FORCE OF NATURE

Two-time Red Bull Dance

Your Style fnalist Kid Nimbus explains his genredefying style—and how he overcame his two left feet.

Words CARLY FISHER

In Latin, the word nimbus refers to a “dark cloud” known as the nimbostratus, a low-hanging formation guaranteed to make it rain or snow. It’s a fitting name for freestyle hip-hop dancer

Derrick Judkins, aka Kid Nimbus, who brings a certain level of unpredictability when he battles on the dance floor.

“You never see the same cloud twice,” he explains.

“They can be gentle; they can be ominous. They can be violent; they can be peaceful. It really just depends on what type of day and weather. That’s my dance. Some days are impactful and super energetic. Other days can be smooth and easygoing.”

Judkins is somewhat of an underdog in the dance world. Unlike other dancers with storied careers and prominent followings, the 27-year-old two-time Red Bull Dance Your

“I’m like a sponge; I absorb all the types of dances that I like,” says Judkins.

Style national finalist is a fresh-faced addition who has been moonlighting in the underground dance scene for the past five years. Each time he battles, he turns heads— even within his own family, who never saw this coming from the kid with two left feet.

“When I was a kid, I didn’t know how to dance at all. It was super funny because my family would make it a thing,” he says. “They would call me downstairs during family events just to watch me dance and laugh at me. Which just goes to show how bad I was.”

So, how did Kid Nimbus discover his talent? Born to a military family, Judkins spent his early years bouncing from Ohio to Germany before settling in Chicago. After finding his groove at a seventh grade end-of-the-year celebration, a friend named Mike Asper introduced him to all of it: dance crews like Jabbawockeez and the battle scene, including World of Dance and Red Bull BC One. Suddenly, the kid whose moves served as a holidaygathering punchline was kickstarting his own school dance club called Black Lotus and shooting his shot at house parties and events.

“Everybody’s got that high school bully story, right? I felt like people were looking through me, and I love the way it didn’t make me feel invisible,” he says. “I love the way dance allowed me to build friendships, as well as create a persona around myself. I love the way that it makes me feel, how other people feel, just getting people inspired in the moment in that type of environment.”

Black Lotus, he says, is much more than a crew for him—it’s a labor of love and a community. “It’s a group of super talented people, not just in their dance but their work ethic. It inspires people in the Chicago scene to not only go out and do their best in dance, but also uplift individuals in this community.”

Chicago is a city known for its iconic footwork, but Kid Nimbus says he doesn’t like to limit himself. Beginning as a breaker before progressing into animation, he frequently incorporates a mix of styles, such as waving and freestyle hip-hop, often backed by his favorite R&B music.

“Something that I really value is that I don’t like to stick myself in one genre,” he says. “It really depends on how I feel. If I’m calm, I’ll probably do more animation-type movements. If I want to be expressive, I might have more contemporary movements and work the floor a bit more. I’m like a sponge; I absorb all the types of dances that I like. I’m gonna try to incorporate it into my own style to make it something unique.”

When he’s not working the dance floor, he’s pursuing a successful 9-to-5 career as a clinical research coordinator specializing in gastroenterology at the University of Chicago’s Pediatric Clinical Trials Office, helping individuals with chronic diseases. In his free time, he loves to lean into his artistic side, whether it’s graphic design on his iPad, booking DJ gigs or shopping for fresh kicks.

“If I’m going to be dancing in front of, you know, hundreds, thousands or millions of people, I want to make sure I look fly,” he says.

This spring, Kid Nimbus has his sights set on taking the crown at the Red Bull Dance Your Style National Finals in Chicago. Not only would the win help cement his aspirations to become a dance champion and a hometown hero, but he also hopes it will help position the Midwest as a destination for dance.

“I am very excited just to work with my friends in terms of dance and see where it takes us, whether it’s like a solo, individual thing or crew battles. In terms of Chicago, I just want to see the Midwest shine as much as I possibly can. You have so many greats that come from the Midwest— King Charles, the Crown, Lord Fin, Nero the Professor—but when people say ‘I want to travel for dance,’ they’ll go to L.A. or New York or Texas. And the Midwest is a force.”