Changes The Next Step

'Previously on The Next Step....'

The auditions are in here, right?

We don't let randoms walk in from the street and audition.

Hi. I'm Emily. I'm the dance captain.

I was actually dance captain at my old studio.

She's Miss National Soloist.

You better work really, really hard.

I feel like she's way too threatened by Michelle.

I clearly do not deserve to be in the front row, Michelle does!

How dare Riley call me out in front of everybody!

Who wants Riley out of E-Girls?

She's my own sister and she just kicked me out.

I'm having a great time with him. We have a lot of chemistry.

I dunno, I'm starting to find a new lightness to James.

You've been too focused on dance and not focused enough on your studies.

We're at the peak season and if she pulls him,

it ain't going to be good.

-How was the math test?

-I might have failed it.

I'm getting pulled from the studio.

I'm going to miss dance so much.

I'm not going to see Riley every day. Like, it's going to be tough.

My dad lost his job. So, if I want to dance, I have to pay for it.

I don't have time for someone who's not here.

I think you deserve to be in B-Troupe.

I want to do different things. I want to act,

I want to sing. I have an agent!

-What?

-Yeah!

-Is your ankle all right?

-Yeah! Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's totally fine.

I can't let anyone know or else I'll get pulled out of the solo.

I know there's something magical between me and Emily.

-Emily, will you be my girlfriend?

-I need to signify that this is over.

-I have a crush on Eldon?

-Yes.

-Maybe YOU do.

We need a leader who keeps us together for regionals

and my sister's not doing that. You're perfect for dance captain.

The way that Emily's treating people is horrible.

We've got a new dance captain.

I'm so proud, and regionals, here we come!

Dancers, can I have your attention, please?

Miss Kate has an announcement.

Just wanted to let you know that our application

for regionals has been confirmed.

ALL CHEER

I'm really, really glad that our regionals application was confirmed.

We're in. We're so much closer to regionals.

We just gotta keep on working to get there and I know we will.

I have a feeling that this is going to be our year and we'll win.

We know what that means, it's game time. So get your game face on.

Regionals are in a month, so we have a lot of work to do.

Clearly the regionals application is something exciting for everyone,

but it's a little dampened for me right now,

I mean, I'm not dance captain. It's not my routine going to regionals.

Get to work.

-ALL CHEER

-Oh, yeah!

-Can I talk to you alone, please?

-Sure.

I said "alone". Thanks.

I feel the need to be friends with Emily because it's important that

we work as a team and that she's a part of the team.

I just wanted to make sure that we're OK.

What do you mean, "OK"?

We need to be friends to make this work.

"Friends"? You're asking me to be your friend?

-Well...

-You went behind my back, took my friends,

and stole my spot as dance captain.

There's no chance we could be friends.

All I came over to tell you is that I want you to help me out.

We could be like co-captains.

Why would I help her?

She's dance captain, she needs to learn how to lead.

I'm not a co-captain to anyone.

It honestly just confirms to me that she's evil.

I mean, do you have to take my place as dance captain

and then insult me, too?

ALL CHATTER

I really don't know what's going on with James.

I've seen his mom in here a couple of times

and it's just kind of scary.

I've known James's mom my whole life.

There's one thing you know about Deborah,

you don't mess with Deborah.

-Hey, girl. What's up?

-Nothing.

So, how's acting? How is that going with the agent?

-Whatever.

-Tell me, what's up! Tell me!

That's nice. Uh, I don't want to talk to you.

-Why wouldn't you want to talk to me?

-So, you can leave.

OK, this is not about the whole captain with Emily and Michelle?

-Is this really what this is about?

-Whatever.

She has no right to speak.

E-Girl rule number one - "An E-Girl always has another E-Girl's back."

Just because the team was divided

and I chose Michelle doesn't mean that we can't be friends.

That's exactly what it means.

Steph, we've been through so much.

I've helped you with your agent.

You're going to let this one thing come between our friendship?

We're girls, we're friends.

I thought that. I thought that, too. Especially me and you,

I actually thought that we were really good friends.

-Actually, we're E-Girls.

-OK.

And you were unloyal. You proved that you're not a loyal friend.

Really? Or did I prove that I'm standing up for myself

for once and choosing what's best for the team?

Everything's falling apart.

What doesn't Stephanie see? The E-Girls are over.

She needs to see the light and join the rest of the group.

I had to do this to protect myself.

Protect yourself? Really?

Is that what E-Girls do, protect themselves or protect each other?

Why did we even make this group?

Why did we even make E-Girls, then,

if we're all just going to fend for ourselves?

Like, not only did Emily lose her captaincy,

but now Emily and me lost a friend.

And so did you, you lost two.

