Mikhail Baryshnikov has been awarded the Vilcek Prize for the Arts. The award, which honors the contributions of foreign-born artists and scientists in the United States and is given by the the Vilcek Foundation, includes a cash prize of $100,000. Mr. Baryshnikov, born in Latvia to Russian parents, is being honored for his “body of distinguished work and his legacy of advancing the field of dance,” according to a statement. Michel Kouakou, a choreographer from the Ivory Coast, received the 2012 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise, which includes a cash award of $25,000.The Vilcek Prize honors immigrants who have played a significant role in the vibrancy of culture in the United States.
The American Dance Festival has awarded the choreographer William Forsythe the 2012 Samuel H. Scripps/American Dance Festival Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award, which includes a $50,000 prize, will be presented to Mr. Forsythe in a ceremony on June 30 before a performance by Hubbard Street Dance Chicago at the Durham Performing Arts Center in North Carolina. The performance will include Mr. Forsythe’s 1993 work “Quintett.” The award, which was established in 1981 by the arts patron Samuel H. Scripps and the ADF, honors choreographers who have dedicated their lives and talent to the creation of modern dance. Past recipients include Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, Hanya Holm, Alwin Nikolais, Katherine Dunham, Alvin Ailey, Twyla Tharp and others.