Aliona's best pro partnerships have been with Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Derek Hough, Matthew Cutler and Artem - I can't see Anton cutting it. They could do comedy routines together.

Please no.

I didn't know she'd danced with Maksim!

I wonder what uncomfortable and inappropriate would mean. I would normally take it to mean "a bit letchy and weird" but she doesn't really seem the type to be like that.

Oh I was rambling too much and meant Kristina and Anton together, which apparently aggs vetoed Or do you not want Anton sexed up?

Anyway, if they keep the announced 8 & 8 pro lineup, Aliona will have to be put with someone - and if both Brendan and Pasha have rejected her in the past, the choices are very limited. Janette once said she was too short to be put with Aljaz so I guess he's an option - or maybe they'll go ahead and pair Aljaz/Janette despite the height issue. There aren't enough short guys anyway, especially with Karen having to be put with Kevin. But I can never resist taking a shot at pairing the Ken and Barbie dolls so here goes:

Aliona - Tristan (because that's what I want)
Aljaz - Otlile (sp?)
Anton - Kristina
Brendan - Joanne
Giovanni - Janette
Gleb - Natalie (they're the tallest)
Karen - Kevin
Ola - Pasha

And I know they won't do it that way but no configuration really seems to work. Maybe they'll just rotate the couples like they do on DWTS-US.


Letchy is exactly what I thought it sounded like - but that sure seems improbable, doesn't it ?

I agree, I always thought she seemed quite ladylike - prim and proper - in the show. I think it must have a different meaning...

Maybe he didn't even really say that. It's always difficult to know reading rumours on the internet.

There were several posts on here around that time (from that lady - whose BF worked backstage on the Strictly tour and from another lady who worked at the BBC) that Aliona was 'all over' a few of the males backstage on the show and on the tour. Most of them probably ignored it, but if Pasha didn't feel comfortable with it, then good for him for saying so. I'm sure Aliona has changed these days anyway now she's happily married.

Good point. My best guess is she isn't as compliant as Brendan would like - and maybe the story that she broke up with Pasha's buddy is the problem with those two and like you said, that quote is wrong.

ETA OMG just read Ellie1967's post.

Wooooaaah! Colour me surprised!

If that is all true, then good on Pasha for speaking up. Always difficult in a situation like that.

I don't know why Aliona's relationship with Pasha is even being discussed. I also read back in 2011 when Pasha was new he didn't want to be partnered with Aliona as she was the ex-partner of a good friend of his. Since then Pasha and Aliona have been partnered together in 2012 and in lots of different pro dances over the last couple of years so he must have got over whatever was bothering him. They do have to dance quiet intermatley sometimes could be that he just felt a bit weird with her being his friends ex-girlfriend.

Whatever happened to we are all a big happy strictly family ?

Maybe Aliona was flirty with single guys on her first year, but Matt Baker and Harry Judd were obviously very comfortable with Aliona and had no issues with the obvious chemistry when dancing, so Aliona (and she has said in an article that she respects other people's relationships) must have been clearly not coming on to them.

It seems to me that Aliona became a bit more studious after her first year. She was flirty with Rav, but she changed over time and is now very happily married. She said on a BBC Breakfast interview that it's part of her job on Strictly to be sexy and I think it is in her nature to be so. Similarly, Ola said being sexy just comes naturally to her - she doesn't have to work at it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB2_LEGUyyA

Two of the men mentioned were definitely not single, but a lot of dancers seem to have very different ideas of boundaries and 'respecting people's relationships' than the average person. As you say, she's happily married now - it was all a long time ago and she and Pasha seem fine together these days.

Have never bought into the image of the programme that they like to project. Would be interesting to see someone spill the beans.

I think it is probably quite competitive backstage, with dancers wanting to be featured more than the others. Also any rumour makers worth their salt are going to grow rumours bigger than the reality.

Aliona may have been hired in the first place to sex Strictly up a bit. I think she got to choreograph more dances in her first year than any year since. This is one of hers, though I suspect each couple got to choreograph their solo section.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vguhHOio-Gc

I liked the feisty 25 year old redhead Aliona, but times change, and people change with them. She is still controversial even now though, mostly by being herself and telling it how she sees it.

The best dance I have seen Aliona dance with one of the current pros is with Aljaz when Andrea Bocelli sang When I Fall in Love, so I think they might produce the best dances.
Aliona did dance very well on Brendan's tour - especially when dancing a Waltz with him.

Aliona danced with Maks and Derek on DWTS tours in 2008 & 2009.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pGYU5gNY2s

Which is why I'm a little bit disappointed that Ola's back this year ~ it keeps James gagged for at least another six months

I'm not sure James' version of things will count for that much.

There was a time that a rumour was bandied about that Aliona wasn't really injured.
Aliona pointed out that she could sue people if they claimed she was faking about her injury and she had all the medical reports to make it stick.
I'm going from memory, but as I recall James tweeted something like 'Does that include people in Strictly?'
and as I recall Aliona tweeted a reply 'Obviously.'

I think James has a good side, but its not the connection between brain and mouth.

The concept would be distressing if it weren't quite simply a non-sequitur.

Oh absolutely, it'll be largely hogwash - but there's bound to be a few diamonds in the dustheap.