Woman Who Moved to N.Y.C. to Chase Her Broadway Dreams at 56 Says Experience Has Been ‘Nothing Like What I Expected’ (Exclusive)

NEED TO KNOW

• Kim Hale moved to New York City at 56 to reignite her Broadway dreams after decades away from dancing

• She booked her first New York play after a producer discovered her on Instagram, showcasing her dedication to her craft

• Hale’s journey has inspired fans of all ages, with her TikTok and Instagram accounts amassing over 1.6 million followers

Kim Hale had always dreamed of performing on Broadway, and in 2024, she finally decided it was time to chase those dreams.

The difference, however, between Hale and most of the other Broadway hopefuls who move to New York City, was that she was 56 when she did it. Hale tells PEOPLE that the decision was decades in the making.

“I stopped dancing professionally probably 20 years ago,” she explains. “After COVID, the loss of both my parents, Bell’s palsy, and skin cancer, I turned back to dance to find some joy in my life, not knowing that it would bring me back to pursuing this dream that I had walked away from many years prior.”

Chasing her dreams, she says, “has been nothing like what I expected, but it has been so incredible.”

“The biggest takeaway for me is you have to trust your own life,” Hale shares. “I came here with no plan and a lot of things that I didn’t expect to happen unfolded.”

One of the mantras that guides her through the work is “Surprise me, New York.” While Hale hasn’t “reached that Broadway goal yet,” she was recently cast in her first play, two years after she made the big move.

“Doing my first play in New York City was not on the bucket list at all, not an inkling, though I had been studying acting in addition to everything that you do to pursue Broadway,” she shares. “I had been doing it all, training in all those areas again and putting more emphasis on acting and singing than dance. To get to do my first play was incredible and taught me so much that I’m so grateful that somebody gave me a shot.”

Hale says she was performing in a regional production in Virginia when a producer reached out on Instagram and asked her to audition for the play.

“They sent me the play, and I definitely related to the character, basically my mother. I came back to New York, I did a reading with the director and one of the actors who’s also the producer in the play, and they gave me a couple of adjustments, and I went back to Virginia to do my show, and I got an email saying that I had booked it,” she reflects.

Hale says that booking the play and finding work in regional shows are all “little steps to show that I’m serious and that I’m really willing to do the work.”

Hale has been showcasing her work and her craft online. As her pages have gained traction, she has felt a wave of support — specifically from other people in their 50s who felt they didn’t get to live out their own dreams.

“So many times people say, ‘You have to do it for us,’ for that age demographic and older people will send me messages or they’ll stop me on the street and say, ‘I’m rooting for you,'” Hale shares. “Younger people do as well because, for them, they see that they have time, and maybe it takes a little pressure off themselves.”

While living in N.Y.C. by herself has been a challenge, it’s endlessly rewarding that people stop her on the street and tell her she has inspired them.

“The cool thing is that I never thought it would be a universal message that it wasn’t about being a dancer,” Hale says. “I would say, ‘dreams have no deadlines,’ that those things resonated beyond being a dancer, and that people [thought], ‘Maybe I can try that,’ or, ‘Maybe I can reimagine this dream or goal that I had,’ or, ‘I can try again. I can do that.’ “

Hale’s TikTok account has amassed over 860,000 followers, and she has over 746,000 followers on Instagram. She says connecting with her community has been the most rewarding part of the entire experience.

“The support I’ve received and also the people who’ve messaged me and said I inspired them to pursue whatever it is that they’ve always wanted to pursue. It doesn’t have to be a dance,” Hale says. “Sometimes I have to remind myself, maybe in the end this whole thing, that’s the most valuable part, that I in some way touched some people.”

In fact, she’s even caught the attention of people who work in the business. Jerry Mitchell, the Tony-winning director and choreographer for Kinky Boots, has been one of Hale’s biggest supporters. When it comes to advice, he told her that “not every show is going to be for you, so you’re gonna have to be ready for when that show comes, and they’re looking for somebody that looks like you. You have to be ready.”

As she continues to hone her craft, she has adjusted her dreams of what she wants to achieve in pursuit of reaching Broadway.

“I came here thinking my Broadway debut was going to be a musical, but it could be a play. I never thought about that,” she says. “I always thought it’s gotta be a musical. So that’s a surprise to me, that realization. I don’t know why I never thought about it. I was taking acting classes, but I never did.”

For Hale, staying ready means staying healthy and strong, continuing to train as an actor, dancer, and singer, and being open to new possibilities.

“There’s still so much to do, so much to experience. I never would have thought that at age 58, I would not try something new because I was afraid of looking like a beginner,” Hale says. “It’s been a wild ride. I wouldn’t change anything. It’s not for the weak at heart. It’s definitely toughened and strengthened me in ways I never expected.”

“I know now that not everything’s for you. I can say that at 58. What’s for you is not gonna miss you and pass you by. I carry that with me always. Nobody can block what’s for me. If it’s not meant for me, it’s not meant for me.”

Regardless of whatever comes next for Hale, she will undoubtedly be ready for it.

Read the original article on People