I'm trying to remember who it was Len warned about the use of lifts the other week. I didn't think it was Harry and Aliona?

Things are a bit murky with the waltz and Tango because they were out of hold so long....but I do not believe that had Aliona not done that and given him less choreography the week off the waltz we would have seen the high standard we saw last night particularly that brilliant sway.
I think she chose to make time to teach him it somehow and she did. It was a risk but an important one which seems to have paid off.
The Tango I was annoyed about but that was one routine out of 9 weeks worth so I'll forgive her

Fair enough But if she wasn't penalised, I wouldn't count it as rule-breaking - Artem and Kara were punished by Len for their AS being too out of hold, although the other judges didn't punish, which makes the rules on being in hold very murky. Personally I doubt there are any strict rules on being in hold anymore...

They were penalised by Len on both occasions. Len marked them down from a 10 to a 7 for their Waltz.
There are rules still but the judges seem to ignore them and adhere to them as they please as do the dancers

Ah ok, I think I must have missed their waltz, sorry!

If the judges ignore the rules half the time I wouldn't blame any pro for ignoring them too, much as I prefer to see proper dancing. It has to be a fair playing field, so they really need to decide what the rules are and stick to them. It wasn't difficult in previous series, so the judges suddenly failing to know the rules is causing so many problems. I think it's easier just to think that rules about hold don't exist anymore if they're not going to be uniformly applied.

Len said it afterJjason and Kristina had danced last at Wembley.

He did point out that there was a lift in the Jive, but he was really just addressing it to all the pro dancers.

Last year and this year they seem to be allowed as long a lead in at the start or long finish to the dance out of hold as they want. I dont know what the record is, but Ann Widdicombe was fairly slow on the crane and getting unshackled after it.
The 10 seconds out of hold rule only applies after they have taken hold and until they go back into hold.

It was after Jason and Kristina had used lifts in their JIve. Len then made is 'no more' lifts comment.

I think teeswolf was being sarcastic lol

Loved Harry and Aliona's QS this week. Brilliant work and I almost cheered at their 10s, but agree with others who wished that Craig had given them 10 too! Come on Craig - that dance blew everyone else out of the water!

I think the 17 seconds of actual jive content in their jive was what got my goat. Erm, there would have to be a bit of rule-breaking in that, wouldn't there?

Hiya Mystic! The rules of the dances haven't change though. Salsa is not a 10 dance, so there is no reason why a lift would break the rules and there was never a 'no props' rule as such, props just crept in slowly. As far as I'm concerned the rules are broken when for example, a dance like the Waltz has a bit of faffing in the middle because the Waltz should be danced in hold from start to finish. I'm not saying there can't be faffing at the beginning and at the end, just that when they get in hold, they should be in hold until they finish off the routine (which could be with a little bit if fafff.

Well it went right over my head! My point is though that Kristina including an illegal lift was not normal and smacked of 'if you can't beat them join them or you'll be out of the show'. Plus Len's warning was to all the pros, not aimed directly at Kristina.

Yes, I had problems with the jive, in particular, but I do think that Aliona's choreography has definitely improved tremendously in the last few dances, and so I'm inclined to let what has happened previously go, and assume it was something she had to do to get Harry through the previous rounds whlist he established himself. I thought it was a very good quickstep (alhough have seen some better ones from Ricky and Colin)

Lifts bother me a lot less than faffing about.

I agree about lifts and the lift (or assisted jump) at the start of Holly and Artem's QS didn't bother me because they had not taken up hold.

Tbh if Aliona keeps up last night's standard of choreography, I think Harry will be the one to beat.

I hope she does too because a Harry, Chelsee and Jason final would be worth watching.

It annoys me because I like dances to be proper dances, but clearly it's not against the rules or Aliona would have been told in private not to do it. Theme weeks seem to be all about spectacle and nothing about dance, probably why I hate them so much!



I think that's my problem with these rules in general - why should we condone/put up with faffing about at the start and the end but not in the middle? It works out at the same percentage of the dance being faffing around no matter when you do it, and I don't think just saying that if it's in the middle it breaks up the routine is a good enough reason for deriding it but being ok with faffing at the start and end - that takes away time that could have been routine as well.

Either no faffing about at all, the minimal amount we had back in the glory days was fine, and everyone seemed to know the limits then, or allow faffing about whenever. Just because it's used at the start/end doesn't make it any less faffing than when it's used in the middle, so I don't think a pro should be more derided for using it in the middle than at the start/end - they're all equally guilty.

Len said he would start deducting points at Wembley after Kristina and Jason performed their jive with 3 lifts in it - is that the moment you were thinking of?

It was a very good Quickstep. After Harry and Alionas QS and AT I think we are seeing a favourite to win the competition emerging...

Gorgeous QS and possibly the best dance of the series so far for me (with their waltz coming a close second) - Harry had such beautiful sway and musicality throughout the routine, and Aliona's choreography was outstanding.

There was a calm, smooth elegance about it - and I do feel that if Harry had smiled a bit more broadly, it would have communicated the pure joy that a truly great QS conveys (I'm thinking of Tom Chambers here - such a joyful dancer). Perhaps Craig would have been moved to give it a 10. But then again I'd rather have Harry's natural calmness than Jason's cheesy fixed grins.