I've been trying to work out why I haven't really got a favourite yet this year, and I think it is because none of the dances have really wowed me yet this year. In previous years, there has often been one dance that really made me sit up and take notice of someone, but I just haven't had that this year. Yes, there have been good dances, but the closest I have come to a 'wow' this series was Michael's quickstep, and that was probably mainly due to the car crash of his previous two dances

In series 5, it was Alesha's Cha Cha that really made me take notice of her, in series 7 Ricky's Quickstep had me hooked and last year it was Chelsee's quickstep that really brought her to my attention ( I clearly have a thing for the quickstep!)

So, which dances really made you take notice of previous contestants? Maybe not the highest scoring, but the ones that made you sit up and go 'ooh, that was great'.

Chelsee's Airline quickstep.

Loved the story, the speed, the complexity of steps.

And an amazingly cute outfit and hat !

Ramps' AT (obvious, I know!)
Alesha's Cha Cha & Quickstep
Kelly Brooks' American Smooth (illegal lift and all...I was with Bruno on that one)
Lisa Snowdon's Viennese Waltz (even though I wanted Tom to win from a reasonably early stage and loved his showdance, Lisa's VW was the dance of the pre-final series for me)
Chris Hollins' Charleston (obvious again)
Matt Baker's Tangtrot to Plan B (loved the amosphere they created)
Kara's Charleston (most under-scored dance in SCD history, IMO)

Scott Maslen's jive - really cool, great music. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYQv6cj3phM

To me he looked like he had a chance of winning - but he completely lost steam.

I think I must have a weird definition of a 'wow' dance compared to some others here - I'm one of the few who hated Scott's Jive and thought Chelsee's Quickstep was average

My choices would be:

Alesha's Waltz and Jive
Ramps' Salsa
Chris' Charleston
Ricky's Quickstep
Kara's Paso and AT
Harry's AT and Quickstep
Matt Baker's Samba
Pamela's Waltz
Cherie's Rumba and Foxtrot
Rachel's Rumba
Austin's Jive

First time I got really, really hooked to Strictly was series 5. I'd watched before but I was always cut off. But in S5 early on Alesha's foxtrot wooed me, although I'd already fallen for her and Matt's partnership. But that dance made me fall for her as a dancer.

Next dance that got me was Tom's showdance. Up until then in series 6, I'd swayed between Lisa, Rachel and Tom all series. None were sublime, but all were quite good. Then Tom did that showdance and I wanted him to win. Of course, unfortunately for him it was past the point of being able to vote for him lol.

Next time I got engaged was series 8 and yet another foxtrot. Kara's foxtrot. I think it was week two or three, and it just blew me away. I still can't believe people don't talk about it as a fantastic dance. It was a real foxtrot. Beautiful.

This year, Dani's tango is the only dance I have wanted to watch again. It wasn't perfect but it was the first feeling I got of 'wow, actual dancing!' so far this year.

Thank you.

This is quite possibly my favourite along with Ramps' AT. I felt sorry for Scott, he was working 17 hours a day on EE at one point and then had to learn two dances. The weight fell off him and he looked really ill at one point. Maybe he didn't realise he'd go so far!

I think the two that I've loved this year are Lisa's Cha Cha- surprise element- and Michael's quickstep and his face when Craig gave him an 8!

O my goodness, where to begin?

Series 1: Didn't watch

Series 2: Didn't watch, but remembered Denise' QS and Jill's jive from youtube

Series 3: Didn't watch, but from youtube, I liked Zoe's Tango and Colin's Quickstep

Series 4: Louisa's Jive, Mark's Salsa and AT

Series 5: So many, but if forced to choose, then Matt DA's Salsa, Waltz and Showdance, Alesha's Cha-Cha and Waltz, and Gethin's Waltz

Series 6: Austin's Jive, Lisa's VW, Rachel's Rumba, Tom's Showdance

Series 7: Slim pickings: but if forced, then Ali's VW, Ricky's Cha-Cha (despite his bow leggedness which was obvious in that dance, he's the only male-celeb cha-cha I could fondly remember)

Series 8: Matt's Charleston (I know!), Scott's Jive, most of Kara's dances, but if forced to choose, her Rumba (despite not liking the music much)

Series 9: Chelsee's Jive, Rumba and Quickstep, Harry's Quickstep

Series 10: (So far), Denise' Jive, and getting close but not quite wow dances: Dani's Tango, Louis' Mambosalsa

For me it was Series 4 with Ramps and Karen and their amazing salsa that really drew me in, I was completely hooked from that series on. I loved their Viennese Waltz too when Karen wore a gorgeous Channel styled dress. As for his AT and show dance fabulous!

