About Me
In a business where the focus is overwhelmingly placed on numbers and measurements, and where industry connections consistently trump talent, 23 year-old KayCee Stroh serves as a true reminder that the American Dream does still exist. Just two years ago, she was teaching dance classes in Salt Lake City, Utah. Now, she's proud to be a part of the High School Musical phenomenon.
The youngest of three children, Kaycee followed in the footsteps of her older sisters and enrolled in her first dance class at the tender age of two. Because her mother worked as the studio's secretary, Kaycee found herself spending much of her time there. "I guess you could say that music and dance were instilled in me from birth," she jokes.Over the years, she made the transition from aspiring student to in-demand teacher. In the process she garnered awards for LA Undergrounds Distinguished Performer, Thunderstrucks Outstanding Choreographer, guest performer for the Utah Jazz half time shows, Award for outstanding accomplishment and excellence in Drama, Cheer, Music, Dance and Leadership and was even nominated to be Utah's best supporting actress in her High School's production of Anything goes. However, KayCee is most proud of earning the titles of "Triple Threat" and "Miss Congeniality" amongst her peers and other teachers.Fast forward to January 2005. After hearing about an open call for background dancers for a Disney Channel original movie, Kaycee opted to take a group of her students to the casting. "When I walked in, the room was filled with hundreds of typical-looking dancers," she recalls. "I told my students, Oh Well, at least this will be a learning experience."The audition would prove to be a learning experience in more ways than one. After famed choreographer and director Kenny Ortega (Newsies, Dirty Dancing) was wowed by her audition, he pulled her aside to tell her that there was a part she could audition for. She might not have had an agent - or even a headshot - at the time, but Kaycee would soon be arriving on set to play the life-changing role of Martha Cox in the smash hit High School Musical.Five days after the movie's record-breaking premiere, Kaycee was in Salt Lake, ready to begin teaching one of the day's several dance classes, when she received some big news. A manager from Beverly Hills was so impressed by her performance that he wanted to fly her out and meet with her for possible representation.Kaycee packed her bags, flew to Hollywood, and within weeks won a guest-starring spot on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. A few months later it was back to Utah, where Kaycee would reprise her role as Martha Cox in High School Musical 2. This time around, her part would be bigger and would surely propel her to superstar status.But for Kaycee, it's not about fame or fortune; it's about inspiring others. "I got a letter from a little girl that said, 'I want you to know that I'm not skinny either. It was so nice to see real people on TV and you really inspired me. I saw that you were bigger, but you were fit and you could dance, so I asked my mom to sign me up for dance classes.'"With a level of talent that is only matched by her incredibly kind heart, Kaycee Stroh is sure to inspire many more. For more information, please visit www.kayceestroh.com
