National Dance Week is an annual celebration of dance that takes place from April 19 to 28 this year. Do you know that dance was an important part of the oral and performance methods of passing stories down from one generation to the next, before the invention of written languages? The week is specially set aside to spread the delight and joys of dancing, and to create awareness about its impact and benefits.
History of National Dance Week
Dance is a performing art form that consists of sequences of movement that are either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value and is performed to express happy emotions.
Early dance dates back to 3300 B.C., from the depiction of dancing figures on Egyptian tombs and the discovery of 9,000-year-old paintings in India at the Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka. References to dance can also be found in very early recorded history. Dance is generally, not exclusively, performed with the accompaniment of music and may or may not be performed in time to such music.
National Dance Week was founded in 1981 by a group of dance-related organizations to increase awareness about dance and its contributions to our national culture, and bring greater recognition to it as an art form. The week is sponsored by the United Dance Merchants of America to increase public awareness and the appreciation of various forms of dance.
Over the years, the organization’s dedication to its founding mission has inspired the events and initiatives taking place throughout the year. These reflect the unique and creative abilities of the individuals and organizations who participate, encourage, and take the lead in an array of events and initiatives to celebrate dance in several unique ways.
National Dance Week volunteers host more than a thousand events nationwide during the observation. Scheduled activities for the week include community dance performances, free classes, an essay contest, and attempts to break Guinness World Records in relevant categories.
National Dance Week timeline
The first ballet dance academy, Académie Royale de Danse (Royal Dance Academy), opens in Paris.
The American Dance Therapy Association is founded as an organization to support the emerging profession of dance/movement therapy.
The National Dance Week Foundation (N.D.W.F.) is established as a non-profit foundation.
Dance styles fusing classical ballet techniques with African-American dance emerge.
National Dance Week FAQs
Do you have to be skilled to participate in National Dance Week?
No, there are several activities to carry out during the national dance week. So whether you’re a skilled dancer or not, you can be an active participant. And it can be a great time to learn some dance moves.
Which dance style is famous?
Jazz is the most popular style of dance among dancers. It combines all dance styles, including ballet, hip-hop, tap, and many more, in an energetic dance that is without conventional boundaries.
What are elements of dance wellness?
You need strength, flexibility, endurance, and overall fitness for dance class and performance. You develop these attributes through conditioning in dance and other movement-related disciplines.
National Dance Week Activities
Get dancing
What better way to celebrate this week than to go out and dance? Whether it is at a party, at home, at school, or any other suitable place, take out time to do some dancing, and your body will feel the benefits.
Share your favorite dance videos
There are millions of videos on different dance styles, and you must have seen a couple of them. Share the ones you love and enjoy most with others.
Teach dance moves to others
If you’re a professional dancer or just happen to be good at it, this is a perfect time to teach some cool moves to others. They’ll surely be excited to learn them.
Why We Love
It is as old as human history
Dance dates back to the early days of the recorded history of man.
It can be therapeutic
Dance and movement therapy has been used as a healing ritual in the influence of fertility, birth, and sickness since early human history, and evolved into a form of therapy in the late 20th century.
It is a great unifier
It played an important role in forging a collective identity among the many cultural and ethnic groups of Latin America.
Dance is in two forms
It is of two major groupings – theatrical (performance upon a stage by virtuoso dancers) and participatory (undertaken for a common purpose such as social interaction or exercise).
It is deeply linked to rhythm
Dances generally have a characteristic pattern, beat, and tempo.
Why We Love National Dance Week
It connects and unites us
Dance is a universal language that everyone can understand. It serves as a bridge to connect strangers and even deepens relationships with friends alike.
It creates a platform for interaction
Through the many activities of this week, people get to meet and interact with new people. Who knows just how beneficial many of these interactions will be?
It brings out the creativity in us
When we dance, we express sides of us that we are sometimes oblivious to. This week helps bring those parts of us into the limelight.
National Dance Week dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | April 15 | Friday |
| 2023 | April 14 | Friday |
| 2024 | April 19 | Friday |
| 2025 | April 18 | Friday |
| 2026 | April 17 | Friday |
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