Kim Hale: The Gift of Reimagination

My next guest is dancer, actress and content creator Kim Hale, who is shaking up any–and all limiting beliefs about what over fifty is supposed to look like. With more that half a million followers on Tik Tok, she is using her platform and her lifelong passion for dance to inspire others and prove that you’re only as old as you feel. 

She is currently featured in the Home Goods “Finding Is A Feeling” campaign and appeared as the "Pie Lady" in the 2020 Emmy Award winning Netflix holiday musical Christmas on the Square starring Dolly Parton for which she was also one of the Assistant Choreographers  to  Emmy and Golden Globe winner Director/Choreographer Debbie Allen. Other Recent performing credits include Spirited starring Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell, Mrs. American Pie (Upcoming on Apple TV+), multiple episodes of The Late Late Show with James Corden choreographed by Chloe Arnold and The Ellen Show. 

Follow Kim: https://www.instagram.com/kimhalepr/
https://www.kimhalepr.com/aboutkim
https://www.tiktok.com/@mskimhale

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Transcript

Lisa Hopkins: 0:23

This is the stop time podcast. I'm your host, Lisa Hopkins, and I'm here to engage you in thought provoking motivational conversations around practicing the art of living in the moment. I'm a certified life coach, and I'm excited to dig deep and offer insights into embracing who we are and where we are at. So my next guest is dancer actress and content creator Kim Hale, who is shaking up any and all limiting beliefs about what over 50 is supposed to look alike. With more than half a million followers on Tiktok. She is using her platform and her lifelong passion for dance to inspire others and prove that you are only as old as you feel. She is currently featured in the home goods finding is a feeling campaign and appeared as the pie lady in the 2020 Emmy award winning Netflix holiday musical Christmas on the square, starring Dolly Parton for which she was also one of the assistant choreographers to Emmy and Golden Globe winner, Director choreographer Debbie Allen. Other recent performing credits include spirited, starring Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell misses American Pie upcoming on Apple TV plus multiple episodes of The Late Late Show with James Corden choreographed by Chloe Arnold, and the Ellen show. I'm so excited just to get started and to chat with my friend Kim Kim, welcome.

Kim Hale: 1:54

Thank you. I'm so happy to be here and have this conversation.

Lisa Hopkins: 1:57

Ditto Ditto. Thanks so much for taking the time to be in the moment with me.

Kim Hale: 2:01

Thank you for that beautiful intro. Wow. Thank you. I love it.

Lisa Hopkins: 2:05

Can you paint a picture of what the rhythm of your days is like?

Kim Hale: 2:09

Yeah, I have really packed days. And I have days that aren't so path. But a normal day for me, I get up early, like seven o'clock. And I like to start off with you know, I write my little affirmations, my manifesting the things I want to do, I have a practice now of like, writing out like a day what it looks like, day of that would be a dream day for me. Like today I started I went to the chiropractor to get my bones back together. I often take a ballet class, I have a ton of stuff to do at home, I am going to take a job cuz tonight that's kind of a typical day, there's always some kind of like, practice for my body, whether it's going to PT or something, it does take some effort to keep my body going and that I don't always talk about. I mean, it's a pretty typical day, I think for any buddy in my position, a dancer I think regardless of your age, I think that's what's interesting about it, it's all kind of the same. There's always a lot of self care in that as well.

Lisa Hopkins: 3:14

I love it. I love it. And how has that shifted for you in terms of, you know, taking yourself back to when, you know, when you were first training versus versus now. And I'm curious to know how things were different

Kim Hale: 3:26

things or different mindset. You know, being more mindful, I think about my worth is not in all of this. I think that's the biggest lesson and thing I still work on. But as a young dancer, putting my total worth and value as a human being into if my leg was high, if I did five pair of weights, which I've never probably ever done. I know that's common today, I can only dream. If I booked a job. If I got a call back. If I did it. I was such a young person who put my worth in that I'm terrible. I'm amazing. I stopped you know, this roller coaster ride that is totally you cannot sustain that. So now I try to do what makes me happy. I tried to trust my intuition. You know, listen to my body more. So I think mindset is the biggest difference and with all of that said I still have good and bad days like everybody so I grapple with things all the time but the focus is on doing what I love. Yeah. And exploring what's possible what is possible. What can I do like what I thought six months ago I could do is so different than what I actually can do. Yeah, it's in my mind. Some of it is my body. Some is trusting that my body will do it and kind of knowing where the line is like this weekend I took a choreographer Marguerite Derrick's top when I was in New York City, and I actually surprised myself that what I did but the energy in the room, the Bible was so good, you know you rise up to who's in the room. So here I am with all these 20 Somethings 30 Somethings probably, and I definitely lifted up in the space because of their energy. So I actually did more than I thought it, which was incredible. I love

Lisa Hopkins: 5:30

that. And it's interesting, because it's like, the stakes are so different. You know what I mean? Like, it's so often I work with clients, you know, very successful people who lose track of the why. Right? So you know what I mean? They're so used to saying, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Because that's what we're taught to do. Right? opportunity comes, you take it, you take it, you take it, and you get to a certain level, and then you're still taking it. And then you start going, Why am I taking? I don't really want to do it anymore. It's really interesting to me, because I feel like what's really cool about you, and I'd love to talk about how you got there, you're now saying yes to everything. I feel like there was probably a place in there. And I'm curious if you can sort of tap into where that was where you started saying, no, no, no, I shouldn't, where you were playing in more into the nose after the yeses. And now you're back to Yes, again, talk to me.

