Vanessa Morita

Vanessa is a student at Keaton School of the Arts. She is studying in the Dance Program and is the best friend of Carly Catto.

Background
Vanessa and Carly have been best friends since before they attended Keaton School of the Arts. They once performed a dance routine to a song by Tegan & Sara, and were called Tegan and Sara because of that. Carly was the one who encouraged Vanessa to apply to Keaton School of the Arts.

Keaton School of the Arts
At the school, Vanessa became a part of the Dance Program. During "First Day|The First Day", she and Carly walked into the school together, and met Julie Maslany with her camera. They later went to dance class where they met Sasha Roy, a student in the 10th grade. Their teacher, Helsweel, had the students perform for her, and she was impressed by Vanessa, as mentioned by Sasha.

Vanessa was chosen as Prima out of the freshmen much to her surprise, and made plans to go an ice-cream shop with Carly after school ended that day. However, some of the upperclassmen invited Vanessa to go with them to watch a rehearsal at the National Ballet. Vanessa went, after talking to Carly.

In "Groups of Two" Vanessa and Carly danced to a routine they had made up years before, impressing Sasha and Jenna. Vanessa later made many attempts to not make a big deal out of being a Prima, but it just made Carly uncomfortable. They talked in a group, Jenna asking Vanessa plenty of questions. Later, they were put in pairs to choreograph a dance over their own, and Vanessa was paired with Jenna, and Vanessa started to teach her the routine that Carly and she had done, upsetting Carly. When the two of them began arguing, Sasha listened, wanting to blog about the gossip. However, seeing them upset, he talked with Vanessa, giving her advice. When Vanessa tried to talk to Carly, Carly walked past her and started dancing, angrily. They officially made up when Carly helped her when she had the chance to dance with the Primas in "Stand Tall".

In the episode "In Their Shoes", told Vanessa that she should audition for the role of Cinderella for their mid-term dance recital, worth 40% of their grade. Carly, at first signed up for the chorus, Even though she wanted the lead but she didn't want to disappoint Vee. After talking to Sasha, Cee signs up to be Cinderella and Vee was so proud of her. She said that they both have to bring. When Cee said that she'll be rehearsing with Sasha, who's playing the Prince Charming, all afternoon, Vee suggested that they should both rehearse with him, to make things fair. While they were rehearsing, Vee started to feel neglected because she wasn't getting enough "Sasha time". So while he and Cee were dancing, she interrupts them and takes position with Sasha. Since it didn't turn out so well, Sasha left them so they could talk. Vanessa told Carly that if she doesn't get this role she has nothing but dance while Carly has Sasha. Carly tells Vee that Helsweel specifically asked her to audition and for sure she was going to get it. She routs because Carly and Sasha dance better together and she can't compete with that. So, to make sure that she'd get the role, Carly voluntarily messed up her audition and Vanessa did get the role as Cinderella, though this was proven not to be the only reason, as Carly, according to Sasha, chickened out on her walkover.

Later in "Sotto Voce", she needed help from Carly to get her jumps tights. After Carly told Vanessa her secret, they were working out at the quad. During that time, Vanessa landed a jump badly, and hurt her ankle even though she assured Carly that she was fine. Even though her dancing improved at the end of the episode, she ended up having a nasty bruise. She put ice on it before leaving with Carly to the mall she that she can get her mind off Sasha. A few weeks later, in the following episode "The Understudy", Sasha asks Vee for help to gain Carly back as a friend. At first she refused, but after he made her think that it was hard to lose Carly as a friend, as agrees. While a star choreographer Maria Schiller came to brushen up Step, Sister, Vanessa purposely not show up so that Carly could dance with Sasha and continue their friendship. However, the plan backfired and she apologized to Carly for leaving her in that situation, even though she got offended by Maria when she wold Carly that it's too bad she was just the understudy. When Sasha decides to give Carly some space, Vanessa comforts her and then talks about what a major disappointment Maria turned out to be, not knowing that she entered and overheard her.

While they were rehearsing for Step, Sister!, "Lose Yourself" Ms. Maria tries to help Vanessa and to calm down and dance like she's having fun, not like a dancer who's not having fun. At first, Vanessa thinks that Maria was doing that because she doesn't like her but after, she noticed that it was for her own good and dance.

