Dream team Kaycee Rice and Sean Lew are at it again in another incredible dance project. Working with director Scott DW and Dance Network, they danced in a two-part dance video that tells the story of a ballerina who’s adventures you probably won’t expect.
Oh, and Kaycee is on pointe for the first time in years.
While the first half of this video introduces Kaycee and Sean and the world they’re in, most of their fantastic duet (choreographed by Sean Lew, of course) takes place in the second video. Scott DW describes this “passion project” as a two-part story. Not only does it take place across two videos, but each video has a different specific message.
In a behind the scenes interview with Scott on Dance Network, he says about the video, “This project is all about coming out of your shell, being proud of yourself, being proud of who you are, and just accepting yourself and loving yourself.” The song in the first video, “Perfectly Strange,” embodies for Scott that it’s ok to be strange. In fact, you’re perfectly strange. The song for the second video, “Don’t be Shy,” carries a message about being authentic that really captures Scott’s overall goal for the project.
While the story opens with this talented teen duet in your average high school setting, things quickly take a turn for the magical. Kaycee becomes a porcelain ballerina dancing in an abandoned mansion, and later the two dance in a mystical forest.
The videos are incredible, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t any challenges. When Kaycee takes on her ballerina role in the first video, she has to dance on pointe, which she reveals in a behind the scenes video, “I believe the last time I went on pointe was five, maybe six years ago.” Lucky for her, she got to play the main part of her ballerina role barefoot.
Sean and Kaycee also faced challenged dancing in the forest. They practiced Sean’s choreography in a studio, but translating it onto the uneven ground and around the trees in the forest they filmed in was a little different than a padded dance floor. Sean talked about his choreography behind the scenes, “It was a little difficult at first, but, you know, this piece kind of has a little bit more acting than dancing, so I think it’s about finding that balance between making sure they both fit very well together.”
The first half of the project is available on Scott DW’s YouTube channel, but the second half and all of that must-see behind the scenes content are only available on Dance Network.
