Holiday April 29 is International Dance Day. International Dance Day. Jean-Jores Noverre: biography
Celebrated every year on April 29. The holiday applies to all existing dance styles. The event is celebrated on a grand scale in almost all countries of the world.
The main goal of the holiday is to unite all people related to dance, regardless of their race and nationality.
History of the holiday
According to the founders, the main idea of this holiday is the unification of all areas of dance as a single art form, and Dance Day itself is an occasion to honor it, as well as its ability to overcome all political, cultural and ethnic boundaries, the ability to unite people in the name of friendship and peace, allowing them to speak the same language - the language of dance.
The holiday was established by the decision of UNESCO. The event was first celebrated in 1982. The date of April 29 for the celebration was announced by Pyotr Gusev, a domestic choreographer and dancer. When choosing her, he was guided by the fact that on this day in 1727 the legendary choreographer Jean Georges Noverre from France was born.
Noverre is the recognized founder of world ballet and dance in general. Before him, dance steps had never been performed solo on stage. They have always served as accompaniment for opera performers. Noverre was the first to perform ballet on stage as an independent performance. He also decided to rid the dancers of bulky, uncomfortable outfits that hindered the perfect execution of pirouettes.
Dance is the oldest form of human expression. With the help of his body and language of movements, a person not only presents himself to the people around him, but also gains an internal connection with the spiritual and emotional world.
Dance is an art that does not require a brush or a pen. His only instrument is the human body, in every movement of which dance lives. However, dance requires not only the participation of the body, but also the soul and mind. And people who are completely immersed in the magical world of dance remain devoted to it to the end. 
But dance is not only a hobby, it is work, discipline, training, and the art of communication. With dance you can sometimes say much more than with words. In addition, the language of dance is universal, since it has no boundaries and is understandable to everyone, regardless of what language we speak. 
International Dance Day is a holiday dedicated to all dance styles without exception, this day is celebrated annually on April 29.
The history of the holiday
This holiday arose on the initiative of the International Dance Council of UNESCO almost 30 years ago - in 1982. The date of April 29 was proposed by ballet dancer, choreographer, teacher P.A. Gusev in tribute to the memory of the great French choreographer and reformer Jean-Georges Nover, who was born on this day and went down in history as the “father of modern ballet.” 
Jean-Georges Nover
Born on April 29, 1727, Jean-Georges Nover was a student of the then famous choreographer L. Dupre. Later he performed as a dancer, and then led European ballet groups: in Vienna at the Royal Palace, at the Paris Opera, in London at the Drury Lane Theater. Nover was the first director of ballet performances with a complete storyline. He also wrote a number of key theoretical developments on the issues of staging ballet performances. He developed the basic principles of tragedy ballet and heroic ballet. In 1759, his famous work entitled “Letters on Dances and Ballets” was published, in which Nover substantiated the main positions of the ballet-play, which should be implemented jointly by the composer, choreographer and artist, through pantomime and dance.
International Dance Day today
According to the idea of the founders, the task of the International Dance Day should be to unite all dance trends and styles. This holiday should also be an occasion to celebrate the art of dance and its unique ability to transcend all boundaries: ethnic, political or cultural. After all, dance has great potential to unite people who speak the same language – the language of dance. 
Traditionally, every year one of the famous representatives of the dance world addresses humanity with a message, the purpose of which is to remind people of the beauty, strength and power of dance.
Thus, in different years, such world celebrities as Yuri Grigorovich (Russia), Robert Joffrey (USA), Maggie Marin (France), Maya Plisetskaya (Russia), Maurice Bejart (France), gave ceremonial speeches on the occasion of International Dance Day. William Forsyth (USA-Germany), Stefan Page (Australia), Miyako Yoshida (Japan-Great Britain), Julio Bocca (Argentina), Lin Hwai-ming (Taiwan) and others.
Every year on this day the Ballet Benois prize, established in 1991 by the International Association of Choreographers, is awarded. 
Dance styles
Ballroom dancing. The birth of the waltz occurred thanks to various dances of the peoples of Europe.
There is a slow (English) waltz with smooth turns and long sliding movements.
The Viennese Waltz has an accentuated rhythm, which makes this dance more clear and elegant. Despite the fact that in this waltz all the circles are rapid, the movements of the partners must be completely coordinated, graceful and smooth.
