This is really a question for all those dance aficionados out there. I must say that before SCD I couldn't name more than a couple of lTin or ballroom dances. I had never heard of the Argentine Tango and I've completely fallen in love with it. but are there any other dances that SCD could introduce?

Mama do the hump??



Think I'd trade-in rhumba for contemporary.
I find rhumba a bit cringe.

Love the AT too. Wonderful to watch.

I rather partial to Lambada and there are one or two other Brazilian vernacular styles they could try. I have heard various names and to my uninitiated eye the dance looks pretty much the same dance so I am not sure what name to apply, so I will go with Zouk and no doubt someone will straighted it out.

From Dominican Republic they could try the Bachata. Some of my friends from Central America call this Bolero.

Then there is Son which is a slow Cuban dance that fed into the mix with Cha Cha etc to become salsa.

These are not Latin in the sense of Ballroom and Latin but more dances that have either been crazes or are danced by real people at family occasions, fiestas etc.

the formal ballroom and latin dances (those used in comps etc ) Ballroom :waltz, V Waltz, quickstep, tango and foxtrot. Latin : Cha, Paso, samba, jive and rumba

Argentine Tango was at one time part of the latin section at comps but that was changed many years ago - there are no other formal mod /latin dances

Only one probvlem with that is that the most of the dancers are trained and qualified in Ballroom and latin so would not know these dances and as the pro they should - is ok with Argentine tango as it is similar to tango and they can seek help and charleston is the forerunner of quickstep so they share the same root etc just because dances are from Latin America does not mean the dancers know them

The Lambada and Bachata might have to be broadcast after 9pm. I love them both.

Bachata - "Stand By Me"

http://youtu.be/Wnz6YzmjTzI

"Chorando Se Foi" is probably the best known Lambada song - I remember it from the late 1980's . Jennifer Lopez covered it as "On The Floor"

http://youtu.be/XJ2K2H9P-kA

The established 10 dances (Waltz, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango and Quickstep in ballroom: Cha-cha, Jive, Samba, Rumba and Paso Doble in Latin) have been augmented in Strictly with Argentine Tango, Charleston and Salsa. They have also thrown in Swing (the mess that was the Swingathon in Series 8 and repeated in series 9). Arguably, Strictly also invented entirely new dances for the 'fusion' dances in Series 10.

The suggestions so far have been for variations of Latin dancing, to which I'd add the Mambo, which is regularly danced on Dancing With The Stars (the US version of Strictly). Frankly, I don't think we need any more Latin dances in the line-up. There is already a propensity for them to blend into one another, so that we have salsambas, salsambchas, and other variations, such that I'm still not entirely sure what the difference is between a salsa and a samba...

If they wanted to add any more variety, I think they'd have to look even further outside the box to contemporary, jazz or tap dancing - I'd personally hate that, but others might like it. *shrugs*

I think the inclusion of the Hokey Cokey could see Dave at his best.

adding contemporary, jazz etc would be awful it is not good on DWTS this is strictly come dancing and does not need other styles if so they would have to look at the pros I mean Anton can barely dance latin imagine him attempting contemporary or jazz

I know!!

I doubt it. He couldn't manage the Conga. I think he would struggle with Birdy Song, Oops upside and Macarena too.

A Samba is a travelling dance around the floor, whereas the Salsa is much more static, and can be danced in the same place. Samba is more similar to Cha Cha in style - apart from the travelling around the floor - proper Salsa consists of more dancing in hold, on the spot, rhythmically, with alot more complicated armography twisting round. It's much more loose in terms of set moves, steps and patterns, whereas the 10 dances that make up competition dancesport have specific steps and figures that must be performed for it to be recognized and scored as that particular dance. You can only improvise so far.
I think probably one of the best ever Salsas on Strictly was danced by Ali Bastian and Brian Fortuna. That really was a complicated Salsa, with very difficult armography, in the true spirit of a proper Salsa. If the pros actually choreographed the dances properly, you wouldn't have any problems distinguishing the dances at all, I'm sure. But then ofcourse it depends what the celeb can manage to learn and do in a few days, and how dance savvy they are to begin with. I always remember being astonished that lovely Hanna Harala's partner, an actor from Casualty at the time, kept calling the Viennese Waltz the "Vietnamese Waltz"! Surely if you're appearing on a learn to dance show you would at least check out or have some clue about the basics, but no, it seems that some celebs just turn up clueless. So really, the pros mostly do an incredible job to get a performance out of them week after week.

