Considering that Judy has been a tennis coach for so many years, I would have thought that she would be really supple and flexible, not like an ironing board in her movements.
Love her though and the chemistry between her an Anton is a lovely thing.

I think it must be nerves. I expected her to be more comfortable in hold than she is.

Not being nasty but her personality is as stiff as her movement.

If someone told her she's the worst dancer of all time; she'd simply GURN and not understand the insult

It does make a nonsense of the format when someone like her offers nothing at all.

She's probably a nice lady but brings nothing to the show other than prompting folk to put the kettle on

I'd have thought she'd offer some enthusiasm and want to improve? Especially coming from a sporty background?

Still, she's safe as most seem to like her?

She patently does offer something, as she has pulled in sufficient votes every week so far to avoid the dance off, suggesting that people aren't just "putting the kettle on" when she appears.

She is far from a talented dancer, no question. But IMO she IS improving in small increments, just not as fast as some of the others. The first couple of weeks she was crippled with nerves but she is becoming more comfortable on the floor.

While I am enjoying her partnership with Anton and even went so far as to vote for her Charleston, as I thought she was better than Scott that week who had been marked above her, I am conscious that Mr du Beke does have previous for appearing to encourage his partners while actually subtly undermining them with his jokes and obvious "steering" on the dance floor, so I take that into account when measuring the amount of improvement I can expect from her. Anton has carved a niche for himself with his "worst contestant ever, year on year" shtick which gets him more coverage, gives him more opportunity for banter with the judges and makes him/the partnership more memorable than if he was dealing with a vaguely competent middle ranker, so I do wonder sometimes how much genuine improvement he tries to elicit from his partners, including Judy this year.

It isn't really about physical capability.

It is about the ability to go with the flow. This requires mental adjustment. In ballroom, at least, people have a tendency to hold back their partner's movement and worry about the next step.

She's limited for time having just a week to learn a routine but ideally she would have 1/2 hour or so of free format dancing each day where she just follows her leader (both steps and swing and sway of body) in order to help her loosen up mentally and hence physically. Maybe Anton already does this. Who knows? It takes time to change.

Out of hold and Latin dancing is more problematic and difficult to resolve. Her out of hold AS was particularly awkward but hopefully she won't have to do anything like that again. She probably needs some exercises doing whatever is needed to loose up for that style of Latin dance.

I couldn't disagree with your post more!

The Judy I see in a Saturday night and on ITT is warm, funny, intelligent, self deprecating person who, sadly for her, can't dance for toffee but is hugely enjoying her Strictly experience and working very hard to improve albeit very slowly.

For the first time in a long time Anton isn't going all out for the comedy vote and, IMO, is actually choreographing dancing, at a low level which Judy does her best with. Their relationship seems to work very well.

It is strange that as a sportswoman she's so stiff, but that's the way it is.

Her popularity is such that she hasn't really suffered the fate of Ann W, John S and even Scott who have had the contributors to this forum vitriolic in their hatred and desire for her to leave.

Good on her!

It's funny that over the Strictlies and Dancing with the Stars thst the tennis players have all been rather rigid and stiff.

I wonder if there is something with tennis that means that while athletic the movements are more controlled?

Neither Martina Hingis or Dan Lobb did well. Not sure about Andrew Castle. It may be a tennis player thing as the cricketers seem to have fared better at dancing.

Judy is clearly used to dealing with her two sarky sons, so the judges hold no fears for her.

And for the first time ever I laughed at something Anton said.

So, a worthwhile appearance by Judy I think.

It's ok for a few weeks but when she remains at the expense of decent dancers then sorry not for me.

If i were a show producer i'd want either of two elements. That being, someone who can dance. Or, comedic value. At least people with a glint in their eye and a fun personality.

Mark and Iveta, last year were a joy. Plus, he actually improved.

Nothing personal against Judy. However, she surely can't enjoy struggling week after week?

Why don't they try and incorporate her WIMBLEDON ANGRY-FACE FIST PUMPS? At least, she did demonstrate some emotion when deploying that annoying SW19 Cliche

I saw Navratilova on Ytube. It was pretty stilted to say the least.
Anyon needs to get her a little tipsy.

Years ago I went on a one week tennis class in The Algarve. It completely destroyed not only my confidence but also my tennis.

I used to play tennis whippy squash/badminton style and that worked for me. They wanted me to stiffen up.

It may be her sport, but also her nature. I had a friend like her, really lovely girl, thin and strong and very straight, she couldn't dance for toffee either. Looked like a poker, not a bend in her.

We are as we are. I don't think Judy will improve much, but I really like her personality, her indomitable smile, her knowledge that she's crap and yet she keeps trying and her wonderful relationship with Anton, which is charming and amusing.

She should go soon mind.

Everyone at my work today said the same thing - we always discuss Strictly after the weekend. How can someone slim and sporty be so rigid ? None of us are voting for her btw, I think the whole of Dunblane must be though !

It's true that historically, tennis players have done very badly. However, I would love to see Roger Federer on the show.

Martina Hingis was equally as stiff and lacked musicality

Federer is a very sore loser. That won't work on SCD.

She should have a few not so wee drams and a couple of pints of Heavy. That'll sort it.

No not all all;
I have seen a few of my favorites Serena, Roger, Nole bust some moves and they are not that awful ; Its true though, they are a bit uncoordinated in their movements when they dance

But my 2nd favorite male player Nole (Novak Djokovic ) is not; He is a pretty good dancer

Here he is performing Thriller : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-T5qnm6lXM

Here he is attempting a chacha with Kym Johnson (former DWTS pros and NOW Dancing with the stars Australia judge )

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

Here he is dancing with his girlfriend at the time (now wife )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C9nhgL5pHU

So not all tennis players are awful dancers

Love that man ; SO Much fun off the court; Best personality OUT of all the tennis men players besides my n1 favorite Roger

She'd get a bit of swing and sway with that, in a stiff sort of a way mind.

Rigidity in dancing has nothing to do with physical flexibility- fluidity is an aesthetic and performing response rather than a muscular one. Otherwise all sporty types would be good dancers, and clearly they aren't.

I know you're not serious but......it has been known to work.....

I've been in her company and she has a wicked sense of humour. I love she's taking this in her stride.

Presumably you've been boiling the kettle every time she's been on screen, or you would know the rest of your post is wrong.

She does have enthusiasm, she's clearly trying to improve, knows she's not a great dancer, and is widely described as being one of the more personable and fun contestants. She might not be your cup of tea, but I don't know how you can have missed all of that.


Agreed. It's a bit like Beth Tweddle on Dancing on Ice. You can't tell me she wasn't flexible, but she did struggle a bit to give a 'soft' performance.

I think if you have trained hard to hold your body in a certain way, or to be strong in certain movements, you have to unlearn those before you can learn the stuff that's good in dancing.

The other thing with the sports stars is that many of them get their self-worth from well defined achievements, rather than the more nebulous 'showing off'. There are clearly some sports stars who are great big attention seekers, who love nothing more than showing off, but a lot of them want to focus on the task at hand, which is a different mind set to performing dance.

I was serious about the not so wee drams - not serious about the pints of Heavy. Nervous people have been known to vomit ...

The Viennese Waltz could be fun.