love the USA version of the show - the UK one was badly done by the BBC imo

serious dancers graft no matter where they come from have many hard working dancers around the world plying their trade

It looks so natural and fun. Big smiles from both right thro, and I love the Danger Man era cheesy music

Agree about serious dancers graft, but think the biggest difference between UK and USA is that in the latter dance is actually respected - all dance, that is - and competitive dance is correctly treated as the sport that it is.

In UK there is a respect for ballet, but everything else is just classed as a bit "of fun" never sport.

No. That's what so incomprehensible. I think Danny or Louise could pull of a good intermediate salsa. The salsa is pretty easy to learn compared to some other styles. But it's like they don't even try as they are all convinced that the actual dance is too simple / boring etc and the Strictly version is salsa when it's clearly not. It's weird especially when they can have 2 waltzes which have very simple steps but in which you can choreograph an interesting routine.

I think that the choreography for Ore's routine was full of content (although it included bits that were the usual disco add on that made sense with the theme). I think it was badly executed by both him and Jo and I think it's because she didn't know how to correct it. There were some glaring basic errors like taking huge steps and little natural hip action. That wasn't the fault of the choreography but of the teacher.

I hate that some of the newer pros are following Anton's example and not bothering to work on the dances they know less well so that they can do them justice. Maybe they should have a salsa expert not just deliver the choreography but actually train them (both) in it.

I'm beginning to despair of ever seeing a decent set of basic steps danced on this show! All l want to see is the basic action particularly when l'm watching the professional. I was watching Ed and Katya in training and Ed was of course terrible but he made me smile. Katya on the other hand had me rolling my eyes as her basic hip action seemed worse and she was trying to correct his! Is there no one who can sort this out!

It's a shame we've not seen Janette do more Salsa's because she's an actual professional dancer unlike most of the other pros who are only traditional Ballroom and Latin dancers.

There was a picture on Instagram of Janette, Aliajz & Giovanni at a salsa club. I think maybe Janette should take all the pros there for a crash course!

Watching clips of this weeks training and the ridiculous obsession with lifts by Katya and Alijaz .
Instead of getting Ed to perfect the basic steps we have them fooling around and wasting time with lifts . Then you have Alijaz trying to lift Daisy and again looking ridiculous . Daisy is a tall girl and it looks so ungainly and unnecessary .

I mean these are novices trying to learn a routine in 4 days and they should be concentrating on perfecting the basic technique not lifts .

From the training clips it doesn't look hopeful for this weeks entries either.

Cheesy??? That's the sublime Tito Puente you are talking about.

Seriously though try listening to this. Notice the many layers in the music. Its like the difference in a cheap red wine with a single flavour note and a well crafted wine that is deep and rich with a basic flavour that is profound and linger and many new flavour hits popping up after the initial flavour has grabbed you. This is what IMO makes Latin music so great and indeed so danceable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm2C5hx4sI0

Thank goodness it's not just me who thinks this - was starting to think l was missing the point of a salsa!


Please, Please, Please somebody make this happen!

So true! Love this woman's music.

This actually reminds me of the last time a reasonable salsa was danced on strictly. Ali Bastian and Brian Fortuna danced to this and l thought it was actually one of her best Latin dances. However, l also remember Len not being to keen on it as it was too frenetic with too much armography. Even her basic was challenged. I only wish the pros basic today was as good as her basic was back then!

Lol frenetic and too much armography? In a salsa? Oh Len... salsa is frenetic and arm-y! If you've not ended up resembling some sort of confused spinning ocotpus at some point during the learning process have you really salsa-ed?

Wow! The Queen of Salsa and Tito! Fabulous. Makes me want to hit the floor.

Dynamite.

Exactly!

Bet they've never seen a Rueda in Cuba either. Fast? You bet your booty!

Or got caught up in one when they don't know all the moves and just end up spinning from bloke to bloke ahem not that that's ever happened to me...😳

Aarghhhh! That is scary, but exciting at the same time.

One of the things I loved about dancing in Cuba was that the men could really lead and were as strong as oxen, but as graceful as cats

please tell me Ed did authentic Salsa tonite. If it wasn't, it would break my heart
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Oh wow! Not so many very strong leads here in my experience, I try not to but sometimes you can't help back-leading 🙄