She was promoting the gymnastic showdance too. I expect that to be mentioned again before voting commences. You can't blame her though I guess ... they'll all do and say whatever it takes to get through.

Mona, I agree. I think perhaps AJ was hoping in the beginning to wow with gimmicky tricks - but quickly learned that it doesn't wash well with the judges and a lot of viewers at home if the actual dancing element is neglected. I feel he's done a pretty good job on the whole.

Btw, apologies for things going a bit nasty yesterday. I have a terrible filter.

:
Accepted. I think, on reflection, those dancers who accept Strictly is nothing like real competition (or even real ballroom dancing), cultivate their quirky entertainment value and give their celebs a nice time probably have a much better idea of how to prolong their careers than those who insist on purity of the dance!

I agree.

Neil and Katya !!! WHAT was that all about ?


I suspect they did this on purpose lol.

Yep. I saw an article where AJ says that Claudia's legs won't touch the floor during their showdance. It's a dancing competition, not a lift competition.

I understand why they are doing it but I don't like it.

I think perhaps he was joking, like when he said he'd just flip her around at the beginning of the competition.

Yes I agree.

I'd like Neil to have a celeb partner. I think he is unlikely to get the glam celeb who has previous dance experience, and so it is likely he'd have to produce something with greater entertainment value. I suspect he had a hand in Ed's choreography.

I now have visions of those show dancers they used to have on, who just seemed to do weightlifting to music, with a few dance steps between. Really hope AJ does not go down this lazy route if they get to do a show dance.

I do kinda' wish they'd do away with the Showdances - I can literally count in 1 hand the amount I've enjoyed.

I am a bit baffled as to why two pros would blow something like that for fun ?

To stand out from the crowd.

I think Neil and Katya are great, a breath of fresh air. Don't know what him being a red head has to do with anything.

Maybe they should put rules in place for the show dance and place the maximum amount of lifts for the dance... maybe 5 ?

The gymnastic showdance worked for Louis Smith ... though I imagine he was massively ahead in the vote anyway. If the voting is close though it could work well for them as it'll be wow if nothing else.
As long as it's incorporated well into a dance then all well and good, otherwise it's just Claudia showing us what she can do and that's not really dance related.

And, having seen them dance live, been judged by them, and heard them talk about technique, I have no doubt that BOTH Neil and Katya are excellent Pros. Give them a chance!

I didn't enjoy his showdance, I'd rather see a celebration of dance than a gymnastics routine

They wouldn't. They tried to style it out (what else would you do?) but that was pretty poor to not even comprehend what was required. I'm not impressed with either of them ... Neil in particular.

Nor me!...it was bloody funny anyway, whatever they were trying to do! At last something on ITT makes me laugh!

From my point of view also if you are supposedly so great at a jive you find find it actually very hard to do it all wrong ?

they're could be on a table or big aquarium or hanging like Cirque du Soleil... why assumed it's all lift?

Because they know within the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter one bit, have nothing to prove and decided to just go for it? They clearly decided to go hell for leather and anyone who judges their skill based upon this should be side eyed pretty hard.

Go for what ? Still baffled !

Why? It really isn't that hard to understand.

Go as fast as they can, see what they could get. Is it really so unbelievable that they really didn't care that much whether they got it or not? I didn't realise some people took the pro challenge so seriously!

Me too. I was disappointed when he won.
Hope, if Claudia does get to the final, AJ uses her gymnastic skills wisely and doesn't just hammer us over the head with acrobatics.