Kaycee Rice: Difference between revisions

|parents = Laura Rice (Mother) <br> Brad Rice (Father, CEO & Founder - Real Estate & Tech Investment) <br> Janelle Ginestra* (former Mama Beast) <br> William Adams* (former Papa Beast); * got divorced in 2022

|siblings = [[Kylie Rice]] <br> Devon Rice

|pets = owned a dog (Lulu), ✝ at 16 (75 dog years) <br> 1 family dog (Kino) ✝ on Easter 2024 <br> new puppy dog (Beanie) since September 2, 2023

|nicknames = Weirdo, Munch, Munche

She got world fame by dancing or starring on many hours of class routines and concept videos in high quality with some of Los Angeles' most influential and established choreographers with millions of views over the years. She worked intensively with Tricia Miranda, Brian Friedman, Matt Steffanina, Zoi Tatopoulos, Nicka Kljun, Jojo Gomez, Jake Kodish, Alexander Chung, Kyle Hanagami, Tessandra Chavez, Galen Hooks, Dexter Carr, Janelle Ginestra, William Adams, Blake McGrath, Dominic Sandoval, and many more.

Kaycee was a guest dancer on the fifth season of ''Dance Moms'' and Nickelodeon's ''School of Rock TV series'' and ''Fuller House''. She got her first acting main role on Disney's short film ''How to Catch a Ghost'' and was playing regular Avery James in Brat TVs new series ''Sunnyside Up'' in season 1''.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5863524/ Kaycee Rice IMDb data]</ref>''

She got the nickname "Weirdo" by her mom to describe the not normal behavior of her daughter, which she accepted and made it to her personal philosophy - "Be yourself and be weird." aka have self-esteem and be self-confident and don't care what others think. It seems that Kaycee was a busily student of [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3BKnmtlMco Bruce Lee's philosophy]. She runs a small clothing line by the brand ''Weirdo Apparel'' had first the slogan "Weirdo - Just be you.". She sells self-created hair products by the brand ''Evolove'', too. She runs also a cooperative [https://www.youtube.com/@SeanandKaycee/videos YouTube channel with Sean Lew] - where they ran shows like ''Sean Lew Approved'' and ''XTRA'', but it got inactive by their lack of free time due their schedule burdens.

Kaycee's parents and choreographers conventionalized her to keep ground-standing. If she wants to compare with someone else, she should trying the girl in the mirror or on video. But that was exactly what led to her popularity. Always smiling, in good mood and supportive. She is trying to keep a permanent positive outlook to the world. Her new dance partner Sean Lew said about her ''"Try bowling with her. She left a trail of glitter and unicorns!" <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbAzjiORhL0 Sean & Kaycee - The Zoo LA TV]</ref> ''Kindness is her number one must-have feature; for herself and others.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P7txBKgigE Kaycee Rice - Weirdo Wednesday - Q and A Part 2🤗⁉️]</ref> This got public interest, because people were asking how a shy and innocent girl deals with the fact, that she was suddenly dragged into an huge spotlight of public eye by Katy Perry's tweet without asking. But she took it cool and ground-standing when "the microphones were pressed in her face" since she was ten. <ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/CCjwzo-JbPG/ KC's IG interview Queen Latifah show]</ref> She had never hard feelings about that. On the contrary, she is very thankful that Katy launched her career, mined so many opportunities for her and to quote "being on a crazy ride" ever since.

