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International Dance Day

International Dance Day was created exactly 40 years ago, in 1982, by the International Theatre Institute's International Dance Committee (ITI IDC), an organization recognized by UNESCO. The choice of April 29 to celebrate this special day for dance lovers was not taken by chance: it is in fact the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727-1810), the founder of modern ballet whom we already discussed in our post about the history of classical dance.

The purpose of International Dance Day is to promote dance in all its forms by breaking down barriers, whether political, cultural or ethnic. The goal was to bring together enthusiasts through the common language of dance to highlight the universal character of dance as an art form. Thus, this international day carries a strong message of unity and brotherhood around the world while honoring dance.  

It was founded with several objectives. In particular, to give dancers the opportunity to showcase their talent on a bigger stage and to raise popular awareness about the value of dance

Each year, a universal message is written by a renowned figure from the world of dance. It could be a professional dancer or famous choreographer selected by the International Theatre Institute (ITI). The message is then translated into multiple languages before being widely disseminated. To give you an idea of the scope of this day, the message is published in French, English, German, Chinese, Greek, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Macedonian, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Spanish....  

As we wait to learn which artist will be chosen for the 41st edition of International Dance Day, we will look back at the message from last year. It was written by Friedemann Vogel, Principal Dancer at the Stuttgart Ballet

When we review the previous messages from International Dance Day, we immediately notice the commitment to inclusion. Indeed, the authors represent a broad array of origins from all over the world: Germany, South Africa, Egypt, Burkina Faso, Lebanon, China, Cuba and so on. 

International Dance Day advances the values that Wear Moi also strives to share with the world. Indeed, the aims described above are perfectly aligned with our vision of dance. We dream of a world in which dance brings everyone together in love, sharing and authenticity, with no value judgements. We are now left to count down the days to April 29. We can't wait to read the message for 2022, which will undoubtedly be full of inspiration and hope!

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