http://www.tellymix.co.uk/reality-tv...next-year.html

I was worried about Oti and Pasha being at the top of the article for a minute there. They shouldn't scare us like that...

i hope Kristina doesn't quit to do CBB Leaving the show to do other things I can understand, she has been in the show for a long time but to degrade herself on CBB would be a sad end to a successful career on Strictly.
I'd hate to see her leave. Hopefully this article is a load of twaddle

That article could have been written by nearly every poster in this forum.

that place often gets its stuff online - the BBC audition around April they see several dancers even when only looking for one or two - I do know of two who are auditioning (males) have not heard of any females yet.

Just reading twitter and forums obvious there will be some changes - Ola and Aliona have quit - Kristina may do so - so probably 3 changes at least

IKR I was like when I saw their picture

cant remember what year it was but a few years ago i read about a pro shake up and 4 left that year so assuming Kristina goes with Aliona and Ola thats 3 so there could be another

As long as Giovanni stays. That's all that matter.

Dont think you will have a problem there. somehow i think it may be Gleb since he didnt stay in Australia or US for more than 1 series each. Im unsure for my fave though (Anton) and think he will replace Len but the fact he's being there from the start and that he has a fanbase is what im hanging onto but i can see you being happy and Gio coming back. didnt like him at 1st but by the end he grew on me

I don't see Kristina going anywhere willingly. I've seen the desperation in her eyes to get Jason and Simon to the finals. She's got a book in the shops and a little column on the back of Strictly.
Janette has been really exposed for her choreography lacking knowledge of the ten ballroom dances but I'm not even sure the production is savvy enough to care.
The show picks pros usually as commodities. Natalie may be great, but if there is nobody tall enough for her she will not appear.

Brendan must be in the firing line too. He's looking almost paunchy and with most of the recent partners there seem to have been problems. Kirsty and Victoria looked chronically nervous, he looked tired with Sunetra, Lulu hated him. Anton stays in with his repartee and gentleman schtick, and what does Brendan have? He just talks back a bit too much.

To be fair to Brendan, Lulu is awful and has a reputation for being very difficult. I think most of the pro's would have struggled to get along with her.

I said a while back that Brendan seems to have calmed down since he got married. Yes he did at one time answer back a lot, but lately he's been like a pussy cat. "He knows which side his bread is buttered."

The choreography skills of pros are important, but they need much more than that, as far as the BBC is concerned. They must also have the looks and a personality that appeals to the public. That's why Ola lasted so long.

It's more "show than dance" these days. How can we really be expected to take the judges that seriously, now that they make these silly entrances?

Quite a few pros seem to be in danger this time around:

I could see Anton leaving after getting to the final with Katie. However, I reckon the producers will try to keep him in somehow.

Janette has some obvious issues with her choreography and seems to start off with all the good dances, causing her partners to be in danger towards the end of the series. The producers will keep her in though just so the male pros can throw her around in the pro dances and so that Aljaz stays.

Tristan also seems to have trouble choreographing and, after him saying himself that he doesn't enjoy choreographing, it wouldn't be a massive shock if he leaves. Maybe this was the reason why he got all the duds on DWTS. But, he could always take Anton's role if he chooses to leave and get the duffers every year.

In addition, Brendan seems to have been unhappy with quite a lot of his recent partners so might quit.

I reckon Kristina will leave somehow. Whether she quits, or the producers kick her out, I don't know. But, seeing as Ola and Aliona have quit, I wouldn't be surprised if the producers decide to axe someone to make it seem as if they have control over all of this and Kristina seems like the most likely person for them to do this to.

Natalie also seems quite likely to leave after she allegedly expressed an interest in leaving to start a family.

As for the other pros, the producers seem to love Aljaz, Kevin, Karen, Joanne (who I reckon might return as a pro) and Gleb. The only problem with Gleb and Joanne, though, is that Gleb seemed to be a bit overwhelmed by all the love he got over here and Joanne apparently had problems choreographing routines for Scott. But, maybe that was just because of Scott's lack of ability. She seemed perfectly fine with Harry and on It Takes Two she seemed to have some pretty clever ways of teaching people how to do things like getting in to the proper ballroom hold. She's probably a lot more used to choreographing complex routines, having just retired from her professional career.

