Taipei, Feb. 22 (CNA) Lin Hwai-min, founder and artistic director of Taiwan's Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, will be this year's recipient of the Samuel H. Scripps/American Dance Festival Award for Lifetime Achievement, the festival announced Wednesday.
Lin will be the first award recipient who is based outside the United States or Europe.
The award was established by Samuel H. Scripps and the American Dance Festival in 1981. Past award recipients include renowned U.S. choreographer Martha Graham.
In announcing the award, the festival said Lin's illustrious career as a choreographer has spanned over four decades and has earned him international praise for his impact on Chinese modern dance.
"While his works often draw inspiration from traditional elements of Asian culture and aesthetics, his choreographic brilliance continue to push boundaries and redefine the art from," it said.
Upon learning the news, Lin said he was honored to be the first non-American, non-European recipient of the award.
"The award is not only for me, it is for all of Taiwanese society. I want to thank Taiwanese society for given Cloud Gate an opportunity over the past 40 years with its applause and substantive support."
This is not the first time that Lin has been honored abroad.
In 2005, Mr. Lin was celebrated by Time magazine as one of "Asia's Heroes," and in 2009 he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Movimentos Dance Awards in Germany.
Other honors include honorary doctorates from six universities in Taiwan and Hong Kong, the Taiwan National Award for Arts, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, the John D. Rockefeller 3rd Award, and the award for Best Choreographer at the Lyon Dance Biennial Festival.
Additionally, he was given the Chevalier de l' Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French Ministry of Culture.
(By Sabine Cheng and Lilian Wu)