The Game Belongs to Me The Next Step

-Previously on The Next Step...

-LaTroy is so close. He's almost getting the dance.

We're all going to have problems with mom's boyfriend's girlfriends.

The new Michelle just focuses on dancing.

Yeah, OK. If this is what it takes to be a better dancer.

-I'm going to do it.

-Jane says it's vicious and tough.

-Well, he's not wrong.

-I'm so nervous.

But I'm ready.

I can do this.

CHEERING

POP MUSIC PLAYS

Right now, we're doing auditions for the small group qualifier.

LaTroy choreographed this solo for me. It's epic.

CHEERING

Everyone votes for the best dancers,

and the top five dancers make the team.

I am definitely making this team.

CHEERING

I'm putting absolutely everything into this dance.

We need to win this qualifier to get to regionals.

It's a lot of pressure.

But I want Riley to know that she can count on us.

Alfie is such a beautiful dancer.

I mean, everyone is amazing, but, you know,

I'm just feeling really good about this audition.

Let's go!

I'm having fun and dancing the best I can.

CHEERING

Hopefully, everyone sees that and vote for me.

CHEERING

I have no idea who I'm going to vote for. I only have five votes.

This is insane.

-CHEERING

-You've got this!

My back has been sore lately,

but I'm feeling really good as I perform my solo audition.

Almost like my old self.

The competition is really intense.

But I'm not worried.

Nothing is going to stop me from making the team.

This is a new A-Troop and this is a new me.

I want this.

This is so exciting. I haven't had the chance to show everyone what I

can do yet. This audition is exactly what I need.

CHEERING

I've seen Amy dance before, but this is insane.

She's such a little powerhouse.

Yeah!

Wow! You guys are incredible.

Oh, my gosh, the talent is amazing. Um...

So now, it's time to vote.

All you've got to do is just write the top five dancers - in order -

on a piece of paper, and then I'll tally them up.

-Cool.

-Thank you, guys.

-Thank you.

I can't wait to see who gets voted onto the qualifier team.

I don't want to jinx anything, but fingers crossed!

# We

# We're going to show the world

# Everything we're made of

# We're going to tear the roof off this place... #

Stand-up!

-Hey!

-So, how great was my solo, on a scale from great to amazing?

Your solo was actually pretty incredible.

And how dope is it going to be when we both make the qualifiers?

That would be so sick!

But, I mean, don't get your hopes up too much.

The qualifier is a group competition, not a solo.

OK, what are you getting at?

There'll probably be a lot of contemporary moves...

..and that's not exactly your strong suit.

Who cares if I don't do contemporary?

I make up for it in other areas.

Oh-kay...

Well, I'm pretty confident everybody's going to vote for me.

Yeah. Well...

I voted for what would make the best group,

not the best five individual dancers.

All right. So, basically,

what you're trying to say is that you didn't vote for me.

-No, I mean...um...

-Yes or no?

-No.

-All right.

Well, I guess we'll see when the results are announced.

Oh, and FYI...

-..I voted for you.

-LaTroy...

# Don't try to stop me now

# You think I'm breaking down

# Well, you're wrong... #

All right, dancers. I have tallied up all the votes.

Are you guys ready to find out who will be competing at the qualifier?

-Yeah!

-All right.

The number one dancer, after today's auditions,

as chosen by A-Troop, is...

Alfie.

All right! Thanks, guys!

The number two dancer is, Noah.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

The number three dancer is, Amy.

-Yes!

-Congrats!

The number four dancer is, Rochelle.

Yeah!

I really hope I make the team. I brought my best to the audition,

but with the calibre of dancers here at The Next Step, you never know.

And in the fifth and final position, we actually have a tie.

-Oh!

-So, only one of these dancers will be on the team.

Tied for fifth place is...

Piper...

-Yeah!

-Good job!

..and Michelle.

Nice!

I feel really bad for LaTroy.

This is exactly what I was trying to warn him about.

I can't believe it.

Sloane was right.

No-one else thought I was good enough.

Now, the only fair way to break the tie would be a dance-off.