Dancers, we have another announcement to make.

Miss Deborah.

This is James' mother.

Um, actually, Chris, with respect,

I think this is an announcement that James should make himself

to his friends. I think that they deserve that.

Um, as of today,

um, I'm being pulled from A-Troupe.

-What?

-You're not in A-Troupe any more?

-Nah, man. I'm sorry I let you guys down.

-Why?

Um...

My math grades are slipping a bit.

It's not a big deal, though.

You know, I beg to differ, James.

They're not slipping a bit in math, he just failed his math exam.

-And he knew...

-But we thought...

No! He KNEW that this was the consequence of that.

We've known each other for ever, like he's my boy

and he's leaving now?

I never thought this would actually happen.

'It hurt, you know, it hurt to know that he wasn't'

going to be with us during regionals, you know?

We need him. We do need him. We need everybody, even Emily.

Regionals is a ten-dancer competition.

We have to find another dancer, do new choreography,

new transition, and given the time frame,

I'm not sure if that's possible.

And I'm sorry that it's come to this, I really am.

Cos I know it puts you in a bit of a bind,

but I don't feel like I have a choice.

He's out.

I think that I really am only left with one decision

and that's to pull him out of the studio.

I'm sorry, but that's how it's going to be.

In the back of my head I'm thinking,

"Great, Michelle's first day and she's already lost a dancer,

"have fun with that one(!)"

There's no way that we can get him to dance with us at regionals?

No. He needs to spend time on his studies.

I'm disappointed James is leaving.

We've gotten really close lately

and I don't know what I'd do without him...

at the studio.

I have an idea.

-I'm sorry, who are you?

-I'm Michelle, the new dance captain.

-Dance captain? When did that happen?

-Mom.

-I thought Emily...

-It's Michelle.

-OK, never mind. So, you were saying?

I say James leaves for two weeks, focuses on his studies,

and brings up the grades.

Because we really need him for regionals.

I understand that, Michelle,

but James has promised me these things before.

And James will do what he always does,

which is find something more fun to do than math and that's not hard.

Root canals at the dentist are more fun than math.

You know, you blow it off, James!

I mean, she's putting her foot down pretty hard

and it's important that I do convince her.

We... None of us knew about this problem.

Now we all know and now we want to fix it. Right, guys?

-ALL:

-Yeah.

You know what? I'm a math genius. So I could definitely help your son.

And I'm not so bad with physics either. E=MC2.

-We can all help him.

-We can.

-I don't know.

-Please?

-Please?

-Please?

-Please?

-Please?

-Please?

-Please?

Come on, please?

When Michelle gets everyone down on their knees it really just

showed me that everyone is behind her.

-Miss Deborah!

-Come on!

-Please?

-Please?

I mean, that's a team unified.

That is not a team divided,

that is a team fighting for one goal.

Can I take a picture of this, please?

-You, zip it.

-I'm feeling a little more

needed at the studio than I ever have before.

The whole dance crew A-Troupe's just on their knees for me.

I kind of liked it, actually.

ALL BEG

We need your son!

OK.

-Yes!

-OK.

ALL CHEER

OK, but hold on, hold on, hold on!

I know I'm still talking because my lips are moving.

So, listen good.

I don't want to see any dancing from you for two weeks, James.

And I mean it! No class, no rehearsal, no studio, no A-Troupe.

I don't want to see so much as a flap ball change from you, James.

And I'm warning you, if those grades do not improve,

I will tour jete your skinny behind

into military school so fast your head will spin!

-Do you see how serious I am?

-Yeah.

-Mom.

-Oh.

ALL CHEER

My plan worked. I'm just so glad that I could convince her.

-You are very persuasive.

-Thank you.

Maybe leaving the studio for two weeks is something that he needs.

And when he comes back, it'll be a checkmark in his brain

to be like, "Hey! I've got to buckle down."

And I'm going to tell you something,

I am getting soft in my old age.

I think Michelle is actually a pretty good dance captain right now.

-Two weeks.

-Two weeks.

-Two weeks.

-Two weeks.

-Come on. We've got to go.

-Dude, two weeks. Thanks, guys. Yeah!

ALL CLAP

Why does everything have to work out for her?

Couldn't somebody else have come up with that? Namely me?

James. James.

Look, James, Mommy's having a hot flush, OK?

I'll meet you at the car. What? What? Am I embarrassing you?

-No. Mom.

-Really?

-Mom!

-Am I embarrassing you?

-Oh, my Lord.

Well, that's good, because I was put on this earth to embarrass you.

-OK. Thank you, Mom.

-Don't be long.

-All right.

-You've got homework.

-Yeah.

Listen, I am so sorry about that whole math thing.