Another sensual and temperamental dance is the Argentine tango, which always combines passion with notes of sadness. With the help of this tango you can fully express the depth of feelings. In tango, a man and a woman move according to their own scripts, they have different steps and different movements, so every gesture, even the smallest one, is important.
Foxtrot is a dance that served as an impetus for the development of all ballroom dance. Foxtrot is a combination of slow and fast steps in a huge number of variations. Due to such a high complexity of the rhythmic nature of the movements, this dance is considered the most difficult to learn.
Wedding dance also refers to ballroom dancing and is a combination of a variety of elements: waltz, tango, and any other dance that a couple in love wants to dance.
Flamenco is a dance of feelings, and completely different ones, expressing a huge range of experiences from euphoria to tragedy. This Spanish dance combines many different dance styles. Flamenco is danced to the accompaniment of a guitar, often accompanied by singing. The dancers' movements are incredibly flexible, proud, combining soft hand movements with crazy fractions. Flamenco has a huge number of styles and an important advantage - this dance has no age limits or restrictions.
Latina (Latin American dances) is a very unique dance style, which is based on a strong expression of emotions and is considered the style of temperamental people. Latin American dances are stunning in their beauty; they are a mixture of different schools and movements, they combine the movements of samba, rumba, mamba, jive, salsa, paso doble and other dances. Latin American style is imbued with the spirit of freedom and expression.
Belly dance is an ancient style that includes more than fifty types of Arabic dance. Today there are quite a large number of oriental dance schools - these are the Egyptian school, Turkish, Persian, Thai, Aden, Pakistani, Jordanian, Bhutanese and others. Belly dance is, first of all, soft, smooth and very graceful movements. By dancing oriental dance, every woman not only fully reveals her attractiveness, but also maintains the health of her body.
Strip plastic is a dance of sensuality and emancipation, allowing you to reveal the individuality of everyone. It looks beautiful, natural and revealing. The specificity of strip plastic surgery is a special technique for staging movements. It is believed that with the help of this dance style, everyone can learn to emphasize the advantages of their figure and hide flaws, as well as learn to move beautifully.
Hip-hop is a progressive dance style. Modern hip-hop can be called the dance of youth parties. It is, in fact, an improvisational dance, as it originated from African jazz.
Break dancing. This dance is a kind of part of hip-hop culture. It can be called dynamic and extreme. Breaking is divided into upper and lower, and all people who break dance are called breakers. Also, breaker guys are called b-boys, and girls are called b-girls.
R"n"B can be called a combination of wavestorm and kramp dance styles. As an independent style, R"n"B took shape in America in the 1940s and was initially an alternative to regular blues. This style can safely be called the avant-garde of dance and music fashion. This is the main youth dance style.
Club dance is a set of a wide variety of movements with the possibility of improvisation. This style can be called universal because, having mastered it, everyone can dance anywhere - at a house party, in a prestigious club or at a disco. Club dance completely depends on the imagination, on the desires and capabilities of the person dancing, since everyone chooses the movements for themselves, and their combination becomes an expression of the individuality of the dancer.
Modern jazz is a style of African peoples that combines energetic rhythms with jazz elements. A distinctive feature of this style is the use of the body as an instrument for beating out a musical rhythm. Body movements in dance are sharp, broken, which are a reflection not only of external manifestations, but also of a person’s internal experiences.
Romanchukevich Tatyana
23.03.2018
Don't forget to tell your friends
Dance is a universal way to express your feelings and emotions. There are a great many types of dance, and new ones are invented every year. Why and why do people dance? Harmony of music and movement - what could be better? Some people even say that he dances like he breathes.
Some people dance on occasion and to the best of their ability, while others devote their entire lives to dancing, choosing dance as their profession. This is one of the art forms. Dance has the ability to unite people of different nationalities. To understand it, you don’t have to know the language; you can feel it with your heart.
History of the holiday.
At the end of the 18th century, the outstanding dancer and choreographer Jean Georges Noverre brought together and summarized all his experience in the field of choreography, and also highlighted its basic principles in the book “Letters on Dance and Ballets”, well known among specialists. This was the first serious work on dance theory. And the date of its release, April 29, was recognized by UNESCO as International Dance Day.