In 2019, she won a Shorty Award in the category "Best in Dance". She was nominated together with Auti Kamal, Brittany Cavaco, Chelsie Hill, Cynthia Irobunda, Dytto, Fik-Shun, [[Jade Chynoweth]], Justin Peck, Omar Z. Robles, Shiggy and The Kinjaz in her category.<ref>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/2019-shorty-award-winners-list-full-1206922/item/education-shorty-winners-2019-1207082 Michelle Obama, Noah Centineo, Marie Kondo, John Mulaney Win 2019 Shorty Awards]</ref> On the same day she was performing the NBC World of Dance World Final intermezzo show on season three on air together with [[Sean Lew]] and Ian Eastwood while NE-YO was singing on stage. They got the honor to be in line with dance legends like Les Twins, Keone & Mari Madrid, Derek Hough, The Kinjaz, The Lab, [[Charity Anderson]] & Andres Peñate and Michael Dameski. While still 16 years old, in October, she had her first oversea class teaching - in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic! She was hanging out in the Caribbean for a convention weekend with her mom, Sean, her dance parents Will and Janelle, having a first class flight and of course, a meet & greet like every time. After a short pit stop at home she tried out Maui in Hawaii for a family and birthday week vacation after that. <ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/B4I2L_sp1En/ KC#s IG Maui]</ref> After two taken classes in LA she joined Sean in Iceland at Reykjavik for his after-birthday family vacation. <ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/B5Vk4FVlosx/ Sean's IG Iseland]</ref> - After she appeared as a series regular as Avery James on Brat TV and took serious first step towards acting career. From the the End of 2018 until her Short Award in May 2019, she said she got some coolers and described the year as a roller coaster ride, but at the end of 2019 it seems she can watch her career from the top of the hill.

In 2021, [[Sean Lew]]'s one hour short film [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uQLDRlp0xI "II: AN UNSPOKEN NARRATIVE" - The Short Film"] was released on February 27 and Kaycee was starring with many of her friends and some of dance industry world-class. On May 14th, she was teaching her first class at the Millennium Dance Complex LA<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/COsgoTmroPy/ KC's IG class Millennium Dance Complex LA]</ref> and was teacher or instructor at the "most iconic dance studio in the world"; it is like getting a professorship in Harvard on other fields - in Weirdo's case with 18. Closing this development with a nostalgic ''The Pulse on Tour'' feeling on two days ''Prodigy Dance Intensive'' event in St. Louis, but this time as part of the faculty with the tons big awarded grand masters to get her last fine grinding in teaching master students. <ref>[https://www.instagram.com/prodigydanceintensive/ Prodigy Dance Intensive IG]</ref> Now she is ready to experience on her own bones what a pain in the neck herself she was by her own permanent students. - [https://www.instagram.com/p/COzOXUqgEta/ "No, no, no! Don't turn back. They sense fear."]<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tg6ZGUtZWs Rio Scene They sense fear.]</ref> She appeared on Olivia Rodrigo's short film ''SOUR Prom'' and her music video ''brutal''.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14955694/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_2 IMDb Olivia Rodrigo: SOUR Prom]</ref> <ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14956994/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_1 IMDb Olivia Rodrigo: Brutal (Live from SOUR Prom)]</ref> On September 21, 2022, she posted the Princess is leaving Rice Castle now, and will move in her '''first''' bought, own house at the age of 18. <ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/CUFoHMOJ1wA/ KC' IG I BOUGHT MY FIRST HOUSE]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k30HP5NemVs I BOUGHT MY FIRST HOUSE YYT]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuB1WAyuL4s FIRST DAY MOVED IN]</ref> If wondering, she has family members in real estate and mortgage business. On April 2023, she said it was her proudest moment. Two days before her birthday Kaycee made her older fans and herself happy by dusting off the tap shoes after seven years not using them and is united after four years with her former partner Ryan Maw again and still killing it. <ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/CVG6_SfJh6U/ Ryan's IG Taping /w KC]</ref><ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/CVIl5NMlqQS/ Ryan's IG Taping /w KC II]</ref><ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/CVLhMpegFT0/ KC's IG Taping /w Ryan]</ref> On Dec 13, Sean & Kaycee attended  the  ''[https://worldchoreographyawards.com/ The World Choreography Awards] 2021'', the "Oscars of Dance". They were [https://www.instagram.com/p/CXDPpFhF4aO/ nominated in the category ''Digital Content'' ]for their Radio Disney Channel dance videos - ''Party in the USA'' and '' Don't Start Now''. <ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/CV5v7nyPDeJ/ Nominees 2021 Digital Content]</ref><ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/CXDPpFhF4aO/ Don't Start Now Clip]</ref>

