Trust Issues: The Risks Of Partnership • Sean & Kaycee

2. Tessandra

It was going to be great, they said. She's the best and you'll have fun, they said.

He thought it was going to be totally normal. A dance class, yes, like all the other that they've been to those since they were children. It was going to be totally normal. Totally fun. Totally. That's what Sean thought.

Boy, was he wrong.

"Kaycee, you're going to fall against Sean's shoulder, and slowly go down into a handstand. Sean, you're then going to hold her legs to your chest, and slowly rotate them in a circle."

Huh?

"Then she's going to slowly slide down your body."

Excuse me, what?

When Sean and Kaycee decided to be a duo, they thought they knew what they were getting themselves into. They knew that partner dancing was different from dancing as an individual or part of an ensemble, but they assumed that the differences could be picked up easily.

But they quickly learned that was far from the truth. Pair dancing was rooted in telling a story, connecting with your partner, and touching. A whole lot of touching. Touching in awkward places, in intimate ways. Touching each other's face, back, stomach, thighs, ass.

Bare skin. Bare waist.

Does she have to wear cropped tops all the time?

Before this, Sean and Kaycee barely even touched each other. Sure, they've done some high fives, the occasional hug here and there, maybe an arm over the shoulder for photos. But nothing like this. Never anything like this. Not with each other, nor with anybody else at that point.

Don't let your hand slip. Don't let your hand slip.

Oh god, she's slipping...

Now, Sean is a good boy with his head screwed on straight. But being made to grasp Kaycee's bare waist and lift her by her thighs made his eyes widen the first few times.

Get it together, man!

Then as they kept going, an uncomfortable realization slammed into Sean like a bullet train - as uncomfortable as he is touching her, it might be even more uncomfortable for Kaycee. It's her body being touched by an unfamiliar hand, being touched in certain areas for the first time.

She hasn't even had her first kiss.

"Okay, I think that's the best we can do for today. Really great effort, guys." Tessandra said. She smiled warmly at the two of them, but there was a tightness around her eyes. "But we need to keep pushing. If you're really going to do World of Dance, you need to be 10x more than this.
You'll be going against crews, or other duets that have been at it for years. You'll need to stand your ground as if it has always been the two of you against the world."

The two teens could only nod and promise to do better the next day. But the next day proved to be even more uncomfortable and intimate than the one before.

They kept practicing a sequence which required them to press their foreheads together. Sean was directed to cradle Kaycee's face in his hands, and they'd look into each other's eyes. There was less touching involved now, but it was far, far more intimate than before. Sean wasn't sure which one made his stomach churn more.

Tessandra made them do it over and over again, unhappy every time they couldn't keep eye contact.

"No, guys. Again." Tessandra barked, standing up from her spot by the mirror. Sean and Kaycee proceeded to get into their first position, and waited for the command to start. It didn't come.
Tessandra stalked a circle around the duo, eyeing them up and down. With a final curious glance at Sean, she turned her attention to Kaycee. "Are you uncomfortable with him touching you?"