Family Channel pulled out all the stops at the amazing premiere party for season 2 of their hit show, THE NEXT STEP. Friends, family and fans alike gathered together at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts March 7 in Toronto to watch the show’s season 2 premiere live with the cast, munch on free goodies and talk to their favourite stars. THE MAGAZINE had an exclusive invite to the party and boy, was it epic!
The evening started with the red-carpet arrivals. The young fans who lined the carpet, several of which arrived hours in advance, had their equal share of time with their favourite actors and got their shirts and posters signed. Excitement grew as the clock ticked closer to the premiere’s screening and when the cast came on stage to introduce it, they were welcomed with screams from their adoring fans.
The special one-hour premiere starts just after The Next Step’s Regionals win. THE NEXT STEP is known for its endless drama inside and outside of the dance studio, and we get plenty of that in season 2 right from the start. Elite’s captain Amanda comes to audition and we learn about ‘The Challenge’, which will select the strongest dancers for the Nationals team. Everyone must fight for their spot. As all of this occurs, Michelle finds herself caught in a love triangle which becomes a love square and Emily finds herself once again plotting revenge.
After the screening, the cast came back on stage for a question and answer session. Victoria Baldesarra, who plays Michelle, was asked about her favourite dance from season 1 and she said she loved the finals routine at Regionals because “it was so fun and the costumes were out of this world.”
With energy still running high, the party continued with fun and tasty food stands and there were many more photo opportunities. Every guest left with a smile and a specially designed Family Channel cookie (which was amazing by the way.)
THE MAGAZINE caught up with the cast of the show during the event and they told us everything you need to know about season 2!
What’s next for your character in season 2?
Bree Wasylenko (Kate): Kate is really focussed on winning and going to Nationals with the best team possible.
Logan Fabbro (Amanda): Amanda is very troubled, especially in season 1 and the beginning of season 2. At the end of season 2, she really figures out who she is and I think the fans will like that about her.
Brennan Clost (Daniel): In season 1, Daniel is sidelined with an injury and in season 2, he is coming off surgery so he really has to prove himself at the beginning. He ends up getting really competitive and kind of proving himself but kind of overdoing it.
Jennie Pappas (Chloe): Chloe becomes a little bit more confident and she tries to spread her wings a little bit more as a dancer.
Brittany Raymond (Riley): Riley goes through a bit of a bumpy road. There’s some big event that happens to her that affects her dramatically – I can’t tell you if it has anything to do with a guy – but I can say it can be a little bit heartbreaking, but she comes out strong in the end.
We all loved season 1. Now, what can we expect from season 2?
Alexandra Beaton (Emily): EVERYTHING! You get to know the characters more, you see some new relationships – there’s a little spoiler for everyone. You get the same characters you fell in love with but a deeper view at them.
Samantha Grecchi (Stephanie): A lot of drama. They say it’s going to make your heart break.
Jennie (Chloe): For Nationals we are just going to bring our A-game. We’re going to pull out all the stops, come up with some kick butt numbers and it’s going to be awesome. We are going to take the Nationals by storm.
Tell THE MAGAZINE readers why they have to watch THE NEXT STEP.
Isaac Lupien (Eldon): The second season is just so much better from the acting to the dancing to the storylines. So much has changed. It’s going to be a really great season!
Lamar Johnson (West): There’s nonstop drama and nonstop dancing.
Alexandra (Emily): You’re going to be so out of the loop if you don’t! Maybe I’m a little biased, but it’s an amazing show. I think if you watch it and you’re dedicated to it, you’re going to love the characters, especially this season.
Logan (Amanda): It’s amazing. So much work has been put into it and it really portrays the world of competitive dance. It tells multiple stories and everyone loves it – the kids and the parents.
What’s your favourite memory from filming season 2?
Brennan (Daniel): When we filmed the Nationals episodes. We had a whole week when we were at another location, not in the typical studio we film at, and some of the dance studios that came out as the rival studios were some of my friends growing up. It was just so fun having them there and filming the show.
Trevor Tordjman (James): All the dance numbers. We put in so much work this year and they were so crazy.
Brittany (Riley): I loved filming all the dancing because it was so different. I got to do a lot of different duets with Trevor so that was really cool and interesting. Also, just being able to act with everyone and there’s some new cast members on set which was lots of fun, so it’s really great.
Victoria Baldesarra (Michelle): Nationals. We had so much fun filming Nationals – the make-up and the hair and the costumes were just so crazy and the props were just so amazing.
Alexandra, your character Emily has had quite the relationship with Eldon. Will we be seeing the end of Micheldon and the reigniting of Emdon?
Alexandra (Emily): You’re gonna have to watch! Micheldon is pretty tight, but you never know.
Victoria, your character Michelle gets herself caught in a love square this season. If you could give life and love advice to Michelle, what would you say?
Victoria (Michelle): Girl, you gotta figure out your stuff! She’s just going through so much and I feel like she just needs to figure out who she is before she loves anyone else.
Trevor, your character James is definitely a ladies man. Do you have any advice for the young lovers out there?
Trevor (James): Honestly, don’t ever be afraid to approach your girl. My guys out there, if you like a girl, go talk to her man. That’s the thing. You gotta do it.
Family Channel and THE NEXT STEP threw an AWESOME party, and we can’t wait until their next one! Catch THE NEXT STEP on Family Channel Fridays at 7:30 pm EST.