Soul may be enough technique for AT, and possibly for Charleston, but it is certainly not enough for the 5 main ballroom and 5 main Latin dances.

Technique means posture, hold, footwork - when to dance forward on a heel and when to go forward on a toe; when to have soft knees, bent knees, straight legs., etc. Then of course the all important timing - stepping on the 2 beat for cha cha & rumba (harder than it sounds for beginners) and, as any ballroom dancer will tell you, learning the correct timing for a foxtrot can be a nightmare. That's all basic technique & when you've mastered that, you go on to learning more advanced technique. When eventually technique becomes second nature, then you can let the 'soul' take over.... But soul without technique usually results in a dance that at best is out of time, and clumpy because of bad footwork; uncomfortable to dance, and even worse to partner.

All of that technique applies to nearly every dance.

It can be transparently trashy and flashy with broad cheesy grins and high kicks and head flicks for the audience and judges; or it can be subtle and driven feeling the music emotionally (soul).

Same technical skills are needed for both styles of dancing and for every type of dance. Maybe soulful can require more technique so as to be controlled.

But sure for a judged / audience show it has to be outward OTT grinning trash and flash.

For me, the judges should be marking based on technique and performance in relation to the dance itself. The public is then able to vote on entertainment value, or looks, or the partnership etc.

When the judges start marking without considering technique then they have no right to complain if the public places two 'favourites' in the dance off.

Sorry Henry, I couldn't disagree more. Technique - true Ballroom & Latin ( 10 dances) technique - is anything but " transparent trashy and flashy with broad cheesy grins and high kicks.."

I agree with all the points you make here.

Judges will as well have decisions to make where dancers are similarly accomplished technically and then that business of attractive to the eye is involved

Yes of course, I understand, as it happens in normal comps

Sorry, Henry, when danced properly the 5 ballroom dances (W, FX, QS, VW & T - not to confused with AT) & the 5 Latin dances (CHA, S, R, PD, & J) are anything BUT transparently trashy and flashy with broad cheesy grins, high kicks (you'd be disqualified for those) and head flicks.....

I would say the most technically correct dance in the current series has been Simon's waltz, and that was anything but flashy etc.

Without wishing to sound rude, it is necessary to have a real understanding of all these dances to even see the technique involved. Please don't think what you see on Strictly is a real indication of these dances, they are simply showdances loosely based on particular dance.

I was thinking that dancing should be differently emoted for television and cinema with close-up cameras than for a stage or dance hall with an audience and judging panel a good few metres away.

Just like with stage acting as opposed to television or cinema acting.

I couldn't agree more, but the problem with Strictly is there is only 1 judge who understands the technique. Ideally I'd like to see them get rid of Darcey and bring in someone who actually understands BB & Lat who, along with Len, could judge technique, and let Craig & Bruno only comment on performance.

Performance value is largely in the eye of the beholder. Some people, for example, found Jake's twerking a good performance and therefore entertaining; others found it cringeworthy and anything but entertaining!! No one is right or wrong on that - it's a matter of preference.

I imagine that.

Hey you lot I'm not launching into 10 stuff. The flash 'n trash is much more evident in SCD AT than in anything else.

Oh and sacrilege upon blasphemy I'd also say that the SCD gods of AT are all flash 'n trash. You'll never get an SCD AT with the same feeling as Simon's wonderful waltz.

Absolutely!

I loved Come Dancing.

I grew up in an industrial northern city in the 70s. Come Dancing was a flash of glamour in my life when I was a little girl (even though it was black and white as we couldn't afford a colour television yes, it was grim up north )

I can vividly remember the dancing and the costumes and the music. Such happy, positive, wonderful memories. It expanded my horizons the way seeing Russell Grant being fired out of a cannon would never have done

Let's see how long SCD lasts with it's rubbish music and daft gimmicks. If it's still going in 30 years I'll be amazed.

i used to love the dresses that were long and hundreds of layers of tulle
when i saw it in colour it was magical seeing all the colours like the icing on Mr Kipling's French Fancys.....

I did too.

And the ones with the feathery stuff on the bottom.

I can remember being transfixed at the group dances. They were mesmerising.

Next Saturday we'll have the Waltz a thon

Totally! It's the group dances that play on my mental video if anyone ever mentions Come Dancing, i immediately see group dance, ladies in violet, pink and peach tulle in my mind's eye
and there's always one with platinum blonde hair

some feathery stuff for you!

Feather boa's......they used to cost hundreds of pounds to add to a dress. Dresses move so well with them.

Feathers!!!

Oh my I feel very nostalgic now.

I would love the pros on SD to do a proper, old fashioned formation group dance with tulle and feathers and the men in tails.

Not a random door standing on its own or surfboard in sight

me too!!! especially the bib!!!
shall we start a campaign?!

Yes! and insist the ladies dress in fondant fancy colours

i'm in!!!!

OMG they still do! And they're gradually creeping back in fashion!

And much as I hate sequins, I have some sympathy for those who look back with nostalgia as you could buy enough to decorate a whole dress for a couple of pound, instead of the almost £500 needed for enough stones for one dress now!

Oh tell me about it. Its the labour and stoning of the dresses that bump up the cost so much.

Yes lovely stuff but hard embarrassing stuff for us lads that had to care them through the streets
Let's also remember Victor Silvester who did so much for strict tempo dancing a lovely charming man who always made you welcome on his show

My radar told me cake had got a mention in this thread. I might have known it would be you. x