THE NEXT STEP is finally here on Family Channel!
The first episode, “Get The Party Started,” premiered on Friday and we got to meet all the characters! The three dance troupes are the J-Troupe for juniors, the B-Troupe for recreational dancers and the A-Troupe for the studio’s competitive dancers. In this episode, the owner Kate and choreographer Chris are holding auditions for A-Troupe.
The show is a mix of reality and script. Along with seeing the dancers in the studio, there are also one-on-one confessionals with just them and the camera. The audience learns more about the characters this way and get to know each one on a personal level. What’s neat about THE NEXT STEP is that all of the actors are real dancers. During the auditions, we see actual footage of them dancing in the past. The styles of dance in the studio range from ballet to street to tap.
Right off the bat, Emily stands out as the main character. She has been at the Next Step Studio since she was two years old! Her best friend Stephanie and her younger sister Riley are also dancers there. She is the Dance Captain and the head of the “E-Girls.” She is the queen bee and will not let anything get in the way of her being on top.
The E-Girls are seen as the top of the food chain. All of them are in the A-Troupe. The girls say that they came up with the group name because all their names end with E, but Emily says that it is because her name begins with E, calling them “the Emily Girls”.
Eldon is a small love interest for Emily and is seen asking her if she wants to hang out after the auditions, but she shrugs him off. He’s liked Emily for a long time but she shows no interest in him. The other dancers have even noticed this. James calls Eldon “a clinger” during his camera confessional. Eldon says that he wants to be a better dancer so that Emily will be impressed and finally give him a shot.
A new dancer named Michelle walks in during the auditions. She wants to audition for the A-Troupe even though she is not a part of the studio. Immediately, this get Emily’s attention. She’s confident that there’s no way a newcomer could audition for a spot.
To Emily’s dismay, Michelle is allowed to audition. Her audition blows everyone away and the other dancers want to be her friend. Some dancers say they recognize Michelle from somewhere but they can’t remember where. Stephanie, Emily’s best friend, learns that Michelle won Miss National Soloist and tells the E-Girls. Meanwhile, Michelle confesses to the camera that she doesn’t want the others to know she had won that title because she doesn’t want to be treated differently.
The episode ends with the final list of A-Troupe members being posted, but we don’t find out who makes it just yet. We are left with a cliffhanger! The last thing we hear is Kate saying, “One thing I do know is Emily’s going to be very upset with the decision.”
We’re already excited to catch the second episode of THE NEXT STEP! If you’ve already seen the show, who’s your favourite character so far?
Don’t forget to catch THE NEXT STEP over the March Break and on Fridays at 7 p.m. ET/PT on Family Channel!