Official message for World Dance Day

April 29 2011
For the greater part of the history of mankind, dance took place outdoors. People would gather in forest glades, village squares, churchyards, or on threshing floors, to enjoy dancing for hours on end. Nowadays, dance mostly takes place in ballrooms, clubs, theatres, school halls, studios and discos. This year we propose making a step back towards nature by celebrating World Dance Day in open spaces: streets, squares, parks, stadiums, beaches, parking lots, clearings – anywhere under the sky. The urge to dance is a natural impulse; dancers worship nature in their way, connecting with the universe and feeling its juices flow into them.  All through the year we teach dance, we rehearse, we perform within four walls. On this special day dedicated to dance, let us mark the difference by practising, teaching or performing for everyone to see. It might be cold and rainy, the floor is certainly not good enough, and the wind takes the music away, but the beauty in those movements and the joy on those faces will brighten the hearts of the spontaneous audience of passers-by. Prof. Alkis Raftis, President of the International Dance Council CID, UNESCO, Paris

World Dance Day, every year on 29 April, established and promoted 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 companies, dance schools, organizations and individuals, professionals as well as amateurs, organize an activity addressing an audience different from their usual one.

The International Dance Council (Conseil International de la Danse – CID) is the official umbrella organization for all forms of dance in all countries of the world.