On the other hand, Giovanni and Pasha seem pretty safe and so does Oti, despite the producers recentlt having a tendency to axe new pros after just one series.

As for the new pros next time around, I've got quite a few names in mind:
- Joanne Clifton (as I mentioned before)
- Anya Garnis
- Ekaterina Jones
- Neil Jones
- Patrick Helm
- Anthony Rutherford
- Faye Huddleston
- Shem Jacobs
- Charlotte Gooch
- Henry Byalikov

It would be nice to get some new British alternatives to the ubiquitous Clifton Clan.

most of those choices are ok would like less BTF dancers on the show personally and I speak with a couple of former pupils on tour in Asia with the show. As for Jo she is well able to teach for people with less ability she comes from a dance school background have never heard she had any problems with routines for Scott other than he was just terrible at doing anything.

I don't mind who they choose as pros or where they are from as long as they have a proper grounding in both styles and not latin heavy as with some former BTF dancers ie like Janette. One reason why I was pleased Giovanni was chosen this year was him being from the same stable as Joanne the Diablo Academy in Bologna and not BTF

I wouldn't disagree with any of that, Bendy.

I don't care what nationality pro dancers are, providing they can dance and teach both ballroom and Latin - the 10 main dances, that is.

The problem with the likes of Janette, her main skill was - and still is - salsa, at which, she is probably brilliant, and as such, Charleston possibly comes easy to her as well.

Unfortunately so many of couples dance Charleston in the early rounds of the show, and because there is little or no technique involved - swivel your feel a couple of times, then do whatever you like - they turn in an amazing dance that gets remembered right the way through the series, regardless of being unable to dance the technical dances (i.e.Caroline Flack).

I would like to see all the "fun" dances - Charleston, Salsa, AT, AS - kept back until the couples have danced all the strict tempo dances, maybe not introduce them until the semi-final and final, which would make those 2 shows more interesting for viewers as well. At the moment, let's be honest, by the time we reach the final, with the single exception of Kellie & Kevin's Lindy, there was nothing that we hadn't seen before - yawn!!!.

I would have been more than happy not to see it then! We had already been treated to the rap thing, the star wars thing and the beer garden thing.
I wish he would ease up on the ugly stompy stuff, he can obviously do attractive graceful routines, evidenced by his lovely AS in the semi.

He did far more elegant stuff with Frankie last year. It is almost as if he took one look at Kellie & decided the dances for the whole season, without bothering to see if she could manage elegant earlier on.

That is another reason for saying the couples have to stick to the 10 main dances before being allowed to stamp their seal on the alternative dances.

To be fair to Kevin, I think it was Kellie liked the "stompy" stuff (apparently she wanted to do the rap-cum-samba as their chosen dance in the final), and he was hardly helped by the music he was given - difficult to do an elegant beautiful Viennese to Oomp Pah Pah, or an authentic looking samba to Shake The Room (or whatever it was called!) .

Yes, that's probably fair comment.
She is perhaps more comfortable with that style - she did look a bit stiff and uncomfortable in their Rumba, although she was great in the AS.

I agree.

I wouldn't be sad to see Joanne go and I really wonder if Anton will stay too. I'd like all the current men to stay but wouldn't mind Karen and/or Joanne go.

It's not all about choreography though, and she's certainly one of the most vibrant dancers in the pro routines and is good on ITT.

Plus realistically if they drop her then Aljaz would probably walk as well, and I doubt the producers would want that...

I take it 'vibrant' means crotchtastic splits and imitating an elaborate pretzel. If you want more stuff like this I know a phone box with a few cards I can collect for you.

I agree! Just don't give her contenders and sorted!
I think she is a fabulous dancer, just not of ballroom.

I think Janette is really athletic. She's the one who always does the stunts as she's so flexible.Just look at her high kick at 1.00 in to this, way above her head. The rest of the girls don't get their feet anywhere near that height.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QemZ7_15OpA