United States National 10-Dance champions Casey and Kayci Treu have won hundreds of awards from all over the world—and it all started with the BYU ballroom dance team
Arms extended high above their heads, Casey (BA ‘17) and Kayci (BA ‘17) Treu stand breathless as the crowd erupts in a thunderous applause. The married duo shares the same name and the same passion: ballroom dance.
“The very first competition we won together was a big moment for me,” says Kayci. Her husband had won several awards and championships in his career, and “there was a lot of fear of inadequacy on my part,” she admits. But as she and Casey walked off the floor that night, something clicked into place. “I realized that we could do this. I didn’t need to compare myself to previous partners, I didn’t need to be concerned with what people thought. This was my story, and I could enjoy this journey for myself.”
Kayci began dancing at four years old, studying several styles before focusing on classical ballet. “I always knew that I wanted to learn ballroom at BYU,” she says. “My parents met while dancing for the BYU team, so I grew up watching old VHS tapes of the performances and dancing with my dad in the kitchen.”
Upon arrival at BYU, Kayci saw her BYU dancing dreams come to life. She enrolled in the beginning level courses and worked her way up to the touring company where she met her future partner, Casey Treu.
Casey grew up surrounded by dance; his mom, Cheryl Treu, coached BYU’s backup ballroom dance team. When he was young, Casey told his mom he would never dance because it was “a girl thing.” But everything changed when his sister Carli’s dance partners fell ill at a dance competition in Idaho. “My mom told me that Carli didn’t have a partner and asked me to dance with her.” Cheryl hunted down a pair of church shoes and borrowed a white shirt and a bowtie from another dancer to help Casey look the part. “I stepped out onto the floor and danced a few steps with Carli, and ever since that moment, I never stopped.”
Years later, Casey left to serve a mission and Carli went to BYU. She met Kayci on the ballroom team and the two became fast friends. When Casey got home from his mission, Carli couldn’t wait to introduce her friend to her brother. When they were introduced, Casey instantly knew he had found his new partner.
The pair started dancing together in 2013, and they haven’t stopped since. They’ve won hundreds of awards all across the globe—including being champions in the United States National 10-Dance Competition, a fierce event requiring expertise in 10 different dances in Latin and International Standard styles. Throughout their journey, they haven’t forgotten what they learned at BYU.
“We owe a lot to Brigham Young University,” says Kayci. “Not only was it the place where we met, the place where our career really started, but it also was an environment that really shaped us as people.” Casey says, “It’s difficult, trying to combine a life where you're following your savior Jesus Christ with a professional career in ballroom dancing. But every step of the way, we've felt that the Spirit is guiding us towards dance, towards competing, towards training, towards performing, towards helping our students—towards our dream.”
Full Name: Kayci and Casey Treu
College: Fine Arts and Communications
Major: Media Art Studies, Journalism
Post Date: March 28, 2022
Authors: Kayla Spencer, Rachel Hatch