Chou Shu-yi, an up-and-coming Taiwanese choreographer, has won the top prize in a tightly contested global choreographic competition sponsored by the renowned London dance house Sadler's Wells. The 26-year-old choreographer, who is now a resident artist in Paris, told the Central News Agency in an interview that the victory was a big surprise to him. 'I was really amazed that I won the coveted prize, ' Chou said emotionally. In addition to a cash prize of 2,000 British pounds (about US$3,278), Chou and his group will also be given an all-expense paid trip to London to perform at the Sadler's Wells Sampled dance festival in January 2010. Chou started out as a dance enthusiast and began choreographing when he was a student at the Department of Dance at National Taiwan University of Arts. He has twice won awards in choreographic contests sponsored by Taiwan's National Chiang Kai-shek Cultural Center. In 2004, his solo piece 'Street Lamp' was performed at an international dance forum sponsored by Cloud Gate 2 troupe. Another of his pieces, 'Under Street Lamp, ' also won a gold medal in a competition held that same year. Chou said he is extremely happy to emerge as the winner in the Sadler's Wells contest because it has helped expand his vision and international exposure. Sadler's Wells launched its first-ever global dance contest in March in search of new talent. The competition was open to all types of dance. Contestants were required to choreograph, perform and film an original dance piece and submit it on the Sadler's Wells Web site. In the first stage of competition, a panel of six dance professionals selected 10 finalists from all the entries. Chou was the only Taiwanese choreographer to make it into finals of the online video contest. Internet users were invited to vote for their favorites among the 10 final entries. Chou won from a field of competitors from Britain, the United States, Australia, South Africa, South Korea and Israel. Alistair Spalding, Sadler's Wells artistic director, said it was a remarkable achievement for a young choreographer. 'As a young choreographer in the early stages of his career in dance, it is a huge achievement for Shu-Yi to have beaten so many entries from countries as far afield as Nigeria, Venezuela, China and Australia,' Spalding told the selfnews. 'We can see that his piece will work very well on stage alongside the world class artists performing at Sadler's Wells Sampled, and we are very much looking forward to working with him and his dancers,' he added. Chou's win is not only a new milestone in his choreographic career but also brings pride to Taiwan, said an official at Taiwan's representative office in London. According to Chou, his prize-winning work, titled '1875 Ravel and Bolero,' was inspired by French composer Joseph-Maurice Ravel, whose famous Bolero was commissioned in 1928 by Ida Rubinstein for a dance recital. 'My work conveys the concept 'treasure and live in the moment, '' Chou explained. 'The music of Bolero is like part of time and also like the composition of one's life and living... accumulating piece by piece... but it comes to an end all of a sudden without leaving any traces.' Chou recalled that his dance piece, which he described as poetic, drew constant laughter throughout the filming process because of its extraordinary style. Chou said he is very grateful to all those who participated in the online voting. 'No matter which country or finalist the Internet users voted for, this innovative way of running a contest has allowed me to connect with more people and allowed more people to view my choreographic work and body language,' Chou said. Sadler's Wells is known as one of the world's most famous 'sacred palaces' for modern dance. Only top-notch dancers and dancing troupes have been invited to perform on its stage. Taiwan's world-renowned Cloud Gate Dance Theatre has performed at Sadler's Wells several times. Under the arrangement, Chou's group will give two performances at Sadler's Wells Jan.30-31. 