January 9 — International Choreographer's Day: history, traditions, congratulations

Every year on January 9, the International Choreographer's Day is celebrated all over the world — a holiday dedicated to people who preserve and develop the technique and plasticity of dance art, teaching future performers. In 2026, the date falls on Thursday. Izvestia tells about the history of the festival, the traditions of its holding and the importance of the choreographer's profession for world art.

Choreographer's Day in 2026 — the history of the holiday

The profession of choreographer, despite the origin of dance art in the Ancient world, officially took shape in the 12th century, when it became necessary to teach dance to court ladies and gentlemen. The term "choreography" came into use in the 18th century and literally translates from Greek as "recording a dance, dance, round dance." Today, choreography refers to all dance art, including ballet and dance in general, and the choreographer himself acts as a director, coach and director of performance.

In Russia, a systematic approach to dance education was initiated in 1738 by the opening of Her Imperial Majesty's Dance School in St. Petersburg, now known as the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. In 1773, dance classes appeared in Moscow at the Orphanage, which later became the Moscow State Academy of Choreography. The country has given the world many outstanding choreographers and choreographers: Marius Petipa, Agrippina Vaganova, Maya Plisetskaya, Yuri Grigorovich, Igor Moiseev and many others.

The International Choreographer's Day was established in order to emphasize the professionalism of mentors who train performers and help create spectacular productions. The holiday is closely linked to World Ballet Day and International Dance Day.

Traditions of the International Choreographer's Day on January 9th

Performances, workshops and meetings of professional choreographers with aspiring performers are taking place in different countries on January 9. Experienced teachers share techniques and secrets of dance production, festivals and creative competitions are held. Exhibitions of photographs and videos allow you to see the history of choreography and the development of dance art.

"Any fight in a movie is choreography"

Actor Anton Pampushny — about the film "Identification", the reasons for the failure of "Defenders" and working with Roman Polanski

Choreographers continue to preserve and develop traditions in theaters, music videos, rhythmic gymnastics, figure skating, and folklore festivals. Their work allows the audience to get aesthetic pleasure from masterful performance, and the dancers to develop technique and plasticity.

Congratulations on the International Choreographer's Day in 2026

All professional choreographers, choreographers and dance teachers receive congratulations on the holiday. Most often, they wish them creative success, inspiration for productions, and harmony in their personal lives. Here are some examples of wishes for the culprits of the celebration:

"Only bright and talented people can live dancing, body and soul. Dance is not just about movements, it is a lifestyle, emotions, sensations, a flight of the soul. Happy holidays to all professional dancers and dance lovers! Let the magic turn on during your performances, and let your productions inspire and enchant!"

"Happy International Choreographer's Day! We wish your life to be like a dance — light, cheerful and incendiary, and sometimes slow and romantic. I wish you creative development, inspiration and pleasure from the work done!"

"Congratulations on the holiday! May the choreographers' work and talent continue to delight the audience, and each new project brings joy, satisfaction and recognition. May your personal and professional life be harmonious and filled with bright moments!"

Interesting facts about the International Choreographer's Day on January 9th

In honor of the holiday, Izvestia collected some interesting facts about choreography.

• The first recordings of dances and their staging as an art appeared in Ancient Greece and Rome, where festive processions and rituals could not do without dance compositions.
• In 1651, the English publisher John Playford published the collection The English Dancing Teacher, which for the first time described in detail the structure and figures of English folk dances in printed form.
• At the beginning of the 18th century, the French dancer and theorist Raoul‑Auger Faye first used the term "choreography" in the title of his treatise "Choreography, or the art of recording dance" (1701), marking the beginning of the scientific description of dance in a system of conventional signs.
• At the end of the 18th century, Jean‑Georges Noverre and Gasparo Angiolini laid the foundations of dramatic ballet, in which dance vocabulary was organically combined with expressive pantomime and the development of stage action.
• The first permanent ballet classes in Russia were created with the atmosphere of the French dancer and choreographer Jean Baptiste Lande in the 1730s. In 1738, a Dance school was opened in St. Petersburg at the court of Anna Ioannovna, which became the future Russian ballet education system and subsequently the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the history and traditions of the Day of Russian Security Officials.