So, Piper, Michelle,

you have an hour to prepare. Good luck.

Piper's good,

but I am going to go to the qualifier.

Nothing is going to stop me.

Michelle and I are competing for the last spot,

in the small group dance.

To be honest, though,

I'm kind of nervous to face Michelle head-to-head.

Hey, I just wanted to say good luck.

I don't think I'll be needing luck.

I was Miss National Soloist.

So I should be saying good luck to you.

Whatever happens, no hard feelings.

I don't have time to be nice.

I'm focused on this competition.

And if Piper's smart, she'll do the same.

OK. Wow!

Michelle is taking this super seriously.

She doesn't need to be so cold about it.

I mean, we're friends, right?

Hey, Amy.

-Hey!

-Are you busy right now?

Uh, no. I'm just practising.

Ah, here's the thing. See, I need help learning a contemporary combo.

My technical dancing needs to be better.

I'm an A-Troop now. I need to up my game.

-Yeah. I can help you with it.

-Yeah?

-So, why don't we do a little

contemporary combo and I'll teach you it and, hopefully,

-that'll help you.

-Right.

I'm really flattered that LaTroy asked me for help.

I'd love to teach him some contemporary.

All right.

What was that?

In hip-hop, that's a warm up.

-OK, well, we'll work on warm ups after.

-OK.

Well, looks like I've got my work cut out for me.

POP MUSIC IN HEADPHONES

Hey.

I just want to say that I don't appreciate

the way you were treating me earlier.

Sorry, what did you say?

I'm kind of upset about the way you treated me earlier.

Oh.

I'm really sorry for the way that I treated you.

Oh, it's fine.

-Don't worry.

-I'm just so devastated.

Oh, no. Tell me, what's wrong?

This is perfect.

As long as Piper is feeling sorry for me,

she won't be focusing on her dance.

You know how my parents got divorced?

Well, I've been at the bottom of my game ever since.

-I'm really sorry.

-You know, I'm just upset I didn't make top five.

This is a total 0% moment.

I just need to let Michelle know that I'm there for her.

You're an amazing dancer.

You're probably better than I am.

Thank you for that.

Now, bring it in.

Doesn't that feel better?

Yeah, so much better.

This is a competition,

and Piper's going to have to learn it the hard way.

I'm so glad Michelle and I got to talk.

I'm really happy that I was able to make her feel better.

Hey, Michelle, I just wanted to wish you good luck.

Oh, I'm going to destroy you, Piper. You have no idea.

-Good luck, though.

-What?

I thought Michelle and I dealt with this.

Why is she being mean to me again?

So, wants to go first?

Piper is ready to go.

She was actually just saying that she wants to go first.

-So, go right ahead.

-Great.

Did that really just happen?

Has Michelle been playing me this whole time?

Mind games 101.

Never let your guard down.

I can't believe Michelle was so underhanded.

I would have never, ever expected this from her.

# When you're up so high never want to fall

# I should have held a little back but I had to give it out

# So give it up.... #

Piper's messing up her dance. She let me get in her head.

That's what happens.

I'd almost feel sorry for her,

if she wasn't trying to take my spot on the team.

I need to forget about Michelle and focus on my dancing.

But I can't help it.

We're supposed to be on the same team.

We're supposed to look out for each other.

I'm really disappointed in Piper's dance.

This isn't nearly as good as her last performance.

-How'd that go?

-Not very well.

-Why?

-Because you're mean.

No. Because I played you.

Michelle's not even denying that she messed with me.

What kind of person does that?

So, you start. Bring your leg in.

-Stepping it.

-Out.

Arm.

And twist around. Bring it in.

OK. Yeah. Is that OK?

Yeah, it's good.

-I'm already confused.

-OK, so, maybe I'll put it this way.

-OK.

-I'll give every move and action, or a word.

Learning choreo for a contemporary piece can be quite intimidating.

So it helps if you come up

with something that helps you remember the moves.

So, this move is like you're hitting apples.

-Squishing apples.

-Yeah! And now you're reaching for the soap.

-Soap.

-And you bring the soap around.

-Bring it around.

-And clean.

