Kim Gibson is excited to start her third season as part of The Pulse staff! After an untraditional late start into the dance world at age 23, she has cultivated a strong hip-hop dance presence in the Kansas City area. Kim started as a certified aerobics/fitness instructor and began combining dance moves with her exercise regimens. That quickly morphed into “groove dance” classes and then into competitive dance classes/teams with United Dance. She began training intensively with every class/style she could in Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas to come back and bring what she learned to her classroom. Kim started the hip-hop program at United Dance in 1998 (prior to the internet surge) and has maintained it for 20 years until its doors closed in 2018. She has taught master classes at numerous studios and schools in the Midwest and Greater Kansas City areas including Center High School, Avila College (now University), University of Missouri-Kansas City, University Academy, Denise’s Dance Academy, and City in Motion, among others, but always returned to her home studio. Her specialty has been to teach and inspire kids who otherwise may not have the opportunity to dance or perform in the competitive arena. Kim has earned numerous hip-hop choreography awards and her dancers have consistently won top awards, including Overall Entertainment, Category Cups, and Top 10 Placement awards while competing against traditional dance styles. She has had the honor of presenting her teams multiple years at Talent On Parade’s Kidz Roc Show in Branson, Missouri, which was chosen from over 10,000 routines for each season. Kim also possesses degrees in Biology/Chemistry and serves as a Research Scientist in the Clinical Pharmacology Department of Children’s Mercy Hospital. Most importantly, she is the proud mother of 2 little girls, Kendall and Kacey, who also share her love of dance.