Louise is a great dancer, Im looking forward to watching her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG2j9R-nPIM

Strange they've only uploaded the opening (the thing most people complained about) to YouTube. Last year they had everything uploaded pretty quickly after the show but the year before in 2014 that they didn't upload anything so maybe its part of budget cuts or something.

Ore moved well, so did Will. Louise looked okay. I have high hopes for Naga. Ed Balls just looked awkward and embarrassed to be there.

I see Balls deep in this competition

It was difficult to make an assessment as the camera kept moving so much, but I could see that most of the celebs had some movement, some better than others as you would expect. How that will transfer to Ballroom and latin dancing is another matter. Will watch with interest. What does strike me always, is - mostly in the case of the ladies - is how ungainly they are with sloppy feet even when walking. How can you use your feet and dance properly when you can't even walk properly? Hopefully in some cases, this can be addressed. Look forward to seeing an improvement all round when the show starts.

I can never be too critical of a woman in high heels. Does that make me a bad person?

No not at all. As a dancer I naturally notice these things, but non dancers probably wouldn't. When you see the pro's, they always use their feet well, whether they walk or dance.....we are also taught to stand correctly, legs and feet in correct position, rather than legs akimbo

Well yes but if the rest of us walked about like that we'd look affected. Most of us don't do the dancer's walk.
You wouldn't really expect any of them to be doing that just yet ... even those with prior training will have just been getting on with normal life since. Claudia might be an exception ... how does the gymnast's walk compare with the dancer's!?

Even if they do know how to walk/stand properly .. it'd be most unwise of them to show it at this early stage. The slightest sign that they know about correct posture or have had ballet training etc will just get them dumped in the ringah's enclosure ... before they've danced a step.

I've watched the group dance a few times now.
Ore definitely standouts out.
Tameka looks good too. She seemed to handle the moves she had pretty well. I know she's a comedian and makes light of everything but she may actually be a dark horse.
Louise did look a bit stiff and self conscious
Daisy Lowe looked awkward. She's very tall in those heels and didn't look comfortable.
They didn't really show a lot of Laura but her arms looked a bit wild to me
I didn't see Greg Rutherford at all and I've watched the group dance 3 times!
Anastacia was giving it welly and I agree, a partnership with Giovanni would have been much better. I hope Brendan is gentle with her.
Looking forward to seeing all the ugly ducklings turn into beautiful swans

I understand what you mean, but I would not expect them to walk like dancers, but I would expect them to walk properly and stand properly. There's a lot to be said for good posture too.

I've just watched it again a couple of times from the BBC strictly page. I agree, no obvious duffers and even Ed was giving it some gusto! Is it Greg who is at the back of the still shot at the end to the right, who does lifts one of the dancers on to his shoulder? I think it is, if so that's pretty good.

Watching again I see:

Greg and Ed are stiff in their lower bodies - hip movement? But they have rhythm.

My favourite part is the line about 'do the fly' where Claudia leads two other celebs on to the floor and in that moment Claudia is divine.

Giovanni was loving being with Anastacia.

Melvin and Tameka together dancing very nicely although Melvin needs to be a bit more fluid, as was Tameka in that section.

Louise is self-conscious as is Daisy. Once they are partner dancing this will improve massively although I think Daisy 'looks too tall' so not sure what that says about how she moves.

Judge Rinder has great timing.

When Greg goes as one of three to lift Laura he walks rather stiffly over, which was what I saw when I first watched it and thought he did not look too good.

Still think Naga looks awkward especially in her air lift.

he and Natalie have a section swishing arms together in front of the camera!

The problem with Louise was the silly long fringes on the back of the dress. I was expecting her to trip a few times.

Rob Rinder really gave it some wellie.

Maybe, but that was 20 years ago & dancing for a pop video is a different discipline. Lots of gyrating, thrusting & generally being sexy to a lively beat. No need for elegance or poise. Not only that but they could practice the same 3 minute routine our & over. On Strictly they have many dances to learn over a shorter time. We've seen a few ex pop stars who danced to their songs fail miserably in Strictly over the years.

I've rewound the group quite dance a few times and saw a few new things each time i watched:

Will was great.

Ed really went for it!

Judge Rinder can move (a section where he danced towards the camera with Joanne and Will showed that he can do some turns).

Lesley is quite nimble and light on her feet-wish i could move like her!

Louise looked awkward-it must be nerve-wracking doing the first dance though.

Naga ain't half bad.

Ore seems very confident and likes the camera!

Melvin can move.

I applaud everyone for their performances though-all in all it was a fab first group dance.

Daisy and Louise looked surprisingly stiff, Anastacia and Danny seemed the most at ease and Ed was diabolical but made me laugh.

I know what you mean. People walking and standing pigeon toed and stood hunched over. You don't have to be a dancer to stand up straight! My mum always told me to stand up properly when I was growing up. I thought I had great posture until I started dancing and I realised there's standing up straight and standing up straight.

Has anyone got a video of the opening dance? Didn't really take that much in when I watched it - I think Judge Rinder looks good and Daisy and Louise don't look like much. It's hard to know until they start learning the actual dances. Sometimes someones "natural rhythm" doesn't translate well to the technique of the dances eg Jamelia.

The group dance has now also been uploaded.

On second viewing:

- Ore is used twice to lift a celeb (Daisy and Naga), so assume that he will be strong with the lifts.

- Danny, Greg and Will are almost invisible (could only see that Will knows how to shake his hips).

- Seems goes for Laura, who is almost 90% of the time near the podium at the back, so don't know how people can see that she is great (which might be the case).

- Daisy really looks like Rachel 2.0 on the dancefloor (look at her arm and shoulder movement).

- And as a bonus look carefully for the moment where Louise almost loses her balance (which would have resulted in a faceplant on the floor).

To early to call who will be good, although we have seen a bit of latin potential here and there, when the training vids come out (starting) next week we should get a better indicator.

This year it might all be decided on the ballroom dances (which doesn't happen often).

Ore and Anastacia

Louise and Claudia looked a bit stiff and like they had no rhythm

Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JXlZ5OYST0

Danny and Ore were my predictions as likely contenders pre-series and I'm still of that opinion.

Ore, Danny, Will and Rinder were good. None of the girls stood out.
Male winner again this year i think.

Will even Lesley wasn't as apauling as I thought she would be so she and Judge Rinder could be the surprise. Ed was worst id be supprised if he isn't 1st out

From what I could see, Tameka and Anastacia both looked to be confident dancers.