On November 3, 2023 the ''Message in a Bottle'' musical dance movie was released and Kaycee was one of the six lead dancers. She was requested directly for the role in a late minute booking, when she was again in a roller coaster valley at that time, and didn't know anybody on the set, in the theater studio or what was ahead, but left London later after shooting and rehearsing five weeks with tons of new friends and [https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg6z04nrdAR/?img_index=2 felt happy].<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/CzT6iB7Jtdb/?hl=en KC's IG The message in a bottle]</ref> She was afraid that the company treated her like an outsider. A foreign industry star, who doesn't went through the schools of visual arts, gets put strait in front of their noses just for the movie, and like common in the US, some dancers don't take it very well and will not be supportive. But the opposite happened. Cast and crew were welcoming right from the beginning, included her in many freetime activities and showed her London.<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/CgruWPxDSKv/?hl=de&img_index=1 KC's London with crew friends]</ref><ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/Cgu0N-WrKkP/?hl=de&img_index=1 IG London Sightseeing]</ref> They were teasing a brilliant performance out of her, because she had not much experience to play long character parts to have about an hour stage presence. <ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg6z04nrdAR/ KC's IG Set Message In A Bottle]</ref> "II-The Unspoken Narrative" and "How to catch a Ghost" were her best references. But by her skills as choreo head, expressive performer and versatile technical dancer she properly didn't stressed their patience too much in the close schedule. At the end Weirdo didn't want to leave.<ref>[https://www.tiktok.com/@kayceerice/video/7126451800470801706 KC's TT last week London]</ref> Not just because of personal sympathy, but also by experiencing a professional holyland. There were different worlds clashing together. On the one side the independent contractor, who is in a brutal cut-throat on daily basis with diversified business to gets her schedule bricked and the bills paid, struggling not to get pulled down by all these series of coolers, keeps self-motivated to run again and again against the rubber wall of marketing, stays disciplined to resist the call of "the lake", the next Netflix show, movie DVDs, the sun of her backyard or something else, and do an effective daily work quota to the next project goals and having much more office time than a normal dancer doing management, marketing, distribution and administration herself... but actually often fails. Too often! And on the other side the company dancer who is on payroll for a long time, gets less personal attention as part of the whole show, just want to have fun with each other and his job in focused business, and is much more easier. It is get first credits by fluke or industry needs by audition as a kid, declare oneself pro, do homeschooling, got graduated and pro training side-by-side with bookings as a freelancer and staying it - versus - attempted real school as kid, graduated, applied for visual art institute, got trained, graduated, applied for first job, got employed and gets first credits then. She praised how happy she was dancing 8+ hours a day and still didn't stopped and continued on the street, in a pub or a club with these guys and was knowing, next day it will be the same.<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChGWftzp-JU/ IG MIAB ater work routine]</ref> Because deep in her heart she is still the five years old girl, who starts crying when she has to leave the stage. That made an huge imprint on Kaycee and she described the time as life changing experience. They didn't just respect each other, but liked each other. But Ms. Procrastination had to face the mess she left at home again. The movie could be watched in Canada and the USA in 2023 on PBS Website - Great Performance S51E04 - Message in a Bottle. The feature had been released in UK's cinemas on May 30 - June 6, 2024 and has 2 hours length then (including one interval).<ref>[https://lowtherpavilion.co.uk/shows/message-in-a-bottle-12a-tbc/ Announcement Luthwer Pavilion Theater message in the bottle]</ref><ref>[https://www.instagram.com/kayceerice/p/C7khVRKPbTb/?img_index=1 KC's  IG MIAB UK release]</ref> The 1h 24 min featured PBS film and live show received [https://zoonation.co.uk/productions/message-in-a-bottle/ best critic's] and the musical show is going on world tour now. - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlKO_u09OEs Live in Sydney Song *Message in A Bottle"],  [https://www.instagram.com/p/CxLgjBYodAu/?hl=de&img_index=2 North America Schedule]. But Kaycee is not part of that cast - [https://messageinabottleshow.co.uk/company/ company tour cast] - [https://abc7chicago.com/message-in-a-bottle-cadillac-palace-theatre-broadway-play-sting-songs/14372360/ ABC7 Chicago interview with Kate], [https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/message-in-a-bottle-sting-music-denver-center-performing-arts-buell-theatre/ CBS News interview about Denver show with Kate, accurate to Mexican border crisis], [https://ktla.com/video/director-and-choreographer-kate-prince-gives-us-a-sneak-peek-of-message-in-a-bottle/9406772/ KTLA5 Interview (US only)]<ref>[https://www.ladancechronicle.com/review-message-in-a-bottle-at-the-hollywood-pantages/ LA Dance Chronicale Message In A Bottle review]</ref>. Director and Choreographer was [https://www.instagram.com/kateprincezoonation/ Lady Kate Prince]. - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhklAlu9aDc BBC interview Kate, crew and company], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NAsVRcjOBY second interview with Sting]. Music, vocals and lyrics by Sting himself and others - [https://messageinabottleshow.co.uk/music/ playlist], [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Ph57xlGthCkVyfp27Nrmo?go=1&sp_cid=1752a9a607070613fd366fa71bb3aca7&utm_source=embed_player_p&utm_medium=desktop&nd=1 on Spotify]. Great emotional performance by Kaycee and her friends! The outstanding film cast of 16 stars: Oliver Andrews, Lindon Barr, Deavion Brown, Harrison Dowzell, Nestor Gracia Gonzalez, Megan Ingram, Daniella May, Robbie Ordona, Kaycee, Alexzandra Sarmiento, Gavin Vincent, Nafizah Baba, Melissa Bravo, David Cottle, Onyemachi Ejimofor, Anna Holmström, Ajani Johnson-Goffee, Lukas McFarlane, Portia Oti, Hannah Sandilands and Steven Thompson. The dance-theater production from London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XWQ9Ou1wZ8 a rehearsal]) tells the story of a family forced to leave their homeland and embark on a perilous journey to freedom. With musical arrangements by Alex Lacamoire (Broadway’s “Hamilton,” “Dear Evan Hansen”), and a mix of dance styles performed by Kate Prince’s ZooNation dance company, ''Message in a Bottle'' relays a quest for humanity and hope. Recorded in August 2022, the show features Sting’s chart-topping hits including “Every Breath You Take,” “Roxanne,” “Walking On The Moon” and more. [https://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/sting-on-message-in-a-bottle-cjqoho/15133/ Sir Gordon Summer's interview about the show], [https://playbill.com/article/video-sting-on-how-his-songs-lend-themselves-to-dance-in-message-in-a-bottle Playbill New York Interview with Kate, Gordon and Alex], [https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Video-Sting-Show-MESSAGE-IN-A-BOTTLE-Is-Dancing-to-New-York-City-Center-20240402 Their Interview a New York City Center]. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUh64ld4i6A The ZooNation Company won the National Dance Award 2024]. The [https://watch.sadlerswells.com/ online stream of the feature] can be watched from December 8, 2024 to January 7, 2025.

