Yes me too.

How many times is it true that the more successful dancer will not be the one with the most technique, but someone who can project themselves very well along with their technique.

I do think he has the potential to shine though, just highlighting that it isn't as easy as some think to get that performance quality up there and some people have it naturally and some never will have it.
I was always a big performer, I was quite shy when I was little, when I got a solo very young my Mother didn't think I would even go in the stage, ghen I went in and just performed, nobody had really told me what to do with my face or anything, it just came to me naturally. It's a strange one.

Not knowing anything about them does not mean he can't use his brain and actually look them up? Very lazy.

And yes, I totally agree with you neither dance should be part of any ballroom repertoire since ballroom (particularly the British version) is simply not geared up to do authentic dances such as these. I still expect pro dancers to make some effort at least to get better over the years and maybe, just maybe understand these dances better. But they don't. Artem made an effort, as does Natalie. And that's it really.

I wish the rest would stop murdering them.

I'm always baffled by 'not part of the 10 dance' argument from the pro side of things. I would have thought if you loved dance and to dance then the chance to learn a new facet would be siezed on not sniffed at? (Especially if it became an actual part of your job!)

It's one of the reasons I've always had a soft spot for Cheryl Burke on DWTS.

Brilliant! You had it from the beginning. So hard to teach and a gift.

I was painfully shy, but not on stage. Have no idea why. I remember my first ballet role in a serious tutu, as a principal dancer I had enter stage left and go straight into an attitude - and hold it. There was a row of little girls in the front row, all of whom let out a noisy collective gasp as I 'arrived'. That was it. I was hooked

It's Len. It does.

But yes, it's lazy. In which other job would you get away with - "Well, that weren't around when I trained so I knows nothing about it - not my fault"? You'd be told pretty damn sharpish to find out about it and get yourself up to date or get out.

And before anyone says that Strictly is a light-hearted entertainment show not a "job" as such, Len is getting paid far more than most teachers/nurses etc for doing far less. He (and the other judges) should justify their fees with a bit of research rather than just putting their feet up, falling off their chairs, raising their eyebrows sardonically and exclaiming "Guuurrtcha!".
*stops pontificating*

DWTS is so much better in every aspect. I think American dancers are far more open to embracing new ideas and trying new things. British ballroom is still stuck in the 1970s and is very, very insular. They are very possessive of their 10 dances and medal stuff.

Daft, but hey, it keeps them happy and glowing with fake tan.

completely agree with this, I enjoyed both Peter and Jay's dances and have watched them several times now ..... two of my favourite celebrities so far

Agree. Think he was good, but preferred Anita, Helen, Kellie, Georgia and Jay before him. Then I'd put Peter along with Katie after those

I'd say all the 7 above were fairly on par and all really good this weekend. Not much in it

I think Peter was the best of the night and loved the choreography which fitted him perfectly, it looked to me as a modern approach with fewer Cha Cha Cha steps and dance accents to highlight his strengths which is what a pro should do and this won him the top of the leader board.

Jay did more Cha Cha Cha steps but he looked unnatural and awkward and for having taking dance classes for years he should have been better. He needs to get rid of his unnatural personality in order to sell the dance and connect, not here on this forum, but with the millions who watch the show every week.

Are you on a wind up mission sofakat ? Completely untrue . i've very rarely seen a first class jive from a female celeb apart from Jill halfpenny, but Georgia's was a very good effort for a first dance and I'd put her slightly ahead of Katie's .

I think Jay's Cha Cha looked awkward as well. However, Peter's dance was not remotely fluid and it wasn't really a Cha Cha - certainly not a good one.

Pro dancers choreograph to the competency of their celeb. If the routine is supposed to be a cha cha and bears no resemblance to a cha cha, therefore, that is because the celeb isn't capable of doing a cha cha and this has to be masked by doing something else. Just as when a routine starts with a massively long introduction and ends with a massively long ending with virtually no time spent in hold that is because the celeb can't cope with dancing in hold so time has to be wasted doing something else that the viewing public might like but hides the fact that the celeb can't dance.

I may have missed something,but the description of Chelsee as either arrogant or a brat is not supportable by any evidence I've seen.


You are right (but perhaps not in the way you meant); Chelsee was unique.

Katies leg action and feet were better then Foot's for me.

But, this is why you need to perform the actual dance.

Otherwise you could start to teach the chacha, the celeb could be no good so the pro just decides to do something completely different to it and make it up as you go along and then the judges are what? Supposed to judge something that is put together anyhow and on how it is presented?
The celeb sadly is at the pros mercy, so should be judged on how they perform the dance they are supposed to be doing.

To me it lacked so much of the essence of a chacha and it was even staccato in parts too.

Couldn't agree more even though I do love a good AT, the salsa they could ditch and I'd not care a jot.

Maybe it's opposite day? I think Chelsee was anything but arrogant.

I'm sorry but that's simply not true in this case .
He started the routine alone, and was out of hold loads and doing fine .He even took the lead a lot controlling janette and did a confident job of it .
He most assuredly can dance well, all four judges agree on that and the audience loved it .
What he can't do is dictate the routine . He is dependent on his pro , totally . To say that dance was designed to hide his lack of ability is just ludicrous . It was a great routine . Just because it doesn't fit in with some people's perception of a perfect cha cha doesn't make it less of a great routine danced well that impressed everyone who matters on Strictly .

This is fair.

Matt and Rav were both penalised for Alionas choreography, and she got a half telling off last night as well a warning that points will be deducted in future.

I quite like that Aliona and Janette push the boundaries of the dance, makes it more exciting, but the judges have to consistently point out incorrect choreography or ignore it, they can't pick and choose by celeb or pro, who to pick up on.

yeah i think to wind up me, but i'm not doing that anymore, i let the dancing itself speak.

and i agree with you Paace

i'm sorry what i said about Chelsee, i loved her shrek dance with Pasha.

but can you forgive me?

Agree. Streets ahead. Georgia was messy and her balance was off. Katie has fantastic balance and great foot/leg movement.

This is so true. Very good point, explained really well.

I do hate all the faffing about before a routine though - and those sodding props!

It was a routine that got people cheering. But it wasn't danced well, and it wasn't even well choreographed. Therefore, it's not a great routine. It also didn't hide his lack of ability when we could clearly see he was jerky.

If a routine gets people cheering and appears to be good, the judges usually won't criticise. We saw this last year with Jake. Lisa Riley was over-marked and didn't get the criticism that was appropriate.

what is it with you to wind me up.

and are you Jealous of Georgia, because she's a pretty girl, you don't like her.

but what are your doing ain't posting the truth.

the truth is Georgia danced really good for week 1, and the mistakes were not her fault, they were Giovanni to blame.