The Lock-Up is delighted to welcome to the residence Chloe Kim and Cassidy McDermott Smith, as part of small plate, an experimental duo whose collaboration merges contemporary dance and percussion, creating immersive works that explore the deep connection between sound and movement. Balancing improvisation with refined composition and choreography, they generate performances driven by endurance, energy, and the inseparability of rhythm and physicality. Their improvisational approach allows for fluid, real-time creation, while their commitment to refining composition brings greater specificity and accuracy to their work. Central to their practice is the concept of a ‘shared language,’ where sound and movement merge into a unified whole. They have presented their work at Local Edition and the Inner West Jazz Festival and are excited to present a new iteration of their performance at The Lock-Up, embracing the opportunity to evolve their practice and uncover new creative possibilities.

CHLOE KIM 

Drummer Chloe Kim (Yeajee Kim, 김예지; MMus Performance Research. she/her) is one of Australia’s foremost improvising musicians. Chloe constantly performs alongside legendary musicians, and her strength as an artist also emanates in the setting of solo drum set performances. Since 2018, Chloe has performed solo at the Sydney Opera House, Powerhouse Museum, Art Gallery of New South Wales, and Museum of Old and New Art. In 2023, she performed 100 hours of solo drumming over 10 consecutive days at the ‘MONA FOMA’ festival in Tasmania. To date, Chloe has released 4 solo drum albums, which have received media praise in the UK, France, and the United States. Chloe wishes to describe her drumming by citing one of the lines from her research: “a propulsive quality in drumming performance characterized by a high level of intensity and precise execution of the musical details afforded by physical agility”.

With the aspiration to transcend her previous solo drum set performances, Chloe began a collaborative duo performance featuring Cassidy McDermott Smith (dance). Chloe presents the artistic query: “In a domain where our movements’ speed and direction intimately shape our artistry, how can dancers and drummers afford not to collaborate?”

CASSIDY MCDERMOTT SMITH

Cassidy McDermott Smith (she/they) is a dancer, choreographer, educator, and performance artist based on Gadigal Country. A graduate of Point Park University (United States), Cassidy has performed works by Crystal Pite, Azure Barton, Omer Backley Astrachan, Beth Gill and Sidra Bell. Her choreographic practice has been supported by Dirty Feet, Critical Path, Dance Makers Collective, Ausdance, and March Dance Festival. Recent works include Pull Me Closer, a multi-arts project on space exploration, and Tracks, a solo piece on public transport and anonymity. In theatre, she has choreographed From Morning to Midnight (The Opera Centre), The Pigeons, and IRL (KXT). Cassidy’s practice fosters connection, curiosity, and transformation through embodied storytelling.