Looking back over this series - or any series - which is the most useful?

Theatre School, Performing Arts including dance - Helen, Kellie, Jay and Georgia plus Jill Halfpenny, Claire Sweeney, Emma Bunton, Tom Chambers Denise Van Outen

Actor - Kellie, Helen, Georgia, Tom Chambers, Kara Tointon, , Ricky Whittle, Chelsee Healey

Dance lessons as a child or separately?? - Katie, seem to remember Denise Lewis had some too?? [b]Caroline Flack, Kara Tointon, Alesha Dixon[b], Natalie Gumede

Top Sports People so fit plus often had psychological training to focus - Colin Jackson, Iwan Thomas, Darren Gough, Chris Hollins, Mark Ramprakash

Fit and active - Anita, Kellie, Kirsty, Susanna Reid, Penny Lancaster Stewart, Harry Judd

Gymnastics - Louis Smith,, Matt Baker, Gabby Logan

Musical with perhaps choreography with singing - Peter, Jamelia, Daniel, Jay, Kimberley Walsh, Harry Judd, Frankie Bridge, Pixie Lott, Lesley Garrett,Alesha Dixon

Live TV - Anita, Katie, Jeremy, Ainsley, Carol, Chris Hollins, Caroline Flack, , Natasha Kaplinsky

Personality - Chris Hollins, John Sargeant, Julian Clary, Dave Myers
Popular Pro - Katie, Judy Murray

Youngish so less tired as series goes on - any of the remaining celebrities. No winner ever over 50 years old
Other commitments - Kellie at a disadvantage, Ashley Taylor Dawson too

Could include Pro experienced in Latin or Ballroom to train
Or Pro who can choreograph?
Last edited by Fred. : 08-12-2015 at 00:19

Advantage - Previous dance experience tops everything else for me.

Disadvantage - Lack of fitness is the biggest disadvantage, although lack of rhythm is right up there too.

Worth noting that Tom Chambers, Kara Tointon, Alesha Dixon and Caroline Flack were all dance trained too.

Don't think they'd done serious dance training at theatre school - except Tom Chambers - will alter that. Thank you

Remember Len saying to Alesha that she could have been a professional dancer if she's been trained as a child. Kara just did theatre studies at an ordinary school.

Alesha Dixon was scouted for Misteeq while at dance classes, and she worked as a choreographer for the group too.

Caroline attended a performing arts school.

Kara is listed as trained in Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz and Tap in her IMDB profile.

I think dance training can work against you in ways. Ali and Cherie were too balletic in most of their dances. Helen and Jay have been hindered by their training in ways as well.

Which performing arts school did Caroline go to?

Have just added the rest as extra dance classes.

OP - you seem to be under the strange impression that Chris Hollins was a top sports person, or more astonishingly, a personality..?!!!
:O

Bodywork Company Dance Studio

I'm surprised you didn't mention Natalie Gumede who I believe was on the verge of becoming a pro until she was injured. That was quite the advantage.
EDIT: did you add her name as I was typing? Anyway I would say she had the biggest advantage probably of anyone due to extent of experience. She was still great to watch though.

It's true that sometimes previous dance training can be a double edged sword, such as Helen being graceful in Ballroom but lacking hip action and seeming stiff in other dances. Ultimately though the training will mean strength/flexibility in the right places (generally), ability to pick up choreography, confidence dancing to an audience, ability to portray rhythm in the body, sometimes nice moves like spins, and so on. Compared to any other advantage this trumps them all because it is so directly relevant. It does seem to help more, however, when their previous training is more general rather than specifically e.g. ballet. Also if they had some lessons at a young age that really helps. You learn things in a much more ingrained manner when it has been done young.

Have tried to amend all suggestions, but can no longer edit.

Thanks for your help - it's late and I was doing it from memory.

Tried to include all winners plus any others who came to mind.

Post was more to think which attribute is most useful.

