for over 40 years! In celebration of this very special milestone, you and a guest will receive two vouchers for DJD upcoming show in January 2027.

Flamenco Show featuring Claire Marchand, Jane Ogilvie and Rosanna Terracciano -Two tickets to their May 28, 2026 show

Two adult tickets to see Flamenco at the DJD Dance Centre on May 28 in CalgaryA collaboration between Western Canadian flamenco dancers Claire Marchand (Winnipeg/Vancouver), Jane Ogilvie (Edmonton/Calgary) and Rosanna Terracciano (Calgary). Following a sold-out 2025 tour, this vibrant flamenco ensemble takes to the stage with returning special guests – Spanish Flamenco singer and percussionist Francisco Orozco “Yiyi”, and Vancouver Flamenco guitarist Peter Mole. Immerse yourself in an intimate, dynamic evening of live flamenco dance, guitar, piano, rhythm and song.

IDD IN PREVIOUS YEARS

International Dance Day 2025

Alberta’s Provincial Messages for Dance Day 2025

On this meaningful occasion, the Alberta Dance Alliance is proud to amplify the voices of three remarkable Alberta dance artists who embody the spirit of healing through movement. As we come together to honor the transformative power of dance, let us listen to their stories — stories of resilience, restoration, and renewal — and be inspired by their journeys.

On this International Dance Day 2025, let us heed the words of Anne Flynn, Galen Robinson Wapple, & Meghann Michalsky as we dance toward a future where movement is recognized not only as an art form but as a profound source of healing and hope. Together, let us move with purpose, with compassion, and with a commitment to nurturing a dance community that uplifts, heals, and connects us all.

Anne Flynn

As we mark International Dance Day 2025 with events to celebrate this ancient and enduring form of expression found across cultures past and present, I’d like to share my own small story as a dance educator. It’s from this vantage point that I learned about the impact that dance can have on young adults. Beyond gaining proficiency in executing movement sequences and rhythmic patterns, I’m referring to learning that moves from the surface to a deeper place of emotional awakening, an awareness of others, a felt experience beyond words.

In the hundreds of “Introduction to Dance” classes I taught to thousands of non-dance majors at the University of Calgary over almost four decades, a recurring comment from students was how good they felt walking out of the studio at the end of class. In course evaluations, students repeatedly mentioned that on days when they were feeling down, stressed, or tired, they looked forward to dance class knowing it might change their outlook: they would be together with other students; focused on very specific movement tasks that could range from full muscular exertion to subtle articulations; moving in unison to music. They would be surrounded on all sides by other students, some in sweatpants, some in shorts, some in tights, but with the common goal of achieving unison; individual differences were suspended in the moment to-moment collective action that is dancing.

Students rarely missed class and socialized more as the weeks passed. I no longer had to coax students from the edges of the studio into the centre as they began tossing their bags to the side and claiming space with confidence; the chatter volume rising week by week. By the end of term there was no stopping the flow of camaraderie, hugs and affection, the agreements to stay in touch. Students who had never had an opportunity to dance before talked about how good they felt to be more at ease dancing in front of others.

In these dance classes, we never talked about dance as healing, we just danced together and then enjoyed the high-fives, laughter, solidarity and warmth that often filled the studio. And for me, the healing aspects of dancing live in those expressions of warmth and affection, making plans to go for coffee, silent glances at the end of class that say—we’re good, we’re together, we danced ourselves into open-heartedness. It’s not spoken, but everyone knows and in some indescribable way, we leave the studio changed.

Galen Robinson-Wapple

Dance is the foundation that I build my life on, it is the gift that has allowed me to heal while providing me a career. For me, healing and dance are the same. As someone with ADHD, Tourettes and Asthma, the spiritual, mental and physical elements of dance are my main tool in managing my conditions. Because of my conditions it can be hard to settle and rest. Dance circulates the energy through my body, helping me regulate and regain a sense of harmony with my mind and body. Once the music hits my ears it’s like my nervous system takes a deep breath and relaxes. Being able to go out to the club on Saturday is the best medicine. The euphoric satisfaction of the bass and the subwoofer in my chest remind me that I am alive and life is worth living.

Before returning to dance and pursuing it as a career it was tough living in a way that brought me joy. Once I realized I needed to shift my focus back to dance everything fell into place. Not only did it allow me to reconnect with myself but it connected me to a new support network. The street community in Edmonton has always been a home for me. The friends and mentors I have had the joy of meeting have helped me grow and become the person I am today. It didn’t matter whether it was the Cypher, a battle, or a session there were lessons to learn, moves to pick up and practice, etiquette lessons and footwork conversations. The priority was and is the exchange every time, be it dance lessons or life lessons there was someone there to teach you.

