Ricci-Lee Hotz is originally from South Africa, moving to the US at a very young age and growing up  in Arizona. Ricci-Lee was a gymnast for 11 years before switching to ballroom dancing at the age of 16. Ricci-Lee competed as a pro-am and amateur dancer in American rhythm and smooth before transitioning to her professional career in 2017 competing professionally in American Rhythm as well as teaching in Colorado, moving to Minnesota to continue to pursue her goals in 2023.  In the fall of 2024, Ricci began her current  professional competitive partnership with  Artem Lazarev in the American rhythm style and since then, they have been climbing in the ranks, winning the Professional rising star divisions at multiple competitions around the country, placing in the open professional finals at many of these events and also became finalists in the professional rising star division at the nationally prestigious competition, Ohio Star Ball.