International Dance Day
29th April 2000
- 2000International Dance Day Message
- Background - International Dance Day - 29th April
- Biographical Information
- Authors of the International Dance Day Message 1982 -2000
- International Dance Links
- International Dance Committee of the ITI
Year 2000 International Dance Day International Message
The authors are the celebrated dancer- choreographers
Alicia ALONSO
Jirí KYLIÁN
together with
Cyrielle LESUEUR,
an 8 year old child studying dance in the programme "Danse à l'Ecole", France
*********
International Message by Alicia Alonso
"As we start the new millennium, the art
of dance is experiencing a time of great splendor and perhaps the
highest level of development of its long history. As the rich inheritance
of the past unites with the creativity and diversity of the present a new
style is being created. It can be seen in theatres, movies and in the vast
genre of television, musicals, and entertainment. There is also an inexhaustible
source of dance in social dances and folklore of people in many diverse
cultures. There is no art form foreign to dance.
However, in many respects dance has not
been given the place it deserves among the significant cultural events
of the times. I believe that now dancers, choreographers, professors,
critics, and other professionals in this field must strive for the universal
recognition that dance deserves.
To accomplish this goal the bridges of
mutual respect and understanding among the various performing styles must
be strengthened. Respect for tradition, conservation and development of
historical dance - of both 19th and 20th centuries - should complement
and support the new and experimental styles. The old and the new are two
parts of the same creative body.
Development of dance requires renewed
interest in the areas of history, esthetics, and philosophy in order to
create an integrated balance between the art of performance and the intellectual
ideas of its creators.
In the new century dance must strengthen
its presence in the cultural life of the community, establish academic
credentials at university level, and obtain greater recognition at institutional
and state levels. To accomplish this we must have talent, dedication and,
above all, a great
love for our art.
On an occasion as special as this one
I want to wish great success to the dance world in completing these urgent
tasks. May our dreams be a beautiful reality in the 21st century."
Alicia Alonso
International Message by Jirí
Kylián
"Dance is a garden, maybe not big, infinitely
high and endlessly deep.
There is place for everyone.
Set yourself rules in order to break them,
in order
to find new feelings, new realities, new
dimensions."
Jirí Kylián
****************************************
by Cyrielle
What movements say,
They do not know themselves,
They gather, they assemble,
Enrich themselves, join together,
Follow each other, draw their own shapes,
Develop and fly away.
Some repeat themselves to survive,
They rest, they wander,
And by uniting, they design a dance.
Cyrielle Lesueur, aged 8, Danse à
l’Ecole, Le Havre, France
In 1982 the InternationalDance Committee of the International Theatre Institute, UNESCO, created International Dance Day to be celebrated every year on the 29th April.
The date commemorates the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727 - 1810), the creator of modern ballet.
Every year a message from a well-known dance personality is circulated throughout the world. The intention of International Dance Day and the Message is to bring all Dance together on this occasion, to celebrate this art form and revel in its universality, to cross all political, cultural and ethnic barriers and bring people together in peace and friendship with a common language - DANCE.
In 1995, in an effort to unite dance and all international Dance organizations, the International Dance Committee of ITI entered into a collaborative effort for the celebration of International Dance Day with the International Dance Council and World Dance Alliance.
The
International Theatre Institute/UNESCO - Dance Committee
The International Dance
Council/UNESCO
The
World Dance Alliance
-The Authors - YEAR 2000 International Dance Day Message
Prima ballerina assoluta, charismatic personality of dance of the 20th century. Born in Havana where she began her training, she became one of the leading dance figures in America. however, she returned to her native Cuba, where she has spent the rest of her life and her career firmly establishing the bases of Cuban ballet.
Jirí KYLIÁN
Born in 1947 in Prague. Dancer, choregrapher
and artistic director. Started dancing at the age of 9 in Prague and finished
his studies at the Royal Ballet School in London. Mr Kylián joined
the Stuttgart Ballet in 1968 as soloist and choreographer. 1975 – 1999
Director and Principal Choreographer, since 1999 Resident Choreographer
of the Nederlands Dance Theatre. Jirí Kylián’s choreography
is performed by major companies throughout the world.
Cyrielle LESUEUR,
A young French boy, aged 8, who
is studying dance in the programme "Danse à l'Ecole", Le Havre,France
- 1982: Henrik NEUBAUER
- 1983: anonymous
- 1984: Yuri GRIGOROVITCH
- 1985: Robert JOFFREY
- 1986: Chetna JALAN
- 1987: Dance Committee Board
- 1988: Robin HOWARD
- 1989: Doris LAINE
- 1990: Merce CUNNINGHAM
- 1991: Hans VAN MANEN
- 1992: Germaine ACOGNY
- 1993: Maguy MARIN
- 1994: Dai AILIAN
- 1995: Murray LOUIS
- 1996: Maïa PLISSETSKAÏA
- 1997: Maurice BEJART
- 1998: Kazuo OHNO
- 1999: Mahmoud REDA
- 2000: Alicia ALONSO, Jirí KYLIÁN, Cyrielle LESUEUR
Some International Dance Links :
- Events under the auspices
of the ITI International
Dance Committee
:
- Varna International Ballet Competition (Bulgaria) email : varna_ibc@bulgarianspace.com website : http://www.bulgarianspace.com/music/varna_ibc
- USA International Ballet Competition, Jackson, Mississippi.(USA) http://www.usaibc.com
- Helsinki International Ballet Competition (Finland). anneli.kurki@teatteri.org Website : http://www.teatteri.org/balkilp.htm
- New York International Ballet Competition (USA) nyibc@nyibc.org website http://www.nyibc.org
- Switzerland : http://www.tanznetz.ch/welttanz
- World Dance Alliance : http://www.idanews.com
iti@unesco.org