Kristina was asked about the song choices this year and whether the pros still submitted their choice of music. Her tweeted reply was:

'it's not the case any more sadly. We don't choose it '

Sad times indeed as some of the music choices this year have been truly dire.

Its a bit sad really that a lot of them don't have a lot of creative freedom anymore. And when you think about weird themes being assigned to some of them.
Another reason why I don't like it , is because I feel like it gives more opportunity to TPTB to play " favorites " with some pros; like giving them a very appropriate music on a crucial week in the competition, try to create a storyline for a certain couple while giving others awful songs for their dances.

Jason Gilkison was on Thursday's ITT (head of SCD choreography, "mastermind" behind Burn the Floor and "inspiration" for Strictly Ballroom) said he and the creative team chose the tunes and themes.

There seems to be a bit of a disparity between pros who have a great deal of influence over which songs they use and those who have silly themes and songs foisted on them and their partner. For example, we've all come to know Brendan's taste in music pretty well over the past 11 series so I would be incredibly surprised if he didn't choose all the songs he and Sophie have danced to so far. I also think Artem (probably influenced by Natalie's taste in music) has chosen most of the songs he and Natalie have danced to because they've mostly been modern R&B and soul songs (and, er, Boney M) and Natalie has commented a few times on a song meaning a lot to her or being one of her favourites.

It just seems a bit weird that two pros could seem to have so much control over song choice while others have to contend with cowboy paso dobles and Goldfinger rumbas.

It isn't a real level playing field transparent competition even if they pretend it is.

If they want to include inappropriate music for comedy and ratings' sake they should draw them randomly.

But best to have the pros choose the music and the dance round by round to suit their celebrity's character, age, size, shape and improving dancing capability. So they will always perform to their best to music they like from their own MP3s and CD collections.

Given the variety of celebrities surely that should generate music for all tastes rather than create mismatches to deliberately damage out of favour / comedy / fall guy pros and celebrities.

this is definitely something that needs to change. The song choices/staging/costuming for certain couples this year have been ridiculous at best, and underhanded at worse. I'm not Ola's biggest fan, but to give her that song and theme to do a paso the same week Kevin got traditional music/theme isn't putting the two pros or the two celebs of a more or less equal ability on an even playing field.

It would be so easy to manipulate as well.

I agree with the suggestion above - if this is the way of it now, then it has to be drawn randomly to prevent tampering.

I was so sad to hear Abbeys music for tomorrow. Her training looks great but that song...What a shame

I'm being lazy...rather than look back through loads of posts, please can you advise what the VW music is, I can't recall ? Thanks

Delilah by Tom Jones

Many thanks, yes, I remember now. Of course, the band may do a different arrangement, but I recall there was quite a "heavy" beat to the original, the timing will be fine, but I hope arrange it differently. I prefer the VW to be softer.

Let's put this to bed once and for all.

The pros do not choose the music.

"I'm reliably informed, that the teenage children of the producers, make 'helpful suggestions.'"

With each series it becomes more and more like professional wrestling lol

Yes, that interview on ITT confirmed what we had suspected for the last few years.

What is ironic is Jason Gilkison does have a ballroom dancing pedigree (all be it as a Latin specialist), so he should know what music is and isn't suitable.

This clip shows what he thinks is a Viennese Waltz and it says it all

SYTYCD - Mark Kanemura and Courtney Galiano dance Viennese Waltz to "The Time of Life" by David Cook.

Beautiful to watch and lovely music.

Remind you of anything?

Indeed it does, ant totally unrecognisable as a VW. Watch it without sound and you would not know what dance it was supposed to be. No hold too.

I know it is SYTYCD, but still, you should be able to recognise a VW as a VW.

When you think that he is the 'expert' the BBC has employed...

Hah, that's one of the more recognisably waltzy ones as well.

Good luck with this one or this one. I remember all the Pasha fans (he's back as an "All Star" here) celebrating the second one because it showed he could have danced contemporary (he never got the chance in his season)!

I'm not a huge fan of his choreography, but it is mostly his waltzes on SYTYCD that were out there. Other dances he choreographed were mostly (as far as I could tell) of the genre and gimmick-free, compared to the show's other choreographers (how many pirate pasos, too many).

But what you have to allow for is usa vs uk/european styles what that couple were dancing is more or less the USA style of V. waltz they do not do the UK/standard version over there unless they are competing on the world stage

Yes and Yes

I can't help but think that if we, as casual Strictly viewers, know Brendan's music preferences after 11 series, so do the producers. It is not beyond the realms of possibility (and, in my opinion, equally likely) that those nameless producers (or Jason Gilkison, take your pick) have chosen songs that define the story arc for that particular pro dancer and/or their partner. I never forget that Strictly is primarily a pantomime and each member of the cast plays a character. So, let's go for modern, urban, edgy music for Artem so he can do 'out there' choreography and please/offend the public as they choose. Let's make sure we give Anton the old-fashioned music to please the pensioners and enrage the young viewers. That sort of thing.

We know that, on occasion, the pros and/or celebs are permitted to choose a particular song. Kara's Dad chose 'Samba Pa Ti' for their rumba, for example; Natalie Gumede chose the little-known 'Devil In Me' for the Halloween VW because she is a fan of Natalie Duncan who originally wrote and performed it. I expect there are other examples.

But, equally, we know that the pros are occasionally frustrated by the song choices foisted on them. I remember Brendan complaining about having to do a waltz with Michelle Williams to 'Right Here Waiting' because it has totally the wrong time signature.

And as for Natalie praising a particular song? She may be telling the truth: equally she may be being diplomatic. We don't know.

I remember Brendan having to dance a Waltz to Foxtrot timing. Horrendous thought, but he did it, somehow and made it look amazing.
I had heard that they are given - or perhaps used to be - a choice of 3 songs, and they select from that. ?Maybe this has changed.

I can't believe the BBC actually pay someone to advise on the choice of music.
Why not get the pros to make suggestions and then choose a selection that gives an even balance that suits particular dances?

It ain't "rocket salad" is it?

My sentiments exactly. Surely give them the dance they have been selected, then the pro has to select the song by, say, Monday. Would that not be time for the band to practice the selections? Or perhaps the selections are coming from the Bands current repertoire.

Russell was on 'Friday Night Is Strictly Night' on BBC Radio 2 last night, he said he didn't like their week 2 salsa music so he and Flavia went to the producers, asked to change it to something he liked (dancing queen) so clearly the pros and celebs DO have so say in what they are dancing too

The band and singers would have no difficulty in playing recognised standards from any era.

The classic best loved show tunes were written around a vocal range of not much more than an octave and a half.
Much of the income of songwriters was from the sale of sheet music. No point in writing a song that the average person in the street couldn't play and sing. More pianos than radios in homes in the USA. before WW2 and record players were a luxury.

Think of any Sinatra song and that's an idea of the range.

These days the singers are expected to sing live, with very little rehearsal time, some songs that took weeks to record in a studio, using all sorts of digital enhansements and then some numpties on here complain about them.

That was a couple of years ago now. It seems the options are decreasing year on year.



Good points about the music. Reminded me of the old style club singers who would turn up with just a keyboard and a selection of pre prepared backing music.