Get the Party Started

## Plot

Kate walks into Studio A and introduces herself. She reveals that she is the owner of The Next Step, taking the role from her mother. Chris then introduces himself as the head choreographer. Kate and Chris confer about Regionals and say they are "ready." A stream of dancers flood in as auditions for A-Troupe — the highest troupe in the studio preceding B-Troupe and J-Troupe — are being held. Dancers from B-Troupe and previous A-Troupe members audition to be on The Next Step team, as no spots are guaranteed. In this sequence, many dancers are introduced such as: Emily, A-Troupe's Dance Captain and leader of the E-Girls.

It is revealed that there are only 10 spots open in A-Troupe. Emily explains what the E-Girls are, an Elite group of girls who are in A-Troupe. Stephanie names the members in the group: Emily, Riley, herself, Tiffany, and Giselle. Tiffany reveals that the reason behind the name is that everyone in the group (except for Giselle, whose nickname is therefore "Ellie") has a name that ends in a "e" sound, but Emily reveals in Talking Heads that it's really because her name begins with an "E," making them the "Emily Girls" by default.

Later, the dancers are put into groups. The first group is: Daniel, West, Emily, and Stephanie. Daniel goes first and reveals that he started dancing at 7, and although it was hard because everyone had already started dance, it gave him a good work ethic because he had to try so hard to catch up to the others. He also says that if he doesn't make it into A-Troupe that it is the end of his dance career as if he can't even make it into A-Troupe, there is a slim chance of becoming a professional. Stephanie goes next. She says she dances because she loves it and that it has become such a huge part of her life that she can't imagine doing anything else. West dances and reveals that he used to be in a street dance crew and then was in B-Troupe, but is auditioning for A-Troupe to bring his dancing to the ultimate level. Emily reveals he has been at The Next Step since she was two and that she was in: Baby Ballet, J-Troupe, B-Troupe, and A-Troupe. She also reveals that Stephanie is her best friend and that Riley is her "baby" sister, and since they both go there as well, dancing is her life.

The second group is comprised of: Beth, Riley, Charlie, and Chloe. Riley says that she got into dance because of Emily and that she can be overprotective but she loves her nonetheless. Beth dances first and messes up, causing many members to comment that she will not make it as they are going to go up against flawless dance teams at Regionals. Riley dances next and reveals her nervousness at possibly having her position taken from her. During her performance, a dancer named Eldon goes up to Emily and says "hi" to her. He explains that their relationship is simple: he really likes her, and she really doesn't like him. He tries to ask her out which she quickly shoots down. Emily claims that he has had a crush on her for probably around 5 years. After Emily shoots him down James confesses that Eldon should stop pestering Emily, although Eldon strongly believes there is something magical between them that she just doesn't realize yet. Chloe dances and reveals that she has been dancing at The Next Step since she was 6 and that she has always wanted to be a part of E-Girls as they have helped her out throughout her time at the studio. Zach dances. Tiffany goes up next and says she dances because it is her chance to be Beyoncé on stage. An unnamed Irish dancer as well as Sarah perform. Kate says that she plans on winning Regionals unlike the previous year, so that their group of dancers needs to be strong.

The final group is comprised of: James, Eldon, and Giselle. Just as the final group is about the go, an unknown female walks into the studio. Everyone, especially Emily is shocked because she was not previously part of the studio and has not "earned her spot." She reveals that her name is Michelle, and goes into the office with Kate and Chris to discuss the predicament. She explains that she just moved in from Madison, Wisconsin, and has been dancing since she was 3. She says that dance is everything she wants to do. Emily, angry, goes into the office and introduces herself to Michelle as the Dance Captain to which Michelle replies that she was the Dance Captain at her old studio. Chris reveals that she will be auditioning for A-Troupe, upsetting Emily even further. Michelle somehow misinterprets Emily's faux-kindness for actual hospitality and remarks that she seems like a sweet girl.

James performs first. He claims that making it into A-Troupe is a big deal because he is fighting for his spot. He is shown to be extremely confident, as he is positive that he will not be demoted. He dances because he loves it and because it gives him a little of an advantage with "the ladies." The E-Girls tease Riley then, claiming that she's blushing as she watches James dance, although Riley is sure that she would never fall for someone who is such a show-off. Eldon dances secondly and confesses that he dances because the more he dances, the more respect Emily will have for him. Giselle is up next and tells us that she has been dancing since the age of 5. She says that A-Troupe means the world to her and she wouldn't know what she'd do if she didn't get in. Michelle is the last to dance. Everyone expect Emily and Stephanie is astounded by how good of a dancer she is, which upsets Emily deeply. Emily insults Michelle by saying that her dancing primarily focuses on her hair and legs and that she should "get over it." Chris and Kate comments on how great the dancers were and tells them that after they go to confer, they will return with the results.

A few of the dancers introduce themselves to Michelle and compliment her on her dancing. James says that he is sure he has seen her face before but cannot place it. Daniel, also seeing a resemblance in Michelle, asks her if she's won anything. She says "maybe," as she doesn't want people to know that she was Miss National Soloist because she doesn't want to be treated differently. Meanwhile, Stephanie has just discovered that Michelle was Miss Nationals Soloist, and tells the E-Girls. Emily is shown to be visibly angry about their discovery and says that means nothing more than that Michelle's a diva, despite Riley's disagreement. Emily turns to look at Michelle. Michelle waves at her to which Emily waves back in a cruel manner, causing Michelle to have mixed feelings for her.

The E-Girls are seen at Squeezed, a juice bar with a great social aspect. As they are conversing, West comes in and tells them that Kate and Chris are about to put up the list. They all run to the studio. Kate and Chris talk about how great everyone was and put up the list. Kate says that she had to cut some great dancers that she worked with in the past, and is sure that Emily will not be pleased with the decision.