Having said that my all time favourite series has to be Series 5 with Gethin Jones! His and Camilla's waltz is my all time favourite Strictly magic dance! IMO It was a travesty they didn't get to the final.

Series 6 and 7 did nothing for me, neither did the winners, but I thought Kara and Artem were amazing in Series 8 and Harry and Aliona were equally fantastic last year, as were Chelsee and Pasha! This year no one stands out as an overall winner yet !

Series 4 - Ola's CCC
Series 5 - Matt d'A's Salsa and Alesha's CCC
Series 6 - Rachel's Tango, Rumba and AT
Series 8 - Matt's AS

Series three - Zoe's tango, Colin's AS and QS, I really liked James's paso at the time (but I wouldn't say standout now) and have caught up with the tango on You Tube (harbringer of Tom's showdance - a reminder that Camelia's kookiness could produce some really inventive stuff)

Series four - Ramps salsa and AT are givens here but I also loved the tango and VW - Karen's dress still rules the costumes, a year of great tangos - Louisa's, Emma's (the one thing about her work that did blow me away), Peter Schmicheal's was entertaining too, Louisa's jive whcih I still actually rate more than Jill's and in retrospect her paso was none too shabby either.

Series five - Kelly's AS (I can understand Bruno if not condone him here - and it showed the best of Brendan - a wonderful routinue so great he used for Lisa the next year and the worse - the showboating illegal lift it didn't need and her VW, both Gethin's waltzs - Vienesse and straight, a lot of great salsas - his, Matt DA's, Barnsey's, Alesha's (which wasn't rated that highly but I loved). Matt DA's QS, Alesha's FT (which I actually prefered to the waltz although that's pretty great too) - the whole damn finale - a treat from start to finish.

Series six - Austin's jive, JS's paso (for all the wrong reasons but still), a great year for rhumbas - two slices of pure class from Rachel and Cherie, Austin's paso - yes a tad stagecraft over content but seeing it murdered by others over the years has made me realised how difficult the stagecraft actually is, Austin's tango (the tour version was pretty amazing certainly), Lisa's VW (even if it's just for the gorgeous dress), Rachel's AT (all the best ATs done to non-trad music - suck on that purists - yes some music shouldn't be allowed near certain dances but non-trad doesn't have to be non-dancable) , Tom's AS, FT and showdance.

Series seven - tricky but probably Ricky W's QS, Zoe's rhumba, Ali's VW and Charleston, Chris's charleston and FT, Jade's QS and yes it was over-hyped but the tango that never made it to competition, non too shaby AT's from the finalists either.

Series eight - Matt B and Kara's charlestons, Pam's AS, Matt B's tango (great use of the music to start slow and speed up - Ailona's bonkers chereography yielding gold), Scott's jive (the best use of a prop ever by a pro being utterly unselfish and using it to show off their celeb partner) and VW (sometimes theme nights do yield gold), Kara's FT, AS (sorry Len but whatever it was it was awesome) and the routinue on film night with the chair.

Series nine - Jason's tango (camper than a row of pink fluffy tents which ought not to have worked in a tango but did brilliantly), QS and showdance (the first good one since Tom's), Chelsee's QS and jive, Harry's QS and AT - the waltz was pretty good too even with the gratitious smacker, Holly's paso.

The best quickstep and foxtrot:

Chelsee Healy - The Quickstep
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4BCaj1XWrY

Lisa and Brendan's Foxtrot - Strictly Come Dancing 2008 Round 11 - BBC One
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M1E4APLIUo

Series 8: Kara's Cha Cha Cha - Even though she fell over I was still excited enough by the rest of her footwork to think "Wow, this girl can really dance!". That was reinforced by her Foxtrot the following week (a true Wow dance) and thereafter all her dances were Wow dances for me, apart from her Quickstep (the music didn't help), Jive, Showdance and Waltz.

Scott Maslen's Quickstep (his first Wow dance), Viennese Waltz and Jive.

Series 9: Chelsee's Quickstep (week 3) - the first Wow dance of the series but her only dance that truly wowed me.

