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International Dance Day was introduced in 1982 by the International Dance Council CID (Conseil International de la Danse), a UNESCO partner NGO, and is celebrated on April 29 every year. The date is not linked to a particular person or a particular form of dance. The main purpose of Dance Day events is to attract the attention of the wider public to the art of dance. Emphasis should be given to addressing a new public, people who do not follow dance events during the course of the year.

Every year, the president of the CID sends the official message for Dance Day which circulates in every country of the world.

The CID considers that while dance has been an integral part of human culture throughout its history, it is less prioritized 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."