I encourage everyone who can dance to do it. I sincerely believe that dance is for anyone that wants to try it. In understanding how you move you begin to understand yourself. My mentor always reminds me that “if you want to freestyle, first you have to free yourself”. Liberate yourself through movement and feel the power of dance as you step into a joyful life.

Meghann Michalsky

I believe dance is profoundly healing. It offers cathartic release, channels adrenaline, and stimulates serotonin. It creates a deep connection to the body while offering a path to transformation. Dance invites us into ourselves. It connects us to joy, to grief, to resilience—and to each other.

When I was younger, I struggled with intense anxiety. Dance was one of the few things that gave me an outlet to process emotions and access a sense of confidence that didn’t come naturally to me. It became a tool that helped me persevere and navigate the complexities of daily life. It taught me how to breathe, how to be in my body, and how to move through discomfort. It showed me that I am strong—and that I can do hard things.

Today, dance continues to be a safe haven. It’s also my profession, which is a gift in itself. Through movement, I process what’s happening in my life—both through improvisation and structured choreography. My choreographic work often emerges from personal challenges. Dancing, whether in creation or performance, allows me to go deeper into those layers and release them.

The layers I am referring to, have to do with memory storage. While the brain is primarily known for memory storage, new research indicates that cells throughout the body, not just brain cells, also possess memory-like capabilities. This discovery has led to the concept of “body memory,” where cells throughout the body can learn and store information, potentially influencing physiological processes and even impacting the development of diseases.

In the context of dance as therapy, this understanding reinforces what many dancers and somatic practitioners have long sensed: the body holds onto experiences—both joyful and traumatic. Through intentional movement, we can tap into these stored memories, offering the body a way to express, process, and release what words sometimes cannot reach.

Dance becomes more than an art form—it becomes a language of healing. Moving with awareness allows us to connect with the stories our bodies hold, rewire habitual patterns, and invite regulation into the nervous system. It’s not just about physical expression; it’s about emotional integration and reclaiming agency over how we inhabit ourselves.

Performing is one of the purest forms of presence I know. The mind must quiet, and all focus moves into the now. There is a stillness that arises in this connection between mind and body—a state where the external world fades and self-awareness sharpens. This creates a sense of “oneness” and “ wholeness” within the body and a strength that is deeply healing.

One somatic practice that I frequently do while sitting is to imagine a short brushing motion from one side of the body to the other—from head to toe—clearing unwanted or stagnant energy. It’s a subtle act of purification. Even when the movement is imagined, the body and mind respond. Energy shifts.

My process is my therapy. Art is therapy. And healing doesn’t always happen in one moment—it happens in a process. A long, honest, often non-linear process. My process saves me, over and over again.

International Dance Day 2024

UNESCO’s Official Message for Dance Day 2024

Dance is by its nature a pleasant, creative and beneficial activity – why would some people spoil the fun? Because they want to make money by cheating dancers. I use this opportunity to advise dancers to be vigilant, there is too much fraud in the internet.

– Events that have hidden fees or expenses – but they do not tell you from the beginning
– Schools that do not have the classes they advertise – they will try to organize them after you pay
– Teachers that teach without having been taught – they learn from their mistakes while teaching you
– False titles of studies or positions – a sure bet, who is going to check?
– Organizations with impressive names (national, international, world etc.) that are nothing but private businesses – you do not vote for their leaders
– Competitions where all contestants win a title – everyone a champion!
– Festivals that do not take place – you find out after arriving there

The above is only misinformation concerning dance, we did not touch the huge subject of general misinformation. You cannot stop fraudsters but you can stop people from becoming their victim. So, stick to what you know well and what you can verify for sure.

Prof. Dr. Alkis Raftis
President of the International Dance Council
CID, UNESCO, Paris

Alberta’s Provincial Messages for Dance Day 2024

On this joyous occasion, the Alberta Dance Alliance is proud to amplify the voices of two remarkable dance artists who embody the spirit of diversity and equity-seeking in dance. As we come together to honor the transformative power of movement, let us heed their words of wisdom and inspiration.

On this International Dance Day, let us heed the words of Usha Gupta and Rebecca Bissonnette, as we dance towards a future where diversity is celebrated and equity is achieved. Together, let us move with purpose, with passion, and with a commitment to building a more inclusive dance community for generations to come.

Rebecca Bissonnette

Happy International Dance Day 2024, you all. My name is Rebecca Bissonnette, and I welcome you into my creative space. I feel like every artist should have a creative space. And as a dancer, yep, you heard me. As a 46-year-old, over 250 pounds, queer dancer, I mean, listen to that. That was beautiful, just to say out loud. Because for the longest time, friends, I didn’t think that dance was very accessible. Growing up, I didn’t look like all the other girls. I didn’t look like all the other dancers. So, I really took that inside and it really hurt because I love, love to dance. And I truly believe that every “body” is a dance body. And I also believe that dance friends really are the best friends.

