The Next Step (2013 TV series)

The Next Step
Genre	Teen drama Mockumentary
Created by	Frank Van Keeken
Starring	Brittany Raymond Victoria Baldesarra Melinda Augustson Myles Erlick Cierra Healey Briar Nolet Trevor Tordjman Devon Brown Jordan Clark Samantha Grecchi Isaac Lupien Taveeta Szymanowicz Lamar Johnson Alexandra Beaton Jennifer Pappas Tamina Pollack-Paris
Theme music composer	Grayson Matthews
Opening theme	"Stand Up"
Country of origin	Canada
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	94 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Frank van Keeken[1] Ivan Schneeberg[1] David Fortier[1]
Producer(s)	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	22-43 minutes
Production company(s)	Temple Street Productions Family Channel
Distributor	BBC Worldwide[1] Family Channel[1]
Release
Original network	Family Channel[1]
Picture format	480i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV)
Original release	March 8, 2013 – present
External links
Website

The Next Step is a Canadian teen drama series created by Frank van Keeken and produced by Temple Street Productions. Shot in a dramatic mockumentary style, 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.^[2]

Family Channel premiered the series on March 8, 2013. The series premiere had the largest audience of any series on the channel, with 574,500 P2+ AMA viewers, and over one million P2+ viewers.^[3]

The series is filmed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.^[4]

Summary

The Next Step follows the lives of the dancers in A-Troupe, the highest ranked team at The Next Step Dance Studio, on their journey to Regionals, Nationals, and Internationals.

Production

Development

In February 24, 2012, Family Channel announced that it has ordered 26 half-hour episodes (including S1 and S1.5),^[5] and a four episode season finale.^[6] Special content was also going to be available, including "The Next Step Interactive". Filming began July 12, 2012 in Toronto, Ontario.^[7]

On April 9, 2013, Family Channel announced that it had green lighted a second season of the show.^[3] Kevin Wright, the Senior Vice President of Programming of Astral commented: "Family is an industry leader when it comes to making innovative programming that resonates with the tween audience. The Next Step is something different for Family and we recognize that we took a bit of a risk with the show. But we're delighted that our viewers have embraced the show in a big way. The record-breaking viewership and incredible reaction demonstrate that the show's appealing characters and relatable storylines really connect with our audience. We are thrilled to order a second season of this creative and highly entertaining series."

David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg, the co-presidents of Temple Street Productions, also commented, saying:"The Next Step offers something viewers have been asking for in a tween series — drama and dance with compelling characters and storylines. We are pleased to be able to produce more episodes of this unique series for Family Channel."^[3]

On June 17, 2013, Temple Street Productions announced that it had come up with a partnership with Segal Licensing. John Young, the Managing Director of Temple Street Productions said, "The Next Step has proven to be a ratings hit in Canada and is soon to air in many territories internationally. We are delighted to be working with Segal, who are leaders in the licensing world, to expand The Next Step brand and allow us to bring a variety of new opportunities for fans to get more of this hit show."^[8] The second season of The Next Step started filming on July 24, 2013.^[9]

On April 8, 2014, Frank van Keeken, confirmed that the show has been renewed for a third season.^[10] On April 16, 2015, it was announced that The Next Step will be returning for a fourth season.

