Everyone is saying her foxtrot looks great, but judging from the training videos she looks very wobbly and loose. I really want Sophie to be good but she just looks like she's no core strength. Anyone else agree?

I'm rooting for her though.

I like Sophie but I agree with you about her foxtrot, her frame looked loose and her legs rather wobbly. To be fair though, the ft is a really hard dance to get right, especially for the lady as the footwork - as you will know - can be weird!

I did think, as well, that her legs in last weeks' samba looked very weak, which surprised me after the fantastic Charleston of the week before.

Darcey was quite correct when she suggested (week 1) that a lower heel would be better, I can't remember who she said it to, but think it would apply to all the girls.

I feel the same way. You expect the dances to look a bit ropey at the start of the week but judging from the training clip on tonight's ITT, Sophie's Foxtrot doesn't seem to have progressed much as the week has worn on.

So true re: heels.
Abbey's jive would have had bounce(maybe) if her heels were lower. She couldn't get any flexibility in her ankles due to very high heels.
I love Sophie, my favorite at the moment, with her cool laid back attitude combined with hard work in the training room.
Hoping all the wobbles will be gone tonight

Loving Sophie. Liking her 10 times more than that Natalie woman.

good for you I am sure Natalie is not losing any sleep over it.

Ian Waite was complimentary about her being 'almost there' with her footwork technique. The foxtrot is difficult and to get it to a high standard in a week is a lot to do, looking forward to seeing it tonight. Great partnership between Sophie and Brendan!

The only training footage we've seen has been from Tuesday, so I'll reserve judgement.

Also, the clip shown during the Friday panel segment looked a lot worse (there was a mistake I think?) than the clips shown during Ian's training segment and Sophie's interview

Oh is that so? That's a relief. I do like this pair a lot and had high hopes for the Foxtrot but the training clips didn't fill me with much confidence. However, if they were all from Tuesday then I'm more optimistic.

Yes they were. Hopefully the BBC did that because Sophie's going to surprise us?

i think this dance could really suit her, and she's clearly a grafter, so i am looking forward to it.

Just looked at the most recent training videos.

Abbey, technically, is in much better shape.

Sophie has still not learned to 'pull up' and use her torso properly. She has not even found her axis She doesn't even stretch her legs and feet!

Why on earth is Brendan not dealing with this?

She looks like a floppy bunny. I like this girl but I am not seeing any improvement whatsoever.

There comes a time when being exquisite, having fabulous legs and being endearing is just not enough to hack it.

I hope there is some miraculous change by tonight.

I'm very hopeful for Sophie's foxtrot. The training clip that Ian showed seemed quite good to me. They both seemed quite relaxed on ITT so I don't think Brendan is worried.

she'd probably be a head taller than him if she did all that...

I think they have played a blunder on the Friday panel did anyone else notice that everyone elses footage was marked yesterday... However Brendan and sophies wobbly footwork... Was from Tuesday?? 2nd day of training no wonder looked shakeu in Thursdays one she looked fab wonder why it wasn't shown on Friday panel?

I think this is from tuesday Kat

It's the latest one on the SCD BBC site but thanks for the heads up SWRD.

Let's hope she got the teaching pointers she needed in the last 3 days, but she has a way to go.

I think the 1930s style of it all will suit her, but if I were teaching her I'd be working on her posture, legs and feet big time!

Let's see what Brenda (I always call him that) has managed to pull off. I hope his ego about showing off has not clouded his judgement about teaching properly.

Have never thought him a very effective teacher though.

Having to agree that Sophie must improve her posture and, in particular, get her left side picked up and extended.

Although I suspect it might not look much like a typical foxtrot. I'd like to see more feather, three steps etc. in the Strictly routines since they are danced both at beginner and top professional levels, but because they are difficult steps to do well, the Strictly pros tend to fudge it by putting in lots of other flashy, showbizzy stuff.

You teach ballroom then do you?

Yes, I did - with the same US dance studios where many of the SCD non-Brit pros have taught - Arthur Murray.

Also trained as a dancer myself from the age of 5 and studied classical ballet, flamenco, jazz, Latin Amercian, ballroom and now, Argentine tango. The latter, however, I do not teach. I simply dance it.

No such thing as simply with the AT hun.

How long did you teach for?

Great to hear insight from an actual ballroom teacher!

As usual, I agree. tough I have no experience whatsoever about this unlike you. But I makes me trust my instincts more!

I love Sophie, but I wish she was with another pro. I never quite had an opinion on him as he never had been paired up with anyone that I liked so far. To me, he seems to fake their partners ability to dance well. (With Lisa, he slowed everything so she could appear to be a better dancer than she was.)
It looks to me that there is no teaching of the inner side. Little control.

But as I say, I know nothing!

Also, if that is true that is Tuesday training and everyone else's is Thursday, is not fair at all on the other people. Talk about setting her for "WOW, what an improvement".

Everything I know about dancing I know from Kat, not a huge amount but her opinion is always valuable.

I totally agree with everything you say. I always feel like he teaches as little as he can get away with and like Ola, he has signature moves that he always uses whether they suit the celeb or not. Those samba rolls were ugly imo.

I like Sophie as a person but I haven't enjoyed her dancing or their partnership so far. She needs help coming out of her shell and I don't know if he's the right pro for it. I think she might have been better with Pasha.

But you're right about the faking it. I think Brendan teaches them a routine and not the basics of the dance. I don't know if the celeb would be able to describe what a waltz or a cha cha should be. But do any of the pros teach the basics anymore? I know Erin did.