Grab your dancing shoes and get them ready for the global arts spectacular known as World Dance Day or International Dance Day. On April 29, 2016 countless organizations in numerous countries will observe this special day that has a very special mission.

Introduced by the International Dance Committee of the UNESCO International Theatre Institute in 1982, World Dance Day is promoted by the International Dance Council (Conseil International de la Danse, CID), a UNESCO partner NGO, which is represented in more than 120 countries.

The spring date falls on the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre, a French ballet master, and a great reformer of dance in the 18th Century, who was born in 1727. One of the primary goals of World Dance Day is to increase the public awareness about the art and importance of dance, as well as to convince governments to provide a space for dance throughout their educational systems.
The greatest emphasis is placed on reaching a new audience that isn’t already involved in a dance community. There are a plethora of events held all over the world for World Dance Day. Everything from special workshops and showcases to exhibitions and featured articles, dance is celebrated in many forms, in many places. This along with a special message or theme from an influential dance personality that is spread across the globe.One such key figure and president of the International Dance Council, Alkis Raftis said in his 2003 Dance Day Message: “In more than half of the 200 countries in the world, dance does not appear in legal texts (for better or for worse!). There are no funds allocated in the state budget to support this art form. There is no such thing as dance education, private or public.” [1]
This is unfortunate, seeing as though dance has been shown to have numerous benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, weight management, stress reduction, improved focus and more. With such a long list of benefits, it’s no wonder why some places throughout Scandinavia have made dance a compulsory part of their physical education, necessary for graduation!

With the undeniable benefits of dance being reaped in places like Norway, members of the  CID, along with so many others, strive to make dance a part of the lives of as many people as possible, by making programs accessible and appealing to the masses.