Going back to that great series Strictly Dance Fever (still miss it ) they could introduce the Landleur (a kind of Folkdance in Waltz time) or the Milonga (but may be far too complicated for all but the most talented of celebs) it's a kind of very slinky, sultry slow Tango. Or how about the Hustle? Minus the complicated Lifts which would be too dangerous, I think the Hustle, a rhythmical, hand held, Disco dance in a softer, less frantic style, might be one to consider introducing on Strictly.

Or, as it's Rememberence Sunday tomorrow, how about some Old Tyme Dancing, and the Military Two-Step? Used to be on the original Come Dancing. Do they still dance Old Tyme in comps nowadays? At least it would be achievable for the celebs, and Dave Arch and his Orchestra could play some Old Tyme Marches.

You can add to that Charleston too! Seeing how Fiona totally out-Charlstoned him last weekend.

I like your suggestion of the Mambo but I'd like to have that in place of the Rumba, which I dislike intensely.

I think people are getting a bit carried away here by suggesting lots of latin american dances which they enjoy immensely (and I understand that) but which will look similar to a non-discerning eye.

At the moment the show doesn't even give the dances that are included full justice. I feel frustrated by the fact that people watching Strictly will see the foxtrot as a boring dull dance, based on the performances we see on the show (and yes I mean the professionals too!), the waltz as rather soppy, the cha cha as a disco like light dance, and the salsa and samba as indistinguishable. And as for the VW, words fail me! Not my favourite dance at all, but 100 times more powerful when danced properly. I miss the days when we sometimes had a guest professional couple who would demonstrate how each dance should be done.

If we have to have new dances, they should have a distinct flavour. However I wouldn't want to see disco or jazz as that would be getting very showbizzy and into some celebs' comfort zone. Indian classical is an interesting form of dance but I imagine most celebs would look ridiculous/out of place attempting it. So we're left with Morris dancing (no not really!)

I think the show could do with a new twist. Required elements or something like that. However not new dances.

DWTS have featured quite a few dances that we've never used:

Mambo
Jazz
Disco
Contemporary
Lindy Hop
West Coast Swing
Lambada
Bolero
Jitterbug
Hip-Hop
Bhangra (in the All Star Series)
Two-Step

I really don't think any of those would add to the competition, aside from Mambo and Contemporary (which, in reality, is just a Rumba with added electrolysis moves)

The Milonga is an extra fast (not slow) Argentine tango. Vincent and Flavia once did it as a demonstration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ2wxrBroc8

I believe the Conga is a proper Latin American dance, not a drunken lark. I think I remember Popeye and Olive doing it in a 1930's cartoon. Here it is on DWTS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7tU7Q9HM6w

The humppa is a very jolly Finnish dance, looking like a mixture of polka and samba, but actually a variant of the foxtrot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rI_4FOJEx8
The lady in the long pink dress dancing with the blonde lady is a national Finnish Tango champion.

Well James is a samba dodger. Does that count.

Never seen them doing any Old TIme/Sequence dancing - two steps, saunters, veletas, gavottes; those sorts of dances.

These were still popular in the 1960's, and as somebody said were featured in the original Come Dancing. My partner Elsie and I (she was 62, I was 18) used to lead off the Quadrille as couple no 1 at the Ekco Old Time Club in Southend. I don't think anyone does it any more, although the Australians have updated it as New Vogue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1QwLrGDw_4

Thanks. I found their Vals

http://youtu.be/JN0jOGP-jhU

as I keep saying the pro dancers used on the show are qualified mainly in Ballroom and latin and are unlikely to have experience in many of the dances list so a line has to be drawnn- really can you imagine james or anton doing disco or hip hop

competitive dancers specialise as well so man will have experience of ballroom and latin but will specialse in one to compete Anton is an exception he started late and only did ballroom and Vincent and Flav were 10 dancers.

On DWTS alot of them are from stage backgrounds (Just the american way ) so they know jazz or tap etc - Mark Ballas, Derek and Julianne Hough did balltroom and latin with Shirley in London and competed here whilst they attended Italia Conte for education and jazz tap and ballet and singing

Yes old time was featured in the original series off Come Dancing but it has curtailed somewhat since those days .it is still done but is called sequence with the championships being held in classical (the really old style ) and modern sequence the more modern old time dances same problem as with other dances the pros will probably know an odd one or two of the dances (and that will probably only be say Ian or Anton )

In Sequence there are only the set steps that the dance in question has done in the same order etc so every dancer does exactly the same thing there is no variation of choreography so very difficult for a show like strictly

Bumped

There is an American dance called the Shag: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUGsLoZYXb4

Not sure if it's different enough from the Jive, but it would be worth introducing it if only to hear Tess ask Fiona if she enjoyed her shag with Anton.