Anastasia "Stacey" Clarke: is one of the girly-girls at her private performing arts middle school, New York Art Academy (a.k.a. NYAA or NewYork A squared). Stacey is unhappy about being branded "wannabee" from the always-envied "Queen Bee", Jessica Nigel(known as Jesse or Jess to her adoring public) and the rest of her ultra-cool supermodel-pretty besties. While Stacey wants to fit in, it is her second year at NYAA and she wants to be independent; she is sick of blending in with all the conceited, rich B-list artsy divas. Then she discovers something that sets her apart from the other girls-her dancing. What surprises Anastasia even more is that Alpha Jessica's French NBF (new best friend, duh) ballet-and-hip hop-queen Chlöe needs a partner to land her duo A-list position-securing highly-enviable dancing record deal! Stacey is one step away from living BOTH of her dreams, but what happens when it goes from "No prob" to "BIG prob"?
Chlöe Ranelle: is finally settling down in NYC with her always-traveling ambassador parents. Last summer, in her hometown of Paris, Chlöe went from dancing at parties to dancing in competitons and got discovered by the talent agents of the British über-powerful Edwin B. Shel. However, her dance was put on hold so she could move. It's fall of the next year, and Chlöe is ready to take her life off mute, finalize the record deal, and dance her heart out at the New York Art Academy. Her now eighth-grade life is almost perfect-she immediately becomes best friends with three other girls and is granted Beta in the clique she and her NBFFs form; which leads to envying from all of the girls in NYAA. She is ready to accept the amazing deal she was offered in seventh grade when Edwin B. Shel informs her that singlos are O-U-T, a word unallowed by Chlöe's Alpha Jessica. Edwin won't represent Chlöe unless her toned singlo-butt finds another awesome dancing partner to become the Next Big Thing, a duo. Will she find a "simply smashing" partner? Or will her perf life crumble?