Do you guys think the UK's So You Think You Can Dance (which really is Strictly Dance Fever with another name) was publicised in ITT so much because the winners/finalists in that show might bring up ideas for new professionals replacement for next year's SCD?

I am saying this because I know that in DWTS, that's what they did. As far as I know Chelsie Hightower and Dimitri Chaplin were in SYTYCD.

If so, would you like the idea that pros of SCD are replaced this way? If so, which pros would you like to see replaced from this year's line-up? And why?

I would hate to see pros replaced with SYTYCD people. The majority of Strictly pros are incredibly experienced ballroom/latin professionals, who grew up on the circuit and have over 20 years of training behind them. Most importantly - most are very, very experienced teachers. SYTYCD won't get anyone with this standard of ballroom experience, as I can't imagine any of the professionals' contemporaries doing the show and the younger generation of english ballroom dancers have struggled. The situation is a bit different in America.

Some of the pro's may pop up on SYTYCD at some point. Either to judge as the third judge changes each week, or to choreograph a routine as ballroom and latin does feature on the show often.

Oh, I know. I just mean is it possible for BBC to try to appeal to the 'yoof' demographic by interesting them in explosive, dynamic dancers in SYTYCD, letting them form attachments to the contestants and then replacing like one or two very talented and popular ones with the likes of, say, Aliona or some other pros in SCD?

I think this could be possible. As it is, I noticed that the DWTS only had two pros from SYTYCD and America is a much larger country, and they would easily have hired more 'real' ballroom/latin pros into DWTS than roping in contestants from SYTYD, so for me at least I think the BBC is going to do the same.

I may be wrong, of course. But I can still see BBC trying to tweak the format to try to inject some new blood and faces to generate more interest, while hopefully trying not to take away the core idea of what Strictly is all about. SYTYCD would be a 'useless' exercise if they simply had the show and not somehow link it with SCD. It would otherwise be what SDF was and as a result SYTYCD might suffer the same fate as SDF if they don't try to create some kind of an association between the two.

Invisible post post.

Chelsie and Dimitri had both done years of serious ballroom before they entered SYTYCD so it's not suprising they ended up on DWTS. None of other contestants who ended up in the final 12 did because they majored in modern, ballet or contemporary.

I'm not sure SYTYCD UK version will have the range and calibre of the talent the US version did. I'd be very surprised and delighted if it did.

I also very, very rarely see anyone who has studied dance seriously via ballet or contemporary ever go into ballroom!

Stricly Dance Fever was pants mostly, apart from the winners. I hope and pray SYTYCD will be better!

The two 'pros' they 'roped in' to DWTS were very experienced, award winning ballroom dancers before they did SYTYCD in the USA.

The point is, this could be the same here with UK's SYTYCD. Maybe there would be established but struggling young BALLROOM/LATIN ametuer dancers applying for exposure in SYTYCD, and if they gather enough interest and fan base, they might be chosen to replace some SCD pros. I recalled Lacey-Mae Schwimmer was also an established ballroom dancer doing SYTYCD. She wasn't very impressive in DWTS, and I recalled initially she created too many 'innovative' routines for her celebs and was duly criticised by Len. Is she dropped by DWTS this time?

Nope - she's on her third straight series, although she's made herself very unpopular with verbal gaffes about her partner over the past couple of weeks so...maybe for not too much longer.

In the case of Dimitri Chaplin he manages to do choreography on DwtS that epitimises the expression "faffing about", and it's even picked up by the judges. Such choreography on SCD would be brutally ripped apart. For his sake, and the sake of anyone thinking the same, try DwtS for any job vacancies first. Then give up.

The general pool of latin dancer is of a much higher standard in America than it is here, so I think you'd always see better and more experienced latin dancers crop up on SYTYCD. There is a HUGE ballroom circuit over there, with comps everywhere and America also has the American Rhythm circuit. (Quite a few DWTS pros have come from here)

On the other hand, it's not the greatest era for ballroom/latin over here at the moment, to the point where I can't imagine any UK latin dancer going on SYTYCD and being anywhere close to the standard required for SCD - or even to the standard of Dmitri/Chelsie.

We have a few talented couples dedicated to competing, but apart from that, I just don't see any really accomplished ballroom/latin dancers floating around. It's not a great time for the UK in latin in particular. The experienced pros have all retired pretty early - in many cases due to Strictly - and we've been left with a pretty huge gap behind them. It's completely different in the US.

I don't think the SYTYCD pros are anywhere close to being good enough for DWTS and it really shows. It would be even worse over here and so I hope that the BBC stay far away from the gimmick.

I have not been following DWTS for a couple of series now, ever since Kristi was dancing, so I don't know about them faffing about.

My point is not to ask those DWTS-SYTYCD pros into our SCD, but more like BBC looking to do the same. Aliona was rubbish in her choreography, though no doubt she was a ballroom dancer all her life. Haley was the same but her choreography was boring, and she was too quiet to have made any impact last year.

The UK contestants of SYTYCD, esp. if they were already ballroom dancers, surely had a fair crack at taking up the pro jobs in SCD, no?

And it works both ways, too. If Dimitri was supposed to be an established ballroom dancer and still being accused of faffing about, perhaps it was because in America the shows had always been about the razzle-dazzale and precious nothing else?

Admittedly I have no idea of the situation of ballroom/latin dancing circuit here in the UK, nor much for that matter in America. So the SYTYCD pros are all rubbish in DWTS? Forget I ever started this thread then. If it was so there, then perhaps it'll be the same here...

Dimitri Chaplin is not exactly rubbish. He has won 3 emmys for his choreography and is quite innovative. Last year Len praised his argentine tango. However, he wants to be exciting and strays from traditional ballroom and this gets him in trouble with Len. Carrie and Bruno gave him and his partner a 10 last week and Len a 7. The week before when Carrie and Bruno awarded an 8 and Len gave a 5 because there were only 3 bars in hold (a VW). I happen to agree with Len but having said that Dimitri is a magnificent dancer and choreographer - he just does not appeal to strict ballroom standards. This is a case of pleasing the judges or the public. The public seems to be very excited by Dimitri and his partner's dancing, Len not so much. Not because of the quality of the dancing but because it is not classic ballroom. Dimitry has an outstanding partner this year. Here is Len having a go at Dimitri.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uodAu...eature=related


Chelse is a fabulous dancer also and she tends to be more traditional. Lacey is still on DWTS and she has suited her choreography to please Len as time went on and actually received praise from Len last year for a few of her dances. She still is not as traditional as the others.

I think DWTS pulled from SYTYCD because the ratings were so good and the pros were young and innovative. While that appeals to the younger viewers, they also take the risk of turning off the older viewers who like the more traditional.

I didn't mean that the SYTYCD pros are rubbish - they're great dancers, just not very disciplined ballroom/latin pros and so can be prone to sacrificing technique for flashy routines. (Not so much the case for Chelsie) Perhaps I'm a bit too traditional, but I think they are exposed at various points in the shows and they would struggle on the stricter SCD.

However - I still don't think we have many Dimiti's floating around who will end up on the UK SYTYCD.

I agree Erinfan. To really be successful on SCD I do think the pros have to be traditional ballroom and maintain that level of technique and adherence.

As an aside, the downside of Dimitri even on DWTS which has much looser standards is that he could prevent his partner from getting a perfect score. Last week when Carrie Ann and Bruno gave a 10 and Len gave an 8 it was very obvious what was happening. I hope for his partner's sake Dimitry will respect traditional ballroom to please Len and get better scores from him.