So the new series is well and truly underway and we have had out first view of the celebrities so who in your opinion from the professional dancers is the best teacher ? Not the one you think is necessarily the best dancer or your favourite but who is the one who on past performance can drag a dancer put from the most unlikely candidate?
I think Ola is an excellent teacher and she seems to get moves from the celebrity that I would never think possible and from the male dancers Vincent always seems to coax out the inner dancer. Neither one of those are actually my personal favourites and sometimes they really annoy me but they both do seem to be able to get very unlikely celebs dancing (after a fashion in some cases but still far better than I would have expected)

Natalie. She always has been. Robin's pretty good too.

Ola, James and Anton are the worst.

Speaking as an ex dance teacher here

Natalie for me too. It's mainly her ballroom teaching (As my godmother said last night: "she could get a good Waltz out of a one legged chicken"), it's so amazing that I just can't not like it.

Another vote for Natalie. I was really impressed with some of the dances she managed to get out of Audley and her Waltz with Michael was very clever, and a lot better than I expected. (I loved her with Ricky and Scott too, but they had more natural talent.)

Natalie by miles

Natalie for me too, just love her. Again Michael danced better than I thought he would.

The wonderful thing about Natalie is her dry sense of humour and her down to earth, relaxed but focused approach. She teaches well and gives out praise generously.

She works out how each person learns (everyone is different) and works with them rather than against them.

Natalie also appears to be neurosis free, which is more than can be said about some others!

Natalie and Pasha

Natalie always seems to get the best from her celeb whether they've got natural talent or not.

Natalie is a wonderful teacher. I do so wish she was dancing with Colin

Natalie - took me a while to warm to her but I find her warm and funny now

Erin by a mile!

Natalie for me.

I actually think Robin is a good teacher. We havent seen the best of him as heis partners ahvent been the best technically, but he always takes his parters strengths into account and doesnt seem to be a bully. He has done well with Patsy, Anita and Lisa. He seems to create genuine friendships with them too but can make them bring out their best at the same time when he needs to.

I also think Pasha is a great teacher from what we've seen so far. Also got a good mix of freindship/mentor going on with his girls so far from what Ive seen.

I really dont like Erin or Natalie but they both seem to be good teachers.

Another vote for Natalie

Natalie and Robin for me, they both bring out the best in their partenrs and make them look good. Still early days for Pasha but he's a brilliant partner
The best choreographers are Natalie and Artem for sure.

I wouldn't vote for Artem quite yet, but if his partnership with Fern develops like it seems to be, then I think she could really improve and he did wonders getting lazy moo Holly as far as he did.

But I guess at the moment he's the best choreographer for me, rather than best teacher. He's brilliant at hiding the celeb's weaknesses when he choreographs.

I do think that Natalie does get every ounce of ability out of her partners but she loses points for me when she gets talented partners, she oozes desperation and wears them out. Poor Scott was running on empty by the end, not helped by his day job, of course.

agree on all of your votes Ola and James have been using their partners for how many seasons by now?
and Anton..well...I dunno, maybe if I just watch his feet his latin will look better to me? :yawn:

For me, Pasha. He's kind, energising and meticulous. Plus you'd get to see him every day. I think he's more driven than he lets on, which is ok. He doesn't drive his partners beyond what they can do but they do get a sense of direction.

I think some of them are good teachers, some of them are good partners, some of them are both and the rest are neither.

I would say the best all-rounders in terms of teaching and being a partner are Vincent, Ola, Aliona, Natalie and Pasha.

Flavia and Artem are quite good on the teaching front but need to work a bit at being a supportive partner.

I think Erin, Kristina, Robin and Brendan are good partners but not the best at teaching.

I'm not sure why James and Anton are still on the show. And Karen is an unknown quantity at this point.

Another vote for Natalie. Loved her with Ricky and Scott and now with Michial.

oops I meant using their partners as props

Definitely Erin: she works so wonderfully with talented and less-than-naturally-talented partners alike, and more often then not gets her partners further than anyone might have expected them to on first glance - Martin, Julian, Ricky, Peter, for example. She seems eternally patient, and never makes herself the centre of attention, and she seems to have really got on with every single one of her partners.

Robin and Pasha, too, seem to share that gracious, unselfish, patient and nurturing atittude towards their students. It's such a different skills being a great dancer to being a great teacher; the latter is always about putting your students first and understanding how to - and wanting to - truly communicate with them.

I think Erin gets the most out of all her students and teaches technique rather than just a routine. I think Vincent is a good teacher too.

snap, was gonna say the same thing her first series just didnt take to her though she was a miss know-all but now i really do like her