Kim Hale: 6:21

I've had many stops and start for me that it's a pattern, the pattern started in my youth, and having dance taken away from me. for stupid reasons of you know, I didn't raise my hand in class, I got in trouble, something I was worn. So I got dance taken away from me. And then I did sports. And so I did what other people wanted. And then when I went to community college and I took my reclaimed what I wanted to do, so I became like always a kind of an underdog situation. And then I took it away from myself. So then there was a pattern of taking what I love away from myself, which I've only now kind of unstarted to unpack why that is why did I repeat what was done to me? No, and devastated me, to be honest, anybody that truly knows me knows that that like, gutted me to take that away from me. Yeah, yeah. And I became incorrigible as a teenager, oh, I think then later, I got to certain points, and I would, you know, stop again. So the first time was maybe in my 20s, late 20s, around the time of bossy and not getting certain things. And I gave up, I didn't give up I'd say I quit. I don't like to say I gave up but I quit. For the moment. I gave up on that dream. And then I started to do other things. I taught me University then I got hungry again. Because then I went back I left a tenure track, you know, university job, very secure something so many people would want, went back to the city did a little bit. Now I'm not going to do it. This time I came to LA, thank God. So the cycle, met Debbie Allen. Then I started again, I can't do it. And in all of that, then I decided, well, I'm going to be something else. I'm going to prove that I can do other things. I'm now around Debbie Allen, a powerhouse who does many things. So she gave me a lot of opportunity to try things. So I was like a marketing manager, a social media person I did. You know, I worked in development, I was at age was a publicist, all still attached to Dad's which is interesting. And then when COVID hit I guess in a nutshell, I I had just lost both my parents. I got I had was diagnosed with melanoma multiple cases on my face, I had skin cancer surgery. Then I got Bell's Palsy. I woke up one day on Christmas, I think 20, late 2020. And my face was drooping. Like what is happening, I have scars. Now I've grown my hair out. So I have roots out. And something inside of me just said it's time to get back to dance. And that's kind of the long and short of it. And now, you know, I been back like a year and a half, probably like You're like people think it's a lot longer. It's like a year and a half. And I've actually had to walk through that space again, where I felt that like, can't do it. You know, and really had recently had to like, muscle up call somebody and say, You know what I mean, I'm feeling this way. I'm aware of it. I'm cognizant of it, you know, thank goodness, and I'm gonna walk through it. And I did I took those trips to New York was kind of part of that, like, let me just get reinvigorated. And it worked. And, and that's kind of, you know, how it is trying also to be something that I'm not thinking of you something. I'm a dancer, dancer. Yeah, that and I think there's still so much I can do and have to say. So

Lisa Hopkins: 10:01

two things stand up for me. One is that pattern that you refer to? It sounds like it started if I heard you correctly, it started by someone else taking away from your free. Okay. And how old were you then I was 12. So you were 12 and before it was taken away from you, what was your perception about dance?

Kim Hale: 10:20

I was like, I want to be a ballet dancer. I loved it. And this is what I want to do. There was no question. I loved everything about it.

Lisa Hopkins: 10:27

Cool. And then and then if I heard you correctly didn't sound like it was a it was a big thing that you did that precipitated. Right.

Kim Hale: 10:38

Like talking out of turn, I still do it. You know, like, yeah, okay, I'm talking over somebody, it was very looking back. It was so minor.

Lisa Hopkins: 10:46

Yeah, it sounded minor to me just the way you said it. Was that was that in the class, or was that not related? And then they took

Kim Hale: 10:53

it was in school, it was what I thought was school class. Yes, I think eighth grade. So because I always have, I just recently realized that when people will say things to me, I'm always like, I'm 12. Or I always was referring to 12. I actually found this out in my acting class. And I would say, go back to a memory. And I always would say, 1212, or my brother, and I would joke, I'm really just 12. And now I see the connection that that was such like, a life changing moment for me to have, you know, just the innocent hope of a dream and this that, you know, as a child, you're dependent on somebody, I tried to sneak and ride my bike and do all things. But you know, I couldn't.

Lisa Hopkins: 11:35

So when it was taken away from you, was it was it just sort of that happened at school? That's bad. Therefore, I'm gonna take away what you love. Is that how it worked?

