Why are the Producers keen on a Dance Troupe this year, i can't see the Point of them tbh

The other dancers could do that job aswell as dancing with the Celeb and that ahs worked in the past and should have not had dance troupe as i don't think it has worked so far

Anyone else agree

There are a couple of dancers in the troupe (Ian and Darren) who could do the job of the other dancers too (in fact would be able to do it a hell of a lot better than most of them). This I guess is the point, they are trying to phase out the axed pro's

There are enough Pro Dancers to be able to do all the Pro Routines and it's not as if any of the get mentioned by name, There's only Darren and Ian I recognise.....but It's the only time we get to see Ian!

No.

What I think is that the Beeb has not taken its own idea seriously. The troupe is not used or promoted properly:

-the dancers have never been interviewed on ITT, except when it was convenient for the producers to take advantage Ian or Darren's expertise for commenting on training. So we don't really know who the others are. Experience shows 'unknown' dancers are never as popular on DS, even if they are Bryan and Carmen.

-they are booked in for less than half the shows. So the competing pros get to do more show dances than the designated show dancers.

-they aren't even properly on the website- just one page you can only find if you have the direct link, when surely their proper place is on this page: http://www.bbc.co.uk/strictlycomedancing/2010/dancers/
And even then it took nearly six weeks for the Beeb to bother to put them on the website at all.

-tonight Claudia didn't even bother to mention them in what was coming up in the show. They were just an afterthought most people probably missed when they switched over to avoid listening to Alesha.

It could have worked, but the Beeb clearly don't want it to. They should have been honest and just sacked the five dancers they effectively demoted.

I agree with all of the above, with the possible exception of the last paragraph (in bold). I get the feeling that the Beeb lost interest when only two of the pros 'invited' to take a place in the showdance troupe accepted, and they've only accepted to keep a foot in the door. I live in (possibly vain) hope that we'll continute to see both Ian and Darren in one capacity or another, this year and next. Karen keeps popping up so there's hope. If a couple of the new pros don't come back next year for one reason or another, there's always good old Ian and Darren to fall back on. Or in Ian's case, if they get another Amazonian lady celeb signed up. And I guess the bottom line is that it's probably easy money for them, relatively speaking, and gives them the opportunity to do other things as well during the season. But I'm just as annoyed with the BBC for wanting to pretend they don't exist, except fas backing dancers for Alesha.

Although I have to confess that I really liked the dance, coreographed by Ian apparently. An interesting, contemporary paso. Just wish they'd use them a bit more!

I don't see the point of what they are doing now. It seems half-arsed and pointless. I think they are criminally underused. Makes me wonder if there weren't some contractual reasons for retaining the old pros like Ian and Darren.

I grant it must be hard to find a giraffe each season for Mr Waite. Maybe it is equally challenging to find a pixie for Darren? Maybe they are a pro-off-sick contigency as well.

It was lovely to see Ian back for one week. He's just a delight. Much rather him than Brenda. Though I guess Brenda is more divisive, which means more column inches.

On reflection I think you are right SIlverbird. Nonetheless they shouldn't have committed to the troupe if they weren't going to see it through. Either that or they shouldn't have announced it until the pros in questions had agreed- that would have given the leg room to pull the plug if they weren't happy to go ahead with only Ian and Darren.

As things are, I think they have behaved appallingly- particularly to Ian and Darren, who have a long connection to the show. They deserve better than to be treated as an afterthought.

Completely agree with everything, the beeb have completely messed up what could have been a great asset. A waste of fantastic pro dancers




I liked the dance, well what little I saw of it, every time they got to a good bit the bloody cameraman cut away to a shot of friggin Alesha

I don't think it was about height. Ann, Tina and Felicity are all short enough to dance with Darren (although I thank my lucky stars I don't have to watch Darren dancing with Ann).

Ian danced fine with Michelle- with a little rearranging (for example give Patsy to Brendan) he could also have been accommodated.

Seconded I haven't got over the horror of Linda Bellingham last year I would also add Gloria to the list but he was so very sweet with her, it was kinda bearable .

They're boring as hell and pointless, impossible for the viewer to connect with them because we never see them in any VTs or convos, mini interviews etc.

Don't let the door hit your arses on the way out.


Except that Asian lass.

The only reason for the pro dance troupe is to allow us to see the classy and talented Ian Waite.
Unfortunately I think its a good idea, that as usual the BEEB has cocked up. They were supposed to be a top notch dance troupe with spectacular dances that would wow the audience. Unfortunately they seem to have been forgotten by the beeb i.e. no mention on ITT, only featured on the website because of constant badgering by fans, and booked for hardly any shows. Maybe the beeb thought it might fend off some of the critism that dropping some of the most popular dancers would bring. I guess they are useful if pro dancers have to pull out through injury etc, and good to keep in reserve for next year in case the new boys don't last.
Though the routine was great tonight though, just spoiled by teh song

No offence to the lovely guys and girls on the troupe, but the whole idea is so unnecessary and has ended up as such a damp squib.

Where is Matthew Cutler? IIRC, he was sitting in the audience with Darren and Ian on the first show and introduced as something or other. I thought he was a member of the troupe.

His ex wife and former partner Nicole Cutler got married this weekend, from what I hear they are still big mates. Maybe he was at the wedding.

I must email ITT and aske Claudia to give a few minutes to the 4 newcomers so at least when can get to know them a small bit.

ITT has become so predictable and boring. On mon we will have Michelle and Brendan and Felicity and Vincent being asked the same questions they have been asked for the past 3 weeks.

I hope others will email ITT also otherwise the twelve weeks will have gone without meeting the new dancers.

I was surprised by how little the dance troupe have been used. I assumed as the series progressed we would see more of them. We are a fair way in now, and nothing. It is a huge waste of popular and established pro dancers, as well as a wasted opportunity getting to know the new members in the dance troupe – I mean, c'mon, ITT is so full of repetitive stuff you'd think they'd be glad of the new material.

The term 'dance troupe' conjures up so many images – big showy dance numbers, a highlight of a production, a big spectacle of dancing, but they have barely been mentioned, used or seen. I can only surmise that they are being downplayed for a reason, that, or it was a half conceived idea that just hasn't played out well and has been somewhat abandoned. Such a huge shame.

I absolutely agree they shouldn't have committed until it was all arranged, but I seem to remember at the time that the announcement came out early, probably because something had been or was about to be leaked. Maybe they offered places in the dance troupe as appeasment to the dropped pros and their fans, especially after all the complaints when they dropped Nicole, Karen, and then Arlene last year. But now it's as if they are an embarrassment and they are ony grudgingly going along with a decision that they now regret, and can't wait for the whole thing to end so they can forget about them completely. There are now only two more appearances planned, on the 5th and 18th December according to Ian's website http://www.ian-waite.com/

The Biogs on the website only appeared after a lot of badgering on Twitter, with excuses about not being able to get hold of them for photos etc., and now there's no link from the Dancers page. That's bizarre.

I thought I might email ITT as well, but it looks like there is no direct email.

While I agree with some things
Nicole has been gone for years not last year
Karen left to do her own thing and wasn't sacked

It's a Retirement Home.