By themed I mean music and dances having to fit around a certain theme or idea- an example being last years Halloween week.

Although in the British series we haven't seen too many of them, in DWTS USA they've had a couple. They had an era night where each couple was given a decade and had to fit a dance around a song from that era, they had an acoustic night (which was brilliant) where all dances were performed to stripped backing tracks and the most enjoyable night was Classical night, where couples had to dance a Viennese Waltz or a Paso Doble to music provided by a live orchestra and Katherine Jenkins.

I have to say I really like the idea of themed weeks (not artist specific or anything too extreme) and think it would help us see a broader range of music choices. I'd be all for a Classical week for Strictly (maybe having couples dancing the Tango, VW and Paso Doble?)

What do you think? Would you like to see themed shows and if so, what kind of themes would you like to see introduced?

(And yes, I'm aware I said "themed" way too much in the post )

I don't think we'll be seeing Halloween week again this time, as it's on the Monday this time. But yes, I think movie week will be making a return, and I would love classical week.

Drum and Bass week

Nice one, shrew!

I think I was in a minority in not liking Halloween week, but I did enjoy the Film theme and would like to see its return (yep, I know that's inconsistent).

In respect of DWTS' classical week,wasn't there some criticism (isn't there always?) at the time that the dances were, to an extent, 'shoehorned' into fitting to the music, rather than the music being chosen to suit the dance? Me no likey that idea. And I really don't think I could sit through a whole show of Katherine Jenkins screeching...

BIB - I loved the classical week on DwtS with the orchestra (Katherine Jenkins less so!). I just think they made some poor choices.....

In general I enjoyed the theme weeks on last year's Strictly, but I'm struggling to think of themes which don't end up feeling really laboured. I like the 'era' idea, but wouldn't want to sit though a whole show of '60s, for example.



...need an alternative word for 'themes'.....

I honestly don't see what other themes they could do? I mean they did horror every week that Ann Widdicombe danced, they've done film, so what is there left to do? Musicals? Bonfire night? Country? The songs of Queen? Bleuch!

Although I think they might get clearance for Queen songs this year!

Now prepare to shoot me down in flames but I've devised a list of "themes" for the series that could be interesting to see.

WEEK ONE (GROUP A & B) Waltz OR Cha-Cha-Cha 14
WEEK TWO Foxtrot OR Salsa 14
WEEK THREE: Quickstep OR Jive 13
WEEK FOUR: Acoustic Night Tango OR Rumba 12 (TECHNICAL SCORING/ PERFORMANCE SCORING)
WEEK FIVE: Classical Music Night Viennese Waltz OR Paso Doble 11
WEEK SIX: Blackpool Night American Smooth OR Samba OR Charleston 10
WEEK SEVEN: Props Night (The only night where props may be used) One Unlearned Dance from Weeks 1-6 9
WEEK EIGHT: Movie Songs Night One Unlearned Dance from Weeks 1-6 8 (TECHNICAL SCORING/ PERFORMANCE SCORING)
WEEK NINE: Personal Story Night One Unlearned Dance from Weeks 1-6 7
WEEK TEN: Team Battle Two Unlearned Dances from Weeks 1-6/ Cha-Cha-Cha RELAY BATTLE 6
WEEK ELEVEN: Musical Decade Challenge Two Unlearned Dances from Weeks 1-6 5
WEEK TWELVE: Instant Choreography Challenge/ ARGENTINE TANGO / Swing-A-Thon 4
WEEK THIRTEEN: Favourite Ballroom/ Favourite Latin/ Showdance/ Group Viennese Waltz/ Judges Music Challenge/ Re-Choreographed Routine in Previously Performed Style

Just thrown some ideas out there!

Personal Story has been done on DWTS- it's where they must dance to a song that means a lot to them or that relates to an event in their life.

Musical Decade Challenge is where a contestant is given a dance and a decade in which to pick music from. So for example if you were given a 60's Jive and a 21st Century Paso you might pick Proud Mary and She-Wolf as your songs.

