"Dance extends universal language" Dance teacher Santiago Alfonso on International Dance Day

Alfonso read the document before a large audience of artists and culture personalities from Santiago and other territories of the country, mainly from performing arts.

International Dance Day is celebrated across the world since 1982. It was established by the International Theater Institute (ITI) and the date celebrates the birth in 1727 of Jean-Georges Noverre, dancer and teacher, considered the creator of modern ballet.

Each year the Institute commissions a prominent personality from dance in the world, to write a message, with the aim of "uniting all dance on that day and to show its universality." Everywhere the day is celebrated, that message is read out.

For 2017 the outstanding choreographer, dancer and American artistic director Trisha Brown, international emblem of modern dance, was chosen but she sadly died on March 18.Nevertheless, ITI used writings, reflections and declarations by Trisha Brown and issued the message, which in Santiago de Cuba was read out by the dance teacher Santiago Alfonso:

"I became a dancer because of my desire to fly. Transcending gravity was something that always thrilled me. There is no secret meaning in my works. They are a spiritual exercise that takes a physical form."Dance projects expand the universal language of communication, giving rise to joy and beauty, to the advancement of human knowledge."Dance is the possibility of creating, again and again, in thought, in action, in staging, in interpretation."Our bodies are a tool for expression and not a medium for representation. This sensation frees our creativity, which is the essence and the gift of artistic ability."The life of an artist does not end with age, as some critics believe. The dance is made of people, by people and ideas. The spectator can take home the creative impulse and apply it to their daily life. "

Link to original report in Spanish

The announcement came at the end of the Festival of Dance in Santiago de Cuba FIDANZ'2017 with Cuban dance companies from around the country performing along with performers from the USA.