Kimberley de Jong

Kimberley de Jong | The Day the Wild Cried

The Day the Wild Cried is the canvass for an evolving futuristic species, infused with technology and born with inorganic remains. It is an intersection of the physical body, a denatured environment and progressive sound technology, alluding to changing environments and adaptation. In the initial phase of the work Boxher, microphones are attached to Kimberley’s heart and throat generating sound from her body, in turn Jason uses these sounds to trigger other electronic sounds, creating a feedback system. The collaboration between sound and body are at the heart of this work; one medium is entirely dependent on the other. By testing the limits of sound, space and body there is a parallel with the urgency we face towards shifting climate and what we will do in the face of this change. It is raw and unforgiving. The Day the Wild Cried plunges deeper into their existing collaboration and reveals how a softer melody can be found by pre cautiously sharing spaces, how by cohabiting progress and understanding can be made.

Kimberley de Jong is interested in the potential of the body; its capacity to hold and sustain presence and generate movement and sound from an instinctive and visceral place. She draws on themes such as climate change, human empathy and love as source material to create. Her collaboration with sound artist Jason Sharp led her to create Boxher, presented at Tangente Danse in March 2018, followed by experimental music festival Suoni Per Il Popolo, Montreal, Qc. They will work towards the long version of the work The Day the Wild Cried thanks to a residency at CCOV and Le Mai and premiere it at an exhibition on heart intelligence at the Meinblau Art Space in Berlin in Oct 2019. Previous works include Unravelling (2016) and CYCLe2 (2014). Kimberley curates “5 on 5” a monthly improvisational evening between Montreal musicians and dancers at La Sala Rossa. She was chosen as a choreographer at this year’s Banff Creative Gesture- Collective Composition Lab for Music and Dance 2019.

Kimberley was born in Australia and grew up in British Columbia where she attended Arts Umbrella youth dance company. She established herself in Quebec for over 15 years dancing for Montreal choreographers Marie Chouinard (where she also rehearsal directed), Frédérick Gravel, Dana Gingras, Alan Lake, Martin Messier, Caroline Laurin Beaucage, and Sylvain Emard.

Performer et choreography: Kimberley de Jong
Sound: Jason Sharp
Lighting: Karine Gauthier
Costume: Camille Thibault-Bédard
Outside eye: Enora Rivière