Choreographer, dancer, director, and painter in one talented artist, once called "one of the greatest artists of our time" by the Washington Times, internationally renowned for the breadth of her creative ability and artistic vision. International honors include the MacArthur Genius Award (2007), the Nijinsky International Choreography Award (2004), the John D. Rockefeller III Achievement Award (2018), the International Association for the Performing Arts Artist of Excellence Award (2022), and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the International Dance Festival of the United States (2022). In 2008, she was the Opening Ceremony planner and choreographer of the Painted Scroll chapter of the Beijing Olympic Games.