In "Plays Well with Others", her place with the Primas is at risk when she started showing up late for dance rehearsals. Vanessa was also not giving her best due to her hurt ankle, which lately has been hurting so much. She hasn't had time to rest it due to her busy schedule with the Primas and rehearsals for Step, Sister! Vanessa was kicked out of the Primas for deciding to keep Carly as a friend, leaving her devastated. In "Hold On", Carly tries her best to cheer Vanessa up, though she feels guilty about what happened. When Jenna  took her spot at the barre, Carly was determined to get back at Jenna, with Sasha's help. It didn't go well, even for Vanessa who also shoved Jenna during a class dance. All had dance drill detention, where they had to do 100 rélévés. Vanessa said during a confessional that one was already hard enough on her ankle, and than a hundred was impossible. While Carly was apologizing, Vanessa went off and told Carly to stop making her problems all about herself, earning another 100 rélévés. Carly find Vanessa at the girls change room and apologizes for all the selfishness she had shown and she accepts her apology. During another confessional, she admits that her ankle is hurting so much and worries how would she dance and leap when she can barely walk, now that the mid-term dance is coming up.

Twelve Hours to Showtime remain. After rehearsing one last time for Step, Sister! she gets a straight up compliment from Helsweel and Cee congratulates her, accidentally stepping on her hurt ankle. Cee noticed that Vee is not fine and finds out that her ankle is really bruised. She really does not think that Vee is fine and promised not to tell no one. However, Vanessa sends Carly a text with all the information on her ankle. Sasha saw Carly reading it and became suspicious, so he snatched Cee's phone from her and read the text, "A Grade III sprain, risk of permanent leaping ability... A SURGERY?" and Cee told him that it was Vee who sprained her ankle, he promised not to tell nor write about it in his blog. But he did think that Cee should tell Vee not to dance that night. She goes and tries to convince Vee to rest her ankle and have to checked out. Vee agrees but she wasn't going to let Carly ruin her chance to dance and locks her in in the girls change room. Two hours before [], Maria knows about Vanessa's hurt ankle. She said that she should take care of herself. Vanessa agrees but yet she tells Maria that she's fine and referenced to the way she danced that morning. Maria agrees to let her dance, since she knows her limit. Vanessa was furious and goes to Carly and says all the things that she has done to hurt her. At last she said that all Carly is ever going to be an understudy and that their friendship is over and never wants to talk to her again. The show begins and Vanessa was dancing fine, until she did a grand jété and fell. She was taken to a hospital.

In "[]", Vanessa is in the dance studio in a boot with crutches. Carly hasn't visited her in the hospital at all, and when Vanessa asks Ms. Maria if she can do the arms at the bar, Ms. Maria forces her to take notes. Later Sasha talks to her, and Vanessa is not mad about Sasha telling Ms. Maria about her injury, but upset about Carly telling Sasha about her injury. Ms. Maria ends up replacing Vanessa with Carly in the modern jazz routine, which makes Vanessa upset.

In "[]" Vanessa is officially being replaced in the primas by either Sasha, Tina, or Carly. Vanessa is very excited for Sasha getting chosen to audition. Vanessa tells Sasha that competing with Carly will hurt his friendship with her. Sasha brings Vanessa and Carly in the same room, and Carly keeps trash talking Vanessa. Carly tells Sasha that he must choose Vanessa or Carly to be friends with. Sasha ends up deciding to be friends with Vanessa because Carly is giving Sasha too many ultimatums.

Personality
Vanessa is honest, ambitious, practical, and cheerful. She tends to be a bit of a perfectionist, in which she pushes herself too hard, but overall just strives for success. She enjoys having fun and is usually positive, but can become too serious and stressed out seeing her positions both in the play and in the Prima. She is close to her best friend, Carly, and encourages her as a friend should. Vanessa also tries hard to make Carly happy, as shown in "Groups of Two" when she didn't try to make a big deal out of being a Prima for Carly. She can be very dramatic and stubborn but that's only when she is really upset.

Physical Appearance
Vanessa is a pretty girl, with mocha brown hair that she often wears in a ponytail, or in a bun at the top of her head. She has hazel eyes with long eyelashes and an almond shape. Her skin is slightly tan, and has an olive hue based to it. She is often seen grinning widely, showing her teeth.

Clothing Style
Vanessa usually is seen in a black leotard with a fancy design on the back, white tights, and ballet flats, as this is her ballet uniform. But when she is not dancing, she often sports a floral dress and flats. She also wears jean jackets, tees and converse. Over her leotard she sometimes wears a teal tanktop or a magenta sweater.

