Ballet teacher Zach wants to get all of the students re-enthused about dancing after the mid-semester break, so he takes them to a circus to help them learn to trust their bodies and "trust each other"; the bonding helps Tara and Kat reunite fully. Sammy announces to his friends that he and Ollie are dating, getting a mostly positive reaction, but was pressured having learnt that Ollie already told his friends; being somewhat "outed", Sammy stresses, initiating an argument and premature split between the two. Christian's dad Raf turns up at the academy and circus hoping to further bond with him, telling him that he will take him to get his learner's license, but later reneges on his offer.

As a cold goes around at the academy (which Miss Raine, Abigail and Ben have), Abigail discovers an email while waiting in Miss Raine's office that ranks the students' viability for Nationals with either a tick (Tara, Grace and Christian), a cross (Sammy and Abigail) or a question mark in Ben's case, who feels as if this mirrors his life as he waits for the results of his leukemia biopsy check-up. The email, having been sent around, incites the students and angers the teachers. Meanwhile, Sammy is annoyed by criticism from Ollie, Grace is strangely enjoying her intense practice with Zach, and Abigail's ballet teacher mother Anthea arrives at the academy, revealing family troubles and wanting Abigail to dance her old Helen Keller role. Abigail then feels torn between this and her musical role, which she later quits.