Re the dance/routine thing. The title does say Favourite dances ever seen on strictly, so there's a clue in the title.

***runs away very fast***

Kara and Artems Rhumba. Nothing beats talent coupled with genuine emotional intensity. that was the real deal right there.

Sophie and Brendan's Charlston. I don't think any dance or look suited a contestant more.

I'm told I have strange taste when I answer this question but hey here I go anyway...

Alex Jones and James Jordan - Paso Doble
Laila Rouas and Anton Du Beke - Paso Doble
Chris Hollins and Ola Jordan - Charleston
Tom Chambers and Camilla Dallerup - Showdance
Harry Judd and Aliona Vilani - Tango
Patrick Robinson and Anya Garnis - Quickstep
Jill Halfpenny and Darren Bennet - Jive


Special Mentions go to Jason and Kristina for their camp tango and to Ashley and Ola for their whole new world rumba...

Ali and Brian's Viennese Waltz at Blackpool and their American smooth in semi final

Oh stop being so aggressive and confrontational *looks around* er... where have you gone?

Colin Jackson's quickstep was when I fell in love with Strictly. He was my first obsession - none ever matches it. There may have been better dances, there have almost certainly been better dancers but I won't ever love them as much. Good heavens I am a sad git.

Your taste is pretty sane compared to one of my favourites. I will always have a soft spot for Kristina's and John's (Sargent ) paso. Even the thought of it makes me laugh.

I'll get my coat.

Matt Baker and Aliona - I loved so many of theirs. The samba has to be my favourite - utterly joyful to watch - but special mention also to their tango, foxtrot and cha-cha.

Kara and Artem Viennese waltz

Chelsee and Pasha jive, quickstep, Charleston, paso, rumba, American smooth...

Harry and Aliona quickstep

Natalie and Artem American Smooth


I'm sure I'll think of loads of others as soon as I post!


PS Colin and Erin were before my SCD-watching time but I have just been very distracted by the YouTube links above - wow! They were great. Enjoyed the Zoe and Ian clips very much too - makes a bit of a mockery of her pretending ignorance on ITT... and isn't Ian is a gorgeous dancer

That's the new me - aggressive and confrontational!

I fell in love with the show after watching Natasha & Brendan dancing the Waltz to With You I'm Born Again. They were so romantic to watch together and I still have a soft spot for Leslie & Anton too. The show is SO different now to those early series. Colin should have won that year (I voted for Darren though!). It's clear from the posts on this thread that favourite and best are very different for most people.

I don't know if this is off topic, but I really loved the jive Darcey danced with Ian a few years back:

http://youtu.be/1P-8OOgtZAI

And one of my fave pro dances is this Charleston to Happy Feet - can't help but smile watching it!

http://youtu.be/KQ-ujUjGxcw

Natalie and Scotts jive
Kimberley and Pashas charleston

I agree. Rachel and Vincent delivered a fantastic AT but there is something spine tingling about Mark and Karen's. Mark is the ultimate Strictly celeb for me because he really did do the fabled 'journey' from beginner to winner and learnt to perform. And still shows up year after year in the audience lapping it up! Karen has her annoying habits but she did an unparalleled job with him.

So so many to chose from but, it pretty much stays the same for me every year..

Jill's jive
Jill's paso
Marks salsa
Marks at
Toms show dance
Louis tango
Louis show dance
Chelsee quickstep

And of course
Carol v's rumba
Craig Kelly's unidentifiable thing in Blackpool
Lisa's turkey foil baste

Lovely to be reminded of so many terrific dances, but my choice goes to the ones that I watch on youtube time & time again.

Jill & Darrens JIve
Chris & Ola's Charleston
Camilla & Tom's Showdance
Anton & Anne's Charleston
Zoe & Ian's Tango
everything by John Sergeant!!

PS thanks to those who included links - will be making use of them.

Matt Di Angelo and Flavia's Salsa. It was the first time I jumped up to applaud a male celeb dancer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWh2wrlnBRU

Harry and Alionas quickstep & argentine tango
Jill and Darrens jive
Darren and Lilia quickstep and paso doble
Matt and Flavias salsa
Matt and Lilia american smooth
Matt and Alionas samba
Zoe and Ians showdance
John and Kristinas waltz
Louisa and Vincents jive

Harry and Aliona Argentine Tango
Matt and Aliona charleston
Karen and Mark R Argentine Tango
Matthew and Aleesha waltz
Matt and Flavia Salsa and showdance
Camilla and Tom Foxtrot and showdance
Vincent and Rachel rhumba
Artem and Kara American smooth

Ali Bastian & Brian Fortuna's Charleston. Fabulously goofy and it showed a completely different side to Ali from what we'd seen up to that point.

I think it maybe got overlooked at the time because it came in week 11 so there wasn't enough time to discuss and obsess before the series was all over.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGlscgwu0LA

Loved Mark And Karens hot hot hot samba. Natalie and Artems charleston. Loved Sophie's too.

Darren and Lilias quickstep
James and Camillas Tango
Aleshas and Matthews waltz
Ali and Brians VW
Mark and Karens AT
Tom and Camillas showdance
Austin and Erins Paso
Jake and Karens salsa

Morning gifties:

Natalie and Artem:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R0VKKt6J74

Sophie and Brendan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRsan_COiD0

Anything John Sargent did.
And Lisa's showcase, particularly the you tube version with DS quotes over the top!

Series 1, Group Viennese Waltz via YouTube: Group dance intro starts around 3:10. Six couples at once on the floor. And you can see the running style of Christopher Parker, who somehow made it to the final :-o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Htr1-enu8I

There have been some stunning dances on SCD so I've picked my favourites for each discipline.

Erin and Colin -- Rumba
Ricky and Natalie - Waltz (Semi - Final)
Mark and Karen - Argentine Tango
Rachel and Vincent - Jive (not the best jive ever on SCD but, strangely the one that ALWAYS makes me smile; they both seem so lost in the music and are just having a great time.)
Lisa and Brendan - Paso (again not the best but, I still go back and watch it)
Louis and Flavia - Foxtrot
Abbey and Aljaz - Tango
Denise and Ian - Quickstep
Camilla and Ray - Viennese Waltz
Colin and Erin - American Smooth
Zoe and Ian - Samba
John and Nicole - Salsa
Denise and James - Charleston
Ricky and Natalie - Cha Cha Cha
Natalie and Artem - Showdance


Special mentions to:
Mark and Karen - Salsa
Matt and Flavia - Salsa
Holly and Artem - Waltz
Natalie and Artem - Charleston

I realise the Salsa seems to consistently come out on top for me - my absolute favourites have been Jill and Darren, Mark and Karen and Kara and Artem.

Darren & Lilia - Paso Doble https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zr4yIWiV7Oo

Rachel & Vincent - Argentine Tango https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR3rlBjNK70

Chelsee & Pasha - Rumba https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPKmxgGXJ-4


In the last case, going for an unconventional choice (instead of Jive, Paso or Quickstep).

SEB's Charleston has already been mentioned and linked, so will let the dancing do the talking there.