April 29 is International Dance Day

2021 Alberta Messages for International Dance Day

Initiated in 1982 by the International Dance Committee of the UNESCO International Theatre Institute International Dance Day falls on April 29 of every year, commemorating the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre, a distinguished choreographer that brought about significant reforms in ballet production. Every year, an international message authored by a well-known dance personality is circulated around the world as part of International Dance Day celebrations.

ITI Unesco Message

Banner Image: Friedemann Vogel, Germany (Ballet Dancer)

“Everything starts with movement – an instinct we all have – and dance is movement refined to communicate. Much as flawless technique is important and impressive, it is ultimately what the dancer expresses inside the movement that is the essence.

As dancers, we are constantly on the move, aspiring to create these unforgettable moments. Regardless of the dance genre, it’s what every dancer strives to achieve. So, when all of a sudden, we aren’t allowed to perform anymore, with theatres closed and festivals cancelled, our worlds come to a standstill. No physical contact. No shows. No audiences. Never in recent history has the dance community been so collectively challenged to stay motivated, to find our raison d’être.

Yet, it is precisely when something precious has been taken away from us that we truly appreciate how vital it is what we do, and how much dance means to society at large. Dancers are often celebrated for their physical prowess, when in fact we are sustained even more by our mental strength. I believe it is this unique combination of physical and psychological agility that will help us overcome, to reinvent ourselves to keep dancing, and to keep inspiring.”

Learn more about Friedemann Vogel

Canadian Dance Assembly

International Dance Day Actions & Celebrations

#PassTheDance

 

This year CDA is celebrating with a #passthedance chain linking dancers across the country! We have picked 12 dancers who have been inspiring us to keep moving. Look out on our Instagram,  Facebook  or Twitter all day April 29th to witness their #passthedance chains and join in!

A message to the Dance Community on International Dance Day

Lauren Ritchie

 

We danced in our diapers.
Before we had words, training, history, or context.
Before we could filter, judge, or compare our moves and grooves.
In the most primal, uninhibited, wild and free way, we moved because it felt good. It felt truthful. It felt right.

Our drive to dance is more than moving our body. It is the embodiment of emotion, the physical manifestation of story, the expression of culture, the universal language of humanity.

I have dabbled in writing, yoga, graphic design, photography, not to mention an exhaustive number of exercise classes and disciplines. But nothing could ever replace the experience of dancing. The incomparable fusion of artistry and athleticism. The access to emotion. The feelings of freedom. The undeniable authenticity.

My soul always came back to Dance. Our souls are always wanting to dance.
Without rules or judgement.
Without expectations or conditions.
With full bold, unapologetic veracity.

As we celebrate International Dance Day, may we all reconnect with instinctual bops, our intuitive sways and, inevitably, our diaper bum bounces.

IDD EVENTS

Submit your International Dance Day event to:

#InternationalDanceDay

In addition, please enjoy this: The official 2021 IDD UNESCO Message

 

80 years ago, Europe around 1941: a great part of Europe is occupied, curfew is imposed, radio is forbidden, sometimes no electricity. Families stay long evening hours at home with nothing to do, under conditions leading to depression and nervous breakdown – they get desperate. 

Grandparents come to the rescue – their memories go back to the time when people could produce their own enjoyment, when they did not depend on TV, on dining out, going to the cinema or attending events. They had active, not passive entertainment. Younger ones had lost the ability to take pleasure in relating stories, telling jokes, singing and dancing at home in good company. 

The aged people became the soul of the party singing the old songs, dancing the dances and taking the whole family with them, plus the neighbors. This is how the half-forgotten songs and dances jumped one generation and survived, producing after the War a revival of folk dancing. 

As dance professionals, think of your role in the present situation of pandemic, lockdown and curfew. People need you now and will need you after this crisis. You produce a vaccine against the virus of the soul: you know how to make people dance. You hear the call, answer it! 

 

Alkis Raftis

President of the International Dance Council

CID, UNESCO, Paris

 

 

The official message for Dance Day is sent to dance professionals in 200 countries. Translate the message to your language, post it online, send it to the media. Find guidelines for your own celebration as well as previous DD messages at www.DanceDay.CID-world.org

Dance Day, every year on 29 April, established in 1982 and coordinated by CID, aims at attracting attention to the art of dance. It is celebrated by millions of dancers around the globe. On that day dance professionals organize an activity addressing an audience different from their usual one.

  • The International Dance Council CID is the official organization for all forms of dance in all countries of the world.
  • Its members are the most prominent federations, associations, schools, companies and individuals in more than 170 countries.
  • CID was founded in 1973 within the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, where it is based.
  • CID is official partner of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.