==Dances==

*Miss Jr. Nexstar 2012

*Teen Miss Nexstar 2015

===Runner-Up Titles===

==Resume of the Early Years==

===Before Studio 13===

<!--So she took the short cuts and passed directly the 35th chamber of Tae Kwan Do „Winning the fight without a fight, break the will for a fight and be all nice together“and entered into 1st chamber of Dance Fu. She basically skipped the kicks and pushes and called it dancing. But one can still recognize some spin kick techniques in her pirouettes today (for more details ask her dance partners about injuries).-->

===Studio 13===

===Tricia Appeared===

However, she wasn’t always treated that way and she often complained about the demanding, unfriendly and impolite working atmosphere. <!--When people complaining about the extreme cutthroat of the dance industry, it was nothing comparing to Tricia’s days. Everyone was just looking to the top of the stardom, the second tier was struggling and the third tier was starving. She often complained about the impropriated demands so that she could keep her pole position. In other words, she felt exploited.-->One day after 12 years, she was finally fed up during the filming of Spears' "Circus" video. - "My knees were bleeding from doing groundwork in the gravel, and I was just starting to feel over it -- and I remember never having that feeling before, It's not fair to take a spot from a hungry dancer who deserves to be there just to get a check. I'm not that person, that's not for me." - And she quitted her job as professional dancer on the top of her game – forever – and switched to full time choreographing, teaching and creative directing and got soon an equal reputation.<ref>[https://www.espn.com/espnw/culture/story/_/id/17832394/live-your-life-hip-hop-choreographer-tricia-miranda-rise-top 'Live your Life' -- hip-hop choreographer Tricia Miranda on her rise to the top]</ref>

