Zoi Tatopoulos - 2019
What has she done to make him so whipped and willing to do this?
I still remember when Sean first showed up to my class last year, shyly trailing behind Kaycee. At the time, I already knew about Sean - the prodigy and genius, the golden boy who can do no wrong. I also knew of Sean & Kaycee too - the "it" duo of the moment, a blazing meteorite that gets everyone talking when they step into the room.
Kaycee has been a regular in my class for years - my alien style is right up her alley. But Sean, not so much. I've seen his work, and I know that what I do is far from what he does.
He was such a trooper. He barely made it out of that first class alive; I was so sure that he wouldn't be back again, but I was grateful that he tried. It softened my heart that he went out of his way to experience something that Kaycee excels at. It shows that he is aware not only of his own limitations, but also of Kaycee's individual strengths.
Yet here they are, a year later. Sean is slowly becoming a regular fixture in my class. He's still always trailing behind Kaycee, as if he knows that this is her territory. But I must say, he's coming into his own just fine.
For someone who says he can't do bendy things, he does bendy things pretty damn well.
Sean steps into the clearing and takes the starting position. He kneels and waits for the audio track to kick in. A part of me wants to laugh at how silly he looks with his little ponytail, but once he starts moving, Sean Lew is no laughing matter.
He flows through the choreography, not a hint of effort on his face. He cartwheels forward and lands smoothly on his back. Then, without even needing his arms, he launches himself upward, landing in a half-knee position.
My choreography challenges the body into different shapes and positions, but Sean always finds a way to make it his own. Admittedly, there are still some things he can't do. But instead of overstraining himself and trying to keep up with the girls' flexibility, he makes up for it with musicality.
No one else can hit notes like Sean. He hears nuances in the music that nobody, not even me, can hear. He brings them out with interesting and subtle movements - a hard hit of the shoulders, fingers moving on the floor, a nod of the head. Small but powerful touches that bring the music to life.
Sean crouches down and does an animal-like leap, in time with the sound of a deep bark in the audio track. Then he moves into a near-perfect handstand, kicking his legs up to hit the gunshots.
He comes back down. In time with the sound of a swoosh, he hits a smooth flare, ending on his ankles.
How is he meshing b-boy moves into my choreography? And where has he been hiding these b-boy moves in the first place?
He finishes the piece with an animalistic prowl, before turning back into regular goofy Sean. He waves the camera off and scrunches his face, finally letting the effort and exhaustion show. The class breaks into applause, and he walks off, panting hard.
An impressive mind. A phenomenal showcase of athleticism.
Kaycee greets her partner with a wide smile and a high-five. She says something that makes the boy roll his eyes. Then he responds, this time making her roll her eyes. I guess he still thinks he didn't do as well as he would have wanted. I swear, he's so hard on himself.
Sean and Kaycee are a case of yin-and-yang. They both have different areas of expertise, but somehow come together in a unique, yet perfect, harmony.
Make no mistake - Sean may be the mastermind behind the cosmic phenomenon that is 'Sean and Kaycee'. But Kaycee is the stardust that powers them forward, putting purpose to his madness, order to his chaos, precision in his vision.
Laura Rice - 2019
"Come on, Sean!" I hear Kaycee laugh as she runs out of the house in her bikini. Her best friend follows suit, carrying a paddle-board, and races her to the end of the dock. Their laughter resounds through the quiet afternoon air, the high sun making their skin glow red.
I sit back in my lounge chair, sipping a mimosa, and watch the two youngsters get on their paddle-boards. They wade through the water, and eventually stop on one end of the lake, a bit away from everyone else.
Lost in their own little world again. Typical.
I can't help but smile, remembering that there was actually a time before Sean Lew. Oh, how quickly things change.
The thing is - Kaycee always loved to dance. Since she was four, she knew it was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. But then several years went by with her doing the same things - hip-hop classes left and right, sprinkled with some Zoi and other genres every now and then, and duets with Gabe choreographed by Tricia.
