Thank god someone else noticed. I can't remember the last time I saw a rumba so lacking in hip action - maybe Ann Widdecombe?

Who knew there was an opinion pecking order? I've been here 8 years and no-one bothered to tell me, how could you?

He did perform it OK IMO.

Bullshit. I don't know anything about your dancing credentials, but 90% of the men grasp that they have to at least attempt the hip action. Without it, it isn't a rumba.

I think you and Darcey should look at the screen shots from their rumba. There was a good connection.

Personally I don't think Nicky is a good dancer, not dire of course, but just not as natural as I'd have presumed woud be for someone from a musical background (that you'd think have a more natural groove in his moves). Having said that, I think he deserves more contrustive and less (frankly sometimes) wishy washy comments that the judges have been giving him at times. It must be very difficult for him to work with their feedback sometimes as there can be as little substance in their critique as can be sighted in his dancing. I also don't think he benifits much from having Karen as a Pro, because if a judge says they need more content (as Darcy and Craig both alluded to), then that's actually aimed at the Pro and not the celeb. Her dances for him have been forgetful at times, so, I don't know if she's showing off what he can do well (whatever that is), enough.

Happy to trade ballroom/latin experience - I didn't think it was a good technically; and that is important (as I'm sure you'll agree, even if we disagree as to whether this dance was technically ok).

He was hit-and-miss with the lines (but some of them were lovely) so I think he deserved more than Craig's 4. He also captured the "SCD" Rumba emotion and deserved his '7s' and would have loved him to have got '7s' across-the board - which would have taken him up to 5th (above Lisa; which I think would have been fair).

and what really annoys me is that all the pros train just as hard to achieve perfection in their chosen field they are not treated as gods and after all she only rode a bike......... very well I admit but hardley a GOD

just the reaction I expected!!!!!

I think you and Darcey should look at the screen shots from their rumba. There was a good connection.

Male celeb struggles in Rumba shock.

Nicky was better than some I've seen over the years. Karen did a good job.

Nicky isn't my favourite contestant and certainly isn't my favourite dancer but I do think the judges cosset certain celebrities and judge others harshly. I think Nicky deserves credit for massive improvement and for dancing a decent Rumba. The content of the dance wasn't great but I thought he, at least, acted the dance well. So many of the celebrities make the Rumba awkward to watch and Nicky did well to avoid that pitfall.

He can dance and has rythum you have to lay the blame firmly at his partners feet i`m afraid

Where has she ever claimed to be a God? Hugely overmarked, but HARDLY her fault.

Why?

Sometimes when the judges said there wasn't enough content, it's an euphemism to say the celeb lacks basic technique to be able to approximate the dance routine he/she are attempting.

Judges did give Nick some constructive comments, esp. about his bended knees and ballroom posture. And what did he say during ITT? "I thought my posture was alright!"

Totally agree. Plus she is second to last on the leaderboard anyway, above only Richard who forgot more than half his routine.

Karen knows her stuff she is a trained dancer (I used to compete against her way back when)!

He can boogie maybe (evidenced from the intro-VT when they first met on the show), but he has a lot of things need correcting, such as posture for ballroom and hip action for latin dances.

And those are only the basics.

Next he needs to sort out his heels and toes (i.e. footwork) for ballroom and lost that inhibition for his latin.

And there are more, but I shall stop here.

Karen has a tendency to talk with her ovaries just as much as I do.

Dance is NOT about poses only. It's about transitions, placement of limbs, body movements etc.. No, if you can get one screen shot (or two or three) and yet the overall impression is that they seemed disconnected, then you failed in that dance.

Heck, even Chris Hollin's (series 7, and I didn't even like him) dance was miles better than Nicky's.

We shall see if Karen Hardy will be this effusive this coming Tuesday.

agreed

I usually agree with you teeswolf *waves*

It is not bullshit!!!! a rhumba should frame the lady and the man should not do excessive over the top hip action the man should dance strongly by placing his feet firmly into the floor and thus by doing so create a natural hip movement ..... not a forced action which is why so few novice celebrites get this mainly strictly promoted myth.... watch the professionals on the show you dont notice the hip movements because it takes years of practice to to make them part of the routine Arlene was the one (not ballroom trained either) who kept going on and on about it