TOKYO: The secretariat of the Venice Biennale in Italy has said it will give the 2022 Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement award for dance to Japanese choreographer and dancer Saburo Teshigawara.

Teshigawara, 68, has “created a new aesthetic with his highly personal quality of movement,” the secretariat said Wednesday.

The award will be conferred during the 16th International Festival of Contemporary Dance to be held in Venice in July.

In commemoration of the award, Teshigawara is scheduled to perform Igor Stravinsky’s “Petrushka” at the opening of the festival’s dance section.

After studying classical ballet, Teshigawara started his own activities in 1981. He formed dance company Karas in 1985, pursuing innovative expression that goes beyond the conventional boundaries of dance.

He was the first Japanese to choreograph for the Paris Opera Ballet, achieving international acclaim for his work.

JIJI Press