International Dance Council (CID)

International Dance Council (CID)
Name	International Dance Council
Native name	Conseil International de la Danse
Abbreviation	CID
Formation	1973
Type	NGO
Headquarters	Paris
Region served	International
Membership	National committees, institutions, individual members
Leader title	President
Parent organization	UNESCO

International Dance Council (CID) The International Dance Council (CID) is a global umbrella organization for dance that serves as a coordinating body for national committees, institutions, and individual artists. Founded in 1973 in association with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization institutions, CID connects practitioners across ballet, contemporary, folk, and street forms through events, publications, and networks. CID engages with festivals, conservatories, choreographers, and cultural ministries to promote dance heritage and contemporary creation worldwide.

History

Founded in 1973 after consultations with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and representatives from national dance bodies such as Royal Academy of Dance, Bolshoi Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, and Royal Ballet, the Council consolidated earlier cooperative efforts including meetings linked to International Theatre Institute and exchanges influenced by World Dance Alliance. Early congresses drew delegations from institutions like Moscow State Academy of Choreography, Juilliard School, Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, and Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s CID expanded its committees alongside events such as the Festival d'Avignon, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Venice Biennale, and collaborations with companies like Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Martha Graham Dance Company, Béjart Ballet, and New York City Ballet. CID’s archival projects referenced collections at Bibliothèque nationale de France, Library of Congress, British Library, and research from universities including University of California, Los Angeles, University of Oxford, University of São Paulo, and University of Tokyo.

Mission and Objectives

CID’s stated mission aligns with principles advocated by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization frameworks and cultural policies promoted by bodies such as European Commission arts programs and Council of Europe cultural heritage initiatives. Objectives include networking choreographers, educators, and institutions like Conservatoire de Paris, Royal Conservatory of The Hague, Codarts, and Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama; promoting protection of intangible cultural heritage recognized by UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists; facilitating exchanges among festivals including Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Sadler’s Wells Theatre, and Lincoln Center; and supporting research linked to archives such as Dance Heritage Coalition and journals like Dance Research Journal and Ballet Review.

Membership and Structure

Membership categories mirror structures found in organizations like International Music Council and include national committees similar to French National Ballet, institutional members such as Stuttgart Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, and individual members ranging from choreographers associated with Pina Bausch, Akram Khan, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui to folklorists linked to Kumu Dance Company. Governance includes regional representatives across continents with ties to ministries such as Ministry of Culture (France), municipal partners like City of Paris, and cultural institutions including Smithsonian Institution, Museum of Modern Art, and National Endowment for the Arts. CID’s directory has been used by conservatories such as Royal Danish Ballet School and companies including Australian Ballet, National Ballet of Cuba, and ensembles like Tanztheater Wuppertal.

Activities and Programs

Programs range from global congresses comparable to World Economic Forum-style assemblies for arts, to training exchanges with academies such as Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, artist residencies akin to those at MacDowell Colony, and symposiums paralleling International Conference on Dance Research. CID organizes thematic events connected to festivals like Biennale de Lyon, workshops with masters associated with Merce Cunningham, George Balanchine, and seminars at institutions like The Juilliard School, New York University, and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Projects include documentation initiatives modeled on Oral History Project efforts, digitization collaborations with libraries like Bibliothèque nationale de France and Library of Congress, and outreach programs resembling Dance for Parkinson's and community partnerships with organizations such as UNESCO World Heritage Centre and International Council of Museums.

Governance and Partnerships

Governance is overseen by an executive board and presidium drawing figures from institutions like Royal Academy of Dance, Royal Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, and universities including University of California, Irvine and Goldsmiths, University of London. CID collaborates with international organizations such as United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, International Theatre Institute, International Music Council, International Council of Museums, European Dancehouse Network, and networks like World Dance Alliance. Partnerships extend to funding and advisory relationships with foundations such as Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Ford Foundation, Gates Foundation, and cultural agencies like British Council and Pro Helvetia.

Awards and Recognition

CID has instituted recognitions and certificates comparable to honors from Prince Claus Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund, and awards regularly announced at congresses and festivals including Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Venice Biennale, and Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Laureates have included artists and institutions associated with Martha Graham, Pina Bausch, Rudolf Nureyev, Maurice Béjart, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Sylvie Guillem, and companies like Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Bolshoi Ballet. CID’s accolades are cited in programs of conservatories such as Royal Ballet School and publications like Dance Magazine and The Stage.

Category:Dance organizations