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International Dance Day 2023

The International Dance Day is held every year on April 29, on the birthday of the French dancer, choreographer and ballet master Jean Georges Noverre (Paris 29. IV. 1727 - Saint Germain-en-Laye, 19. X. 1810). In dance history, Noverre holds a special place as the reformer of ballet art and the founder of ballet d' action that was a significant step in proving the expressive power of dance and its potential as an independent art form. In his very important work Lettres sur la danse et sur les ballets, written in 1760 he discarded the sole role of dance as an amusement (divertissement) in the opera and wrote about ballet as a significant means for artistic expression in which dancers bring content to the stage and show their emotions through dance.
A large part of his reform referred to the costumes of that time which due to masks, large crinoline and wigs “took away from the dancer the most important means of expression and distorted the beauty of lines that a dancer's body would be able to show in various positions.” Due to his innovative ideas and contributions that altered the understanding of dance and the attitude toward this art form, Jean Georges Noverre is considered to be one of the most significant names in dance history and his birthday has been selected as the date for marking the International Dance Day.

The Croatian message of the International Dance Day 2023 was written by the national principal of the Ballet of the CNT in Zagreb Tomislav Petranović, and the international message was written by the Chinese dancer and choreographer Yang Liping.

CROATIAN MESSAGE

Author of the message: Tomislav Petranović

Classical ballet is definitely one of the most demanding forms of dance art with strict requirements and rules and classical ballet dancers often struggle with technique, form, body limitations and frustrations caused by their body type which might deviate from the canon of rigid academic ballet technique and classical ballet beauty. Thus, sometimes there is very little time left for enjoying dance itself and when we do enjoy it, it is often only a moment of liberation from self-criticism.
Classical ballet has survived due to its abstaining and invested efforts and hence, earned the place it holds today. It is said that without “sweat, blood and tears“ there is no art so snap out of it, be creative, put in effort and success will come.
Still, I am writing this message remembering a small boy who danced to the sounds of the piano played by the teacher in the kindergarten - unrestrained, with great enthusiasm and dedication. I wish you all to experience that exact moment of enjoyment in dance that has forever changed my life and given me strength to grapple with this, by far, the most difficult dance genre. Therefore, if it becomes hard, close your eyes, remember that dance is much more than pure form and technique … Dance is happiness…. So dance!

INTERNATIONAL MESSAGE of Yang Liping read HERE