My husband says being a sports person for fitness and focus - but they need some dance ability too

Tom was self trained from watching Fred Astaire films. Alesha had some street dance training and learned routines for performing with Mis-Teeq. Kara had previous training in a range of dance styles. Caroline wanted to work in musical theatre and had formal dance training as part of her Performance Arts course. Caroline is the only one I would think of as dance trained.

Biggest disadvantage is the lack of any sort of natural rhythm. Just look at Iwan Thomas - wonderfully fit but no rhythm at all.

Tom was dance trained - I know because I used to work with someone who went to the same dance & drama college as him and took some of the same stage and tap dance classes as him.

If dance training is considered the biggest advantage, then surely gymnasts would be the über-ringers. Not only do they get intensive ballet training, they have the added advantage of a sports person: fitness and focus. Being trained to perform under extremely high stress in a competitive environment is a massive advantage.

Previous dance training and youth are the two biggest advantages I would say, by some distance. Not being an arsehole somewhere around third.

Looking back at winners and runners up - winners marked*

What marks out the winners from the runners up seems to vary from year to year.

Most important two which seems to fit them all - all comparatively young, - all fit and active

Live TV - Natasha Kaplinsky*, Matt Baker, Caroline Flack*, Susanna Reid

Actor - Christopher Parker, Matt di Angelo, Tom Chambers*, Ricky Whittle, Chelsee Healey, Kimberley Walsh, Denise V O,

Personality - Christopher Parker, Chris Hollins*, Kara Tointon* -relationship with Artem,

Theatre School - Jill Halfpenny*, Matt di Angelo, Tom Chambers*, Natalie Gumede, Caroline Flack*, Denise V O,

Other dance - Alesha Dixon*, Kara Tointon*

Sport - Denise Lewis, Darren Gough*, Colin Jackson, Mark Ramprakash*, Matt Dawson, Ricky Whittle, Chis Hollins*, Matt Baker, Louis Smith*

Music - Rachel Stevens, Alesha Dixon*, Harry Judd*, Kimberley Walsh, Frankie Bridge, Simon Webbe

Abbey Clancy doesn't seem to fit any category, except being young and physically fit.

Wonder if the different, more 'show business' style of recent Strictly shows has changed the type of winner?

Wonder if the Pro the celebrity is paired with makes a difference?

Abbey Clancy was ballet trained.

For me an important factor is Experience in Reality TV as Presenter, Mentor or Contestant.

Key to Caroline's and Abbey's victories IMO, Mark's appearance in last year's final - but didn't help Peter much.

And being under-developed emotionally is a disadvantage? Gymnastics from a very early age can be a hindrance to development.

Judging by Matt Baker's arms, he and Ballet training were strangers, whereas Louis seemed to have done enough Ballet for it to clearly show.

BIB
I think the show has changed considerably.

The old style I think was best illustrated by Vincent and Rachel.
A pro who was an expert in the 10 dances and the AT, and familiar with Salsa, and a celeb who had the ability to learn technique to a high level.

Caroline was maybe the best illustration of not learning technique in a winner of the new style (though she could obviously dance well), but we had Chris Hollins showing that not learning technique (or steps, or timing), could be achieved in the old style too.

Matt Dawson, Mark Ramprakash and Harry Judd all show that a pro who can teach and choreograph very well, can make a very big difference with a celeb who has had little or no dance training,

Kara also did gymnastics - hence the Showdance - but having had some tips from Matt Baker, I don't think it was to that high a level.

Ah yes, she's listed as having training in aerobics too, but wasn't sure whether it was worth including.

Being employed on a soap produced by Brian Kirkwood.

Forced to do Strictly - then given no time off to train or perform
Ricky Whittle, Scott Maslen, Ashley Taylor Dawson all suffered "The curse of Kirkwood"

That was definitely a disadvantage.

Didn't Ashley Taylor Dawson have a new baby too?

Didn't Austinwozrobbed have twin babies at the time? Remember in a training clip Erin telling him he couldn't concentrate as he's had so little sleep.