Eric Minh Cuong Castaing comes from the field of visual arts: he graduated from the Ecole de l’Image des Gobelins (Paris), and worked for several years as a graphic designer for animated films. He is interested in real-time choreography and discovered hip hop in 1997, then Butō dance with master performers Carlotta Ikeda and Gyohei Zaitsu. He discovered contemporary dance with the German artist and choreographer VA Wölfl.
As part of Shonen, he combines dance, new technologies (humanoid robots, drones, augmented reality) and the body in situ in socius: since its establishment in 2011, Shonen has created twelve pieces - performances, films and installations.
His work tours France and internationally (CND Paris, Centquatre Paris, MAC Créteil, tanzhaus nrw Dusseldorf, Tanzquartier Vienna...), receives support from ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (Drac Paca, CNC-Dicréam…), and has received several awards (Audi talents 2017, Brouillon d’un rêve arts numériques Scam, bourse Créateur numérique Lagardère, bourse chorégraphique SACD–Beaumarchais, Premier prix de l’Audace artistique et culturelle fondation Culture & Diversité).
Formerly an associate artist at the Ballet National de Marseille, he is now an associate artist at the Comédie de Valence, at Points communs - Nouvelle scène nationale de Cergy-Pontoise et du Val d'Oise and at ICK Amsterdam.