Sorry if this has been asked and answered before, but I couldn't find an answer on previous threads. I have an image in my head that the producers throw all the music into a ring and the pro's get to choose from that. And whoever makes the choice, how far in advance do the pro's know? I'm guessing they have no choice of which dance they do each week and that it's timetabled for them from on high.

I wonder about it every year but more-so this time after Kevin got a lot of stick for doing a Charleston to jive music, which is fair if the pro's have real choice, but not if they don't.

As far as I know the producers have control over the music and themes now.

Some of their ideas are better than others....

In the past, the pros/celeb chose music (YouTube Louisa & Vincent's Samba).

More recently, as other forum members have said, the producers seem to pick the songs and theme (see Mark & Iveta's Rumba/Ashley & Ola's Paso).

I recall an ITT segment circa Series 6 where the 'music guy' explained a lot of pros had asked for 'Just Dance' for Cha Cha Cha - but didn't get it etc.

I think it's an infinite number of monkeys and an iPod

Thanks. I do wish it was these sorts of details that were covered on ITT.

Yeah, its unfair if the pros get flak for something they don't have control over, and the producers have picked.

The show would be better for me if the pros were allowed to choose their music.

I remember information appearing, when Ola got to use Release Me for a CCC with Andrew, it had been listed by a number of pros and the producers had to choose who got to use it.

I can understand for the first couple of songs, if the pros do not know who their celeb will be until a few days before they start training them, it might be necessary to select themes and music for them for the first two dances. I hope this week will show a better selection of music, although theme weeks restrict the chances by reducing the range of choices.

I was hoping this year would be a proper learning to dance contest, as they seemed to have a good selection of celebs for that. I thought they did the pairings quite well in that regard and was happy to see more constructive criticism from the judges.
Now though, having seen the overall standard of music choices and the themes, I'm starting to lose hope of a proper contest. its early days yet, so maybe it will yet turn out to be good.

Its important for the contest element that the pro and celeb can form a team and that they feel they have a good measure of control over their own destiny. To feel that you are puppets in a sham contest is not going to produce the same commitment, enthusiasm and camaraderie. It will also stifle creativity.

It also seems to be reducing quality in terms of music choices.

The pros should choose the music from the celebrity's music collection. That would ensure that the celeb is familiar with and likes the music and so has empathy with it and can relate it to situations.

That would make for much better dancing.

And also the dance order based in their age, music tastes and personality.

There is enough variety amongst the celebs to ensure a variety of music and dances at every stage.

They could then at the outset have a full show programme of music and dances for each contestant.

The producers choose.
They might try to suggest it's the pros', but it'd only be "Hobson's choice."
The pros will go along with anything the BBC say, as they want to be invited back next year.

Start of by thinking "Ratings"

Then think, firstly, what sort of music would best appeal to an X-Factor audience?
Then lastly, what sort of music is best suited to ballroom?

Is the last one relevant to this show?

Picking music from the contestants' own collections is an excellent idea HenryW. Really anything that grounds the process in their individual needs or likings is going to improve the contest and make each couple genuinely distinct from the others.

Props, music, choreography and the general idea for costumes should all be left to the pro/celeb team, with a background staff to offer support if requested. Let the Pro determine the order of the dances too. They'll know best what their student is capable of and then at least we'll be comparing best to best, whatever the actual level of each.

It makes no sense to judge them when so much is influenced by issues beyond their control.

At present the show seems set up to find excuses to get rid of those who aren't destined to reach the final, whilst having as good a laugh at them as possible along the way. It's an increasingly inauthentic scenario

Thank you Pet. Glad we agree. It is a shame the producers are being deliberately unhelpful to the contestants in the misguided pursuit of ratings. Torvill and Dean et al chose their own music.

MIsguided in every sense. a) what do ratings matter? b) does anyone prefer to watch the candy-spun ersatz version of Strictly to a possibly real competition? I don't believe their meddling makes the programme any better or more appealing

There's something more fundamentally interesting about a real process of learning / performance. Even if everyone looks superficially worse because denied props and film-flam. At least there would be a true and direct event happening in brains, and feet and arm-extensiony wotsits

The pros have regular meetings during the series with the producers where they are told what the producers want and that's their chance to have input to routines (I think it was Ola who said this a couple of years ago, can't remember for sure).

Very occasionally a pro has had to go back to the producers when there's a problem with the theme/music they were given and some change is needed. Also, again very occasionally, the producers make the pro change the choreography at the dress reheasal to make a bit more exciting or something along those lines. Off the top of my head I can't think of examples, but comments made by couples were the only clue that the whole routine was not down to the pro.

It's been like this for at least three series and my guess is these days the pros just have to go with the flow.

In TV land ratings mean everything. They mean bigger budget for show and if ratings drop they will mean the end of a programme.

Just have sex orgies and lions versus Christians. That'll sort it.

That octopus that picked the World Cup winners.

That should not be the case on the BBC, where they are not reliant on revenue from advertising. It's also clearly not the case with The Voice.

SCD is guilty of not knowing and trusting it's own audience. DWTS is losing viewers with each series and yet the BBC seem convinced that the UK audience want a DWTS style show. Personally I want to see more about the training and less about whatever stupid theme the producers have picked for the week.

[quote=scout2006;75119188]That should not be the case on the BBC, where they are not reliant on revenue from advertising. It's also clearly not the case with The Voice.

SCD is guilty of not knowing and trusting it's own audience. DWTS is losing viewers with each series and yet the BBC seem convinced that the UK audience want a DWTS style show. Personally I want to see more about the training and less about whatever stupid theme the producers have picked for the week.[/QUOTE]

Yes. And I have no interest in them visiting Wimbledon or the set of whatever soap.

The people who pick the dance music, are the same BBC people who pick the "non-dance music."

Well Scott just said "they" are making me dress as a crab, I think they are taking me down the comedy route.
So obviously not his or Joanne's choice. Shame

They should make a stand against the crass producers. They will get edited out on ITT but they have twitter and the media.

When did the producers start to choose the music? I thought the pros did.

They've always chosen it.

You can understand that the producers want to achieve a "balance" to attract the widest possible audience (ratings again).

In recent years, the numbers of the most well loved "enduring ballroom dance tunes" (and there's thousands of them which are suitable from many decades) has declined in favour of pop stuff, designed to attract the X-Factor audience.
In the past the pros have said they have some input, but, it's the BBC's show and the dancers do what they're told or they won't be back the following year.
It doesn't pay for them to be outspoken, as they are easily replaced. We see evidence of that every year.

I LIKE LIKE LIKE and totally agree.

For better or worse, please let the couples forge and make their own identity. Can you imagine Ramps and Karen or Alesha and Matthew being pawns of a production team with no clue over music?