世界舞蹈日是4月29日，由联合国教科文组织下的国际舞蹈议会（CID）推广，1982年国际舞蹈委员会最先提出这日。这个日期是为了纪念现代芭蕾舞之父Jean-Georges Noverre。
世界舞蹈日的目标是增加大众对舞蹈的重要性的注意，同时希望各国政府在从初等教育到高等教育中均为舞蹈提供空间。
Experience the art and beauty of Flamenco dancing in beautiful Los Cabos
尽管舞蹈是人类文化不可缺少的一部分，它不获全球的官方机构重视。CID的主席Alkis Raftis教授在2003年世界舞蹈日讯息说：“在全球约二百个国家中，过半数的国家的法律文件（不论有关好还是坏的）没有提及舞蹈。州的财政预算没有资金来支持这种艺术形式。无论是私人还是公共，都不存在舞蹈教育这回事。”
Two kids, ages 12 and 11, strut their stuff at the American Ballroom Dance Championship in Columbus, />
2005年的世界舞蹈日以初等教育为重心。CID鼓励舞蹈团体联络所在地的教育部门，向它们提出所有学校书写有关舞蹈的文章、绘画舞蹈的情形和在街上跳舞等以庆祝此日。
Archival film of the Gypsy Csárdás from the village of Nagypalad
International Dance Day (World Dance Day) has been celebrated on April 29 through promotion by the International Dance Council (CID), an umbrella organization within UNESCO for all kinds of dance.
The holiday was introduced in 1982 by the International Dance Committee of the UNESCO International Theatre Institute. The date was suggested by Pyotr Gusev to commemorate the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre.
Among the goals of the Dance Day are to increase the awareness of the importance of dance among the general public, as well as to persuade governments all over the world to provide a proper place for dance in all systems of education, from primary to higher.
While dance has been an integral part of human culture throughout its history, it is underprioritized by official establishments in the world. In particular, Prof. Alkis Raftis, President of the International Dance Council, in his 2003 Dance Day Message said: "In more than half of the 200 countries in the world, dance does not appear in legal texts (for better or for worse!). There are no funds allocated in the state budget to support this art form. There is no such thing as dance education, private or public." [1]
The year 2005 focus of the Dance Day was on primary education. CID urged dance establishments to contact the Ministries of Education with the proposals to celebrate this day at all schools with writing essays about dance, drawing dance pictures, dancing in the streets, etc.
The 2006 message of President of CID addresses the reluctance of dancers to join collective organisations, exresses an opinion that this is a major reason of the lack of the due recognition (legislation, financing, visibility) of dance in society, and calls: "Dancers of the world, unite!"
The 2007 Dance Day was dedicated to children.
In 2008, Alkis Raftis, President circulated an e-mail which said, in part: "Governments, sponsors, and the media is our main concern this year. Governments (national, regional or local), sponsors (private or public) and the media (newspapers, magazines, radio, TV) are the three most important factors affecting the practice of our art. Dance professionals struggle to approach them individually - with poor results. We propose a better way: through CID Sections representing all forms of dance, all levels, all functions" [2]
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