Renowned Queensland dancer Kim Hudman has had a stellar career in New York City after 10 years strong in the Australian Arts industry. 

Before COVID-19 struck, Kim Hudman had relocated to New York City and was immediately cast in an off-Broadway production, Oscar at the Crown.  This show ran for seven months and during that time, her schedule was filled with various other gigs and performances around the city.  Kim covered seven roles, including both female and male parts, and was the only performer in the entire professional production to swing almost every leading role.  The show is expected to be revived after the virus has been eliminated. 

“I had only been living in New York for one month before I received my greatest credit, thus far, in the Off- Broadway show, Oscar at the Crown.  I was very fortunate to get the ball rolling early as there are ten times more performers in New York city than all of Australia, so the competition is tough,” said Ms Hudman. 

While also in the States, Kim was the principal dancer in the production at the opening of the World Pride Ceremony in 2019, working alongside celebrities including Ciara, Toddrick Hall, Whoopi Goldberg, Cindy Lauper and Chaka Khan.

“I do remember meeting Cindy Lauper before I went on stage and she said to me, “Good luck, darling,” and that was something I will never forget. The moment I walked onto that stage, my nerves completely fell away, and I was ready to perform alongside these incredibly talented people.”

Kim Hudman. Photo supplied.

Kim Hudman. Photo: supplied.

Kim trained at Australian Dance Performance Institute under the direction of Michael Edge and Helena Moore.  Kim’s early career took her overseas to perform on pristine cruise ships including MSC Cruise lines, be a soloist in the Sands Casino Macau and selected as dance captain of the two most famous productions in Universal Studios Singapore.  Upon her return home from Singapore after two years, she auditioned for the Australian tour of Dirty Dancing the Musical.  Kim competed against 500 females to win the featured role of Vivien Pressman while also securing the leading swing role of Penny Johnson. 

“A national tour was a major goal I wanted to achieve as a performer.  Accomplishing this lifelong dream was made that much more enjoyable night after night by playing such a well known villain in this beloved musical.  Experiencing the enthusiasm and engagement with the crowd was a joy that I can’t compare anything else to,” Ms Hudman said.

Yet Kim’s success has had its sacrifices.  Like any professional artist, Kim had to move away from home at a very young age, leaving her family and friends behind.  She sacrificed birthdays, weddings, family births and Christmases to pursue her golden career.  

“It’s never an easy decision to make, but a performer’s career is short, and you have to make the most of it while you can.  I left it all behind in hopes to be given a chance to show my talent.  I felt this leap of faith has paid off, and I’ve found myself very lucky and successful in every job I encountered,” explained Ms Hudman.