-And clean.

-And now you're reaching for the shampoo.

Why is the shampoo so high?

Because I don't want my little sister to get it.

LaTroy is over-thinking everything.

He needs to step out of his comfort zone.

We can have some fun with this. Now, I want you to feel

-like you're a tiger.

-Like I'm am a tiger.

And you're going for the meat.

-Because you're hungry. You're a hungry tiger.

-OK.

I thought that Amy was teaching me contemporary.

Instead, she's making me play charades.

Like, what gives?

-That?

-Uh, yeah. Like that.

-What do you mean, a zebra?

-Feel the zebra. You be the zebra.

-Be the zebra?

-I'm not going to lie.

I'm having way too much fun right now.

Stop, please. Please stop. Please, stop.

-Can I just be a lion?

-No. Say it louder.

-Got to give the butter.

-What is it?

-The butter!

-Are you sure?

-Yeah.

-OK.

-Good.

-All right.

-He's finally ready to learn some contemporary.

As I perform my solo, I'm not thinking about Piper,

or the competition, or even the qualifier.

All I'm thinking about is this dance.

Of course Michelle's dancing beautifully.

I can't believe I have to stand here and watch as she takes the

qualifier spot away from me.

This is the new me. I'm determined.

I'm focused. And nothing is going to stand in my way.

This is my time to shine.

CHEERING

APPLAUSE

You just got schooled. I hope you learned your lesson.

So, I think it's unanimous.

-Right?

-Yeah!

-Congratulations, Michelle.

-Thank you.

-You're on the team.

-Thanks.

After what she did to me, it really hurts to watch Michelle celebrate.

I thought we were all friends on this team,

but I guess I was wrong.

-Let's take it from the top.

-Cool.

Amy and I have been working on this routine for hours.

She's turned me into a contemporary machine.

I can't believe LaTroy is dancing contemporary.

He took what I said to heart after all.

APPLAUSE

-That was amazing!

-Yeah?

I can't believe you pulled off a contemporary choreo like that.

It's thanks to Amy. Like a tiger, right, Amy?

-Right.

-Tiger?

-Tiger.

Inside joke.

Today has been pretty incredible.

I won a place on the qualifying team and, even better,

I got to spend some time with LaTroy. It's been nice.

OK.

Tell me this one more time.

Michelle plagued me for a fool.

And now I lost my chance to dance at qualifiers.

I can't believe someone would stoop that low.

We're always here for you, Piper.

Thanks.

Do you mind if I join in?

Let me guess. You've come to apologise.

No, I didn't come to apologise.

I came to explain myself.

Michelle has a lot of nerve.

Nothing can justify what she did.

I did what I had to do to win.

And, Piper, you should have done the same thing.

What you did was wrong, Michelle.

What I did was not wrong.

You lied. You cheated.

What I did was not cheating.

It was a competition, I competed. You didn't.

It's time for these girls to face the truth.

If we're not ready, if we just want to play nice, the other studios

will eat us alive.

You know why Riley lost the solo last year at internationals?

Because another team stole her choreography.

You know, we could have just packed our bags and went home,

but we didn't. We pulled it together as a team.

Which is what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to make us all stronger.

I taught you a lesson.

I taught all of you a lesson.

Part of me agrees with Michelle.

But if she's right, then why do I feel so bad about it?

If you were Piper's real friends,

you would have seen that I was trying to play her.

So 0% that, guys.

Michelle is crazy.

No. She's right.

Yeah.

Yeah.

OK. Yeah, I guess.

I came into Studio A, because I wanted to perform my solo the way

I should have done it when I was dancing against Michelle.

I may not like what Michelle did, but I understand it now.

She's ruthless, because she has to be.

POP MUSIC PLAYS

She's right. If I can't deal with Michelle's drama,

how can I deal with a rival studio's drama?

We can't afford to lose again.

We have to be ready for anything.

POP MUSIC PLAYS

James was right. A-Troop is cut-throat.

And, now, thanks to Michelle, I'm stronger.

I will never let anyone play me like that again.

Whatever happens next, I'm ready to face it.