Anyone else been disappointed by the pro dances this series?
I don't think i've seen one yet that i want to see again

Yes, I was talking about this with my mum the other week, I don't think any of them so far this year have been spectacular although they're always performed well.

I find them underwhelming. The pros are not formation dancers but they're always asked to dance in formation. They are also asked to mix styles, putting latin steps to song like fame that needs free form athletic dancing. They also have to produce one new dance each week as well as their other duties so that can't help.

I agree. I just watched the Rebel Yeah jive and omg nothing has compared to that since.

They're not up to usual standard, they feel all 'look at meeeeee'
Especially tonights, did I really need to see Janette's gusset
Nope, but someone somewhere thought that a good move. Ugh.
If you know who, bite him on the ankles for me xx

Bows head in the presence of a strictly legendary dance!
I remember those days when a dance was preened to perfection with love and passion and pride.
These dances go on to live on YouTube and elsewhere for always and ever, and they knew it and made dances they were proud to be part of.
Wtf happened.

Ha exactly what my OH said tonight.. Oh Janette it's your turn to be the central attention figure tonight. I said Janette has been the central dancer before.

I don't think they're to the same standard. They're formation show dances from the stage. They've got a lot of theatre choreographers involved this year haven't they.
Last edited by Elan : 01-12-2013 at 20:38

Apparently so yes and it's showing

I'm glad this discussion came up as I was talking about the very same thing last night with my friend Vonnie.
The Pro dances have been very disappointing this year, the only one that I thought was very good was the Pro Dance for the first show of the series, 'Crazy in Love'. We watched it again last night. All subsequent Pro dances have been very lacklustre.

I thought last night's opening pro dance was very good.

Best pro dance of the series for me was Aliona and Aljaz's dance with Andrea Bocelli singing When I Fall in Love.

I've been thinking for weeks that the pro dances have been crap this year and last year weren't much better. Where are the pro dances that are the demonstrations of the genres?

I do wonder if because the pro dances are no longer demos of the various genres that the pros are no longer able to choreograph proper Chas, Foxtrots, Waltzes etc as they never see them or perform in them any longer.

For example, Artem got criticised last night about the lack of foxtrot content in his American Smooth - but I can't remember a single good demonstration of a foxtrot in the pro dances over the last 2 series. The same can be said of many of the other genres.

I agree, the pro dances all seem to be musical theatre type numbers this series. Really not a fan

Pro dances lack the sparkle without James & Ola, in my opinion. The only 2 I've loved were 2 with them in, haha. The Wedding Dance on Love Week and the ''A Little Party Never Killed Nobody'' one? Orangy/peachy costumes. Quite likes Matt Goss' pro girls one too but not sure that counts as not much dancing.

The only one I've really enjoyed this series so far was Anton and Iveta dancing to Andre Rieu.

I meant to say Rebel Yell in my post above. I don't know why i typed 'yeah'.

I miss the days of actual proper pro ballroom and Latin dances

Waaaaaaaay to much formation, musical theatre numbers for my liking

The only pro-routine I think I've enjoyed in the past two years was the Ballroom Blitz dance in Blackpool. Tnere were a few good routines in series 8 and 9, but I have to go back to series 7 to find a run of professinal routines that I enjoyed, rather than a few here and there (even if most of the ones in series 7 seemed to be performed by Matthew and Aliona).

I too miss the days when each week the professional routine was to showcase a particular style of dancing. Some of the paso dobles were excellent - I'm thinking of the Seven Nation Army and I Predict A Riot ones in particular (didn't Karen Hardy choreograph those?)

When I was little, long long time ago, they used to have these Saturday night summer season shows and you'd always get these dancers at the beginning just kind of jumping, reaching at the camera and jumping again with jazz hands - I don't know enough about dancing to be able to describe this at all. As a kid I thought they looked stupid, tbh. And that's what the pro dance reminded me of tonight. I agree that they haven't been as good this year (though the dancers are just as good, I'm sure).

As has been said, they used to demonstrate what the dance was meant to look at, and they really did showcase the dances and themselves. Now they feel quite empty and I tend to be thinking 'What are they meant to be dressed as?' rather than 'God look at them when they can let rip.' It's such a shame because it was so great to see how good they really are, and it can't be the dancers' fault because they must want to show what they can really do. I don't get what's changed?

Jason Gilkison is doing the choreography for the show and seems a bit samey

This was a lovely one for Hollywood week back in 2009 with a guest appearance from two tap dancers whose names I've totally forgotten.
Or there's this fabulous American Smooth from way back in Series Five (2007).

I have loved most of the pro dances this year.

I also loved Karen and Kevin today.

[quote=KnowAll27;70086873]The only pro-routine I think I've enjoyed in the past two years was the Ballroom Blitz dance in Blackpool. Tnere were a few good routines in series 8 and 9, but I have to go back to series 7 to find a run of professinal routines that I enjoyed, rather than a few here and there (even if most of the ones in series 7 seemed to be performed by Matthew and Aliona).[quote]

Despite it being her first year, I think Aliona choreographed a lot of the pro routines in series 7.

My all-time favourite pro dances were the Rebel Yell jive as mentioned, the black/white tango / quickstep to Rolling in the Deep, Pasha & Katya's whirlwind of a jive / quickstep to Caro Emerald and a group Viennese Waltz from years ago.

One of my all time favourite pro dances doesn't seem to be on the net anywhere and I can't remember the blasted song they danced it to, but it was for a Remembrance Day weekend show and the boys were all in uniform and it was a 40s style if I remember rightly.
I've a feeling that the celebs might have joined in as well and it could have been the year Gethin Jones was a contestant.

Cadiva, was it this one?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl77RR1khqg
(hope the link works)