Maybe it was Denise I was thinking of ..... I remember one of the celebs looked good.

In some ways the Latin dances are harder. In ballroom you learn to take up hold, and with the exception of the tango, that hold is the same for waltz, quickstep, foxtrot and Viennese.

In Latin, the arms are mostly free, and have to be used expressively, and that means different movements in every one of the 5 dances.

The legwork in ballroom is also very similar in each dance - basically forward steps, backward steps and a few skips here and there....yes, I know I'm over simplifying. (Correct footwork is a bonus, but seldom mentioned when omitted!!!) But the main thing for the celeb is that he/she is led at all times by their pro partners.

Latin consists of far more steps, kicks, flicks, runs etc., during which probably less than 50 percent of the dance is the celeb connected to his/her partner. This means the rest of time they have to concentrate for themselves. Timing, of course, is something else that is harder when they are not being led by their partners, They also need to be far more expressive as each of the Latin dances has a totally different characteristic.

I hope there are some good Latin dancers this year. Michelle will probably be good anyway.

I think the only person who will 'get' Latin and be man enough to move his tush properly will be Goldie.

I predict the only other one to get close will be Pam Stephenson. The others will try and mimic Latin and just not pull it off. Brits rarely grasp the essential Lain roll and strong back. Too uptight!

Let's see

Sorry Kaycee, I know that you're a very experienced dancer but as someone who is still at a relatively early stage iin learning both ballroom and latin, my experience so far doesn't fit with all that you've said in your post .

I do agree with you that arms are much more on show in latin. This is something that strictly celebs have to worry about whereas 'in real life' that isn't really focussed on until people get past intermediate level. Also from a performance point of view (which is very important on strictly) I agree that the celeb is more exposed.

However I do think the ballroom dances are quite different (except perhaps the waltz and quickstep which follow the same principles of rise and fall). Having learnt something of all of the dances now, except paso, I think by far the most difficult dance to learn is the slow foxtrot. The combination of lots of heel turns and what seems at first a very uncomfortable hold with lots of sway and CBM makes it particularly difficult. However I do agree that people are not likely to notice duff footwork in a strictly ballroom performance, whereas the 'real life' learning process is very oriented around footwork.

I know the samba is supposed to be the most difficult latin but I personally find it easier than the cha cha which I think can look really naff as well if not danced properly. I guess in the end it's horses for courses. We all find different things easy and difficult.

I agree with what you say, but I was thinking mostly in terms of the Strictly celebs rather than someone learning to dance for real, as you are.

The foxtrot is, I agree, probably the hardest dance to master, although the hold is the same as waltz and qs, the footwork can make it seem uncomfortable, but it's lovely when it finally "clicks"!

With the Latin, the celebs are expected "perform" with all the expected expression, which is very difficult in a short time, whereas, again, someone learning for real will begin by mastering the basics and "grow" into the performance side with experience. Does that make sense?

I think it is the judges who keep emphasising how difficult the samba is meant to be; like they keep emphasising that rumba has to be sexy, which of course it doesn't.

I personally much prefer samba to cha cha. Rumba and Paso are my favourites, but samba is a very close 3rd! Cha is probably my least favourite!

Kaycee yes it does make sense. I thought you might have meant that, and was being a bit literal in reading your post. I honestly don't know how the celebs cope with the performance aspects whilst remembering newly learnt steps etc. trying to get their arms right and so on. I think it is very challenging for them.

(Rumba is my favourite dance too. Haven't done paso. And I am definitely preferring the samba to the jive at the moment, and the cha cha.).

Totally agree with you kaycee.

The Samba is no more difficult than all the other Latin dances, if taught correctly.

My favourites are the Samba and Paso Doble, closely followed by the Rumba and Jive.

Ann Widdecombe should be brilliant at Latin. After all, she did do Latin at University

groans...

That's what I meant by saying Latin is harder.

Paso is great fun to learn, and is one of those dances that you can learn fairly quickly by keeping the routine quite basic, then gradually "dressing it up" with lots of body shaping, which is often all that is needed to turn a fairly basic paso into something that can look competitive. Do you compete?