Kim Hale: 11:43

Yeah, so it kind of was we were on a family vacation. And it I had been warned, like, if you have one more time, and you're going to, you know, dance will be it. Yeah. And it was my mother. And my father was like, it's kind of severe, you know. And my mother's thought process this is in like 1982, or three was, if you say you're going to do something, and you don't do it, the children will never have respect for you again. Right? So I was like, I always tell people, I was hurling my body around crying, screaming, ads. I just don't even remember, like how I got through. I went on to do sports and things. But somehow, I always thought in my head, like, I'm going to just be this person. I'm just going to train in my bedroom. We didn't have internet, we didn't have anything. And I'm going to do plays on these. And I always knew I would come back somehow. Yeah, so I mean, side of myself, I knew

Lisa Hopkins: 12:40

100% It makes perfect sense that the whole thing just makes so much sense to me. So

Kim Hale: 12:46

very, actually, the whole pattern and taking it away from yourself and authority figures not picking you for jobs. And you know, you started I took everything so personal because what I know now, and we're very much more advanced is I was triggered by all of that. It brought that up for me every time. Well.

Lisa Hopkins: 13:05

Yeah. Yeah. And I mean, also, I mean, that's a trauma, right? I mean, and so you were you were and again, the sidebar, but you were something, you know, you depend on your parents, right? Even at 12. Right, you can't be independent. So you know, when, when you know, when it's modeled that I'm not safe if I do what I love. Right? You don't do it? Because what you know, what's the alternative? Right? So

Kim Hale: 13:33

being like, had television taken away, which people did I couldn't, we had restriction, be grounded for a month not see friends, but don't wait for the judge?

Unknown: 13:42

She Yeah, yeah.

Kim Hale: 13:44

I don't know in the history of that. I now know too, that both of my parents had unrequited dreams. No, mother was a brilliant artist, a brilliant, you know, she could have been a set designer, she was a painter. She knew how to like she was very creative, just even like things in the house. And my father, I learned much later wanted to be like a Shakespearean actor, and gave that up to marry my mother, and they ended up getting divorced. So

Lisa Hopkins: 14:13

it's interesting, it occurs to me that would you say that the seminal moment when you really decided, I need dance back and I'm going to do it, like, I'm sure you thought about it a lot. But was that was was that during the pandemic?

Kim Hale: 14:24

It was. And I also would say that I had lost both my parents. So there's also some people may take this strange, but it released me to step into who I was without having to worry about, you know, absolutely just the post about, you know, not playing small anymore, because I, you know, it's still always believe it or not, I still do that. But, you know, released me from that I could just do it. Yeah, that I could just try or wasn't even at that moment that I wasn't thinking about, like, I'm going to try to book a job. I just wanted to dabble back into dance. I had no intentions of it coming even to where I'm sitting today. It wasn't intention. I literally was trying to find some joy in like a very dark moment in my life, like on my couch with stitches in your face. Like what

Lisa Hopkins: 15:21

just happened? Yeah. Yeah, what what stands out to me too? I'm curious to know what you think about this is that, you know, when when it happened to you when you were 12. Right. And then when you kept kind of modeling it, because somehow you identified it with safety, play safe a little bit, right. Don't don't fall, follow. Don't be too passionate, also make sense while you're going on all these different directions. Right. But but it's but during the pandemic, it was, it was collective trauma, we were all in the same thing. And that release that you were referring to, I'm so curious. Well, I don't even know. I mean, maybe this isn't you don't even need to respond. But I just want to share with you like it just comes out to meet like that. That permission, you know, because it's not just Kim in the corner, getting in trouble for being passionate about something, right. It's like, No, we're all we've all got everything taken away from us. And we're all experiencing trauma. And so it just seemed like a very safe place. Right. From from that point of view for you to say now. Now's the time.

Kim Hale: 16:20

Yeah. And I think that's a whole other conversation. Yeah, I'll give some insight in is then you are in a place where I haven't really moved for a long time. Yeah, really insecure, because maybe they healed well, but I had, you know, stuff going on with my face. I also was left with a neurological kind of like condition where we're not even sure exactly what it is. But like, face will go not not known. But like, I have like these nerves in my face I get. And though it never happens when I'm dancing with any Devere it was interesting. It didn't happen when I was in New York, but it happens in LA. But, um, and also, I guess the long and short of is relinquishing what I thought I want to give myself permission to be who I am today. Yes. Which is why I realized now that I turned to hip hop because I had never done it. Hmm, that's interesting. So preconceived notion. What I should look like, yes, making some ballet classes on the side, like really low key, but it was hip hop, that kind of like, my energy started to come back and who I was and the way I like to dance and move and like a little sass, and we started to like creep out, you know, totally. So it was very organic. But I realized I had no expectation. Yeah, my goal here, I can't do this, or I can't do that. It's like, well, let me try. Yeah, see what's possible. So it was like a gradual unearthing that it had a very kind of slow pace to the place where, you know, I I take choreographers classes now that I only ever dreamed about. Three that was so scared in my youth, like, earrings is a huge one. Like I was so scared. And now I just live her class. And she's been such a, a great support and mentor to me. In just seeing me. Yeah, and saying, you know, you're welcome in this space. Yes. No. And yeah, it's I've had this is a newer journey, but it's been it's been a great one. And she has a connection to Debbie Allen. So we share that she gave her her first job. So she has been just a great encourager in defying some of the stereotypes you know, and struggling I recently had someone tell me, they asked me well, this class you take I said Marguerite, Derrick's class and they were like, really? Like, they looked at me, like I had three horns growing out of my heart. Am I the best one? No, but I definitely go in there. Like for myself, it's so you know, learning how to navigate some of that even at 55 You know, learning how to navigate those stereotypes that come at you about what's possible.

