Are they allowed to have lifts in the Quickstep now? As it looked as though Natalie and Audley had one in theirs (if you look at the training, it looks to be what Aliona did with Rav on their first dance 2 years ago - the only thing that might stop it being a lift is that Natalie's foot and most of her bent leg is leaning on Audley).

Could someone clarify this for me please? If that is an illegal lift then I wonder why Ian didn't mention it...

Didn't she sort of lean into him and use his body to hang on to while she jumped sideways? If so, I think it would be judged an assisted jump rather than a lift, so is allowed.

I thought that might be the case, wasn't too sure though as it looked almost exactly the same as what Aliona did (and hers was termed a lift iirc)

Well spotted! I had to go back and watch that tango again because I'd forgotten the 'lift'. Very similar indeed. Was there a furore about it at the time? Because Aliona's move didn't look like a lift to me either, I must confess.

Len definitely said something to her about it and marked her down (she tried to claim it was a jump), not sure about the other judges - I thought they were doing a Waltz or Foxtrot though as it was her very first dance with Rav iirc.

I thought last year the producers tore the rule book up and you could break hold in the middle of the dance, put in lifts (with a crane in Ann's case) and use as many props as you could fit in.

There was never any official announcement of the new 'rules' and there seemed to be a bit of back-tracking part way through the year, so I dont know what 'rules' they are supposed to work to this year.

I noticed this and said straight away "Illegal lift!!" I remember Aliona getting marked down for it too... Wonder what the judges will say this time....

However IIRC in the first show I remember someone (can't remember who) recieved a comment from Craig about an illegal lift but he stated he wouldn't mark down as it was the first show - yes My darling Anton did 2 or 3 lifts and no one said anything....

One rule for one....
Last edited by Lolly_Du_Beke : 13-10-2011 at 09:49

It was a tango. Unfortunately, I can't find a version with the judges' comments, but Monkseal's blog talks about Len deducting a mark for a lift. The format in series 7 was that half the contestants danced either a waltz or a tango on Friday night, and a rumba or cha-cha on the Saturday night, with one couple being eliminated (Martina & Matthew, although it should have been Rav & Aliona IMO). In week 2, the other half of the contestants did the same dances over two nights, with Richard & Lilia going home.

I also found a poor quality vid of Rav & Aliona on ITT, where Aliona said she could understand why some people might think it was a lift, but she believed it was a jump. Maybe Rav 'assisted' the jump too much (?), so Audley would be advised to stand as still as a rock and let Natalie do her thing, then it shouldn't be deemed to be a lift. We'll see...

Yes, exactly. Len had a strop and put his foot dahn midway through, but only after there had been any number of 'bending of the rules'. I remember being infuriated by the criticism of Kara and Artem having an accidental foot off the floor in their VW and rumba in semi-final week, but they got away with a blatant lift in their paso in Halloween night, because that was before Len decided to get tough.

Call me a cynic, but I think they like the deliberate obfuscation, because it stirs up a bit of controversy and comment, all grist to the PR mill...

Ah!

"Obfuscation" a word I've used several times in posts for some of the practices of the BBC. They are past masters at it. No wonder there's individual examples of it on SCD.

Ah cheers for the correction - I only asked as I remember the lift and Aliona didn't seem to have a very tango-ish dress.

I believe that one was classed as a lift because she had to use his leg for leverage into the jump (therefore Natalie & Audleys would I think be an illegal lift).

There was another debate later in series 7 with Anton & Lailas Paso, but Anton argued that it was an assited jump and too my knowledge they weren't marked down for it. Craig said on ITT after this that the difference between a lift and a jump was that a lift involves one of them being in a position off the floor that would not be possible without a partner holding you there.