On this day, ballet dancers, dancers of various groups, choreographers and everyone involved in the world of Dance celebrate their professional holiday. The entire dancing world, all those who dance professionally, and those who dance just for the soul - congratulations on the holiday!
Our selection includes postcards and congratulations for this Day.
Dance is inspiration
Dreams and fairy tales come true,
Souls flight, body fluttering
And a very difficult matter.
The audience applauds in admiration -
The dancer flies like a vision.
You don't need more to be happy
After all, dancing is the highest reward.
On Dance Day I want to wish
Dancers create, win.
Good luck, happiness to you, love
And there is a lot of beauty in life.
Dance is an important art,
Whether it's a waltz or a foxtrot,
Tango, polka, twist, tap dance
Or even a round dance.
May it be Dance Day to all dancers
Will bring great success.
Life in motion is happiness.
Let the dance make everyone dizzy!
Today we bow to all the dancers.
You give an insane flurry of emotions.
And anyone who has danced at least once in their life
He felt a noisy surge of delight.
We wish you fewer injuries,
Create your art with pleasure,
And conquering all the most difficult steps,
And enjoy every moment.
All countries celebrate World Dance Day. This event is dedicated to all dance styles. The founding date of the holiday is 1982, and the initiator was UNESCO. The date was not chosen at all by chance. It was on this day in 1727 that the world-famous choreographer Jean-Georges Noverre was born, who went down in history as the founder of modern ballet.” Among his teachers was the famous choreographer Louis Dupre. Noverre's debut took place in Fontainebleau at the royal court of ruler Louis XV. At that time, the aspiring dancer was only 15 years old. After a successful performance, the young man was immediately invited to Germany. Upon returning to his homeland, he got a job in the ballet troupe of the Opera-Comic Theater. A few years later, Noverre legalized his relationship with actress Margarite-Louise Sauveur.
In the same year, after another closure of the Opera-Comique theater due to financial difficulties, Jean-Georges went on a tour of European cities. For several years he gave performances in Strasbourg and Lyon, and then moved to the UK (London), where he worked for two years in the team of artist David Garik. Noverre maintained friendly relations with this man throughout his life, and subsequently called him “Shakespeare in dance.” While performing in his troupe, Jean-Georges decided to create a personal dance show, separate from the opera. Indeed, until this time, ballet was used only as a small element in the opera. For a long time, he pondered a serious dance theme and choreographic dramaturgy, planning to turn the ballet into a complete performance with the development of the plot and the characters of the main characters.
In 1754, upon his arrival in France, at the newly opened Opera-Comique theater, Noverre organized his debut ballet performance, which was extremely popular. At the end of the 18th century, he summarized all the skills and experience in the field of choreography and noted its key features in the work “Letters on Dance and Ballets”, popular among experts, which became the first theoretical work in the field of dance art.
The main goal of the holiday is to unite all choreographic styles as a single art form. According to the founders, Dance Day is a good reason to overcome political, social, cultural and national boundaries, an opportunity to unite all people in the name of peace and friendship, allowing them to communicate in the same language of dance. On this day, the entire dancing society - theater and ballet troupes, modern choreographic groups, folk dance groups and ballroom ensembles and other artists celebrate their professional date. The forms of celebration are very different - standard performances and concerts, thematic flash mobs and non-standard performances. The official part of the holiday necessarily includes an address to the society by some famous representative of the dance world with a message that reminds people of the importance of this art form such as choreography.
Dancing is a person’s amazing ability to express their emotions through body movement. Even if you don’t do it professionally, almost all people dance, some often, some rarely, but everyone loves to dance to fiery music. It's beautiful, dancing improves your mood, dancing attracts attention. Dancing makes a person more relaxed, relaxed and even free. You can lose yourself in dancing; it’s a great way to fight depression and bad mood.
April 29 is celebrated as International Dance Day. The holiday of servants and admirers of Terpsichore has been celebrated since 1982 by decision of UNESCO on the birthday of the French choreographer Jean Georges Noverre, a reformer and theorist of the art of dance, who went down in history as the “father of modern ballet.”
Why was April 29, the date of birth of this great dancer, chosen as the date for celebrating International Dance Day? Let's try to figure it out.
