Sorry if this has already been posted but I scanned the forum and I couldn't see it anywhere. Someone sent me this link on Twitter. I'm not sure how reliable it is but it appears the BBC are auditioning for new professionals for series 8.

http://elenagrinenko.webs.com/apps/f...-come-dancing-


I thought they would be trying to reduce the number of couples on the show, not adding to it.

It says they are looking for ten dancers!


Or would that mean what Vincent and Flavia do?
Last edited by Daisy19 : 04-04-2010 at 19:01

I think we may be getting some more female pro's- I can see either Aliona or Katya being jettisoned a la Hayley. Unless Erin has quit?

TEN?

Oh goodness, what are the producers planning now? If they're serious about cutting down to 12 couples, that would mean only two existing pros being kept. That can't be right surely!

I'm so not watching if they do that.


ETA Oh good point Daisy19, perhaps they are looking for 'ten dancers'-compete in both ballroom and latin- as opposed to 10 dancers, and the person who wrote the ad is just a little dim

Maybe they all have to re apply on a yearly basis.

they will want ten and then cut it down. i will be shocked if they cut it down to twelve tbh !!!, i can see them cutting it down to fourteen though

I would've thought all the current professionals on the pro tour at least were practically safe, and a contract would be given to Darren and Lilia if they want one....I certainly don't think that many pros will have quit or will be culled - the BBC are surely smart enough to know they'll face a severe backlash if they do that....?


It wouldn't surprise me too much if Anton, Erin, Katya and even Brendan didn't come back, but that's still only 4 new pros maximum.

So I think the ad either does mean Ten Dance as in proficient in Ballroom and Latin like it says (which has always been a requisite, right - even the Latin pros have some Ten Dance background), or else it's to create a shortlist of 10 which will then be cut to 2 or 4, with dancers being chosen to fit the celebrities....


It does seem worryingly genuine, but I think at least 10 of the current pros have to be retained - 10 new people is far too many, especially if they're recruiting from LA alone....

Well thats interesting.........no contracts with DWTS......personally I am glad they are doing this....I think the Strictly Pros do need a bit of a shake up.

My tips for not coming back this year......

Anton and Erin
Brendan
Aliona

Funny you should say that Jan as I think that just about everything bar the pro dancers needs a good shake up...Starting with a change of presenters and 3 out of the 4 current judges...
There must be someone out there who can sit on the panel and not be overcome by the desire to behave like a 10 year-old?

Well I agree re the judges Stu.....and have wanted rid of Brucie for the last 2 years.......

however I do think that some of the pros need a bit of a shake up even if they dont actually end up being replaced, a think a few of them have got a bit too comfortable in thier own fame.

hmmm its an odd choice this but i think that they will have aliona back. if you look at the opening for the series who was the most stand out performer for the girls ?, for me personally it was aliona with her lovely red hair, plus she almost did a pro routine every week lol

I think she is better than Hayley (who was ditched after only a year the year before). I'd like to see what Aliona can acheive when dancing with a man who has a lot more potential than sour faced Rav.

I personally hope they don't bring in any new pros for the new series, but if they are replacing any of the new girls, it would be Aliona I'd choose to go. I don't think she's of the same standard as Flavia, Lilia or Ola at all and is so messy in the pro dances compared to them.

I do like that she's quite daring in some of the moves she does, but don't think she can quite pull them off most times and Matthew can look like he's struggling to control her when she's launching herself around.
I would give her another chance this year though...but try and contain her to what she's more capable of in the pro dances and not let her loose so much with her crazy acrobatics that most times look like they've gone wrong.

I agree completely, they've chosen the wrong part of the show to start changing. There are some fantastic professionals on the show, who still work incredibly hard in the competition and on the tours, so I don't see why any of them should be made to feel like they're possibly under threat from other dancers....if anything would make them say 'stuff the BBC' then that would surely be it? And the show cannot afford to lose the likes of Vincent and Flavia, Darren and Lilia and dancers as generally popular and astute as, for example, Ola and Brian.


