Series 8, I believe (I remember watching Kara's, which was full of lifts, and wondering why the judges weren't picking up on them...)

No don't tell me, don't tell me. Hmmm

A classic slow waltz right? I'm right aren't !?

Don't give them ideas If they can use 'I think I love you' for a rumba, 'hands, knees & boomps a daisy would be shoe in for a nice slow waltz

Looking at the videos of all those early salsas they all have a number of things in common.

Proper music.

No props

No faffin' about.

Makes a big difference I think, for all the right reasons.

This is one of my all time Strictly favourites because it is authentic salsa. No lifts, no running up to the judges shaking your rear etc.....

Of ones mentioned without links
Abbey and Ali:
salsa - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ispdxhYEFn8 - wasn't actually keen on this. Thought it was overmarked and several people said it was more like a hustle than an salsa but at the end of the day I'm also a believer in everyone making up their own mind. I won't lie that I was unbiased.

The rest I don't remember but look forward to having my memory jogged.

samba - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcuKwfbTOFY

Chelsee salsa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT7qKkrsjts

Ramps samba: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNZM6hbKT6g - ok this I remember and it was good.

Matt DA salsa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWh2wrlnBRU - and definately this one. happy place

Matt and Ailona: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UADo9NOmtCQ - and this one kinda danced well but I remember Nat's chereography for Scott being better despite the fact he wasn't anywhere near the latin dancer Matt was and thinking it's a shame Matt wasn't dancing Scott's routinue.

Pixie samba: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIEXtw26tFI - I'd forgotten this but thank you very much for reminding me

sorry forgot Kara samba except she didn't do one with Artem. Do you mean the one with Mark Ramprakash or her salsa?

Enjoyed Abbey's Samba and Salsa...

Pixie had macracas does that count?

Makes sense - it changed a lot then.

She had everything and shook everything and the maracas were the least of it.

And the dads in the audience were very happy

Are they Scottish maracas?

I loved their partnership. What is Matt up to these days, do you know?

I know I can't spell it's worse because I have a good vocabulary. It's like Adrian Mole and his inlets - that joke will only make sense to people of a certain age and betray mine.

I quite liked Rachel & Vincent's samba to a latin version of 'Money can't buy me love'

Heather & Brian's salsa too in 2008 was a great salsa IMO

I even didn't mind Kate Garraway's salsa (danced awfully) but it had a great latin song to go with it

lot of teaching and judging

If anything more people dance Salsa socially than any other Strictly dance, and John's dance and music is what I associate with Salsa (and indeed what I saw on holiday in Cuba a few years ago!)

Since then, it's become all about the lifts which is a shame

I still go to watch Mark Ramprakash and Karen Hardy's salsa to give me a smile.

Good to hear, he seems a lovely man.

I rarely like salsas or sambas, but there are a few I enjoyed (although they may not have been great salsas or sambas!)

Matt & Aliona's Samba
Jake & Janette's Salsa
Ramps & Karen's Salsa
Matt & Flavia's Salsa
Denise & Ian's Samba

Some more of the ones mentioned:

the classic Maren salsa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNbKHyt6esw (does include Brucie's terrible jokes sorry)

Kara's salsa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhXolH3Tof8

Jake and Janette's salsa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPj2Kk2TaTE

If Denise isn't linked already I think I'll in tribute to Monkseal do Ian's whole samba career with as many links as I can find. Jodie's wasn't great but the rest were certainly at least interesting.

I know it's not stellar but I did enjoy watching this live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-WW...4WWA9x&index=1

Also liked this from the past: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOlGaHgpKDw

Ian's samba career on SCD starting above:

then continuing with Zoe Ball: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hNaB8Ta5Is

Penny Lancaster Stewart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On8TUDt0LuQ

Jodie Kidd: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0Xd6vowHcY

and finally Jade Johnson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DwcljBEZy4 and hers their salsa too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ8SkqPBDrk

I don't like the samba or salsa dances at all. I think it's all the shimmering that I don't like and the dancers seem to find those more difficult to do. Love all the other dances though. So I would be happy if they got rid of those 2 dances.

Julian Clary had maracas for his samba which even made the final! (And people worry about Ed Balls making the final this year!) http://www.youtube.com/results?q=jul...n%20samba&sm=3

I'm rather fond of Aled and Lilia's samba. Not the most wonderful dancing but reasonable content and quite a warm likeable performance. Www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY1gxI2fyWQ

James and Gabby actually went out on this samba didn't they? But it was a lot more entertaining than sambas you see nowadays. Www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsU0SiEgpVU. I'd forgotten how good a pro partner James could be with all the post Strictly bitterness.

One of the things that strikes me is how joyless sambas are nowadays compared to previous series. I'd rather watch an imperfect James and Gabby style samba than some of the ones we see nowadays.

Loved Denise and Ian's Samba. She was one of the few celebs ( you could count them on your fingers ) who really 'got' the Samba.
I know this isn't a popular opinion but Georgia May Foote was another who 'got' it, imo.
Her Samba was unfairly slated and undermarked compared to some others which weren't anywhere near as good.