So that is why, in 2024, I feel so excited to say that I am part of not one, not two, but three different organizations that truly celebrate the diversity and the equity that dance can represent. The context just grows bigger and bigger by the day. And I love that little Rebecca is now able to look ahead or look behind; I mean, time travel is fun. But I’m able to say to little Rebeccas or little whatever your name might be and say that, hey, it’s changing. The landscape of dance is truly changing, and with that being said, I am so happy to be a part of organizations that are not only embracing that but they want to lead that.

I’m the operations manager for CRIPSiE. So, I love, love, love being a part of the CRIPSiE community, because often members of the CRIPSiE community are people that aren’t, quite frankly, considered artists. And that…that’s not okay. I feel like the context of accessibility needs to be so much bigger. And I love that CRIPSiE is part of changing that landscape. So, things like, is the dance floor accessible? If there isn’t first-floor access, can someone safely get up to the next floor with a ramp or maybe an elevator? Or do you have someone doing transcription for somebody who maybe needs a little help if their hearing isn’t so great? Maybe you need steps broken down for you? Because maybe English isn’t your first language, or maybe you have a traumatic brain injury, so you need things broken down into smaller steps that make more sense to you, right? And these are just three, only three, of the things that CRIPSiE is working to provide. I truly believe that anybody that wants to move their body should be able to. It doesn’t matter what your body looks like, how your body moves, what kind of movement you want to do. You should be able to, plain and simple.

I’m also very happy to be a part of F. A. C. E., which stands for Fierce and Curvy Empire. So, as a fuller-figured dancer, I’ve often been looked down upon, saying, oh, really? She thinks she’s a dancer? Can she really move? Yes, I can. Yes, I can. So, I love being able to bring dance to bodies that were often looked upon like mine. Because again, every body is a dance body. If you’re 3 feet tall, 10 feet tall, 90 pounds, 600 pounds, if you can dance circles around somebody and take small steps because that’s what your body lets you do, it shouldn’t matter.

I love getting to expand the context of accessibility and also include things like, Okay, my knees aren’t the greatest. Can you modify this step so that I can still look like I’m doing the step that you are? Okay, I’ve got more weight around my middle, around my stomach. I don’t feel comfortable doing that kind of body roll. Can we modify that or do something quite simple? And things like looking in the lobby of the dance studio you are going into and seeing if there are chairs where I can sit and wait? I know that sounds like a question that some of us take for granted, but some places don’t even take it into consideration. So, size does not affect ability Whatsoever.

Last but definitely not least is Mile Zero Dance. We probably know them as this wonderful, beautiful, contemporary ballet company, which they are. But, I love the residency, the outreach piece of Mile Zero Dance, because I love getting to take my love of dance out into the world and to other adults who may have never danced before or thought, ooh, I thought that was only for advanced dancers, maybe there’s something for beginners or taking it out into schools and getting to show children that telling a story doesn’t always have to use your voice. Sometimes, you can tell a story with your body, True. So I love that that message is getting out to the youth and adults who want to hear it.

So again, on International Dance Day 2024, I, Rebecca Bissonette, still and will always believe every “body” is a dance body. So, let’s get our bodies on the dance floor, shall we? I’ll see you there.

Usha Gupta

In the fluid movements of dance, we find the rhythm of unity.

As an Edmonton Indian classical dancer, I’ve seen how the art of movement transcends borders, languages, and cultures, weaving a tapestry of diversity and inclusion.

When I came to Edmonton from India in 1989 I did not know what modern or contemporary was. But those forms opened my mind to different ideas and content I could explore with Kathak. I believe that as an artist, whatever you think, you can present.

In every step and every gesture of dance, there is a celebration of diversity. Whether it is Kathak’s expressive storytelling or Bharatnatyam’s graceful eye movements, dance speaks a language that knows no boundaries. For me, dance has never been just about performing, but it has been a powerful tool to get my message across to the world. In my recent show Khoj or “Quest” in English, I got the idea to do it while standing at the ocean in Maui a few years back and thinking, My god, this ocean is endless! And some things never are. Just as waves in the ocean are endless, so is the journey of diversity and equity-seeking in dance. It is a continuous flow of process and transformation. With every movement, we embrace so many possibilities of inclusion, welcoming dancers from every background, identity, and experience. So, whenever you look at an ocean or a sea, always remember our Khoj or quest for diversity and equity in dance knows no bounds. Just like the ocean, dance has no final destination. Instead, it’s an ever-going journey towards a more inclusive and equitable dance community for all.

Let us dance not just for applause but for change. Let us use our art to build bridges, foster understanding, and create a world where everyone can dance freely, regardless of their background or identity.

Happy International Dance Day 2024 Everyone!

– Usha Gupta