I would give Aliona one more year, see what she can do with a better partner, although Kristina more than deserves a good partner, and Lilia and Flavia have also waited long enough! I'd rather see them getting good partners first. Aliona is certainly a stand-out in group dances, but she's not at the same level as Ola, Flavia, or Lilia, and I'd rather keep Katya than her, although I think Aliona staying is more likely.

Looks very genuine to me .........oh dear !

I think I also remember Aloina saying she came to England to audition in April last year !!!!

If the BBC do replace the majority of the pro's then that's me done with the series !

Yes, I agree with this too. The pro dancers are the best part of the show for me personally so would rather they meddled with other factors if they feel the need to and left them alone for at least this year coming.

I'd keep all the Pro's, Tess and Craig...but anything else I wouldn't object too much if they changed.

Same here - I'll spend my Saturdays doing extra shifts to save money to see the current pros' cabarets instead! If the BBC are trying to turn the show into DWTS it can only end badly....

in the dancing world 10 dancers is used to describe dancers who can do ballroom and latin and I would think that is what the ad meant. I have no objection to the professionals being changed but FAIL to see why the BBC is advertising in USA where dancers do not always dance the standard style. There is the whole of the UK and Europe to get suitable dancers from.

If the go down the DWTS track, and produce a show with none standard ballroom and latin then I will switch off

I thought that too, but the ad also specifically says must be proficient in Ballroom and Latin, which would be self-evident if they were just advertising for Ten Dancers. I can see why they're advertising in the US seeing as that's how they got Brian, Kristina and Aliona (and Katya?) but they should be looking in the UK too if they must have new professionals - that's how they got all the best pro dancers they've had. But if it becomes DWTS it is a switch-off for me as well - the current pro dancers deserve more respect than that.

To me it looks like they are looking for 10 dancers which means if their cutting back to 12 or 14 celebs means only one or two of our favorite pro couples is returning !
I'd be prepared to put money on one of them being Brian and Kristina ! I also think that the bbc will keep hold of Natalie Lowe as they were after her for two years before she agreed to take part so I can't see them ditching her !

I really hope I'm wrong !

I think the BBC regard the Pros as the least important part of a celeb based show...whereas on this forum, lots of us have a favourite pro and hope that they get a decent celeb to showcase them, and keep them in for as long as possible...tbh, thats me!

To ask a casual viewer of the show though, there's probably very few people could name ALL the pros and most would probably only know one or two of them.

So.....maybe the BBC don't see replacing most of the pro's as a big deal in the same way as most of us do.

I can't see them ditching Vincent and Flavia either - they'd have to ditch the Argentine Tango basically if they did - V&F's quarter-final demonstration is universally loved!

And surely they're not going to ditch Ola given her popularity last year.....

I think your right Dilly. The pro's have never really been seen as very important in the bbc's eyes !

However I posted on the bbc boards last year and I have to say like DS most of the fan threads were about the pro's not the celebs ! I do think by replacing so many pro's the bbc will upset its core fan base but I doubt that will worry them very much !

I would have assumed "10 dancer" i.e ballroom and latin. I think it would be really good to have some real 10 dancers (in addition to Vincent and Flavia).

Incidentally, I was contributing to another dance forum and was really surprised to find that beginners are taught Smooth and Rhythm in the US, where Smooth is a selection of some of the standard dances (Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot), and Rhythm is American Rumba, East Coast Swing, Cha Cha. Up until then, I knew there was an Amercian version of the Rumba and that they danced American Smooth but I had assumed that International style Standard and Latin were still commonly taught to beginners and didn't realise that the differences were so marked. But as I say, the conversation was only about beginners' level.

I absolutely love V and F AT demo but tbh I don't think it will be enough to keep them in if the bbc is going for a big clear out ! the bbc would probably ask them back to dance the demo in the quater final (if I was V and F I'd tell em to stuff it ) or draft in another couple . I'm sure there are plenty of AT dancers desperate for a chance to appear !

I agree about Ola, it would be strange if the champ didn't come back to defend her title.