No one has suggested that any celeb has been trained to professional level in the sense of the pro dancers but there is no doubt that some are starting with a distinct advantage.

This is not a problem if they acknowledge it as did Natalie last year. I voted for her all the way through the last series because she was an exquisite dancer and I admired her honesty and dignity in dealing with the vitriol that was thrown her way.



Because of previous training we will never know just how good Pixie, Frankie and Caroline would have been as beginners. I don't have a problem with their participation - particularly Frankie who, imo, is a beautiful dancer: I just want to know their dancing background.

Jake is a different matter - he is a beginner and shows incredible natural talent. I just wish I could like him more. The same with Thom - improving weekly but I can't take to him.

Of course there are those who will never make dancers - just as there are those who cannot hit a tennis ball, score a try in rugby or win an Olympic gold medal and I've no doubt if Frankie, Pixie or Caroline faced Judy across a tennis court their frailties would be shown up in a similar manner.


This seems to me eminently sensible and would leave no room for accusations of playing down previous experience.

I do recall in series one Arlene Phillips said something similar to Claire Sweeney. I can't remember her exact words but it was along the lines of "Claire you're a trained dancer there's no excuse for ....."

Again Claire had made no attempt to cover up her dancing background.

Isn't the reality that unless viewers are remarkably naive and uninformed about dance (as well as lacking in common sense) it is pretty obvious who has and hasn't had previous dance training and who is a complete beginner, even if you can't be bothered to Google their cv's to find out what is is (or is claimed to be)? It's pretty obvious that performers like Pixie, Caroline and Frankie didn't produce the opening numbers they did on three weeks work having never danced before.
To me it is very obvious each year who the ballet dancers are - could anyone miss Cherie Lunghi, Kara Tointon, Ali Bastion and Pixie Lott's lines and think they had learned placement like that in a couple of weeks?

You can add Jill Halfpenny to the list
Yet none of them got/are getting the flak that Natalie did last year. Isn't that strange?

I didn't watch series 1, but didn't Claire go out pretty early? I thought those sort of remarks to her were exactly why she went out, and she's the reason everyone else is terrified of being called a trained dancer. I wasn't watching it so I might be completely wrong but that was the impression I got.

Thinking about it a bit more, I like the idea of celebs being open about their experience. In fact, it could be made part of the getting to know them process and could be seen as a positive change (for a change!).

Bear with me here. When Wimbledon is on TV, before each match we see a summary on our TV screen of a player's history. A graphic of a table of each player's history appears at one side of the screen SCD could don something similar, just something that gives an honest summary of a celeb's experience - a mini-mini dancing CV.

It could be done in different tones, with humour being used for the complete novice, e.g. Dad dancing at weddings, school disco, etc., with something a little more serious for a celeb who's had dance training in some format e.g. if they went to stage school, did they did do dance (and if so, what kind?), or learning choreographed routines for live shows etc.

I don't know exactly how it would be phrased, but I like the openness idea and that the public can choose their favourites knowing more about what their celeb can do before starting their Strictly training. Previous training only matters to some people, but this could make it less contentious.

Any thoughts?

I was actually listing the ballet dancers and I'm not sure that was Jill's background (it certainly didn't look like it to me) although she certainly was an experienced dancer like Claire Sweeney and Denise Van Outen. Their backgrounds were much more contemporary dance techniques. I think Denise got just as much flak as Natalie, if not more, partly because, like Natalie, her dance credentials were well known and obvious. And no I don't think it at all strange Natalie 'got flak' if you mean by that people questioned her inclusion in the show and/or didn't vote for her despite her clear dancing superiority. She had previously trained at such a high level in order to have a career as a dancer that it meant no other competitor had a chance of reaching her level of competence in a three month show which many felt detracted from the show regardless of how delightful she seemed as a person and how well she danced.

This seems a good idea to me, the SCD producers when selecting a celeb these days will be hard pushed to get a full cast with everyone an absolute beginner - as long as that training is not in ballroom and latin and not to very high levels Im ok with it - if it was all in the open and the public knew just what that experience was then they would accept it more readily too.

But when it is all kept quiet is when it breeds discontent with the viewer. Ali Bastion admitted to training as a kid, but when on Holyoaks (well before SCD) I know she had some AT lessons along with several other lady cast members from my brother, lookin round say the northern soaps there are many on these who have had dance experience and would not be surprised to see one or more on SCD in future

Love the idea of openness about prior training.

Any/all stage school graduates aged up to about 40 WILL have had dance classes, yes it's likely to have been in styles other than Latin + Ballroom, but a very experienced dance teacher I know well insists that to learn to dance you must 1st 'learn to learn'.
Stage school courses would generally last 3 years, plenty of time.

Ergo, anyone with more than just a couple of classes under their belts WILL have an advantage.

That said, I do enjoy watching a range of abilities, so don't majorly object, but my favourites are usually sportsmen + women, I just love their competitiveness

Pamela Stephenson said she loved dancing and had taken all sorts of lessons on an off all her life (including some from Bruno). All as a hobby for her, but all in all it will have helped her on the show. Everybody would have something to share.

i'm not against openness about prior training/experience, i've never particularly felt anyone was down right dishonest about it, but i do wonder what the expectations might be...

given that some people seem to find it difficult to understand that a DJ might have no dance- ability, after all he works with music all the time.... how would it be if the stage schooled teenager who actually spent most of dance class skulking on the back row and then spent 20 years acting in a soap out to be useless at any formal dancing?

This sounds awful and it's not meant to offend... Natalie came onto the show just after playing an awful character... I think that more than her trained/non trained contributed to people failing to warm to her and vote! As an abbey fan last year I can still acknowledge natalie was fab!

I agree, although the problem for some people on here is being too good, rather than not that good. In fact, I'm sure some would be delighted if that happened.

I completely agree. It's not only the dance itself, it's the ability to control your body, to balance, to disguise the mistakes, to memorise choreographies... All helps in stricly.


I agree too. I actually liked Natalie a lot because of her attitude regarding her experience, but at the end abbeys enthusiasm and personality (and Alijaz) made enjoy her performances more.

I believe that ultimately it's a question of liking, if you like a contestant you are going to forgive him/her their experience, if not, you are not.