Today is International Dance Day! Established in 1982 by UNESCO International Theatre Institute, International Dance Day falls on April 29 of every year, commemorating the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre, a distinguished choreographer that brought about significant reforms in ballet production.
Stages across Alberta have been empty for the past year as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has continued to shutter performance venues here and around the world. But dance is still taking place in our province! Resourceful dance companies have turned to performances broadcast online, and if you haven’t tuned in to one of these online performances, we highly encourage you to do so. Alberta Dance Alliance has a calendar of dance-related events – check it out: abdancealliance.ab.ca/dancelink-calendar/.
Read inspiring messages from International Dance Day Ambassadors here: cda-acd.ca/en/programs-services/international-dance-day/2021.
We'd like to share an image from our art collection that depicts a dance style that seems almost synonymous with Alberta - Ukrainian dance! – as seen here in Carole Bondaroff’s Performance Suite – Shumka Dance.
Happy International Dance Day!