HEARTBURST,, The Next Step

[4.1] one last time

❝ I think goodbye should be a banned word in this studio. ❞

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Take it to the Top echoed across Studio A as the thirteen Internationals winners began their routine, each of them lined up and began to move in time to the rhythm of the music, their movements fuelled by the excitement surrounding their biggest win and whatever was to come next.

Some of the girls were first to begin the choreography as Elvita, Riley, Amanda and Cierra moved across the studio floor, working through the music as the others prepared to dance their sections.

"I still can't believe it!" Michelle beamed from ear to ear, "The Next Step is the best dance studio in the whole world!"

Once their section was over, Maxie, Giselle, Michelle and Thalia made their way forward as they performed a synchronised ariel into their position, emitting smiles and laughter as they danced.

West still couldn't get over their victory as he spoke, "I mean, where do we even go from here? The galaxy? The universe?"

Once the girls' sections were finally over, the remaining boys began to work through their part of the music, earning them applause and cheers from the dancers at the sides as they pulled off intensive tricks and impressive moves.

Finally, the whole troupe came together on the floor to continue to dance through the choreo, the effort and enthusiasm they had for the dance reflected just how ecstatic they still were over their big win.

Despite the good energy and lack of drama that surrounded the troupe as they danced, there were still many elements that were about to take a huge toll on their studio and where they were to go from there. Not only was there a large amount of pressure for them to uphold the title as International champions, but there were many dancers who'd already let the others know that they wouldn't be returning for another year.

"Winning Internationals with my best friends and my girlfriend... Nothing can top that!" James told the camera excitedly, "But it's time to move on. I'm in a band now, and that's my future."

It was gonna be hard on the troupe to lose James since he was such a vital member: he'd helped them dance through to the finals and despite his absence being sourly missed, they knew the band was where his heart lay, no longer in the arms of dance.

Max gave the camera a bittersweet smile, "I'm done," He spoke calmly, "Time to move onto the next chapter, university. I'll miss everyone from A-Troupe, but I know I'll always have a home here. I think The Next Step has really helped me to break out of my shell, and I'm gonna miss a lot of these guys, especially Maxie."

Yet again, Max leaving was another blow to The Next Step's concrete barriers, yet another strong dancer moving on with life and although they were going to miss him, it was the right time for the boy to move on.

"The last year at The Next Step has showed me that I can accomplish anything," Giselle claimed with a proud smile, "As a dancer, I helped my team reach victory at the highest level, and now I'm ready for new challenges."

Thalia held the same nostalgic tone to her voice as she addressed the camera, "After Internationals, I got an offer to dance with Bartek's studio, Wojdan Dance Academy. I've always wanted to travel the world and explore my Polish heritage, so I agreed to go. I just hope Eldon understands that I need to follow my heart."

With Thalia and Giselle leaving, The Next Step was sure to feel a gap in their troupe. Between Giselle deciding to audition for a world-renowned dance touring company and Thalia leaving to dance in Poland, the reality was starting to hit that the studio wasn't gonna feel the same again.