What doesn't Kaycee do? She's been dancing, singing and acting since she was a little girl and, for years, she's been teaching dance too! All that work paid off big time in her show-stealing performance as "Martha Cox" in Disney's High School Musical. Kaycee stopped by our studio for a photo shoot and we snagged the ingénue for an interview. Here's what she had to say.

Okay, so while I was Googling you, I found this twelve year old kid who's completely in love with you ("obsessed" is the word he used) and he said you made High School Musical worth watching. What do you think of your newfound fame?

I was like, wait, did we watch the same movie? I wouldn't say that I looked like a beauty queen in it. You'd think it would be weird, but it was actually very humbling. I thought, you know what? I'll take a fan any time. It's nice to have someone appreciate your work, whomever they are. It's the fans that make it worth it.

Not really. My family Googles me; I think it's so funny!

I was shuttling back and forth from L.A. and Utah, but right now I'm focused on building my career in L.A. I have found that I am much happier when I am crazy busy.

I heard through the dance world they wanted girls of all sizes for an audition, so I took some of my students with me. We walked in and there were 500 dancers in bra tops and spankies and there were only two of us who were larger. I looked at my students and said, "Well, at least this will be a learning experience." They ended up picking both of us for second auditions, but it was two months before they called me back. I was getting ready to go on a cruise, I was on the walkway onto the ship, when my mom called and told me they wanted me for "Martha Cox". I told her to tell them that I won't go [on the cruise] if they want me right now. The director told her, "I like her so much, I'll wait." I was so flattered!

Musical opened every door in the world for me. I remember, before I auditioned, I was at home in Utah and I was thinking, "Okay, you're getting older. You're a triple threat, but how are you gonna make that happen? It's not gonna just come to you." You have to go for it and I did. I'm so happy I did.

My career. Right now, I've already had to make this choice. I can always go home to teach. Right now, I want to build my career and then I'll have something more to bring back to [my students]. Also, I knew I needed to do this while I was young. I know that God did not give me the preferred dancer body, but I think it was God telling me not to waste my acting and singing abilities. He was telling me to go farther.

I teach mostly teens and I teach them to emote [express themselves] in a positive way. They'll come in crying and I'll say, "Just dance it out! Dance it out!" I just really want girls and women to realize it's about being healthy. Go join a dance team or play soccer. You can be healthy and bigger.

My whole life, dance has been my way of emoting. But, there is just no substitute for a nice long bath with candles and Enya [playing]. My family is always supportive of me and that helps a lot too. My sister, Tiffany, usually travels with me so I don't feel totally alone. She's good company.

I have two older sisters and, bless their hearts, they spoke for me a lot. We come from a family that's big and loud and, sometimes, my little voice got lost. Performing was a way for me to speak. I also like how performing lets me be whatever I want.

Definitely High School Musical! It jump started my career. However, my worst fear as an actress is to get stuck in a stereotype. I want to be able to play the runaway, punk girl and then go on Disney and be the fun, spunky me. There are so many characters who need their story told.

The hardest part about this business is that you'll be on this huge high - you'll get a job and work a whole lot of hours, people will want your autograph and you'll feel like you can reach so many people because of that celebrity status. Then, suddenly, you'll go through this phase where you're not getting work and people will criticize you - it can sometimes feel like an emotional roller coaster.

There's a lot of people constantly telling you who and what you need to be. I'm learning to get this thick skin that I've never had before. You have to come home, look in the mirror, and say, "I'm just me and that's okay. That's fabulous!" Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder and you have to remember not everyone's gonna like you. Which is okay too.

For all three [acting, singing and dancing]: Don't give up! Because, for every hundred "No's" there will be one "Yes!" Be classy. Be confident. Be you.

It wasn't always there. Growing up, I was sometimes too humble so I would get stepped on. Then I became a dance teacher. It made me more aggressive about what I want. I teach my students that people buy what you sell. I ended up teaching myself as I was teaching them.

I had a student who was wearing a really cute outfit and she told me about Torrid. I was always too busy to act on it, but when I was invited to the Musical premiere the name popped into my head. It turned out to be such a blessing.

I love that I can go in and I know I can find something cute and young. Every time I had an event, I used to dread it. I remember going to department stores with my mom and she said, "Look, I'm sorry but once you're a size 18, it's old lady clothes." I remember trying stuff on in the dressing room and, at one point, sitting down and crying. I love that [Torrid is] teaching young girls to embrace themselves and they don't have to wear too tight or too baggy clothes that hide their curves. I've noticed that the employees are rooting you on. I'll say something like, "I don't know if I look good," and they'll tell me, "No, you look great." I feel like I can trust them. They'll tell me what really does look good or bad. I see lots of girls come in and rip on themselves and the store employees will cut them off and say, "You look beautiful," because they really do. Torrid is so much more than a fashion company. It's the best feeling in the world.

I love the shoes, all the shoes. But, recently, I did a punk photo shoot so I could show that I'm very versatile. Shelly, at the Salt Lake City store, said, "You need this!" and handed me a black studded top and a graffiti mini skirt to try on. It was out of my character, but it fit the look of the shoot and I like it because it's so rock and roll.

Plus size roles are good roles when they come along, but it's less frequent. The real problem is that people get you stuck in the "fat girl" role, but it doesn't have to matter. Acting is about real life stories, so let's put real life people in them. Just because you're bigger than someone, doesn't mean you don't have the same feelings. I used to go to the dance studio and you could see them judging me on my size. I got such a sense of pride showing them that I could jump just as high or higher, dance just as well or better. Sometimes I steal the show and I prove everyone's stereotype wrong.

Audrey Hepburn. She's so classy, but she has so much sex appeal without taking off all of her clothes. I love the big hat and big glasses. Big is better! At my first red carpet premier for Musical, I was so nervous. A reporter asked me who my fashion role model was, and all of a sudden, deer in the headlights. All the names left my head…except for Paris Hilton. Not that I have anything against her, but later I told my manager that naming her as my fashion icon was not quite true. I saved it when they asked me why. I said, "I love how she's willing to take risks."

My style of music is eclectic. I have to be able to do ballet and enjoy Mozart, but I have to know people like Shakira, too. Music never gets old to me.

Right now, I'm working on perfecting my three crafts. But, recently, I decided to branch out to try plus size modeling. I know I'm shorter than most models, but I want to break that stereotype too!

I really want to work on an album! Some of my influences are KT Tunstall, Natasha Bedingfield, Ani DiFranco and Shakira. I love how all of [Shakira's] songs have a different influence. She's also very smart - she writes all of her own songs and mixes a lot of her music. She's a true artist. I don't want all of my songs to sound the same either. The one thing I would love to do is Hairspray. It was one of my first auditions and I really want to play Tracy Turnblad. They turned me down, but I want to get the chance to prove to them that I'm right for the role.

Try out for things! I tried out for cheer once and they were all so rude about it. They made a huge fuss about my size and I was only a size 12 at the time. I ended up getting the student body popular vote because I was nice to everyone. I could have been rude back, but I believe in killing them with kindness, as my father says.