Lisa Hopkins: 19:20

100% And I think too, I think it's probably good for the listeners to hear the listeners that aren't dancers. Because there's another element that sometimes gets overlooked right with Okay, she's in her 50s and she's dancing Well, so what but what they don't understand is all the limiting beliefs that we as dancers learn and and for a dancer from a dancer, we've been told for so long, that's fucking

Kim Hale: 19:45

old. Money, that's all.

Lisa Hopkins: 19:49

You know. I mean, if you're a ballet dancer and your 30 year old, so on our generation,

Kim Hale: 19:54

especially, you know, LA I think people are in and out quicker than they are in New York. So I always tried to say to people, like if I'm sharing, yes, I'm talking about dance, but I always try to say find what that is for you. Because it might be gardening and it might be it might be golfing, it might be tennis, and reimagining what that looks like. So yes, I have goals. I have dreams, but I have to reimagine them, they're not the same. And I think the gift is in the reimagining of it all. Because you can get chained and tied into, well, I can't do it the way I did it 26? Well, no, of course not. I'm not 26. But I can do it this way at 55. Yep. So the reimagining is key in my journey in my process, and having compassion for myself, and others in the process.

Lisa Hopkins: 20:53

Totally. And it's funny too, because as soon as you let go of, of that of the comparison of self things change, right rules fall away. And so doors open, which is what you're experiencing, right? New doors, open ones that you never would have imagined.

Kim Hale: 21:06

Yes, for sure. For sure. And it's a Yeah, it's a gift. The reimagining was really the key for me, was the key to unlock everything. Things I still struggle with. But the reimagining, I got, yep. Okay, let's re imagine this. And what can happen. I love that.

Lisa Hopkins: 21:28

What What would you say are like, the greatest challenges in your new paradigm? Because it sounds like you're in a really good space right now. Right? What what are some of the biggest challenges for you now in that, because sometimes, you know, more success can just bring, you know, more pro, or more, you know, I'm not, and I'm not implying that there are more challenges. Yeah.

Kim Hale: 21:47

This is such a great question. I think, staying true to myself, you know, a good example for me, and this is very dance specific. But, you know, I, I know what I like choosing classes to take and what I want to take and who I want to study with, and maybe those aren't the classes where I'm going to get a video, I'm going to do this and really staying true to what I know is right, for me, surrounding myself with really good people, you know, there's an ebb and flow of people, you know, people come for short term people come for long term, I think, being being clear about that, you know, everybody's Yeah, that's a hard. You know, I have a smaller group of people. Luckily, I wouldn't say I'm like a COVID didn't bother me too much the isolation, because I I'm not, I'm a loner with extrovert qualities. Like I can be by myself always have when I lived in New York in my 20s, I can go the movies by myself, go to the park, go wherever, here. I'm the same. I don't have to have somebody with me. I like people. But I totally able to do things. I'll bio sometimes too much. And then I think the third thing, you know, it's just staying mentally strong. I mean, I don't know how else to say it. So do you?

Lisa Hopkins: 23:12

I'm not, I don't know anything about you. Really? Are you? Like, do you live by yourself to have a family with you?

Kim Hale: 23:17

I live by myself not married. Yeah, solo. So I'm lucky in the sense that the gift of one of the gifts of my life is I can, you know, do what I want and kind of plan. You know, I'm not gonna have anybody dependent on. So weird, but it's just the truth, it is the way it is. So that comes with pros and cons. So it's funny, because people will say, Oh, well, you only ever are talking about dance, I do a lot of other things. And I always say like, just because I don't post, it doesn't mean I don't have other things that I like to do, or you don't have other interests. I I'm unhappy with this phase in my life and, and finding, connecting with what brings me joy, because I spend so much time being angry and frustrated and, you know, trying to fit into boxes, you know, putting up, you know, what did they say a square into a round hole?

Lisa Hopkins: 24:20

Yeah, ya know, for sure. What, if anything, in this moment, you know, you can only speak from this moment, because this is where you are right now. But what if an if anything sort of stands in the way of, you know, what you want to be where you want to go?

Kim Hale: 24:38

Myself, to be honest, I think it's the, the staying strong mentally, you know, and it's such a big I didn't realize like, even as a younger dancer, performer or just as a young person in general, you know, the power of the mind and how it can take you, you know, into those thoughts, like we were saying, insecurity, doubt, fear, all of that. Yes, I'm dependent on other people for opportunities, but nothing can keep me from just wanting to dance. Or take class or I love that aspect. I love to train so there's nothing keeping me from that. And I end then connected to the joy of it, because so many times I lost my connection to the love and the joy of dancing. Especially when you start working or doing things, you know, it becomes, you know that, that desperation, I want to, I want to do that, and really always trying to come back to but I'd love to dance regardless. Let's not let that interfere with just the love of doing an passion for this artwork. Yeah.

