The Next Step (Canadian TV series)

The Next Step
Created by	Frank van Keeken
Starring	Brittany Raymond Victoria Baldesarra Alexandra Beaton Trevor Tordjman Samantha Grecchi Brennan Clost Isaac Lupien Lamar Johnson Tamina Pollack-Paris Jennifer Pappas
Theme music composer	Grayson Matthews
Opening theme	"Stand Up", performed by Jessica Lee & Kit Knows
Country of origin	Canada
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	14 (aired) (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Frank van Keeken Ivan Schneeberg David Fortier
Producers	Laura Harbin (supervising producer) Rachael Schaefer Chloe Van Keeken (co-producers) Jay Prychidny Amy Wright (consulting producers) Laurie McLarty
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	Approx. 23 minutes
Production companies	Temple Street Productions Family Channel
Original release
Network	Family Channel (Canada)
Release	March 8, 2013 – present

The Next Step is a Canadian teen drama series shot in a reality television Style, which consists of 14 episodes in season 1, and (??) in season 2, The series focuses on a group of dancers who attend The Next Step Dance Studio as they strive to win a series of dance competitions. It began airing on Family Channel in March 2013. Family Channel announced on Thursday, April 11, 2013, that the show was picked up for a second. Season 2 will premiere in September 2013

Plot

Season 1

This year at the Next Step Dance Studio, the members of A-Troupe and B-Troupe have to audition for spots on the A-troupe. The members of this year's A-Troupe team include, Emily, Michelle, Riley, Eldon, Daniel, Stephanie, West, Chloe, Tiffany and James. The E-Girls are an exclusive clique within the A-Troupe, with Emily as their leader, Riley (kicked out in A Rock and a Hard Place), Stephanie, Chloe (joined in "Everybody Dance Now" when she advances from B-Troupe to A-Troupe) Tiffany, and Giselle (kicked out in "Everybody Dance Now" for being demoted from A-Troupe to B-Troupe). The series follows the lives of the 10 members of A-Troupe, and how they prepare for the regional dance competition. The studio is co-owned and run by Kate and Chris.

In the summer finale, Emily, Tiffany, and Stephanie plan to get Michelle kicked out by sending rude texts on her phone to Emily's phone which she steals her phone from her locker, but backfires when Chloe and Riley see them, Riley and Chloe decide to hide Michelle's phone. Emily goes to Kate. and Emily shows the hurtful messages to Kate, Kate tells Michelle to come in and they check Michelle's space, they then can't find her phone and Michelle stands up to Emily. In the end, Kate tells Michelle and her troupe, (herself, West, Chloe, Riley, Daniel and James) to perform their dance. Finally, in the end, Kate and Chris likes there dance and then Michelle becomes the new dance Captain, while Stephanie and Emily leave.

Season 1 cast

Character	Portrayed by	Seasons	Notes
Michelle	Victoria Baldesarra	Seasons 1–Present	Lead Role
Emily	Alexandra Beaton	Seasons 1–Present	Lead Role
Riley	Brittany Raymond	Seasons 1–Present	Lead Role
James	Trevor Tordjman	Seasons 1–Present	Lead Role
Daniel	Brennan Clost	Seasons 1–Present	Main Role
Stephanie	Samantha Grecchi	Season 1-Present	Main Role
West	Lamar Johnson	Seasons 1–Present	Main Role
Chloe	Jennifer Pappas	Seasons 1–Present	Main Role
Tiffany	Tamina Pollack-Paris	Seasons 1–Present	Main Role
Eldon	Isaac Lupien	Seasons 1–Present	Main Role
Kate	Bree Wasylenko	Seasons 1-Present	Recurring Role
Chris	Shamier Anderson	Seasons 1–Present	Recurring Role
Giselle	Jordan Clark	Seasons 1–Present	Recurring Role

Season 2

TBA

Roles

• Victoria Baldesarra as Michelle (Lead) The new girl that is just trying to find a way to fit in. She becomes dance captain in the season 1 finale after she stands up to Emily and when she shows Kate her dance. She may or may not have a crush on Eldon, who is completely oblivious, even though she has shown him exceptional kindness multiple times after he gets turned down by Emily.

• Alexandra Beaton as Emily (Lead) Head of the E-girls and is the former dance captain of the A-troupe who often insults Michelle and is always rejecting Eldon until he impresses her with his dancing. She treats the dancers with very little respect and in the season 1 finale comes so far as to scream insults at the top of her lungs to the whole A-Troupe. She gets overthrown as dance captain by 8/10ths of A-Troupe in the season 1 finale.

