The Next Step is a Canadian teen drama series created by Frank Van Keeken which premiered on Family Channel on March 8, 2013 and ended on November 10, 2025 on YTV. Presented in a pseudo-documentary style influenced by reality television, the series follows the members of a troupe from the titular dance studio, as they train for and compete in various championships, while dealing with rivalries and drama from other dance schools and among the team itself.
The Next Step has spawned digital content, live touring shows featuring its cast members, and a spin-off series titled Lost & Found Music Studios. The series has been sold internationally to broadcasters such as CBBC in the United Kingdom, and Universal Kids in the United States — which became a production partner for its sixth season.
The series moved to CBC Gem for its seventh season in 2020, then moving to YTV from its eighth season in 2022. In June 2024 The Cinemaholic reported that YTV had renewed The Next Step for its ninth season, and in November, the BBC confirmed The Next Step would return for a tenth and final season in 2025.
Premise Each season focuses on the team’s journey as they prepare for regional, national, and international dance competitions. Along the way, they face challenges such as leadership changes, personal struggles, and conflicts with rival studios.
Episodes
Main cast ActorCharacterAppearances12345678910Main charactersAlexandra Beaton Emily colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="3" colspan="2" colspan="1" Victoria Baldesarra Michellecolspan="6" colspan="3" colspan="1" Trevor Tordjman Jamescolspan="4" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="1" Brittany Raymond Rileycolspan="4" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="2" colspan="1" Tamina Pollack Paris Tiffanycolspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="5" colspan="1" Jordan Clark Gisellecolspan="3" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" Jennifer Pappas Chloecolspan="3" colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="1" Isaac Lupien Eldon colspan="3" colspan="5" colspan="2" Samantha Grecchi Stephanie colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="2" colspan="1" Lamar Johnson West colspan="3" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="3" Brennan Clost Daniel colspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="4" colspan="1" Shamier Anderson Chris colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="8" Bree Wasylenko Kate colspan="3" colspan="3" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" Logan Trevisan Amanda colspan="1" colspan="3" colspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="2" colspan="1" Natalie KrillPhoebecolspan="1" colspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="6" Zac VranHuntercolspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="7" Taveeta Szymanowicz-BrambleThaliacolspan="1" colspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="4" Devon Michael BrownMaxcolspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="6" Ella GillingEllacolspan="2" colspan="1" cosplan="1" colspan="6" Cierra HealeyCierracolspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="6" Shantel Angela VaillooShantelcolspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="7" Myles ErlickNoahcolspan="2" colspan="4" colspan="3" colspan="1" Alexandra ChavesPipercolspan="3" colspan="5" colspan="2" Giuseppe BausilioAlfiecolspan="3" colspan="1" colspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="3" Erika PrevostSloanecolspan="3" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="4" Akiel JulienLaTroycolspan="3" colspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="4" Skylar HealeySkylarcolspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="5" Allie GoodbunCassiecolspan="3" colspan="1" colspan="6" Shelby BainAmycolspan="3" colspan="5" colspan="2" Briar NoletRichellecolspan="1" colspan="2" colspan="5" colspan="2" Isaiah PeckHenrycolspan="3" colspan="4" colspan="3" Dylan McDonaldJacquiecolspan="4" colspan="2" colspan="4" Jessica LordLolacolspan="4" colspan="1" colspan="5" Julian LombardiOzzycolspan="4" colspan="4" colspan="2" Dawson HandyJoshcolspan="4" colspan="1" colspan="5" Noah ZulfikarKingstoncolspan="4" colspan="4" colspan="1" colspan="1" Milaina RobinsonZaracolspan="4" colspan="1" colspan="5" Hanna MillerHeathercolspan="3" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="4" Sage LinderSummercolspan="5" colspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="2" Emmerly TinglinKenziecolspan="5" colspan="5" Liam MackieFinncolspan="5" colspan="3" colspan="2" Berkeley GerthDaviscolspan="5" colspan="1" colspan="4" Carter MusselmanHeathcolspan="5" colspan="1" colspan="4" Katie OrtencioLilycolspan="5" colspan="1" colspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="1" Danielle VerayoCleocolspan="6" colspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="1" Myles DobsonNickcolspan="6" colspan="3" colspan="1" Molly SaundersJudecolspan="6" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" Renee RomoloIzzycolspan="6" colspan="1" colspan="3" Ben WilliamsPetecolspan="6" colspan="1" colspan="3" Shane MahabirEthancolspan="6" colspan="1" colspan="3" Brandon LisingXandercolspan="5" colspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" Blake TalabisAnthonycolspan="7" colspan="3" Melody CaoDaisycolspan="7" colspan="1" colspan="1"colspan="1" Maija MakilaDylancolspan="7" colspan="1" colspan="2" Autumn Daye-FraserEbbycolspan="7" colspan="2" colspan="1" Mila Sophia TupyJettcolspan="7" colspan="3" Kate RomanArianacolspan="7" colspan="1" colspan="2" Hattie KragtenOlivecolspan="8" colspan="2" Nicholas McClungNiallcolspan="8" colspan="2" Sheriauna HaaseAdelecolspan="8" colspan="1" colspan="1" Brianna DieboltGracecolspan="6" colspan="3" colspan="1" Mackenzie BarbeauPascalecolspan="8" colspan="1" colspan="1" Tim ZvifelJonahcolspan="7" colspan="2" colspan="1"
Production Development On February 24, 2012, Family Channel announced that it had ordered 26 half-hour episodes (including S1 and S1.5), and a four-episode season finale. Special content was also going to be available, including The Next Step Interactive. On April 9, 2013, Family announced that it had renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on March 7, 2014.