Lisa Hopkins: 25:54

What would you do if you couldn't dance? They'd say dance didn't exist.

Kim Hale: 25:59

I don't know. I'm definitely a creative person. Yeah. You know, all the little detours I take I have taken I've enjoyed every one of them in different ways. I don't know what to do. Oh, my gosh, I don't know. But I know there's something out there that is for me. I don't know.

Lisa Hopkins: 26:17

What qualities would it have to have? Because really, that's what it is, right?

Kim Hale: 26:21

I think being able to be creative. I'd like to, I like to figure things out. I'm curious. I mean, I enjoyed being an agent, I enjoyed working in development, I loved working in that kind of space. I did enjoy that. You know, it's so funny, because when I wasn't dancing, if it wasn't for Debbie Allen, I faced so much ageism, and I didn't even have white hair, then, like I couldn't get a job. I had been like in a job teaching, you know, in a major university in Syracuse. And when I moved to LA, I could not get a job. It was just, it was like the worst feeling ever. And you know, the ageism is real out there. And like, get your dates off your resume and take things off and navigate all of that. So honey, I have a lot of trust in the universe, because I don't know, you know, where, where things will always lead? Yeah. Those are the things that I don't like to do. I don't want to think about

Lisa Hopkins: 27:20

it. Yeah, no, I understand that. I appreciate that. No, it's

Kim Hale: 27:24

just No, I love to I don't know where I would I would go it would be something in a creative space that seems to have been the through light through it all. Well, no.

Lisa Hopkins: 27:32

So it doesn't, you'd be fine. I mean, clearly.

Kim Hale: 27:37

I'll be fine. Like I have the self effort. But I at this moment, I'm not really thinking about that. I haven't really thought about it.

Lisa Hopkins: 27:47

Yeah, what brought you joy about the other things you did when you when you said no to dance for a while? What were the

Kim Hale: 27:52

elements connected to dance? I was

Lisa Hopkins: 27:55

okay, got it. It was another another way of looking at it. There you go. Yeah,

Kim Hale: 27:58

doing something else in the field. So whether I was an agent, totally associate choreographer or beside my I was really focused on dancers and creative. So it's always been connected to them. Yeah, no, totally. And that there are other things that you could do and dance besides dance. Yes. Yes. I think that's important. Yeah, no, I do know that.

Lisa Hopkins: 28:25

Yeah, no, totally. What's your definition of living in the moment?

Kim Hale: 28:31

Do you have one? Well, I don't I don't know that I have one. For sure. It's just trying to be present and not look forward or back is a big one. For me. A lot of that comes from Debbie Allen. Like, I don't look back, I just I don't look forward at what's coming. Because there's always so many things coming at her. And I kind of really love that. But it's just like, I'm here. Now. I'm with you. Trying to practice that it's a practice of looking back or forward too much anymore. You know, I look a little forward but back. It's like dipping your toe but not getting, like, engulfed in it. Yeah. I think. What about you? What's your definition?

Lisa Hopkins: 29:17

Well, it's interesting, because I've just came across, I just came across a Buddhist concept actually about hope, and hopelessness. And it was what kind of rocked my world in a good way, though, because I was like, Yeah, that makes so much sense to practice hopelessness and that doesn't mean like victimhood, like Oh, I'm hopeless. But practice not hoping then then you then it brings you to the present. Because you're never hoping that it's good the weather is gonna get better or hoping you might get that job or whatever you just fall in and I love I love that so for me, because I think I feel like I'm, I'm pretty good at practicing being in the moment. I've kind of always I don't know why but then been that way. Of course in my work, you don't have an opportunity to do that more and more and more. But yeah, so that really the hopelessness thing that was literally like the other day I was like, that makes sense. Actually, it does,

Kim Hale: 30:13

right. Because it is true. Like when even when I was saying about there it happiness doesn't lie in if my biggest dream was to is is to be On Broadway, like, that doesn't mean happiness lies if I get that. It's still the same person. Yep. You know, so I like to focus on the journey a lot. That aspect of it, which is similar, but I really love that the hopeless I get that it's not like the sadness. I totally get that. Yeah, the idea of it's like a surrender,

Lisa Hopkins: 30:46

and then just letting go of attachment to this, I'll be better when or it'll be great if and, oh, I hope I get that or

Kim Hale: 30:55

no, that's a lovely thought. Because the being attached to thing is when you get disappointed. That's

Lisa Hopkins: 31:01

right. That's right. And happiness. I believe in anything really confidence in whatever you insert, you know, whatever the goal is, is is is a result. It's not a destination, right? Happiness is a result of having done something, but you don't do something to get happy.

Kim Hale: 31:19

Ah, yes, yeah, that makes sense. You become happy

Lisa Hopkins: 31:22

through just doing. You don't sort of strive for happiness.

Kim Hale: 31:27

Right? I don't know. Makes you listen, it makes total sense. We went there. Yeah, we made there. Yeah.

