'You've got big dreams. You want fame. Well fame costs, and right here's where you start paying ...' dance teacher Lydia Grant warns the students of New York's celebrated dream factory, the High School for the Performing Arts.

Starring Debbie Allen as Lydia, Lee Curreri as Bruno, Erica Gimpel as Coco, Albert Hague as Shorofsky, Carlo Imperato as Danny, Carol Mayo Jenkins as Sherwood, Valerie Landsburg as Doris, Gene Anthony Ray as Leroy, Lori Singer as Julie, Morgan Stevens as Reardon, Jimmy Osmond as Troy

Coco feels threatened when a 'special' new student joins the school and proves to be in competition with her for the role of lead singer in the school's festival of song and dance.