Welcome to the Ballroom

Tatara is a third-year middle school student with no particular dreams his future, until He unexpectedly meets a professional dancer Sengoku.　Sengoku takes him to Ogasawara Dance Studio and introduces him to the world of ballroom dancing. Tatara is shocked to see his classmate Shizuku there.

Tatara begins taking dance lessons at Ogasawara Dance Studio, but progress is slow...At his first dance competition, he is overwhelmed by Shizuku and her partner Kiyoharu Hyodo's dynamic power.

Sengoku takes Tatara to the Prince Mikasa Cup competition, where he is both overwhelmed by Hyodo and Shizuku's performance and excited by this new world of dance. But then Hyodo disappears right before the second round of the Standard Division preliminaries...

Tatara steps onto the dance floor for the first time as a stand-in for Hyodo, who is nowhere to be found. Seeing Tatara and Shizuku on the floor galvanizes Hyodo into dancing the next number, in spite of Sengoku's efforts to stop him. While keeping his gaze on Tatara, Hyodo dances the tango with a new and intense passion.

Brother & sister duo Gaju and Mako Akagi appear at Ogasawara Dance Studio. Hyodo has been prohibited from competing, and Gaju takes the opportunity to ask Shizuku to partner with him. Shizuku agrees, and they start practicing together, leaving Tatara to pair up with Mako.

Gaju drops his sister/partner Mako to pair up with Shizuku, whose partner Hyodo is out of commission. Tatara partners with Mako and challenges Gaju, hoping to make him recognize Mako's talents and want her back as a partner. But when Tatara and Mako start practicing together, they run into some challenges of their own...

Tatara and Gaju prepare to battle it out at the Tenpei Cup. It is Tatara's first official dance competition and he is visibly nervous, but when he sees his partner Mako smile despite her nerves, he shores up his courage and steps onto the dance floor. Watching them dance lights a fire in Gaju! Will Tatara and Mako survive the first round?

Tatara makes it to the semifinals, but it's the first time he has competed in four consecutive dance styles and his physical stamina is quickly approaching its limit. Sengoku sees this and tells him to sit out on the Variations. Tatara is devastated, realizing how inexperienced he is compared to the other dancers. Then Hyodo appears with one word of advice for Tatara!

Tatara and Mako have made it to the finals. As they step onto the dance floor, Tatara is determined to be the "frame" for his partner Mako. The first style is the Waltz solo. Tatara's dedication to become the "frame" to enhance his "flower" Mako captivates the audience" What lies behind his interpretation of "flower in a frame"?

Watching Tatara and Mako perform, Gaju recalls events from his past -- Mako coaxing him into taking his first dance lesson, hearing encouraging words at a junior tournament, and being advised to find a partner other than Mako as his dancing skills developed. Now, dancing with Shizuku, Gaju realizes what a huge impact a partner can make. But suddenly, he loses focus and his ability to lead!

The last category in the Tenpei Cup is the Quickstep.. Tatara steps onto the floor to dance a special variation that Sengoku has taught them. But he is physically exhausted and his feet become heavy, exposing his lack of skill as a beginner.

Tatara's first day of high school begins with an unexpected reunion when he is harassed by a gang of delinquents and an upperclassman comes to his aid - fellow dancer, Gaju. Shizuku has deferred her study abroad for a year, and Tatara's goal is to compete with them again before she leaves. When he goes to watch Sengoku in the Tokyo Dance Grand Prix, yet another unexpected encounter awaits him...