Lisa Hopkins: 31:37

Cool. Thank you. What's the Hey, this is gonna be so interesting. I bet you have one too. What's one big audacious goal that you haven't put out in the universe? Or at least that you haven't? yet? Maybe you haven't even put out in the universe yet?

Kim Hale: 31:51

One audacious goal, just to something

Lisa Hopkins: 31:54

that you haven't put out in the universe, but that you know, you think I might toss that one out one time? Well,

Kim Hale: 32:04

I'd love to be I'd love to walk in like a fashion show. Like as a white haired woman, that's a big bud. I would love to do I also one thing that I've never really told anybody really? I have this like secret secret dream of like having a really cool band. That's like those bands that people live and like driving of going places it that it like just pulling up and and Yeah, and like living in it. Love it. Definitely. I follow up actually on Instagram, I follow a lot of like, Van life types of content. So that's something I've never really talked about. But that is something that I would really I have, like that adventure side of me. Yeah. During COVID I took a lot of adventures in LA like just exploring because you could go to museums, you could go to Mark going to all these places that you never like there's so many places I lived in New York for so long. I never went you know, so really trying to explore La more and I found so many like hidden gems. So yeah, having like a really cool hippie band. Love it, like a souped up one. Yeah, traveling around and you know, driving to the Grand Canyon and like pulling up and like my cool van, like doing that. With like a fire pit. Yeah, that's something outside of the ordinary aside from like, wanting to be something else. That's really that's a good one.

Lisa Hopkins: 33:41

Those are yeah, those are beautiful. And it's funny, because so, so, so possible, right? What's up? What's an impossible that what's something that maybe you'd like to do that you would never you think like, yeah, that's never gonna happen?

Kim Hale: 33:54

No, that would never happen.

Lisa Hopkins: 33:56

Yeah, were they you just kind of I'm not even you know that. You know, it's kind of you've toyed with, but you're kind of like,

Kim Hale: 34:02

I don't even know what that would be. I don't know. Cool. Yeah, at this stage, I don't know what would be impossible. I love it. I can't think of something. But I'm sure something exists, but it's not coming to mind.

Lisa Hopkins: 34:22

Yeah, well, it makes sense. It makes sense. What's yours? I used to really, really want to be a journalist. I don't want to be a broadcast journalist. And look what I'm doing right now. The biggest joy of my life is doing the podcast. Yeah. Imagining.

Unknown: 34:40

Yeah. Yeah.

Kim Hale: 34:42

It's not always as textbook II as we think.

Lisa Hopkins: 34:45

Oh, not at all. Not at all. No. And I believe that it's really cool to go back and look at these dreams is kind of what you were saying, right? The imagining and a lot of people limit themselves either because they did do something. Or they started to do something. And then they they went the right they made a right right turn saying no, I'm going to I was really good artists, but I decided I would you know, major in engineering instead or whatever. And then they think that they're not creative anymore, because they just left it behind. Right? But if they can go if they go back now with this new mindset, kind of like you did well, except that you weren't you are a dancer. So yours is a little bit different, but still, you're sort of incur urging that, like you said, the imagination, which is, which is beautiful. Yeah. It's good to dream. I'm just pushing you to dream because you've already like you're living your dream. Right. So I'm just super curious. Yeah, it's a

Kim Hale: 35:35

good question. I just don't think about things not being possible. I mean, there are certain things like, I've never going to be at a ballet company that was a big. We know the reality you know what to do. But that's not how to know. But you know, there's other ways, actually, somebody I know. It's like, oh, I wanted to be a ballet dancer. That didn't happen. They ended up being a ballet dancer at a TV show. So it was cool. Like, they did get to do it. I don't know. I definitely the other one I had and I heard I don't think it's happening. I wanted to really be in the savage venti. I don't know if this fashion show that was like a huge thing. I want to do that. But anyway, yeah, nothing off the top of my head. Cool. No worries about it. Yeah, it's good.

Lisa Hopkins: 36:19

I want you to check back with me, let me know. What's something that you don't want people to know about you.

Kim Hale: 36:27

Something I don't want people to know about me. Did I have insecurities? Like everybody? You know, I always that I have doubts than yours. Yeah. You know, because you play, you show a certain side of yourself. And people say, Oh, I see you dancing. You're so confident. I'm like, really? I'm confident with the music. I know how to take space. I know how to take the stage. I know how to do that. You know, but there are other areas. You know?

Lisa Hopkins: 37:02

Yeah. Yeah, totally. And they those are the things that impede your performance. Right? Which is why I feel like you're you're you're reborn a little bit now. Because all that younger self bullshit when you're dancing is not haunting you because you're not young.

Kim Hale: 37:17

Yeah. Trying to secrete bits of tags. But yeah, like, no way.

Lisa Hopkins: 37:22

Yeah, for sure. Well, and now it's it will, right. I mean, I believe in again, in my work, you know, we have these what I you know, these Gremlins, I call them, ya know, which are they're, you know, trying to keep us safe. They don't want you to be embarrassed, right? And you're like, Listen, I'm good. I'm good. You know, we could let's recast your script here. And let's talk about how you can how you can help me.

