Episode 5 of The Next Step, titled Steal My Sunshine, gives the troupe a break from rehearsals for regionals because Dance Camp is happening at the studio. Dance Camp is a one day event that invites young dancers to explore the studio and learn about dance.
Michelle suggests a trip to the beach. The idea wins most of the group, except the E Girls. The E Girls volunteer every year to run Dance Camp and they stay at the studio. Riley asks Emily what she wants to do, and Emily bluntly tells her to go to the beach. Since Riley is no longer an E Girl, she does not have to follow the others.
On the beach, Michelle compliments Riley on her necklace. The necklace belongs to Emily; Riley sometimes borrows it. It formerly belonged to their grandmother who has passed away. James asks Riley about the E Girls, and she replies that they are not that bad, which makes everyone laugh because they know the truth.
At the dance camp, Emily shows a clear fondness for being around kids. She selects Margie as her favorite. Chloe, however, dislikes being around children and finds it scary. Emily asks Chloe to bring one girl to the bathroom, and Chloe asks Stephanie if she can do it.
On the beach they play dance Frisbee, a game where you dance while you throw or catch. While leaping to catch the Frisbee, Riley discovers her necklace is missing and panics because it is the only memento of their grandmother. The group splits up to search but cannot find it. James spots a man with a metal detector and asks to borrow it; the man asks for 100 dollars to lend it.
Meanwhile at Dance Camp, Margie disappears. Emily, Stephanie and Tiffany search other rooms, leaving Chloe with the rest of the girls. Margie suddenly reappears from behind the racks, saying she was hiding for fun. When the others return, Chloe is dancing with the younger girls. Emily is relieved to see her favorite little dancer again and compliments Chloe on a job well done. Chloe admits that being with the girls alone was the most terrifying moment of her life.
Michelle suggests the beach group should play to their strengths. They quickly choreograph a routine and perform in the sand to raise money for the man with the metal detector. The beach crowd notices and donates. Eldon even jokes that he saw the metal detector guy drop a coin. Riley feels relief seeing the generosity gives them a chance to recover the necklace.
With enough funds raised, they trade the money for the metal detector and begin a real search. James swings the device and they uncover bottle caps and nickels before finally finding the missing necklace.
Back at the studio, the beach group has formed stronger ties with Michelle and feels more welcomed. Emily remains wary, suspecting that Michelle has an agenda to uncover.
Viewers are invited to share their thoughts on last night s episode in the comments. New episodes air Fridays at 7 p.m. ET/PT on Family Channel.