Celebrate International Dance Day With Fashion and Film

International Dance Day, officially established in 1982 by the Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute, celebrates and promotes the discipline in all its expressive forms. The choice to celebrate the holiday on April 29 is not accidental: it is commemorative of the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre, a great French choreographer and dancer considered to be the inventor of modern ballet.

As for the origins of dance, the discipline has a long history reaching back to early Egyptian, Greek, and Eastern antiquity. Dance companies, however, date back to the 17th century, thanks to the foundation of the Académie Royale de Danse, an institution founded by King Louis XIV in Paris in 1661. The king was a dancer himself, and the company comprised 13 of the most famous dance masters of the time.

Over the years, or rather, the decades, fashion and dance have often intersected. Let's think, for example, of all the stage costumes designed by the great designers: that of Versace is undoubtedly the most striking case of the attraction between fashion and ballet. Gianni Versace was close with the choreographer Maurice Béjart, for whom he designed various stage costumes. Also worthy of mention is Roberto Capucci, the designer who created unforgettable sculpture-dresses for the opera diva Raina Kabaivanska. But the first designer ever who was bewitched by the power and magic of dance was Coco Chanel, who crafted the costumes of Le Train Bleu for the Ballet Russes, the legendary company of Diaghilev who hired the most fashionable names of the artistic avant-garde in shows that seduced the public between genius and scandal. This is how a link between fashion and ballet was born, which led to more marvelous designer creations for dance by Giorgio Armani, the Missonis, and, of course, Versace.

Even in current collections, the influence of dance can be seen. Below, see six 2021 shows from Dior, Valentino, Chanel, and more where designers borrowed from the world of dance.

But dance is not only a great protagonist of fashion shows, but also of cinema. Here, we round up the most beautiful films that are must-see for dance lovers:

• Saturday Night Fever, 1977: Against the backdrop of a restless New York, dancing for the Italian-American Tony Manero is an instrument of social and moral redemption. John Travolta's irresistible moves between the pop colors of the dance floor and the soundtrack composed by the Bee Gees have made Saturday Night Fever one of the most successful musical films ever
• Flash Dance, 1983: The film is directed by Adrian Lyne and tells the story of Alez Owens (Jennifer Beals), an 18-year-old ballet enthusiast who dreams of being able to enter the Pittsburgh Academy of Dance thus becoming a professional dancer.
• Dirty Dancing, 1987: The romantic comedy starring Jennifer Gray and Patrick Swayze is an absolute must. The love story between Baby and Johnny is set to the rhythm of forbidden dances that end up defying prejudices and society as a whole.
• Billy Elliot, 2000: Inspired by the story of dancer Philip Mosley, the movie is directed by Stephen Daldry. A compelling film, it tells the journey of self-discovery and the challenge of remaining true to oneself in the face of prejudice.
• Save the Last Dance, 2001: Sara (Julia Stiles), a white girl from the midwestern suburbs decides to move to Chicago to cultivate her dream of becoming a ballet dancer. She falls for Derek, a Black man with a criminal past who dances to another rhythm: hip hop music.
• Black Swan, 2010: This dramatic film directed by Darren Aronofsky starring Natalie Portman and Vincent Cassel brings to the screen a story of art and obsessions in the demanding world of ballet.
• Tiny Pretty Things, 2020: This Netflix original series came out only a few months ago but has already captivated fans of the world of dance, but also of drama: when a model student in an exclusive dance academy dies, her replacement enters a world of lies, betrayal, and ruthless competition.