Kaycee said she completely failed. Of course, she did. That happens if you take an unprepared university test in elementary-school. Tricia hardly ever taught kids. Why she should adjust her teaching methods to one kid she just met?! But she was properly impressed how far the nine years old munchkin got (she calls Kaycee still today "munch"), before she “finally broke out curve and smashed into the mirrors”, compared to the professional dancers in Tricia’s masterclasses, because she took instantly a grab on her and made her to her very first permanent kid student.

But Tricia choreographed “Werk”, as her first choreographed solo ever, including adults. She was more like a production choreographer for about 120 people. So Tricia first refused, but Laura, Kaycee's mom, reminded her that she has never done a hip-hop solo. She should just see what happens. Tricia recalled about "Werk" in 2024 this way:

<blockquote>

</blockquote>

The rest became history. So she was standing on stage in her green top, white jacket, booty and won the NexStar national competition for top soloists with her very first hip-hop solo with a lot of fierce and intensive movements. Maybe it was the very first hip-hop solo ever won a national open competition.

So, Kaycee's dad Brat put the taped video of Kaycee’s dance just for fun on YouTube, another channel DancingWithYT pick it up and they had no clue, what was coming down from the pike later …

The stars aligned back in 2013, when two young dancers walked into Tricia's class at International Dance Academy (IDA) in Hollywood. Kaycee, then 10, and Gabe, then 12, plowed their way through an intricate hip-hop combo to Rihanna’s “Right Now,” showing dancers twice their age what it means to go full-out.   

<blockquote>

</blockquote>

Kaycee's first impression about Gabe:

*Kaycee's favorite color was blue, but it changed to brown, earthy colors now, her favorite number is 13, her favorite sweets are dark chocolate, her favorite morning drink was green or ginger tea, but it change to coffee and prefers to tee in the evening and her favorite food is steak or shrimps with fried rice.  

*She likes to play Boggle, watching movies and the series f.r.i.e.n.d.s.

*She is a regular visitor at Disneyland LA and once in Disneyland Paris as prize of all-inclusive trip for being grand title champion and Miss Teen Dance Icon Thunderstruck International Finals 2015 for attending World Final and twice in Disneyworld Orlando. As alternative she is visiting frequently Universal Studios, too. She is going annually with her family in the dessert for new years. She takes frequently a vacation in Hawaii.

*Regarding IMDb Weirdo used to be a stunt double for Mackenzie Foy in ''The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2, ''but that seems to be an one-time event until now.

*''"For safety purposes, only dancers with a ticket will be allowed to enter the building. Parents must drop off and pick up students at the main entrance, and may not bring them into the building. No observers will be allowed on the premises under any circumstances."'' (one of Kaycee's promoters for her masterclasses) - Either visitors risk to get tackled by Weirdo's bodyguards or her choreography went really wild.- But the dancers are always trustworthy and safe. <!--ref>[https://www.beyondcenterstage.com/events/intensive-with-kaycee-rice BCS intensive event]</ref-->

*She got her permanent driving licence at her 17th birthday; after she finally reached by 5 feet 2 inches  down to the pedals and hit them with shoe size 7. We hope she is driving clean; will keep in formation and hit the accents. Otherwise the world is looking forward to her pirouettes. But timing was never her problem. <ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/B4YVSj-pmd8/ KC's IG Diving licence]</ref> Since March 2022, she is in her "Jeep Periode" and is mostly stronger both - off road and chicken run.<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/CbYZXqqvgrF/ KC's IG Jeep]</ref>

==Additional Pages==