The International Dance Day is celebrated nationally on April 29th. It is a festival for all dance lovers established in 1982 by the International Theatre Institute (ITI) under the aegis UNESCO. It occurs every anniversary of the French dancer and choreographer Jean-Georges Noverre’s birthday. He was a creator of contemporary ballet. On this day, numerous festivals, events, and dance education events are organized around the world.
The coronavirus pandemic has affected International Dance Day for the last three years and has forced people to organise events online.
This year, KANG Sue-jin, dancer and artistic director of the Korean National Ballet has written a message regarding the situation of dancers cause by the pandemic. She is well known for using her fame and her artistic skills for introducing disabled children to dance.
“Even though the Covid situation is improving, dance performances are still subject to many restrictions. This makes us cherish the precious memories of times when dance and dancers sparkled like jewels, conveying human anguish and anxiety, will and hope for life, and illuminated the world. The lonely and tired audience expects sympathy and comfort from the artists. We believe, as dancers, that the flapping of our wings gives hope to the hearts of art dance lovers and gives the courage necessary to overcome the pandemic,” KANG Sue-jin said.
However, the current state of events in Poland allows us to participate in the events in person. The National Institute of Music and Dance once again organised a nationwide campaign #tańczMY (#let’s dance).
It started on April 22nd and will run until May 8th. As part of it, 140 events are held all over Poland this year. Schools, universities, dance groups, community centres, foundations, associations, individual artists, and such recognized institutions as the Kielce Dance Theater, Opera Nova, Polish Dance Theater, Song and Dance Ensemble “Śląsk”, Silesian Opera, Cracow Opera, and Rozbark Dance and Movement Theatre take part in the campaign.
Participation in the action means organizing any dance event: performance, lessons, workshops, shows, or performances. For two weeks, Polish dance enthusiasts celebrate this art form, enjoying the combination of dance environments and overcoming cultural and visual barriers using the universal language of dance.
In this way, all of Poland shows how important dance is in the life of every human being, regardless of age, degree, or place of living.
One of the events is, for example, the “10/10 celebration” event organised in Sopot Dance Theater. The organisers described it also as “Hard Terpsichores” on International Dance Day.
The first performance in which the new dancers of Sopot Dance Theater took part was the “WILD” project. “10/10 Celebration” is an artistic hybrid in which the history of world dance is combined with the history of the Sopot Dance Theater. The dancers will present joy, emotions, magic, and a few cabaret features.