I used to be anoyed by the shouting and cheering whilst the dancers were performing, but have finally come to terms with that, but I cannot stand the clapping along to the music which seems to happen all the time now.

It distrats from the music,and often sets up its own rhythm different to what the dancers are actually dancing too
Anyone else feel this or is it just me?

I do agree with this. Xx

Me too.

You're not alone!

Very irritating for viewers and must make it so much harder for the dancers

The problem is exacerbated when the audience insist on clapping on the first beat of a 4/4 tune, when they should be clapping on the third.

It's better when the tune is in 3/4, then they haven't a clue when to clap.

Even worse are the endless and therefore meaningless standing ovations.

I've always hated the loud clapping along with the music. I often can't hear the beat so I don't know how the dancers hear it. It was lovely when Dani danced to Over the Rainbow because they couldn't clap to it.

On the 2nd and 4th beats to enliven motion with swing flavour,
not on the 1st and 3rd beats to reinforce a percussive march.
Upsetting nobody, this happens in world-class competitions where they are all musical people in the audience.

totally, totally totally agree and hate it because

a) it's ridiculous and doesn't add anything - instead it totally detracts
b) as has been mentioned above, is likely to throw the dancers off.. they'll have been used to practising to the music, not music-plus-off-tempo clapping - the professionals can probably cope fine because they're such naturals but it must be unsettling for the professionals
c) it's really annoying to have to listen to it at home

This too - I assume they're engineered by the floor staff.

its part and parcel of performing live and watching a live show - I don't see the issue with it.

Exactly right. It doesn't help matters when Brucie always says "They're on their feet!" all the time.:yawn:

Only if you are there ... certainly not at home, it's really annoying and off-putting. We may be watching as it's transmitted to our television, but we don't get the extra frisson of actually seeing it performed with all the associated atmosphere.

It's not the clapping along with the theme tune that's the problem, but the BBC broadcasting it. They could easily mute the sound of the clapping.

The standing ovations. Again this is not the problem but Bruce's insistance that they "look at this!"

The most annoying thing for me last night was Bruce announcing they were running out of time and therefore had to omit some of the critiques, yet always found time to tell all his 'jokes' and comment on whether the reaction was good or bad. He's also getting quite cranky these days if a joke bombs or he fluffs a line.

The clapping in time (or out of time) with the music is so irritating. I want to hear the music not a clapping track.

It almost sounds to me as if the clapping is pre-recorded or is a digital audio effects track.

Perhaps the production team should watch Dancing With The Stars and see how it should be done. At least there you can hear the music.

Actually the audience did clap during their dance too?

I wouldn't mind if they didn't clap like over excited toddlers at a birthday party

it's good that some of the couples just ignored him and either walked off or ran off before he could say more daft things, and then you see him mincing off into the darkness when the couples were up at Tesspit.

If it was more in time it wouldn't be so bad.
But, look, I get that people want to have fun so knock yourself out with the badly timed clapping.

Sorry about that,

I was having a laugh, (I don't do smilies)

That's why I mentioned clapping in 3/4 time in the same post.

Yes, you should always clap on the "off beat."

Strictly off beat means half beat, so audience shouldn't be clapping at the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th beat in a 4/4 number.

So, if it's a 4/4 number, and we divide each beat to two (half-beat), and then off beat means it's that half beat.

But I agree it's better, for an 4/4 piece, NOT to clap at the first beat, but the second one instead.

I think it was during Sid's dance last night...they were clapping the whole way through and did not seem in time, I thought it must have been very off putting for the dancers and it was quite annoying as a viewer.

That's why when counting in a band leader will count "One, two, One, two, three, four! With the emphasis on the "Two." ('cept Edmundo Ros who always led in with; "Three, four!" just to confuse you.

Those that do, their entertainment is just the clapping, for them it doesn't need to be in time.