International Dance Day

On 29 April, International Dance Day is celebrated by the UNESCO International Dance Council. A day of celebration that unites all the countries of the world.

The date commemorates the birth of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727-1810), who was the greatest choreographer of his era, the creator of modern ballet.

The commemoration was established in 1982 for the International Dance Committee - C.I.D. of the International Theater Institute. celebrating its 45th anniversary this year.

The International Dance Day aims to draw attention to the art of dance. It is celebrated by millions of dancers worldwide. On that day, dance professionals organize an activity aimed at a different audience than usual.

Official message  2021

When dancing, people sometimes transcend to the realm of the supernatural; music and movement combined fuse body and mind to an elevated state. This ecstatic experience liberates, extends deeper into one’s inner dimension, uniting the person with the universe.

When creating, choreographers sometimes succeed in producing in the spectator a connection with the sacred, the esoteric, the superbly unknown. Further than recreation and art, dance then becomes a vehicle of elevated conscience, a quest for the ultimate meaning. Such choreography leads beyond the observable, the experienced and the known.

Deliades - dancing nymphs on the island of Delos in ancient Greece. Devadasis - temple attendants preserving classical traditions Bharatanatyam and Odissi in India. Sufi Dervishes - followers of the Persian poet Rumi, with their whirling dance. Aztec priests “singing with the feet” in pre-Hispanic Mexico. Spirituality has always been present in dancing.

Presently we witness the rapid proliferation of liturgical dance, especially in the Americas. Dance returns as practice of worship, physical form of prayer, expression of devotion to God. Thousands of ministers-choreographers are trained and establish their own congregations. In some places dance ministries outnumber conventional dance schools.

The theme we propose for Dance Day and for events in 2019 is Dance and Spirituality.

(Prof. Alkis Raftis - President of the International Dance Council CID UNESCO Paris)

For more information visit
- international website of the association: http://www.cid-portal.org/it/
- official website of the dance day: http://www.danceday.cid-portal.org