History of dance
On this wonderful spring holiday of April 29, International Dance Day, we should definitely say a few words about the outstanding dancer, Jean-Jeurs Noverre.
Jean-Jores Noverre: biography
On April 29, 1727, Jean-Jours Noverre (Noverre, Jean-George) was born in Paris - a French artist, choreographer, theorist and ballet reformer. He was a student of choreographer Louis Dupre and made his debut as a dancer in 1743.
Ballet originated in Italy during the Renaissance (XVI century) as a dance scene, an episode in a musical performance, opera, united by a single action or mood. Then court ballet blossomed in France - a magnificent solemn spectacle. The musical basis of the first ballets was folk and court dances, which were part of the ancient suite.
In the second half of the 17th century, new theatrical genres appeared - comedy-ballet, opera-ballet, for which music was specially written, and attempts were made to dramatize it.
During Noverre's time, ballet was part of the opera - the choreographer came up with the idea of creating an independent dance performance with a serious theme, developing action and effective characteristics. In his manifesto of the new art, Noverre wrote: “The theater does not tolerate anything superfluous; Therefore, it is necessary to expel from the stage absolutely everything that can weaken interest, and to release on it exactly as many characters as are required to perform the given drama.” Noverre was resolutely against the chaconne, a stage dance used in ancient operas and ballets: “Composers, for the most part, still, I repeat, adhere to the ancient traditions of the Opera. They compose paspiers because Mlle Prévost “ran through them with such grace,” musettes because Mlle Salle and M. Desmoulins once danced them gracefully and sweetly, tambourines because Mlle Camargo shone in this genre , finally, chaconnes and passacailles, because they were the favorite genre of the famous Dupre, best suiting his inclination, role and noble figure. But all these excellent artists are no longer in the theater…” wrote the choreographer.
The main expressive means of Noverre's ballets was pantomime. Until the half of the 18th century. pantomime ballet actors went on stage wearing masks. At this time, the singing scenes are gradually replaced by mime gestures. Noverre first introduced pantomime in his ballet Medée et Jason. Noverre's facial expressions were subordinated to dances, which, in his opinion, should contain a dramatic idea. Mimic scenes are still a feature of Italian ballets, in which there are always special mimes. For the ancient pantomime, Noverre took very complex plots; eg plot of "Semiramis" by Voltaire. This kind of pantomime had up to 5 acts.
The principles of heroic ballet and tragedy ballet developed by Noverre, embodied by means of effective pantomime and dance in the collaboration of a composer, choreographer and artist, were first expressed in the 1759 work “Letters on Dance and Ballets”. In Russia, this work was published in 4 volumes in St. Petersburg in 1803–1804.
Noverre staged over 80 ballets and a large number of dances in operas. For the Stuttgart premieres (from 1762), the composer J.-J. Rodolphe wrote the music; in Vienna (1767–1776), the choreographer’s collaborators included composers K.V. Gluck, J. Startzer, and F. Aspelmeier. From 1776–1781 Noverre headed the ballet company of the Paris Opera (then the Royal Academy of Music), but met resistance from the conservative troupe and theater regulars; in the 1780s and 1790s he worked mainly in London, leading the ballet troupe at the Drury Lane Theatre. The most significant productions of Noverre are Medea and Jason (music by Rodolphe, 1763), Adele de Pontier (music by Startzer, 1773), Apelles and Campaspe (music by Aspelmeier, 1774), Horace and Curiatia (based on the play by P. Corneille, music by Startzer, 1775) , Iphigenia in Aulis (music by E. Miller, 1793). Based on the aesthetics of French enlighteners - Voltaire, Diderot, Rousseau - he created performances, the content of which is revealed in dramatically expressive plastic images.
Noverre died in Saint-Germain-en-Laye on October 19, 1810. The reforms of the creator of effective ballet (ballet d'action) had a decisive influence on the entire further development of world ballet. Noverre's main ideas are the interaction of all components of a ballet performance, the logical development of action and the characteristics of the characters - have not lost their significance today. Noverra is called the “father of modern ballet.” His birthday has been declared International Dance Day by UNESCO since 1982.