Kim Hale: 37:41

I like to say it's time for a plot twist.

Lisa Hopkins: 37:44

Totally. I love that. What would you say? Is your Achilles heel? If anything?

Kim Hale: 37:50

I'm not feeling safe space.

Lisa Hopkins: 37:55

In physical space, you mean like, yeah,

Kim Hale: 37:57

like, are feeling judged? I pick up on energy. And so like, my reaction to an energy, I guess, can throw me easily throw me?

Lisa Hopkins: 38:13

No, that makes sense. And so what is it about that that makes you feel disempowered? Is it the way that it makes you feel

Kim Hale: 38:22

a person for exact like, I realized, like, if somebody comes at me in certain situations, it's I've learned it's not them. It's how I respond to it. I can get insecure, really, I can get insecure, know, and go down that path. Being able to stay. The goal for me is to be able to stay focused and not get swayed by other people's energy.

Lisa Hopkins: 38:49

How do you navigate that, though, with like, with your presence now? Right? Because you're so out there.

Kim Hale: 38:54

I feel like I trigger a lot of people. I don't know, I you know, I get that feeling sometimes, like, Oh, my God, I trigger people just my presence. I don't know, I don't know how to explain that. But I how do I navigate it? Well, it's an interesting thing that people don't talk about, like, especially in the dance space about social media. So people see you, they see you posting videos, and they see you in class. And they expect that you're going to be that way all the time. But I'm here to take class. So, you know, I generally have great times, but there's times you mess up you do think so I think it's a it's being patient with yourself and trying to like I try to tell myself to go into that space. You know, for me, I have to go into like, a mindset into like a five minute class and it's challenging. I have to go into like, a bubble to like, focus.

Lisa Hopkins: 39:47

Totally, like, just block block things out.

Kim Hale: 39:49

Yeah, yeah. People may read that as well. But it's not about anybody else. Except I've tried to get the

Unknown: 39:55

pseudo Yeah.

Kim Hale: 39:57

That but navigating is hard. I mean, other people that I know, it's like, you'll be damned if you'll just have cameras. I was like, Girl, I just want to you know, I didn't find that like so much in New York, because the spaces are a little bit different. But here in LA, it's very much.

Lisa Hopkins: 40:13

Well, yeah. And like what about because I know that while you said that the space is so important to you, right? And I'm imagining you being home In your safe space, but again, because you're such a public figure now, that and part of your job, it seems like because you seems like you would you do respond to people, right? So you're gonna you're going to be you're going to be subject to having to look at everybody's comments and stuff. How do you navigate that?

Kim Hale: 40:41

I don't really get too much negativity. I think it's like a cycle in the beginning. And then, to be honest, if somebody comes with negativity, I usually just block them and yeah, been my strategy. And it's worked. It's worked, because then eventually, they're just I kind of got rid of the riffraff, you know, and those are always usually people who don't pose they just really have a bully mentality. And that's what they do. It's very strange kind of

Lisa Hopkins: 41:08

situation. Yeah. And you're gonna they're gonna come out of the woodwork for sure. Yeah, I

Kim Hale: 41:11

don't really get that too much. I don't really get too much negativity. I wish. More people so many people write so many nice things. I just can't be on the device all the time. That's another thing. I spend way too much time. Like, if I turn this camera right around right now, and you saw, like, my island in my kitchen, have all the paperwork and things to do. That's another Achilles heel is like, it's gotten a little bit away from me. Yeah, handling my own business.

Lisa Hopkins: 41:39

I was gonna say it's your own business. So do you do everything? Or do you have people to help you?

Kim Hale: 41:43

No, I do. I mean, I do everything I like, I just have a lot of things coming in. And it gets away from you a little bit. It's like in this next couple of days, I have to like, really reclaim it all. Yeah, I'm not a person that likes 5000 emails in my inbox, right now a couple of 100. And it's so anxiety. people I know, right, I see their inbox now. Yep. 10,000 emails, I could never, I could never. What do you know,

Lisa Hopkins: 42:10

we'll stay true about you, no matter what happens.

Kim Hale: 42:13

I mean, your forgets I've always I think I do love to laugh and have fun. What will stay true? I'm very loyal. I've learned I've learned that about myself. Where do you see yourself?

Lisa Hopkins: 42:28

I don't know. 10 years and then 20 years from now, do you? Can you envision that? Is that? Do you have some sort of any kind of current master plan? Or are you just free flowing?

Kim Hale: 42:38

Really? Sure. Yeah. 20 years, I would be 75 I really don't know. I hope somebody will take

Unknown: 42:44

care of me. At some point.

