In 1982 the Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute founded the International Dance Day (IDD) to be celebrated every year on the 29 April, the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727-1810), creator of modern ballet.
The intention of the IDD Message is to celebrate dance, revel in the universality of this art form, cross all political, cultural and ethnic barriers, and bring people together with a common language – dance.
Every year a message from an outstanding choreographer or dancer is circulated throughout the world. The author of the message is selected by the International Dance Committee of ITI and the Executive Council of ITI. The message is translated into numerous languages and circulated globally. World Dance Alliance is a member of the ITI Dance Committee.
This year the Dance Committee of the ITI has selected Argentinian dancer Marianela NÚÑEZ to provide the 2024 Message (translated below from Spanish).
A memory is not enough to make history. And the history of a theatre, like that of each person, is also the history of others, of how an art like dance migrated and grew in different latitudes.
The walls of the Royal Ballet treasure photographs that narrate the journey; history calls for its protagonists, and dance in Argentina shines with each of those names. Often, institutions submerge themselves in silent anonymity, without faces or surnames, avoiding facing the echo of the past.
The organisations promoted and supported by ITI-UNESCO, such as the Argentine Dance Council, frequently act as a wall that prevents forgetfulness.
I am with you all in the commitment to rescue and revitalise the history of masters, artists and choreographers who have enriched the world of dance, deserving of being heard by future generations.
Let us all know that we are not spectators, but inheritors of a tradition forged with art, dignity and sacrifice, nourishing our path with vocation and love for beauty.
Although the future and the present capture our attention, without the solid foundation of the past, without the fertility of our land, the dance tree cannot flourish. The roots are tradition and at the same time... nutrients.