Inspired by this:

I think this is what is really starting to annoy me about Ann.

I don't mind the fact that she's being short, old, fat, and with no ability to dance. None of us can help how we're made.

I do very much mind - I'd even say I unappreciate - the fact that she seems to think she can dictate how the dance should be done.

It's not up to her.

If she wanted to avoid body contact, then she shouldn't have signed up for the show. She doesn't have the slightest idea about the dance, so the arrogance of presuming that dances like the salsa can be done in a particular way is really getting on my nerves.

What on Earth did she sign up to this show for?

I agree - there's adapting the dance to your physical limitations, and there's just doing whatever you want.

I think Ann has been fun up to now, but I think that if she tries to perform every dance in exactly the same way then that will be be her downfall People will ultimately get bored of seeing the same thing each week. Or am I assuming too low a boredom threshold?

John Sergeant at least seemed to realise that the waltz is a beautiful lyrical dance (not a stomp around) and even entered into the spirit of the paso. Whereas I don't think there are any more aspects of Ann for us to see.

I don't have a problem with the lack of body contact. She could still do a reasonable ballroom dance or latin without a lot of body contact. But I do have a problem with her not even trying to understand the different nature of the dances.

I'm certainly not looking forward to seeing a jolly hockey sticks rumba (even though ironically the hockey stick is a rumba step!) The only possible entertainment value I can see in future dances is perhaps Ann and Anton doing a paso.

While I'm totally in agreement with your statement that dances should include the requisite technical elements as far as possible from the celebrities, have we not seen dances in this year's competition with all the right steps, but a very different flavour from what you might expect?

Natalie's sexed-up waltz and at least half the foxtrots this week (well, Aliona's, Kristina's and Flavia's, off the top of my head) were distinctly removed from what I've come to expect from SCD waltzes and foxtrots. And previous dances like Cherie's rumba showed that expectations don't always have to be met style-wise for a great dance.

Your technical knowledge is superior to mine, so I put the question to you; could you do a salsa that didn't have a sexy or overtly flirty overtone, while still doing the steps as required?

I can't see her doing a hockey stick:
http://www.ballroomdancething.com/20...key-stick.html Look at the pictures!

I share the sentiments of the OP.

I was worried about all the people taking Ann so seriously dance-wise, but I think this thread hits the nail on the head.

If Ann keeps pronouncing outside Strictly on how she's not taking it seriously, that will get up a great many people's noses and she'll not make it past the rhumba if she turns it into a rhum baba.

I think the Judges and maybe the pros create a problem when they insist on wanting the celeb to be "sexy" during a lot of the latin dances.
Sexiness is not an easy thing to produce on demand, and it makes a lot of celebs nervous.

If they promoted the dance as "Having fun or Party Dance", this would be easier for them.

Can Ann do Having Fun....??

I thought her waltz proved that when she felt comfortable, her fun side was visible to all the world. Plus I don't think Anton's salsa interpretation of anti-sexiness really helped their chances

So is that how you'd have sold the dance to her? "It's a party dance. We need to go all-out to groove together!"

I never know whether to answer your posts OP and if its a post or simply a wind up and you go back to the Non Appr. thread and laugh at those who answer ,So I wont .

mimi I agree with you. The rumba doesn't have to be sexy. It can be romantic.

I don't know much about the salsa but I would have thought it would work well as a party dance.

Having said that, I think that LL has a valid point that other dances this year whilst being obviously technically superior to Ann and Anton's have not necessarily reflected the spirit of the dance but have focussed on the sexy, rather than romantic or elegant aspects. If the pros think that all the ballroom has to be sexy/raunchy this year in order to win the public's vote then I guess it is a fair point that Ann and Anton are not the only pairing who are in danger of making every dance look the same

Well, yes, but that's a different question - that's the pros taking more advantage of their extra leeway (with the "new rules", apparently) to mess around more - hence all the props and "Messin' abaht" with the dances now.


Well, of course. You don't have to start groping people to do a good salsa.

But you do need to show off, you do need to be flamboyant, and above all in the salsa, you do need to look as though you're paying lip service at least to the underlying rhythm. In short, you need to respect the spirit of the dance.

