#i also know that i keep saying braden would do ballet and while i want the vibes of that… he does contemporary dance

[crossbackpoke-check]

WHAT IS THE BRADEN HOLTBY STEP IT UP UNIVERSE PLEASE

ok i would like to preface this by saying i am so sorry if i have ever led anyone to believe that my vague aus exist outside a google doc and a thread compilation on my fic twitter to sort my own brain out

HOWEVER

the braden holtby step it up universe is a set of brainworms i had based on this post originally and also, because i’ve never been chill, ever, the sequel. (coincidentally, which i did not know when i had two entirely separate rants about this a month apart, both of those gif sets are from the exact same day. the more you know.)

so braden holtby is the principal dancer at an elite school for the creative arts, a lá nora from step up. head of the competitive dance team; assistant choreographer for the shows; holtbeast does it ALL because he is an overachiever and also because he really needs to look impressive in order to have a future in the ultra competitive world of ballet. somewhere in the central conflict, scouts from the american ballet theatre are coming to see holtby perform (the wbt and houston are also options for that 👀) and holtby needs to show everyone that he does deserve to be cast in the principal role/solo showcase spotlight after years of working for it.

[is this a high school au? is this a college au? am i potentially going to make holtby a part-time instructor for little kids to support and pay off the costs of living & dancing for some big company where he also finally, finally lands a role as principal dancer? keine Ahnung—]

the only problem with his life is that holts isn’t so sure he wants that anymore. dancing by day, harboring a secret dream of writing music by night, all while everything at the studio ramps up—they’ve got a national competition on the horizon, etc etc, standard semi-serious plot stakes, AND holtby has a as-of-yet tbd vague love interest who is interfering with all his plans by telling him he’s worth more than what he can achieve, that it doesn’t have to be effortless, and the ballerina balancing act of exquisitely painful exhausting grace is bullshit. somewhere the line ‘you make it look so easy but it’s not’ while said love interest has holtby’s head in their lap is judiciously applied.

the side characters are really just out here vibin’ out because at one point i had said it would center around the dallas four goalies (bish, holts, dobby & baby otter) which might still happen if only for the self-service of writing dobby in a velour fuzzy tracksuit, uggs, and leg warmers. y’know, like a ballerina.

jake is the new kid who braden takes under his wing and sees himself mirrored in—the foil for his love of ballet. jake is the kindness braden can allow his past self, but also a way of forgiving his present to let go, something something the passing of the torch handing off the baton etc etc. irl canon this would likely be carter hart but i’m on the fence because i want a cohesive narrative that doesn’t involve me making up interactions.

dobby (lovingly) is comedic relief and writing him would also would allow me to get somewhat technical (differences between russian/french, the mindset of ballet character study, etc) because he played in russia and he’s the perfect character to ride in on a scooter, drop the life-changing advice that drives the climax of the story, and scooter out with his slurpee.

apparently because my brain said so, i have now just decided ben bishop may be the backstage crew manager love interest for absolutely no reason. this is fine, because the first one is about the plot and we are allowed to only have vague undercurrents of Romancé blossoming (the love story is for the sequel) (the sequel may need its own post because that was a lie that one actually has more of a plot. why do i do this to myself me @ me you can’t write the sequel if the original story doesn’t exist)

optionally: somewhere i wrote down a thing about luke glendening and holts? tyler seguin may exist in this? i miss holtby on the caps?

miro, because i love him and it fits better, is in the sequel. re: the sequel post tags, miro is one of the spectacular new kids when braden comes home.

the simplest way i can explain this is that braden holtby gives me the intense vibes of a ballerina… but also the vibes of a mid-2000s shell-necklace-wearing quirky best friend/manic pixie dream girl*. the end result is that the step it up universe is every mid-2000s dance-battle-love-story-trope-y movie into one. it’s got a soundtrack that is a banger for no reason! gay undertones because i’m gay and it’s gay! tense dance battle scenes! no coherent plot but it sure does have a lot of glitter! acoustic guitar and questionable fashion choices (lovingly detailed dance costumes with feathers and sparkles here i come)! thank you for your time!

*somewhere there is a You Can’t Do That episode where this is explicitly discussed and it is absolutely correct