Team Battle would see the remaning 6 split into two teams, each coached by a star of Strictly past. They did this in DWTS for the 200th show and had Kristi Yamaguchi and someone I can't remember come back in to mentor them!

Acoustic Night would be interesting because contestants would not be able to hide behind props (like harnesses!) or elaborate music- it would rely on technical ability as well as the ability to perform well.

I included Props Night, even though I knew some people would be against it. Last year the use of Props reached epidemic levels, so rather than have them used every week, a dedicated night in which we can see them used would be far better.

How about 'Big Band Week' or 'Nostalgia Week'? They could cover a multitude of sins....

Not shooting you down in flames at all, but Personal Story Week on DwtS made me want to vomit

A Big Band week could be very interesting- and you can probably dance most, if not all, of the dances to a Big Band!

They did Guilty Pleasures week in America although that week seemed a bit pointless- they were dancing to stuff like Journey and Queen who really aren't Guilty Pleasures!

Did you not find Petra & Dmitry's Waltz to You Raise Me Up, which was about her fiancee who had died during the 2004 Tsunami, emotional?!

I will grant you that was extremely touching and not vomit-inducing, but the others....sheesh!

edit - and when they brought Josh Groban in to sing it for her on the finale show as a surprise, I found I had a something in my eye

No.

Would you not like two or three per series?

Nothing too extravegent!

No. Even that would be too extravagant. The problem I have with them is that whilst you do get perhaps a couple of well chosen songs and good routines for the majority of couples the theme will result in a sub-standard performance as they try to shoehorn a dance into an inappropriate themed song. I'm thinking about tina's AT as a prime example.

No, not really.

I like the idea of a theme but SCD does them so badly, and with such a lack of taste, that they end up being parodies of themes with dreadful music and eye-wateringly bad costumes. It's just so tacky. If you can't do it well, leave it alone

It was be great to have better music choices of course. Themes help with that. It's just that SCD only gets tackier every year. It's gone from satin to nylon and I'm so tired of people doing tango to Queen

DWTS does it so much better, and it always looks amazing - except when they occasionally slither into mawkish sentimentality

I admit I do like the themed weeks on DWTS (missed out on the Personal Stories one though) and I LOVED the Halloween week last year on SCD.

So yes, I'd like to see some themed weeks on SCD.

I quite liked them. The movie week was pretty good, and I quite liked the titles they did for Blackpool week.

NO


Just stick with picking some music that actually suits the dance

You could argue that having a theme could lead to better music choices.

I actually think a Theme week would IMPROVE music choices.

In theory yes you could have beautifully matched songs I just doubt that it would happen

Trying to think of some examples here but brain not doing the biz

Oh yes!

I wish for that every year Why oh why can't they dance samba to some hot Brazilian music and Argentine tango to some of the fantastic music out there by Bajafondo or Libedinsky? Oh hang on, Dave Arch couldn't hack it, could he? So use a CD!

I'd love to see a jive to a rock'n'roll track and a foxtrot to a 1930's gem.

Yeah, OK, I'll dream on and wait for another lousy tango to Queen and samba danced to an Ibiza holiday nasty pop hit

^^This. I generally loathe the innappropriate music and I think it explains why we get so many salsambas.


Hiya, soupy! *waves* Love the idea of Big Band Week - we would at least get appropriate music for the ballroom dances.



Sorry to cut your post, sofa. I agree with you both about this and don't think that something like Personal Story Week would work AT ALL in the UK. I think it's a US citizenship test or something that you have to be able to demonstrate mawkish sentimentality.

I mostly love Strictly just the way it is, to be honest, and don't want to see too many new gimmicks à la Dancing On Ice. I gave up watching DOI this last series because of all the desperate measures they introduced to try to drum up the waning interest of the GBP. And, IMO, theme weeks are just a tad too gimmicky.

I love that list!