International Dance Day
March 15, 2007
In 1982 the International Dance 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.
The International Dance Committee of ITI is collaborating with World Dance Alliance and the International Dance Council for the celebration of International Dance Day.
International Dance Day Message: April 29, 2008
by Gladys Faith Agulhas
The spirit of Dance has No colour, No selected shape or size
But Embraces the Power of Unity, Strength,
And Beauty found within us.
Each Dancing Soul, Young, Old, person living with a disABILITY
Creates and transforms ideas into life changing moving Art.
Dance is the mirror reflecting the impossible made possible.
For all to touch, hear, feel and experience.
Sounds from our hearts and Soul is our rhythm,
Our every move reveals the history of mankind.
It is the element where the Human Spirit can embrace the ultimate Freedom.
Whenever our hands touch, something beautiful happens,
What the Soul remembers, the body portrays through movement.
Dance is therefore the healing force for all to access,
You are my eyes and I am your feet.
Celebrate INTERNATIONAL DANCE Day,
Use your Passion for Dance to heal each other,
Unify your dance community,
Most importantly be the Best that you can be in your Own Right,
We are able to stand unified through the Power and Spirit of Dance.
Growing up in Johannesburg's Eldorado Park in the 1970s and '80s, Gladys was first exposed to dance at a young age. "I was about seven when these old white ladies used to come into the township and teach us ballet. I loved dancing from the moment I tried it."
By the time Gladys entered high school, dancing had become her abiding passion. After school she studied at the Johannesburg Art Foundation from 1988-89. "I later joined the (then) Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal (Pact) Contemporary Dance Company and gained a lot of experience working there. I've been freelancing ever since I left the company in 1997."
After years of sweat, toil and running between gigs, Gladys is finally seeing her passion beginning to pay. "There have been times in my life when I've really struggled. These days I'm lucky enough to get some very well-paid jobs. Today I feel completely fulfilled."
Gladys, now a mother of two sons, believes deeply in the power of self-belief and self-motivation. "You have to believe in your work and what you do in order to grow, both as an artist and a human being. The dance world can be very fickle - people often say one thing and mean another. So it's vital to really believe in what you're doing."
Today, not only is Gladys regarded as one of SA's most exciting solo dancers, but her interests have branched off into more "holistic" work. Her company, Agulhas Works, incorporates working with disabled people. "There's a deaf and a crippled dancer in the company, as well as three able-bodied people.
I'm moving on from just being a performer. Now I want to work with things in a more embracing and sustaining way."