Cast

List of characters on The Next Step

Actor	Character	Character Role	Series
			1	1.5	2	2.5	3	3.5	4
Victoria Baldesarra	Michelle	A-Troupe co-captain	Main
Logan Fabbro	Amanda	A-Troupe dancer	Guest	Recurring	Main
Brittany Raymond	Riley	Owner of The Next Step	Main
Alexandra Chaves	Piper	A-Troupe dancer							Main
Isaiah Peck	Henry	A-Troupe dancer							Main
Shelby Bain	Amy	A-Troupe dancer							Main
Allie Goodbun	Cassie	A-Troupe dancer							Main
Giuseppe Bausillio	Alfie	A-Troupe dancer							Main
Akiel Julien	LaTroy	A-Troupe dancer							Main
Erika Prevost	Sloane	A-Troupe dancer							Main
Myles Erlick	Noah	Former J-Troupe dancer	Guest		Recurring		Main
Cierra Healey	Cierra	A-Troupe dancer					Main		Recurring
Briar Nolet	Richelle	Former J-Troupe dancer			Recurring				Main
Skylar Healey	Skylar	The Next Step dancer					Recurring		Main
Trevor Flannagan-Tordjman	James	Former A-Troupe dancer	Main						Recurring
Isaac Lupien	Eldon	Former A-Troupe dancer	Main						Recurring
Lamar Johnson	West	Former A-Troupe dancer	Main						Recurring
Jordan Clark	Giselle	Former A-Troupe dancer	Recurring	Main					Guest
Samantha Grecchi	Stephanie	Former A-Troupe dancer	Main		Recurring			Main	Guest
Tamina Pollack-Paris	Tiffany	Former The Next Step dancer	Main		Recurring				Guest
Taveeta Szymanowicz	Thalia	Former A-Troupe dancer			Main				Guest
Brennan Clost	Daniel	Former The Next Step and Elite dancer	Main	Recurring	Main	Recurring	Guest
Alexandra Beaton	Emily	Former A-Troupe captain	Main				Guest
Devon Brown	Max	Former A-Troupe dancer	Guest				Main		Guest
Jennifer Pappas	Chloe	Former A-Troupe dancer	Main					Guest
Zac Vran	Hunter	Former A-Troupe dancer			Main		Guest
Shantel Angela Vailloo	Shantel	Elite dancer					Guest
Bree Wasylenko	Kate	Former The Next Step owner	Recurring						Guest
Megan Mackenzie	Beth	B-Troupe dancer	Recurring
Rachel Riley	Gabi	J-Troupe dancer	Recurring
Jaclyn Riley	Becca	Former J-Troupe dancer			Recurring
Jhaliel Swaby	Jake	B-Troupe dancer			Recurring
Shane Harte	Luke	Lost and Found Music Studio member					Recurring
Levi Ryann	Theo	Lost and Found Music Studio member					Recurring
Alex Zaichkwoski	John	Lost and Found Music Studio member					Recurring
Nicholas Mairono	Nick	Former Elite dancer	Guest						Recurring
Shamier Anderson	Chris	Former The Next Step co-owner		Recurring		Guest
Allain Lupien	Lucien	Elite owner	Guest	Recurring			Guest
Natalie Krill	Phoebe	Former head choreographer of The Next Step			Recurring
Ella Gilling	Ella	Former A-Troupe dancer					Recurring
Abigail Bergman	Abi	B-Troupe dancer					Recurring

Episodes

Season		Episodes	Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired
	1	14	March 8, 2013	June 7, 2013
		16	September 20, 2013	January 3, 2014
	2	14	March 7, 2014	June 6, 2014
		16	September 12, 2014	January 2, 2015
	3	15	March 16, 2015	April 2, 2015
		15	September 11, 2015	December 11, 2015
	4		February 15, 2016

The Next Step Interactive

The Next Step Aftershow
Genre	Talk show
Based on	The Next Step
Starring	( Season 1 ) Asha Bromfield* Lovell Adams-Gray* Luke Watters* Kelly McNamee* Samantha Munro* ( Season 2 ) Jordan Clark
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	43
Production
Running time	18-20 min
Production company(s)	Temple Street Productions Family Channel
External links
Most recent episode

The Next Step Interactive is the website component to The Next Step. The website has an "About the Show", "Dance Mashup" and "Aftershow" section.

Aftershow

Season 1

The after show starts when the episode is finished.^[11] It is approximately 1–3 minutes long as only a part of the after-show is premiered after each episode. It is hosted by five members: Asha Bromfield, Lovell Adams-Gray, Luke Watters, Kelly McNamee, and Samantha "Sam" Munro.^[12] The after show talks about The Next Step and breaks down some parts to help the viewer understand better. It may also give the viewer different perspectives on the characters.^[11] The whole after show can be viewed on Family Channel's website.^[13]

Seasons 2 and 3

In Seasons 2 and 3, the after show got a massive renovation. The new aftershow is about characters (e.g. Becoming Michelle) and in Season 3, Cast Cams were created. It is more of a behind-the-scenes aftershow, not about what happened in the show, as what happened in Season 1.