It wasn't necessarily bad, but she wasn't really growing anymore. We were worried she would peak too soon.
Then, one day, out of nowhere, Sean Lew showed up and turned the light on.
But he didn't just turn on one light; he switched on a million lights - slowly, surely, until Kaycee glowed.
With him, she became more than she ever was before. She went down a path no one thought she'd ever take, not even Kaycee herself. It happened so fast. It was scary, and different, and exhilarating.
In all the different ways that we imagined Kaycee's life and career, this was a million-in-one case we never dreamed possible.
With a few seconds of insane courage, by answering "yes" to his "what if", Sean and Kaycee defied the universe.
Instead of the usual leader-follower dynamic, they built a partnership that was equal parts of them both and expanded their horizons. Sean helped her see that she can do anything, and with him being the ultimate cheerleader, she did exactly that.
We aren't even halfway through the year, but it makes my head spin just thinking of what she has already accomplished.
Kaycee started the year swinging with 3 self-choreographed concept videos, all filmed and edited by Sean. She took her first heels class. They are starring in 3 music videos. And she started teaching more, on her own this time and not just assisting.
"So how's your week going to be, honey?" Brad asks Kaycee over dinner. It's our weekly family check in, where everyone gives an update on what they've been up to and what they'll be doing. With everyone so busy nowadays, it's a nice little way of catching up.
"Well, we'll be attending two classes next week." Kaycee replies in between forkfuls of food. "We've been trying to lay low for a little while. We've been working a lot these past few months - the Fragile music video just came out, we have that WOD episode in a few days, and Blake's music video will premiere soon too - so we want to catch a break before it all blows up."
We. It's always a "we" nowadays.
Sean and Kaycee are starting to stand as individuals - days in separate states to teach, taking different classes, and getting solos even in classes they attended together. But they were never truly apart.
While they are becoming more separate in dance, they are becoming more and more attached by the hip in real life. This partnership is far more than just being a dance duet. It has become bigger and important that anyone ever expected - a galaxy of their own.
But they live as quietly as they came into existence, through small moments that build a whole universe.
Weekends at the lake house (we don't even have to ask if Sean is coming. Brad is seriously considering converting the "guest room" into Sean's room). Quiet afternoons in Sean's house. Unlocking each other's phones via fingerprints. Talking solely with their eyes.
Sleepovers, and breakfasts, and dinners.
Days of smiling like the sun. Nights of laughing with the stars.
"Mom, we're going out!" Kaycee calls out as she opens the front door. She's dressed kind of nicely, in a plaid cropped top green leggings. She even straightened her hair. Sean is hot on her heels, stopping inches from her back, too preoccupied with the camera dangling from his neck. The lack of physical space bothers no one.
"Alright. Where are you two headed?" I ask from my place on the couch.
"Not sure yet. But I made this quick choreo to Shawn Mendes' new song, so I'm gonna make a video." She replies.
I smirk at her. "I think you mean that you want to make a video, so you're making Sean do the video for you."
The boy laughs but raises his hands in surrender, pleading his innocence. Kaycee huffs at me, annoyed.
"I'll be directing him!" She retorts. Sean just laughs and mutters "Yeah, right." under his breath.
Kaycee shoves him playful on the shoulder, which only makes him laugh harder.
"If that video comes out perfectly color-graded with at least 1 close up of your face, it's definitely 100% Sean." I call out as the two shuffle out the door.
No matter what, we could always count on Sean to be waiting in the wings, cheering her on, pushing her higher.
He promised to keep the light on. I hope he'll keep doing that for years to come.
~~~
Author's Note: That's the end of Perspectives. Let me know what you think! Also, I'm sorry for not being able to touch on everyone's perspectives. I know there are so many others that I wasn't able to cover here - Jojo, Jake, Tessandra, etc. And for sure, those would have been so cool. But there were key moments I wanted to touch on to show their growth as individuals and as partners, and I felt like these people were the best ones to tell the story.
Also, in case it wasn't clear, Zoi's class I am referencing is Agua Y Puerta.