• Brittany Raymond as Riley (Lead) A contemporary dancer and Emily's younger sister. In the beginning she was a member of the E-girls but gets kicked out when she stands up to Emily. She has mixed feelings for james, which she realises more and more while planning to overthrow Emily as dance captain with him.

• Trevor Tordjman as James (Season 1-Lead, Season 2-Recurring) An easy-going, "cool" break dancer who has trouble with math. He later becomes closer with Riley as he plots to overthrow Emily as dance captain with her. He has apparently dated many girls. He becomes the understudy for Daniel in Can You Keep a Secret? for finishing 2nd in the studio competition to perform a solo at regionals, but fails a math exam in the season finale and learns he can't continue at the studio. He becomes a recurring character in season 2.

• Isaac Lupien as Eldon (Main) A contemporary dancer who is obsessed with Emily. In the season 1 finale he realises he needs to move on from her after she humiliates him one too many times.

• Brennan Clost as Daniel (Main) A ballet and contemporary dancer who can't stand drama. Although he has good technique, he has the hardest time when it comes to stage presence when it comes to dancing. He injures his ankle in Can You Keep a Secret? after he wins the right to perform a solo at regionals.

• Samantha Grecchi as Stephanie (Main) A jazz dancer and Emily's best friend. Her parents aren't very supportive of her dancing career and she relies on Emily for encouragement. She wants to be famous and because of her rich parents absence, relies mostly on Kate for that kind of advice, and sees her sort of as a "mother figure". She is the main saboteur of season 1, committing almost all the sneaky acts to defend Emily as dance captain. She is the only member of A-Troupe who sticks by Emily when they are forced to choose in the season 1 finale.

• Lamar Johnson as West (Main) A calm, easy-going, hip-hop dancer. He hates drama, and while he doesn't always share his opinion, when he does most people are often confused by it. He rarely makes sense, but uses this to his advantage in multiple instances to get out of sticky situations.

• Jennifer Pappas as Chloe (Main) A ballet dancer whose parents can't afford her dancing at the studio. She has to work a part-time job while being a member of A-troupe as well as an E-girl. As season 1 progresses, she becomes less and less of an E-girl until things eventually boil over and she secretly joins Michelle's group until Stephanie catches the group rehearsing and sees Chloe with them. In the season 1 finale she sides with Michelle, and seems to show no remorse for it.

• Tamina Pollack-Paris as Tiffany (Main) An upbeat hip hop dancer and member of E-girls. She has been shown to be a great actress. In the season 1 finale, when everyone is forced to choose who they want as dance captain, she sides with Michelle to cover herself, shocking Emily and Stephanie, and possibly costing her her spot as an E-girl, while at the same time gaining her respect with the rest of A-troupe.

• Jordan Clark as Giselle (Season 1-Recurring, Season 2-Main) A sweet dancer who is good at all types of dance, but acro is her best. She was formerly an A-troupe member and E-girl, but gets kicked out of the E-girls when she is demoted to B-troupe. She's waiting right at the door to come in A-troupe. A friend of Emily's, she also shows a liking to Michelle. Her and Daniel grew up together and partly why she was so devastated about not getting into A-troupe was because she felt like she let him down. Daniel has not said anything about their friendship though.

• Bree Wasylenko as Kate (Recurring Role) The owner of the Next Step studio. The sort of "mother figure" to the dancers, especially Stephanie, acting as the strict but enthusiastic female advisor.

• Shamier Anderson as Chris (Recurring Role) The head choreographer at the Next Step studio, known for his "dolphin tail" tactic for making the A-troupe pay attention. The sort of "father figure" to the dancers, especially James, acting as a compassionate, helpful, and rarely serious male advisor

Episodes

Main article: List of The Next Step episodes

Season		Episodes	Originally aired (Canada dates)
			Season premiere	Season finale
	1	14	March 8, 2013 (2013-03-08)	June 7, 2013 (2013-06-07)
	2	TBA	September 2013 (2013-09)	TBA

After-Show

The after show starts when the episode is finished, the after show is about 2 minutes long, while you can watch the rest (about 15-19 minutes) on Family Channel.

The after show talks about the show and breaks down some parts to help the listener to understand better.

It is hosted by 5 members: Asha Bromfield (who also plays Stella on "What's Up, Warthogs!"), Lovell Adams-Gray, Luke Watters (2009 Martime Idol winner), Kelly McNamee, Samantha "Sam" Munro (who also plays as Anya on "Degrassi: The Next Generation").

External links

• The Next Step at IMDb
• Brodie, Anne (3 March 2013), "Alexandra Beaton interview, in 'The Next Step' on Family Channel, Canada", m&c, retrieved 9 March 2013