Lisa Hopkins: 42:46

We'll be fine. 75 It's not really that old. I mean, it's

Kim Hale: 42:50

five. I mean, Debbie Allen's like 76 She's choreographing for Mariah Carey, right? Yeah. So I have great role models. Yeah, in 10 years, I just hope to be to be honest, I see myself. Just whatever that is, in the moment. still finding and doing whatever I love doing staying connected to what I love and letting and that's a big one. For me. It may not be dance, it could be something else, you know, but that I'm still connected to that part of myself that know that. Here's what that is. And no, it recognizes what that is. Yeah, I think like it's fluid. You don't know where it's gonna just fall away. You know? I mean, I'm, like, professional, I'd love to be acting, I'd love to be doing something like that, you know, I'm training and doing that. That was like playing characters. And like, really being able to explore that in some capacity would be

Unknown: 43:46

totally How do you want to be remembered?

Kim Hale: 43:51

Somebody who gave life 120% Haha. That's for me. I gave my all you know, regardless, and I feel like I have to this point, you know, in dancer term, like, you're never gonna see me Mark. Yeah, you just won't. And sometimes I should. But you're just not like, I don't want to think I ever Mark blue life. Hmm, no, I went for it. Yeah, that I went for it, and it'll land where it's gonna land. But that I went for it. Yeah, it's a great way to think about it. And then I did, I didn't my way to you know, I'm not married. I don't have kids. You know, I, I don't have regrets about that. And I think it's given me freedom to do other things that maybe I wouldn't have gotten to do and things that I still will do. Yeah, I think that I did it my way. You know, I wrote my own story. You know, the way that was for me? Yeah, you know, it's like I always say 55 Like people say, Oh, the white hair. They call me grandmother. They say things. It's just we have different costumes. This is my costume. You have your costume. It's not one size fits all.

Lisa Hopkins: 45:07

It's really antiquated thing this this you have white hair. Oh my god. You don't know your hair is beautiful. By the way.

Kim Hale: 45:15

I love it. But you wouldn't be surprised people really equate white hair equals grandmother believe me. I've seen it a Betty Betty tie. It's not even with malicious intent is just culturally what people think.

Lisa Hopkins: 45:27

Yeah. And did you use to dye your hair before? Like before? Yeah. Did you have a lot of gray then?

Kim Hale: 45:34

I didn't know how much I dyed it every two weeks. It was definitely a liberating decision for everybody. I never advocate for that or say it just, I think, had it not been for COVID I might not have done it. It just happened that way. It ended up being

Unknown: 45:51

a gift. Totally.

Kim Hale: 45:53

Not the way I ever thought I would do it walking around. I always said I'll never do that. I'm going to go to India. I'm going to shave my head. I'm going to go to like an ashram and like meditate and I'm gonna come back from India. No, bro. It that was like my batch.

Lisa Hopkins: 46:05

I love it. I love it. Can you finish this phrase? Most people think Kim Hale is but the truth is

Kim Hale: 46:16

super competent. The truth is I actually am pretty fragile person. Yeah.

Lisa Hopkins: 46:29

Thank you for sharing that. So I'm gonna say what makes you and I'm just gonna say word and you can just say the first thing that comes to your mind. How does that sound?

Kim Hale: 46:39

Okay, I think I got you what makes you hungry? smell food in the oven. Like spooked. Cooking makes

Lisa Hopkins: 46:50

what makes your heart sing beautiful

Kim Hale: 46:52

dancers. So on the other day like standing makes me happy. What makes you sad? Eight people act what inspires you? Possibilities? That was quick. What frustrates you self doubt? Yeah. What makes you laugh? Friends? Silly. Well. What makes you angry? Again, the same that I said before hateful acts.

Lisa Hopkins: 47:33

And finally, what makes you grateful?

Kim Hale: 47:36

Every day? Life? Another breath.

Lisa Hopkins: 47:41

Yeah. Amen. What are the top three things that happened so far today?

Kim Hale: 47:48

The top three things I went to the chiropractor. I thought I gotta take the best shot. I had it so hot. That and what else happened today? I just had some nice quiet moments. Nice.

Lisa Hopkins: 48:04

And what's something that you're looking forward to both today and then Mata

Kim Hale: 48:09

de I'm looking forward to dancing tonight. And I'm looking forward to unexpected dreams come true. Love it. Unexpected. This universe. Show me how hungry you are. I love

Lisa Hopkins: 48:27

it. Tim, I can't thank you enough for joining me today. It's been such a pleasure.

Kim Hale: 48:32

Thank you so fun. I love these games. You got me thinking about things. And that's always makes it worthwhile. I got to think about like that degree like that one. What was it the dream?

Lisa Hopkins: 48:43

One big, audacious goal that you haven't put out in the universe? Yeah, one audacious goal. That's a good one. It's good to think about that. Right? Yeah. Because often when we dream, we dream within the parameters of what we can understand. But beyond what we can understand, is an infinite amount of dreaming potential. Wow. Right. Yeah.

Kim Hale: 49:09

Good. One. Good question. I've been

Lisa Hopkins: 49:13

speaking today with Kim Hale. Thanks so much for listening. Stay safe and healthy everyone and remember to live in the moment. In music, stop time is that beautiful moment where the band is suspended in rhythmic unison, supporting the soloist to express their individuality. In the moment, I encourage you to take that time and create your own rhythm. Until next time, I'm Lisa Hopkins. Thanks for listening