International Dance Day is celebrated on the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre on 29th April. He was a French dancer and ballet master who is said to have been the inventor of the ballet dance form. His choreography brought major reforms in ballet productions. 

Noverre’s first choreographic success was Les Fêtes chinoises (1754) and after producing the masterpiece as Medée et Jason and Psyché et l’Amour (1760-67), he was appointed ballet master at the Paris Opéra in 1776.

The Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute which is the World Organization for the Performing Arts began to observe this day ever since 1982. All members of the United Nations are observers of this day. The celebrations primarily take place at UNESCO in Paris. The International Dance Council within UNESCO which is in active support of dance promotes Dance Day through the voice of its president who delivers a message himself every year.

The reason for the celebration of this day is to celebrate dance and allow it to cross all political, cultural and ethnic barriers to bring people together with the common language of dance. Every year a message from some outstanding choreographer or dancer is circulated throughout the world. The author of this message is selected by the International Dance Committee of ITI and the Executive Council of ITI. This message is translated into numerous languages and circulated globally. 

You can read the messages of this year here – 

www.international-dance-day.org

The celebration of this day is done worldwide is various methods. Special dance award ceremonies, charity performances, fundraising projects through galas, balls, dinners, special celebrations at dance schools, academics and universities, street dance festivals and even flash mobs are some ways for people to celebrate this day and spread the universal language of dance.

Dance is like a poem where every movement is a word. The beauty of it is that these words are weaved together in a language that is spoken by all those who appreciate this form of art from the passion in their hearts, making it universal.