I absolutely agree - what is often described as 'great style' is really a side effect of great technique.

Your fabulous description of the physics of AT really makes me want to try it, however, I don't have the time to do it justice, which is the trouble with SCD really. No one is going to nail the proper techniques for 14 dances in 3 months.

I'm still going to investigate what AT is on offer locally, even knowing that I won't be able to time commit, because I'm certain that the physics of it will bring new understanding to my general lead and follow. Plus, I like the music

Thank you SO much for this very interesting insight into what an AT should be. I've watched loads of them on YouTube and seen Brazilian old age pensioners dancing it with more passion than Sophie and Brendan managed. Nor did they connect in that lovely A frame way that you describe.

I was really disappointed.

Also, there was a distinct whiff of Bacofoil about the way Brendan lifted and placed Sophie. I started getting flashbacks...

Really interesting post on the technique - thank you!

imho two of the greatest from Buenos Aires - not one lift

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL9scCF6F1E

Stunningly beautiful. And no dressing like a desperate hooker either (not that Sophie looked like that I hasten to add, but it is a look Wardrobe favour for the AT).

Ooh, thankyou darnelle. I really enjoyed watching that; was completely lost in it.

I always think authentic AT is very erotic, possibly because there seems to be such an intense emotional connection between the couple.

Oh wow. That is fabulous.
It loos so organic.
Think that was my main problem with Sophe and Brendan's it looked choreographed - and not only that it looked like a series of moves had been decided on and then were just linked toghether any old how.

to be fair to Sophie and brendan they are not AT dancers .

It takes a very long time to be able to dance like Javier Rodriguez and Geraldine Rojas - i am happy you enjoyed the tango I posted - it is beautiful when danced correctly and authentically and I wanted to share it because it is so lovely .

My fav part [among many] is at the very end when they do not break contact for a couple of seconds because they are lost in the dance even although it is over...

one of the beginning teaching techniques in Argentina is to just stand at the beginning forehead to forehead [as they dance in the clip] to get a feeling for your partner.....

This series more than any other has emphasised the personality, the role.

That, I believe, is greatly to the detriment of the dancing. The movement doesn't come from selecting the right facial expression! Let your feet do the talking. Technically the series has been poor. There has been little progress made, little improvement.

Feet, ankles, knees, hips and upwards. Gurning isn't enough.

Sophie's legs are like a child's. Weak.

It's a small thing I know, but the chair annoyed me and her sitting on it just once in the routine (or having any other interaction with it) would have been enough for me.

With the lifts, Sophie's landing of them and more the transition to the next standing step/move from them didn't seem very assured, which was a shame. The pauses sometimes after being put down fom a lift (where she was just still and holding herself really hard) to the next connecting step seemed abit awkward to me as well, but that's just my take.

I liked the music and thought that it's sort of punchy beat might get Sophie in a more intentful (dancing) mood, but again she was abit low on that counter, overall. However, keeping in mind that Brendan is no Pro at this particular disciple himself, the attempt by both in terms of the steps and stylilisation, was ok enough. Don't think it's the worst A.Tango we've seen.

I've just watched the A.Tango by Vincent and Rachel and that's the extent of fast intricate footwork and covering of the floor that I like (aside from the nice lifts), and would have loved to have seen in this routine. But again, I understand the circumstances of Brendan trying to create what he can. As for Sophie, she needs to get an acting coach in because, while might think she's trying to put more performance into the dance , it's not translating outside of her body or showing on her face enough. If anything she needs to over-do the facial expression because subtely just won't show enough. I know she'll feel bufoony for doing so, but that's how blatant she needs to be (since it's not coming, or at least showing, from her naturally).

yes she does look like a Mannequin because she doesn't do the Tan/Spray tan Prefer her Mannequin look to her looking like an Umpa Loompa!

Perfect example darnelle - two of the greatest indeed. Geradine is my ultimate goddess of tango and the one whose style I hope to emulate.

Utter perfection

interesting comments, and as i said earlier on the thread i think this was not a great dance, but an improvement on sophie's other recent efforts. i

do think though, that holding contestants to pure technique / form is a loser as they don't really learn these dances, any of them, they learn to give a convincing impression, and i think she did enough for that. if we're going to be 'strict' about technique and form, then we'd have to also hold natalie's almost entirely out of hold VW to a similar standard.

We spent a hell of a lot of hours just walking, to every kind of music, from Canaro to Pugliese, Vals to Milonga, in order to understand why the AT walk was not like any other

I love the other exercise of dancing chest to chest - no arms - to understand the connection and the lead.

That's where I have to disagree, I'm afraid.

It think the AT looked liked a series of staged moves linked together any old how. I don't think Sophie stood a chance because Brendan doesn't 'get' the AT either. So she was being taught by someone who wasn't best placed, maybe.

My personal preference would have been for less staged big 'events' in favour of a more organic appearing dance, which is why I prefer Natalie's VW.

Wasn't there a pro on Dancing with the Stars who did the AT on there, fell in love with it and took herself to learn it properly? That's what I'd like to see from our Pros

geraldine has never had a partner like Javier since they split - her feet are so fabulous and her control out of this world - a very very good and excellent dancer to have as a level to aspire to good luck with it Sofakat- have you been to Argentina?

i think sophie's faults were her usual ones - being a bit unstable, and not really understanding anything about transitions. i don't think that was particular to this style, she's been like that in every dance she's done.

the routine was not a genuine AT routine, few of them are for the reasons given earlier. but i can imagine a different celeb - say abby or even susannah - given the same routine would have made more of an acceptable impression of an AT out of what they were given, and i don't think we can really hope for much more than that out of a week's training and a non specialist pro.

See I didn't like that either. It was clean, technical, flawlessly executed, but totally devoid of emotion. Vincent looked as though he was dancing with a very beautiful, china faced automaton. Sophie has exactly the same issue.

its like cabaret dancing

That was absolutely sizzling. Thank you.

spread the word!!!!

I thought the AT choreography was very good and I was impressed with Brendan's interpretation. What really let this dance down was Sophie. I thought she has learnt the routine very well but she didn't 'sell' it. I didn't believe it. It felt like dancing by numbers.
There was absolutely no emotion in her face, in her expression. I didn't believe it and therefore it fell flat. It's such a shame because visually I found it interesting to watch if only they could sell it more they may well have got higher scores.
I know Brendan was disappointed but it seemed like sour grapes when he seems narked by the marks they received. He needs to look at the dance again and then he'd realise why it wasn't quite right.

Beautiful. Thanks for posting.

My thoughts exactly.I totally agree

Many thanks to Diamond Betty and An Thropologist for their clear and comprehensive remarks on the AT - brilliant!

I've been wondering whether Sophie has a faulty strategy for memorising the sequences - this is why she is expressionless (preoccupied with trying to recall the next steps), and her movement is stop-and-go. She may remember the dance more as a series of stills than as a video. .

She certainly had plenty of facial expression during the judge's comments - I was a little afraid that she was going to faint!