Ohad Naharin to receive the 2009 Samuel H. Scripps/American Dance Festival Lifetime Achievement Award

Ohad Naharin has been awarded the 2009 Samuel H. Scripps/American Dance Festival Lifetime Achievement Award.

Established in 1981 by Samuel H. Scripps, the annual award honours choreographers who have dedicated their lives and talent to the creation of modern dance, and carries with it a $US50,000 prize.

Naharin has lead Batsheva Dance Company for the past 19 years, taking them from 'a good contemporary dance company' to one of the world's most prestigious and respected. The company opened the 2007 Sydney Festival with Telophaza, a work for 43 dancers and, in the same festival, presented a further two productions (Mamootot and Kamuyot) for a total of 23 performances alongside an extensive workshop program.

Such is the reputation of the company that they returned 18 months later to Australia, presenting two productions (Three and Max) at the Melbourne International Arts Festival.

Naharin trained with Batsheva before being invited by Martha Graham to join her company in New York and to attend the School of American Ballet. He made his choreographic debut in 1980 at the Kazuko Hirabayashi Studio in New York where he studied and worked with David Gordon, Gina Buntz and Billy Seigenfeld. In 1990, Ohad was appointed Artistic Director of Batsheva Dance Company.

In addition to Batsheva, his works have been performed by the Frankfurt Ballet, Bayerisches Staatsballet, Cullberg Ballet, Sydney Dance Company, Lyon Opéra Ballet, Finnish National Ballet, Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, Hubbard Street Dance and Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet.

The Samuel H. Scripps/American Dance Theatre award is one of the most prestigious in the world of dance. Past recipients read like a who'se who of contemporary dance – including Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, Alvin Ailey, Twyla Tharp, Trisha Brown, Meredith Monk, Pina Bausch, Pilobolus Dance Theatre, Maguy Marin, Eiko and Koma, Bill T. Jones and Mark Morris.