About the Show

The About the Show section has information about the characters of the show, a schedule of shows, a gallery of shots and videos from the show and a store, with The Next Step related clothing. It also includes The Next Step soundtrack.^[14][15]

Broadcast

On January 8, 2014, BBC Worldwide licensed the series to several international broadcasters, including Disney Channel in Australia, Hulu in the United States, and CBBC in the United Kingdom.^[16] To date, CBBC aired the first series from April 7, 2014, the second series from April 6, 2015, and the third series from August 24, 2015.

In Canada, the show also airs on Vrak, in French, and AMI TV, in described video.

Hit The Floor Tour

The Next Step: Hit The Floor Tour

Shopping Mall tour by The Next Step
A promotional poster for the Conestoga Mall tour date.
Start date	19 October 2013
End date	27 October 2013
Number of shows	9

On September 27, 2013, Paul Cormack of Family Channel announced that The Next Step cast would go on a tour. Cormack announced:

"We are always looking for new and exciting ways to connect with our audience on a national level. The Next Step Hit The Floor Tour reaches viewers in their own communities, providing a one-of-a-kind, interactive experience that demonstrates Family Channel's commitment to creating unique opportunities for its fans."

Not all of the cast members were the hosts of the tours. Only Victoria Baldesarra, Lamar Johnson, Isaac Lupien, Jennifer Pappas, Brittany Raymond and Trevor Tordjman were part of the tour.

Each event consisted of the cast performing in groups, a Q&A period where the audience asks questions, and a session to get freebies for attending the event. The first 200 people to attend the events were given a wristband, which would get them an autograph signed by the hosts.

The Next Step Hit The Floor Tour dates:^[17]

Date (Oct. 2013)	Location	City	Province	Show Time (Local)
19	Oshawa Centre	Oshawa	ON	10 a.m.
	Scarborough Town Centre	Toronto (Scarborough)		2 p.m.
20	Hillcrest Mall	Richmond Hill
21	Conestoga Mall	Waterloo		6 p.m.
22	Mic Mac Mall	Halifax	NS
24	Kildonan Place	Winnipeg	MB
25	Kingsway Mall	Edmonton	AB
26	The Core	Calgary		2 p.m.
27	The Metropolis at Metrotown	Vancouver	BC	12 p.m.

Due to the attendance number in the past six malls, Family Channel announced that they had moved the event in the Kingsway Mall from inside to the parking lot.^[18]

Wild Rhythm Tour

The cast of The Next Step went on a third tour during 2016. The tour will visit Canada, Spain, England and Ireland. It will be the first international tour by the cast.

Not all the cast are going on the tour. Only Victoria Baldesarra (Michelle), Trevor Tordjman (James), Jordan Clark (Giselle), Taveeta Szymanowicz (Thalia), Isaac Lupien (Eldon), Myles Erlick (Noah) and Briar Nolet (Richelle). Newcomer Isaiah Peck, who will star as Henry in season 4, will also attend the tour.

Tour dates

Date	City	Country	Venue
February 3, 2016	London	Canada	Budweiser Gardens
February 4, 2016	Hamilton		Hamilton Place Theatre
February 5, 2016	St. Catharines		Meridian Centre
February 6, 2016	Kitchener		Centre In The Square
February 7, 2016	Sudbury		Sudbury Arena
February 9, 2016	Thunder Bay		Thunder Bay Community Auditorium
February 11, 2016	Regina		Conexus Arts Centre
February 12, 2016	Edmonton		Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
February 13, 2016	Medicine Hat		Esplanade Theatre
February 14, 2016	Kelowna		Kelowna Community Centre
February 15, 2016	Vancouver		Queen Elizabeth Theatre
February 17, 2016	Calgary		Stampede Corral
February 18, 2016	Saskatoon		TCU Place
February 19, 2016	Winnipeg		Pantages Playhouse Theatre
February 21, 2016	Sault Ste Marie		Essar Centre
February 24, 2016	Montreal		Place des Arts
February 25, 2016	Kingston		Rogers K-Rock Centre
February 27, 2016	Toronto		Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
February 28, 2016	Moncton		Casino New Brunswick
February 29, 2016
March 1, 2016	Halifax		Scotiabank Centre
March 3, 2016	St. John's		Mile One Centre
April 1, 2016	Madrid		Spain	[[]]
April 2, 2016	Barcelona	[[]]
April 4, 2016	London	UK	The Lyric Theatre
April 5, 2016	Wimbledon, London		New Wimbeldon Theatre
April 6, 2016	Dublin	Ireland	Olympia Theatre
April 7, 2016	York	UK	Barbican
April 8, 2016	Newcastle		[[]]
April 9, 2016	Birmingham		[[]]
April 10, 2016	Manchester		[[]]