And she doesn't.

You just did

But no, this one is not a wind up.

Although I of course still reserve the right to laugh at the answers.

"What on Earth did she sign up to this show for?"

Er.... for the cash?




Sooner or later her novelty value will go and the public will vote her off. But she may last for a few more weeks.

I dint answer on topic though .
Of course you do , I just dont really like to be laughed at behind my back , say it to me and I dont mind .

I can't see Anton or Ann "grooving" !

My comment wasn't just about Ann.

Zoe Lucker was clearly uncomfortable trying to do Sexy when dancing.
I've always found the best Salsambas are those that play on the the Carnival / Party/ Fun aspect.
I have no idea how to "act sexy" for public consumption but I know how to look like I'm having a good time.
And having a half decent feel for rhythm helps.

I am eleven years older than Ann and am sure I could dance better than her any day of the week!

Granted.

But vis-a-vis the salsa, was that Anton's fault rather than Ann's in going for a full-on 'stand off don't touch me' comedy angle, rather than trying to choreograph a more innocent party-style number?

Let's not forget that actually their waltz, while catastrophic technically, had a lot of the sweetness a waltz often possesses (unless you're Natalie Lowe).

I'd love to get bendymixer's views on this, I have to say, given bendy's feelings on Anton

Well, I defer to no-one in my contempt of Anton's ability to dance something vaguely resembling a salsa, of course. And I accept the whole "looser rules" thing.

But Ann's "This is the way I'm going to dance, and I know best how to dance" attitude is unacceptable.

If she went on saying "I want to learn to dance, I know I'm rubbish, but I'll try my best", then fair enough - I'd support that.

But she's trying to put unreasonable limits on the dances, and that just gets on my nerves.

Agree DJ, given her size and shape and the unfortunate tendency to list to starboard Ann was never going to resemble a dancer in a million years. One comedy ballroom and one comedy latin was funny, but enough is enough and she can go home now, I just dont see where they can go from here and it's going to get old very quickly, well as far as I am concerned.

I'm with you in principle, but I think one out of two dances where the spirit's been ignored (and that possibly because of Anton rather than Ann) isn't enough for a full judgement. Let's see how the next couple of Latin dances develop before we decide finally that it's Ann messing up the spirit of things rather than circumstances.

Felicity is the same age but because of her youthful good looks can get away with more but not with everything. Paul Daniels embarasses no-one. Joan Collins could carry off everything but has more sense. Stephanie Beacham wisely decided to take the money and run leaving a very warm impression on viewers. Jimmy Tarbuck decided discretion was the better part of valour.

This is not the first time one dance is methodically replaced by another. One celeb did the moon walk in place of cha cha, and in the rumba invented the choreography of a stationary statue. But it was an entertaining moon walk and as a statue he cut an impressive manly figure.

To substitute talk for dance is the first time. Mae West as a pensioner used to flaunt herself but came over as a sad Norma Desmond. Blue rinse in the shires and Conservative Central Office are no doubt agonising about what other freak shows are to come. The ones really hurt are those who watched then found they could not unwatch.

Well, I disagree.

I laughed throughout Ann's routine and her comments to the judges. I never even liked her as a politician.

It might get tired, but it hasn't yet. So I will not become a doom merchant until it does.

The celebs seem (in the main) to be far better from an early stage these days. Its great to have some rubbish dancing, some comedy and some slapstick in there for variety.

The question the OP should be asking is not why on earth did Ann accept to come on the show, but why on earth was she asked? The BBC obviously thinks the show needs additional entertainment to just dancing - so do I as a matter of fact. And Ann fits the bill. As for the Salsa, well Anton I suppose is responsible for the choreography, and he is leaning more towards comedy and presenting than dancing these days, isn't he? So perhaps the way it was danced fitted his agenda. Whether Ann really refuses to learn the dance and just wants to do her own thing we'll never know, because that's the image they've decided to show of her by their editing of her training footage.

What, are you suggsting we not rush to snap judgements based on incomplete information?

I thought that approach was the entire raison-d'etre of this forum?

So, basically, you're just in it for the laughs?