“People reflect each other constantly, but when they dance, perhaps what they reflect most is that moment of honesty.”  

Message from Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, dancer and choreographer, for International Dance Day 2012  

In 1982, the Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute brought International Dance Day into being. April 29th, the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727-1810), a great reformer of ballet, is the date on which tribute is paid to the universal language of dance. 

Every April 29th, the message of a well-known figure in dance is distributed worldwide with the aim of celebrating the art form of dance and highlighting the universality and global significance of dance, which is capable of transcending all boundaries of politics, cultures and ethnicities.   

Further Information:

The previous messages for International Dance Day.  

Brochure with five messages for International Dance Day 2018, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the ITI.