I know.

I don't know what to do. Tell me.

Tell me, Riley, what am I supposed to do?

'He can do it.

'I mean, he just has to set his mind on doing it.'

I need to think of something that will give him a little motivation.

I have a proposition for you.

If you get a 70% on your next math exam,

no less than a 70%,

I will go on a date with you.

Well, what makes you think I really want to date you, though?

I dunno. Do you?

Seeing her standing there and just asking if I liked her

made me like her all the more.

Because I could never figure out this girl.

I could never figure it out and by her saying that,

she pretty much was agreeing to like me back.

So it's a deal?

Yeah, I think it's the best deal I've ever made.

-I'll see you later?

-Yeah.

-Michelle, the routine is looking awesome.

-Thank you.

-I still feel like we can spruce it up.

-OK.

This is regionals, we want to pull out the best tricks.

It's good to see some of B-Troupe here as well. Set an example.

Thank you for being here. I appreciate the dedication.

People from B-Troupe come to A-Troupe rehearsals

because they want to get better.

Back when I was in B-Troupe, Chloe and I would always

come in and watch their ballet classes.

That's what motivated us to become such technical dancers.

Perfect. Michelle, take it away.

Um, right now, I just kind of want to mess around

with everyone's ideas.

Cos I don't want it to just be all of the same choreography,

-I want everyone to include their...

-It's kind of laughable to me.

Is she really that bad of a choreographer

that she can't come up with her own ideas?

ALL CHATTER

That's not the way that you get something done.

If we were all going to choreograph the dance, we might as well have

just done solos and we wouldn't need a dance captain.

-OK, so let's put some music on!

-Yeah!

-Just make a circle. Whatever you want.

-Sure.

DANCE MUSIC PLAYS

I'm ecstatic.

It's awesome because Emily never took any of our ideas.

I'm so glad all the drama is done.

It's really, really nice to get back to the dancing.

I forgot how fun just dancing for the sake of it was.

It feels like a group effort now,

instead of just what the dance captain wants.

With Michelle as the new dance captain, everything's exciting.

With Emily, it was just bickering and drama.

Everyone's moves are so unique and different.

It just gives us another reason why our routine is going to be killer.

I'm really trying to put stress on my ankle

and kind of really, really push myself

to see if it can handle it and so far it's holding up pretty well.

I'm not participating because I'm not going to go help Michelle

try to choreograph a routine.

I'm not going to give her my choreography

that she's already dissed.

So why would I go over and offer her my help?

That's just not going to happen.

So let's take it from the turns. 5, 6, 7, 8,

1, 2, and 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.

-Um, Michelle?

-1...

-Um, can I just take a five-minute break?

-Right now?

-Yeah I...I...I really need it. I'll be quick.

-Go ahead.

OK. Thanks.

I thought my ankle was just a little tweak, maybe a little sprain.

And I'm really surprised that it's still taking so long to heal.

It's really, really tight and jammed up,

so I hope that I can keep dancing.

-Hey, girl.

-You sure you still want to be seen with me?

Shush.

Um, so Tiffany came up to me earlier,

she gave me, like, this whole speech

about how, like, we should still be friends

and, like, she didn't mean to hurt us and all this stuff and...

-What did you do?

-Just let her have it.

-Good.

Like, I was yelling. Did you hear?

You know this means the E-Girls are done, right?

I know.

They were my best friends and one by one they all left.

Having the E-Girls being done is literally

one of the worst things in the world.

Whatever, we can just be called ES.

Emily and Steph.

Spelled "ES"?

Cos I just got really confused. ES.

You're always going to have me, OK?

And on another note, she's so never going to make it as dance captain.

Steph, thanks for the reassurance,

but she's not exactly doing horribly.

For the longest time, I had always wanted to be part of E-Girls.

And now that it's over, it's really strange.

Nobody would have ever thought E-Girls would break up.

The E-Girls are no longer together

and I'm kind of on the outside now.

I have no-one, really, to turn to. I'm feeling kind of lost right now.

So, we need to get down to business.

You guys all know the lyrical choreo?

If you don't, let's teach it to you.

5, 6, 7, 8...

'I know we kind of ended things on a rough patch,'

I mean, with Michelle becoming dance captain and all.

I just want to make things right.

Um, can we talk, as sisters,

not dancers?

As dancers,

we have nothing to talk about.

And as sisters, we have even less.

You're not even my sister any more.

It feels like she's getting further and further away from me.

The fact that she said we're not even sisters...

'I don't regret putting Michelle back as dance captain.

'It's the right thing to do.

'On a personal level, maybe it was a bad choice.

'I just lost my big sister

'and it's all my fault.'