Tsung-lung Cheng

From street hawker selling slippers to internationally recognized choreographer, Cheng Tsung-lung became 2020 the Artistic Director of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan. 

Upon graduation from the Dance Department at Taipei National University of the Arts, he joined Cloud Gate in 2002 and became the Artistic Director of Cloud Gate 2 in 2014.

Cheng has been awarded prestigious prizes for his choreography, such as No Ballet International Choreography Competition (Germany), Premio Roma Danza International Choreography Competition (Italy), Taishin Arts Award (Taiwan) and more. He has also worked with companies worldwide, including Sydney Dance Company, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and more.

Cheng’s choreography bridges Taiwan’s ancient rituals and modern life, blending local roots with global influences. The Stage praised his “eye for a cinematic moment.” After 13 Tongues (2016) and Lunar Halo (2019), Sounding Light (2020) reflects the solitude of the pandemic era. Other works include Send in a Cloud (2022), WAVES (2023), and All Ears (2025).

2020 Cheng has been a fixture of Routledge’s annual survey of dance practitioners, „Fifty Contemporary Choreographers“ alongside the likes of William Forsythe, Akram Khan, Hofesh Shechter, and leaders in the form.