On May 5, 2014, the series was renewed for a third season, which premiered on March 16, 2015. On April 16, 2015, it was announced that the series would return for a fourth season, which premiered on February 15, 2016. On March 21, 2016, Frank van Keeken announced on Instagram that The Next Step would return for a fifth season, which premiered on May 26, 2017.
In July 2017, the series was renewed for a 26-episode sixth season, which premiered on September 29, 2018. From then on, Boat Rocker would take over distribution from BBC Worldwide for the series, although the latter would continue to co-fund production and continue to distribute the first five seasons. A 24-episode seventh season premiered on CBC Gem on April 10, 2020, and was preceded with a two-part special in December 2019.
In April 2022, CBBC revealed that an eighth season was in production. The series moved to YTV in Canada, and the season premiered on September 26, 2022. On October 3, 2023, CBBC revealed there would a ninth season of The Next Step. In June 2024, The Cinemaholic reported that Family Channel had renewed The Next Step for its tenth season; despite the last two seasons not airing on the station. In November 2024, the BBC confirmed that the Next Step would return for a tenth and final season in 2025.
Filming
Filming began on July 19, 2012, in Toronto, Ontario. The Next Step is filmed at Filmport Presentation Centre, Toronto.
Exterior and street shots were shot on location in Downtown Toronto. Locations include Dundas Street, Front Street, Jarvis Street, University Avenue, and Yonge Street. The exterior shots posing as The Next Step studio are from Colborne Street.
Broadcast and distribution The series aired from March 8, 2013, to April 7, 2019, on Family Channel in Canada, and from April 10, 2020, to September 18, 2020, on CBC Gem for the series' seventh season. The show also airs on TFO. The series premiere set rating records for Family, with at least 574,000 viewers on its initial broadcast—which set a record for Family's highest-rated original series premiere.
Outside of Canada, the series has aired on Universal Kids in the United States, and CBBC and BBC Three in the United Kingdom.
On January 8, 2014, BBC Worldwide licensed the series to several international broadcasters, including ABC Me in Australia, Hulu in the United States, and CBBC in the United Kingdom.
In August 2017, the U.S. rights to the series were sold to Universal Kids, with the network also becoming a production partner for the sixth season. Boat Rocker Media, owner of the show's producer, Radical Sheep Productions, cited a reduction in funding for the series from Family Channel parent company DHX Media as an impetus for the arrangement.
On June 30, 2025, it was first planned that the first 10 episodes of the tenth and final season would be released, and the final 10 episodes would be released in September 2025. However, on June 30, 2025, all 20 episodes were mistakenly released on ABC iview in Australia. The last 10 episodes were removed from the platform days later, however many people in Australia had already watched the ending and many clips were circulating across social media platforms, this caused outrage with some fans in other countries. On July 8, 2025, it was announced that the release date for the second half of Season 10 was moved up and all of the episodes would be released on CBBC and BBC iPlayer on July 12, 2025 during a marathon of this season.
Reception
In July 2020, The Next Step was praised by viewers and the media for airing a same-sex kiss, when characters Cleo (Dani Verayo) and Jude (Molly Saunders) kissed after performing a duet together. This was the first same-sex kiss to be featured in the series, following a gay couple being briefly featured in an episode of the fourth season.
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Recipient Result 2013 Shaw Rocket Prize Children (ages 6-to-12) The Next Step Digi Awards Best in Cross-Platform Kids The Next Step Interactive 2014 KidScreen Awards Best Companion Website The Next Step Interactive Canadian Cinema Editors Awards Best Editing in 1/2 Hour Broadcast Short Form Jay Prychidny Canadian Screen Awards Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series The Next Step Best Direction in a Children's or Youth Program or Series Episode – "Sabotage" 2015 Canadian Screen Awards Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series The Next Step Best Writing in a Children's or Youth Program or Series Alejandro Alcoba and Carling Tedesco Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series Brittany Raymond British Academy Children's Awards Kids' Vote Frank van Keeken 2016 British Academy Children's Awards Kids' Vote Frank van Keeken Young Artist Awards Best Performance in a TV Series - Recurring Young Actor (14 - 21) Myles Erlick 2017 Canadian Screen Awards Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series Brittany Raymond 2018 Canadian Screen Awards Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series The Next Step Best Performance, Children's or Youth Akiel Julien Best Writing, Children's or Youth Rachael Schaefer Best Direction, Children's or Youth Derby Crewe 2019 Canadian Screen Awards Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series The Next Step Best Performance, Children's or Youth Akiel Julien Best Writing, Children's or Youth Karen McClellan Best Direction in a Children's or Youth Program or Series Mitchell Ness 2021 British LGBT Awards Media Moment The Next Step
Spin-offs
Lost & Found Music Studios