On April 29, International Dance Day, since 1992, a prize has been awarded in Moscow that is rightfully considered the ballet Oscar - this is Benois de la Danse. The Benois de la Danse prize was established in 1991 in Moscow by the International Union of Choreographers. And in the same year it was accepted under the patronage of UNESCO. The award ceremony took place not only in Moscow, but also in Paris, Warsaw, Berlin, and Stuttgart. “Ballet Benois” is awarded annually for the most talented works in the field of choreography.
The prize is a figurine - a stylized dancing couple - by sculptor Igor Ustinov, a descendant of the Benois family (hence the name of the prize). Among the winners of the most prestigious award in the field of dance are famous artists and choreographers. The winners of the year are determined by an international jury. “Benoit de la Danse” ceased to be the property of only Russia, acquiring world fame and festival status.
History of the development of dances in Russia
On this sensual holiday of April 29, International Dance Day, let's plunge into history and talk about how dance developed in our country.
Peter introduced the teaching of ballroom dancing as a compulsory subject in state educational institutions, thereby emphasizing the national importance of such an undertaking...
The first ballroom or secular dances appeared in the 12th century, during the era of the medieval Renaissance - the heyday of knightly culture. Only the names of these dances have survived to this day.
The branle dance, which originated in France, played a major role in the development of ballroom choreography of that time. Dances with swaying and stomping were called simple branles; dancing with hopping and jumping - fun; dances depicting labor processes, imitative ones - branleys of coopers, shoemakers, grooms, etc.
Noble nobles led peculiar round dances, which required an important gait, majestic posture, and the ability to perform greetings, bows and curtsies.
The pavane, which was performed with candelabra or torches in hands, was extremely popular. Balls were opened with this dance, and the pavan became the center of the wedding ceremony.
Already in the 14th century, the famous French theorist Thoinot Arbeau described different types of dances in his book Orchesography.
Ballroom dances of the 14th century were not distinguished by a rich variety of movements and were performed accompanied by a small orchestra: 4 clarinets, trombone, 2-3 viols. They were replaced by faster dances, including light jumps, turns and graceful poses. The minuet, rigodan, and romanesque came into fashion.
Dance vocabulary and composition became more complex, which led to the need for long-term dance training. Dance masters and teachers of the 17th century produce dance manuals. They include the most popular mass dances at this time.
In 1661, by decree of Louis XIV, the “Academy of Dance” was opened in Paris, where the knowledge of dance masters was tested, diplomas were issued, balls and evenings were held, and most importantly, folk dances were improved.
The movements of the court minuet were not complicated: smooth sliding steps, deep curtsies, bows. And they studied it for years! The manner of performing the minuet was difficult: all transitions should be made softly, roundly, without jerks, smoothly flowing from one another. Some of the minuet figures became the basis of classical ballet. That is why the minuet is still studied in all choreographic academies.
Peter the Great played a huge role in the development of the dance art of Russia. In 1718, he issued a decree on assemblies, which marked the beginning of public balls in Russia. A special manual was even created, “An Honest Mirror of Youth, or Indications for Everyday Conduct,” which talked about etiquette at assemblies and in everyday life.
“... it is indecent to be at weddings in boots and spikes and dance like that: for the reason that the clothes of the female sex are torn off and a great ringing is caused by spikes, the husband is not so hasty in boots than without boots”;
“... when dancing with anyone, no one is allowed to spit indecently in the circle, but to the side”; “... there is considerable beauty in a youth when he is humble, and is not himself called to a great honor, but waits until he is invited to dance.”
Peter introduced the teaching of ballroom dancing as a compulsory subject in state educational institutions, thereby emphasizing the national significance of such an undertaking.
The dance master, who in those years was called the teacher of “dancing, courtesy and compliments,” was also supposed to educate his students, instill in them the rules of European social behavior, “politeness.”
The 19th century is associated with mass ballroom dancing; balls and masquerades are increasingly becoming fashionable. The wide spread of dancing led to the organization of special dance classes, where professional teachers taught ballroom dancing not only to the nobility, but also to the urban population.
On April 29, the entire dancing world celebrates its professional holiday “International Dance Day” - opera and ballet theaters, modern dance troupes, modern ballroom and folk dance ensembles and others, both professional and amateur artists.
We congratulate everyone who loves to dance, who appreciates and feels movement, on this wonderful spring holiday on April 29, International Dance Day. Dance more often, dance everywhere, let the dance take you into a magical unreality.
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