KIMYA IMANI JACKSON
"I create zany dance works that appear like a layered sandwich with joy and thoughtfulness brought together with fulfillment and brevity. Themes I love to explore are coming of age throughout the lifespan, belonging/isolation, stillness, and mass movement on public transportation. Many dance forms, clown techniques, and physical comedy inspire my dance movements."
LSDC: How have the social shifts of 2020 impacted your life as an artist?
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KJ: To be flexible, focus, and listen. Winter, I was one of the selected Apokalypsis artists and we were going to provide a series of in-person workshops to the community at large. Obviously, that changed. Some of us,
including me, presented in person while others had to switch to a virtual format. Our closing ceremony was on Zoom.
In the spring, I had surgery and spent a lot of time focusing on body mechanics. During the
summer, an unexpected opportunity to listen appeared called Interwoven: A Black and Asian Community Building Series which explored art, history, healing, action, and vision.
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LSDC: How has the broad emergence of this digital realm influenced your creativity/artistic work?
KJ: I recently took a digital dance class and have a lot of things to experiment with over the next six months. I have three years of projects to complete; some of those projects will work better in a digital format including
1 minute films.
LSDC: How would you describe yourself as an artist, and/or your work, as we step into the year of 2021?
KJ: Well, I had a lot of images and snippets of choreography floating around in my head, so I jotted them down. I assumed it was two months’ worth of ideas instead; it turned out to be three years of ideas. So during this next year and beyond, I will work, complete, and put these ideas out in the world.
LSDC: How have you maintained balance and regularity in this time? What does your daily/artistic regimen look like?
KJ: Dancing in a daily dance party with music from different parts of the world. Taking virtual and recorded dance classes. Watching performances. Watching lectures about processes in dance, music, and movies.
Listening to new music. Collecting books on choreography. Enjoying weird (non horror) and coming of age stories. Selecting a new movement practice and focusing on it for a month. Setting up regular daydream
time. Connecting with family and friends via Zoom and phone. Letting grief regularly wash over me from global and personal losses. Walking with my husband for mental health maintenance and to observe changes in leaves. Learning how to rest.
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LSDC: Have you produced any new work, live or digital?
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KJ: Yes, I created a free digital workbook on loneliness, connection, and friendship based on previously taught (pre-pandemic) in-person workshops.
KIMYA in Motion
An Untitled work featuring choreography by Kimya Imani Jackson & written/spoken word by Bianca Frisby