Carly
Vanessa and Carly are best friends, and have been for a while, Carly being the one to help Vanessa to apply to Keaton School of the Arts. They both are in the Dance Program, each one being a dancer, and Vanessa is chosen as the Prima. Despite this, Carly is supportive of her friend, and encouraging. In "Groups of Two" the girls dance to a routine from years before, impressing Sasha and Jenna. When they are put in pairs, and are split up, Vanessa was not upset, for, as she described, "As much as I love Carly, it might be nice to try dancing with someone else for a change." She was put in a group with Jenna, and taught her the dance that she and Carly had performed, upsetting Carly. When the two of them argued, Sasha listened- planning to gather gossip for his blog- but in the end changed his mind to help them, and gave Vanessa advice. However, when Vanessa tried to talk to Carly, Carly walked past her and started dancing.

Sasha
Sasha is a 10th grader in the Dance Program who Vanessa (and Carly) meet on their first day. Vanessa is told that her nickname "Vee", as well as Carly's ("Cee"), are "cute" to him. She is also helped by Sasha to interpret Helsweel's actions and complimented her on her dancing. Sasha decided to gather on her and Carly after he noticed "the chill" between the two of them. However when he witnessed the girls arguing, he offered Vanessa advice.

In "The Understudy", while the two are dancing together, Sasha asks Vanessa if she can help him win Carly's friendship back. She agrees, but tells him that if this hurts her and Carly's friendship, it would hurt her and Sasha's too. Later on in the season, Vanessa and Carly are in a fight, Carly tells Sasha he had to choose between them, and couldn't be friends with them both. Sasha ends up choosing Vanessa, and doesn't consider Carly a real friend for putting him and Vanessa in that position. This causes Vanessa and Sasha to become closer.

Sasha is always there for Vanessa through her injury, and encouraging her to stay strong and helps her gain her confidence back to dance again (after her crutches were removed) in "Step Up". Vanessa's also there for Sasha when he gets kicked off The Primas school dance team. In "Try Again", she helps him become a member of "the [|Streets]" (a dance team Vanessa helped form into a school dance team, which was accepted by audition). Sasha is so happy about what Vanessa did for him, embraces her in a hug, spinning her around, and kisses her in excitement. When she asked him what had just happened, Sasha plays it off as being "caught up in the moment". The two decide to keep it a secret. The two continue to remain close friends regardless.

Sloane
Sloane and Vanessa are close friends, but didn't start off very well. When Vanessa showed up to audition for the Streets, Sloane laughed, and interrupted her first attempt. But once Vanessa makes it in, and helps the Streets become an official dance crew, they become much closer. Sloane and Vanessa have been seen talking and laughing on many occasions. However, Vanessa is sometimes somewhat embarrassed of Sloane, such as when she gets fired up, or takes things too far. But overall, they're close friends.

Cassandra
Cassandra and Vanessa seem to have a slightly awkward friendship. Cassandra is very controlling and demanding, while Vanessa shadows around her and obeys her every command. Vanessa sometimes does Cassandra's homework, washes her uniform, cleans her mirrors, and drinks a disgusting green smoothie.

Season 1

 * "The First Day"
 * "Groups of Two"
 * "The Brightside"
 * "Stand Tall"
 * "Take Me Out"
 * "Dig Deeper"
 * "In Their Shoes"
 * "On Deck"
 * "Sotto Voce"
 * "The Understudy"
 * "Lose Yourself"
 * "Plays Well with Others"
 * "Hold On"
 * "Twelve Hours to Showtime"
 * "Showtime"
 * "Restart"
 * "Juggle"
 * "Eyes Forward"
 * "Once in a Lifetime"
 * "Da Capo"
 * "Friend or Foe"
 * "Verite"
 * "Step Up"
 * "Ensemble"
 * "After the Flood"
 * "Try Again"
 * "Fallout"
 * "Lead the Way"
 * "Me"
 * "We"

Trivia

 * Vanessa is left-handed.
 * Vanessa hates the movie Avatar, due to seeing it multiple times.
 * She has a disliking to Shawn Mendes.
 * She has also committed arson by starting a fire at the school in order to get Julie's musical halted, because the Primas had planned a secret revenge prank.

Quotes
"Ready as I'll ever be." - The First Day