Awards and Nominations

Year	Award	Category	Recipient	Result	Ref.
2013	Shaw Rocket Prize	Children (ages 6-to-12)	The Next Step	Won	[19]
	Digi Awards	Best in Cross-Platform Kids	The Next Step Interactive		[20]
2014	KidScreen Awards	Best Companion Website		Nominated	[21][22]
	Canadian Screen Awards	Best Children’s or Youth Fiction Program or Series	The Next Step		[23][24]
		Best Direction in a Children’s or Youth Program or Series	Episode - Sabotage

References

1. "Temple Street Productions and Family Channel announce start of principal photography on season two of hit tween drama The Next Step". CNW. 24 July 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
2. Bertrand, Ginger (July 12, 2012). "Principal photography starts on THE NEXT STEP a new tween drama from Temple Street Productions for Family Channel". Astral. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
3. "Family Channel Greenlights a Second Season of Breakout Dance Series The Next Step". Astral Media. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
4. Plummer, Sean (March 8, 2013). "The Next Step explores dance studio drama". MSN Entertainment. Retrieved December 14, 2013.
5. Dickson, Jeremy (February 24, 2012). "Family Channel greenlights new Temple Street series". Kidscreen. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
6. "The stage is set: The Next Step four-part regionals television event begins December 13 on Family". CNW. December 9, 2013. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
7. Ng-See-Quan, Danielle (July 13, 2012). "Production underway on Temple Street’s The Next Step". Kidscreen. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
8. "Temple Street Productions Announces Licensing Partnership With Segal Licensing For Hit Tween Series "The Next Step"". Temple Street Productions. June 17, 2013. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
9. "Temple Street Productions and Family Channel announce start of principal photography on season two of hit tween drama The Next Step". Newswire.ca. July 24, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2014. TORONTO, July 24, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Temple Street Productions Inc. (Temple Street) and Family Channel announced today that principal photography has begun on the second season of break out reality-style series, The Next Step.
10. "Family Channel orders a third season of homegrown hit The Next Step". Newswire.ca. May 5, 2014. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
11. "THE NEXT STEP". CanadaOnScreen.ca. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
12. Carpo-Garcia, Kathleen (8 February 2013). "THE NEXT STEP Coming to Family Channel". TheMagazine.ca. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
13. "The Next Step: The Aftershow". Temple Street Productions. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
14. "The Next Step Interactive - Secret Location". Retrieved April 4, 2015.
15. "Not Available - Family.ca". Retrieved April 4, 2015.
16. Vlessing, Etan (January 8, 2014). "Hulu, CBBC Acquire Canadian Scripted Reality Show 'The Next Step'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
17. "Family Channel dances across Canada when The Next Step Hit The Floor Tour begins October 19 - Cast members from The Next Step to visit nine shopping malls across Canada". Newswire.ca. September 30, 2013. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
18. "FAMILY CHANNEL’S THE NEXT STEP HIT THE FLOOR TOUR STOP IN EDMONTON: MOVED OUTDOORS TO ACCOMMODATE FANS: FREE MALL TOUR EVENT AT KINGSWAY MALL ON OCTOBER 25 RELOCATED TO PARKING LOT" (PDF). Family Channel. October 23, 2013. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
19. LaRocque, Jacqueline (November 20, 2013). "Daniel Tiger's Neighbourhood, The Next Step and The Phantoms Win the Prestigious 2013 Shaw Rocket Prize". CNW. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
20. "Best in Cross-Platform Kids". nextMedia. p. 2. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
21. Getzler, Wendy Goldman (November 20, 2013). "And this year’s Kidscreen Awards nominees are...". KidScreen. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
22. Getzler, Wendy Goldman (February 11, 2014). "And the 2014 Kidscreen Awards winners are...". KidScreen. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
23. "2014 CANADIAN SCREEN AWARDS Television Nominations". Canadian Screen Awards. pp. 4, 18. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
24. "2014 CANADIAN SCREEN AWARDS Full Winners List". Canadian Screen Awards. pp. 5, 9. Retrieved May 10, 2014.

External links

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