The last 5 new places to be awarded have gone to foreign dancers. I cannot believe there are no competent UK Pro dancers available. I'm sure there are some excellent Pro dancers in the UK who would love the opportunity of taking part in SCD.
Why is SCD ignoring UK Pro dancers?
Jaclyn Spencer would be great for the show, bubbly and outgoing, love Chris to but hes not english 
Jaclyn has competed ballroom and latin from being very young, she also is 3 times world salsa champion, i think she would be amazing as a pro on the show, preferably with Chris! Shes a great teacher and her rutines are always fun and energetic.
Jaclyn has competed ballroom and latin from being very young, she also is 3 times world salsa champion, i think she would be amazing as a pro on the show, preferably with Chris! Shes a great teacher and her rutines are always fun and energetic.
There are plenty of talented British pro dancers around but generally the sport has grown so much that many partnerships have become international. I agree that Jalyn Spencer is very talented and great to watch she would be worth looking at.
I have wondered this a few times. I thought Britain was supposed to be the home of ballroom dancing so surely there is plenty of home grown talent they could use. I think it would also help encourage dancing in general in this country.
I think many of the UK pros are just too busy competing and can't spare the time required for SCD and those that are retired many of the 'top liners' are just not interested
Originally Posted by jenda57:
“There are plenty of talented British pro dancers around but generally the sport has grown so much that many partnerships have become international. I agree that Jalyn Spencer is very talented and great to watch she would be worth looking at.”
“There are plenty of talented British pro dancers around but generally the sport has grown so much that many partnerships have become international. I agree that Jalyn Spencer is very talented and great to watch she would be worth looking at.”
I don't think SCD is ignoring UK Pro dancers. As stated above professional dancing has become international. Many couples are of mixed nationality and I think who takes part in the show should not be governed by where a dancer comes from but by what they might add to the show. The last five dancers added to SCD have mostly been good choices.
I would imagine that most of them don't want to take part. It's a huge commitment with a not very great salary and a very tough job.
Besides the dancers they have taken on have been very talented and I'll bet they're a lot less diva like than the home grown variety!
Besides the dancers they have taken on have been very talented and I'll bet they're a lot less diva like than the home grown variety!
Hazel Newberry, Paul Killick, Kylie Jones and Karen Hardy are all British, all champions and have all featured on SCD at some point.
Current count suggests that more than half of the male professionals can be thought of as 'from the UK' (I'm not counting Brendan, Brian or, possibly controversially, Vincent). I'd also count Flavia as British as she's lived in the UK since she was very small.
Given the international nature of many partnerships, I'd suggest that SCD is actually perfectly reflective of the ballroom world in general, though some who know it better may be able to correct me on that.
Current count suggests that more than half of the male professionals can be thought of as 'from the UK' (I'm not counting Brendan, Brian or, possibly controversially, Vincent). I'd also count Flavia as British as she's lived in the UK since she was very small.
Given the international nature of many partnerships, I'd suggest that SCD is actually perfectly reflective of the ballroom world in general, though some who know it better may be able to correct me on that.
I do not believe that any UK Pro would refuse to take part in SCD as it is a great showcase for their talent and would turn them into a household name plus earn them a lot more money.
Thanks bevey for mentioning Jaclyn Spencer as I've never heard of her like I don't know any other UK Pro. Is Jaclyn any relation to the great Peggy Spencer?
Thanks bevey for mentioning Jaclyn Spencer as I've never heard of her like I don't know any other UK Pro. Is Jaclyn any relation to the great Peggy Spencer?
I have read on this forum before that some of the higher rated British dancers have gone forward to do it and have been refused for not being what the show is looking for - I would imagine that means their personalities didn't quite fit with what the BBC wanted - it's definitely not just about how well they dance, they seem to also put a lot of focus on the way they come across on screen.
And for sure, I know of plenty who would refuse to take part - having a successful competitive career is far more important to them than becoming a household name. They only have that for as long as the BBC will keep them - which for some is obviously not so long! After that, they're just yesterday's news. If they can make it to the top competitively, the money can be huge and they'll have a career for the rest of their lives, performing, coaching and judging.
I know Jaclyn Spencer originally learnt her first steps in the same dance school that I did also . . . I don't know for sure if she is any relation or not, but I would guess the surname is just a coincidence.
And for sure, I know of plenty who would refuse to take part - having a successful competitive career is far more important to them than becoming a household name. They only have that for as long as the BBC will keep them - which for some is obviously not so long! After that, they're just yesterday's news. If they can make it to the top competitively, the money can be huge and they'll have a career for the rest of their lives, performing, coaching and judging.
I know Jaclyn Spencer originally learnt her first steps in the same dance school that I did also . . . I don't know for sure if she is any relation or not, but I would guess the surname is just a coincidence.