Harry didn't wow me until his Argentine Tango and then did so again with his Quickstep and Viennese Waltz.

Holly's American Smooth (more for the Choreography) and Paso.

Series 10: Denise's Jive has been the only real Wow dance for me so far.

Michael's Quickstep certainly blew me away but again like the OP much of that was because of how unexpected it was given how bad he'd been the previous two weeks.

But that's the point - what 'wows' one person won't wow someone else. Often the judges rave about a dance and I think, meh, it was ok but nothing special. We all have different tastes after all

Same here. I still love watching that dance. He and Nat were amazing in that. All legs. Disappointing that he looked increasingly ill after that and didn't make the final.

Oh I forgot Gethin's Salsa where he finally learned to perform!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0qkoqHAZ7w

The only sound apart from the TV in Loon Towers that night was the sound of my jaw hitting the floor. I thought he'd had a cosh to the head before he went on. That acting coach was amazing

This year I so far I loved Louis and Flavia's tango, dancing on the Halloween night.

Chris Hollins Charleston
Zoe Balls Tango
Scott Maslens Jive
Matt DA's Salsa
Harrys AT and then his QS
Chelsas QS

Scott Maslen's Jive and Tango
Chelsee's Quickstep
Rachel's Rumba , Quickstep, Tango
Dani's Tango
Louis's Tango
Denise's Jive
Pamela's Waltz
Kara's AS, AT,

From Youtube:

Ramps Salsa (original with the mic incident) Samba and AT (Got me hooked!)

Alesha Tango (still get shivers when Matt grabs her!) and AT

Gethin Jive

Started watching:

Series 6 - Austin - Jive, Paso, Tango and ChaChaCha. Tom - Smooth, Quickstep, Foxtrot and that Showdance! (Addiction was complete!)

Series 7 - Cola's Foxtrot, Jade's Jive (Blackpool) Cola's Charleston and Showdance.

Series 8 - Scott and Natalie from their first raunchy Waltz, LOVED the Jungle Book Quickstep, mesmerised by their Tango and VW (the only one I've liked), the Dr No Paso and that Jive that had me ON MY FEET (a la Brucie ). Was SO disappointed when work took its toll on Scott and we never saw his Foxtrot or Smooth done to his full ability and Natalie's exceptional choreography. Kara - Paso and Smooth

Series 9 - Jason - ChaChaCha, Tango, Bewitched Quickstep, AT (controversial ) and Showman Showdance. Chelsee - Jive and Quickstep.

This year - No 'wow' yet but special mentions for Dani (Foxtrot, Jive and Tango), Michael (Quickstep and Smooth) Louis (Tango) and Nicky (Foxtrot and Jive)

Jill and Darren's Jive
Mark and Karen's Salsa
Matt and Flavia's Salsa/AS
Rachel and Vincent's AT
Tom and Camilla's Showdance
Ricky and Natalie's quickstep
Kara and Artem's AS/Rumba/Paso
Holly and Artem's AS (more for the choreography)

There are many dances I have enjoyed over the years but the real WOW ones are the ones I watch again from time to time on Youtube years after.

Jill and Darren's jive
Zoe and Ian's tango
Mark and Karen's salsa and AT
Matt and Flavia's waltz
Austin and Erin's waltz, jive and paso
Lisa and Brendan's showdance (wow for very different reasons but I still watch it!)
Jason and Kristina's tango
Chelsee and Pasha's QS

You can see, it's not often the winners who do it for me in the long haul!

Everything that Kara & Artem did (on the dance floor I mean )
Scott & Natalie's Jive
Mark & Karen's Salsa
Matt & Flavia's Salsa
Ali & Brian's American Smooth's (both)
Harry & Aliona's AT and Quickstep
Zoe & Ian's Tango and Samba
Jill & Darren's Jive
Ricky & Natalie's Quickstep

There are more, but these are the dances that have really made me emotional with 'wow' factor (I know that sounds ridiculous ):

Mark and Karen Salsa
Rachel and Vincent Argentine Tango
Tom and Camilla Showdance
Ricky and Natalie Argentine Tango
Scott and Natalie Jive
Michael and Natalie Quickstep (as much for the shock factor)

There are probably other dances that I prefer on rewatch, but these were the ones that gave me that immediate impact when they were shown live.