Again apologies for the moaning!

I don’t want this to be a pros bashing thread as l believe they generally do a great job with difficult circumstances i.e. Ann Widdecombe, Scott Mills, Judy Murray – the list goes on. However, some professionals this year have been a little hit and miss with their choreography and their own execution of said choreography making it sometimes cringing to watch.

Some professionals don’t seem to be teaching the basic elements of certain dances either properly or rigorously enough. Brandon for instance in the jive did not seem to teach Anastasia enough of the basic technique required for those steps as she did not understand how flat footed and heavy she was dancing them. Whilst l believe she was giving it her all had she had more specific instruction regarding her kicks and flicks or just getting up onto the balls of her feet when dancing maybe she wouldn’t have been so lacking in the strong motion required. Instead, Brendon seemed to concentrate more on all the pfaffing around then as usual became peeved that his choreography could possibly be questioned! Brendan is great TV but in my opinion not such a great teacher these days.

Natalie who is usually one of the strongest pros both in creative choreography and her own dance technique choose to create a Rumba with barely any basic rumba content then got upset when she was called on it. Later she went on to say how advance the dance was that Greg had completed when really the only advance work being done was being danced by her. In Greg’s Cha Cha Cha he kept forgetting the steps and l couldn’t help wondering had she simplified the choreography a little more, then drilled those steps into his consciousness whether he could have been better in that dance. I’ve even found her execution of her choreography a little erratic at times, almost as though she is constantly compensating for his lack of technique.

Joanne doesn’t dance salsa as though she truly understands the essence of the dance so it was probably not really a surprise that Ore didn’t have much basic in his dance. Had she been more in tuned she might have been able to soften his motion a little more. Giovanni showcased himself a little more than was necessary with Laura in that Samba though l did feel he at least attempted to teach her the basics.

However l am not saying there hasn’t been some great work done by some of the pros, particularly by Oti, Katya, Kevin and AJ. I’ve also liked some of Joanne’s work and Gorka has really impressed with his versatility and likeability. It’s just that l feel some of the pros may be getting caught up in the strictly moment and forgetting why they are the professionals and why teaching the basic techniques of every dance is so important.

As said before on here Salsa is done by outside choreographers Ore's was done by Oksana's husband John platero who is a salsa champion - hated the routine - which is nothing like what he dances himself

Are you a dancer, or just another armchair expert who has been watching since day one and now knows everything there is to know about dancing. Given the diabolical music the Professionals have to work with it is a miracle they are able to do as much as they do.

They have week between dances and inthat time have to teach choreography and presentation to someone who may never have danced before. Let's be honest you cannot possibly teach all the basic steps in the time given. If the celebrity has other commitments, as many do, then training is limited. We are just getting the 'top show and little substance' version of the dances.

Natalie doesn't seem like the Natalie I've known on this show. I know a pro should be invested in the partnership with his/her celebrity but she just seems so overly invested in this one, I don't understand

I think all three of these guys are amazing!

The others are just complete rubbish.

She's had three years with not much to work with. One year on the bench due to being injured, one year with a lovely man who was bless him not much of a dancer and as an aging antiques expert unlikely to have people reaching for their phones and a dude with great rhythm but again an aging dude without the appeal to get folks reaching for the phones. She can probably see a future with yet another no hoper next year - give her a break.

I take it you do not teach dancing.


I think the pros on the whole do a great job and with just a week to teach a routine in they get the mix of performance and technique on the whole correct.

People learn things at different speeds and some just don't pick up the technique no matter how hard you try (like straightening of the leg in some latin dances) So whilst Natalie's rumba had barely a basic in it can totally see why she did what she did to get some sort of performance out of Greg.

If the pros did as you say and just did the most basic of routines and concentrated on just technique they would be slated for lack of performance. Agree some pros have been a bit lazy with the teaching the most basic technique in the past - but have not seen any evidence of that this year .

It is also worth remembering the likes of Salsa, AT and Charleston are done by outside choreographers - they rarely resemble the 'real thing'

you are on form today

Probably can see the end as well, she's 36 not old but Greg could be her last decent partner. Its obvious that the show does mean a lot to her.

I'm a bad person.

cannot disagree, but funny too

I understand and I know that but I wished some pros wouldn't take this show TOO seriously. I know it's their job but. ...I mean Vincent had a similar path and never won. Kristina had her fair share of duffers and ringers and she never won ( Christmas special doesn't count ). ..

Natalie is my favorite pro on this show and I'm rarely critical of her. I was ecstatic she got Greg at the beginning hoping that she'll get to the finale again but unfortunately his dancing never live up to the expectations. I'm not enjoying them on the show anymore as I previously did. She just seems a tad too desperate this year and reminds me of how Kristina ( another favorite of mine ) was with Jason Donovan.

On a slightly more serious note, I would feel very bad about criticising the pro dancers. I am very much in awe of all they are able to do. I am not a dancer and it always amazes me how people who CAN dance are able to pick up and learn a new routine with such ease. That would take me a lifetime and I don't know how they always remember what to do each time.

Going further and teaching a complete (or almost complete) novice to dance to what is a pretty decent standard of dance in less than one week is no mean achievement. I think they all do a pretty amazing job.

Brilliant!

Have you too done a lot of proof reading?

Mostly stuff I've written myself.

I have sausage fingers, so its essential, otherwise it looks like Portuguese, typed by a blind, one armed Lithuanian .

You're right there. Brenden, in particular, is an arrogant prick. I know this because I have been told so over and over again on this very forum. Always by the same person but hey...

All the more reason for the professional to polish and try to improve those basic elements being as they don't need to come up with the routine. Also with the exception of maybe AJ, Gorka and may be Oti the rest of the pros have been in strictly long enough and have been through enough rounds to have a better understanding of those particular dances so they could still make more effort to see that the celebrities are given the best opportunity to execute them to the best of their abilities.

I think you are looking at it from your teaching experience

whilst Katya is doing a great job with Ed to get him to do anything the technique is minimal she is covering it up with the comedic bits or theme. I have taught dance for over 30 years my parents for over 60 and have been around it since a child - have seen eager pupils come in and it can take months and months to get one routine in any semblance of a dancer and others come in and they are competing within a couple of months - everyone is different and it cannot be generalised.

With one week to do a routine it is impossible to do all the things you want, even those celebs with dance experience are still rough around the edges and of the 10 standard dances I think all pros give their partners enough for the viewer to recognise what is being danced bar Melvin and Greg in his rumba Ed has the worst technique and execution whether you recognise what he is doing or not.

As for Greg if you are referring to his rumba - he could not do the basic - in Cha he did not straighten leg at all despite all Natalies efforts with his limitations what she did was the best option she got a performance out of him

You miss the point on the dances the pros do not choreograph - they still only have a week so after they have their routine given to them - where do they find the extra time for the polishing you want ???

I have learned to watch strictly as an entertainment show loosely based around dance when the show first started it drove me mad at the standard of the dancing and marking thereof now I enjoy it for what it is - still moan about some marking, the unfair choices of music and costume which can favour some and hamper others and yes some of the dancing but as long as some technique in there quite happy, and feel all the pros this year are doing a fair job

I think Oti said something about teaching the basics of the dance on the first day and then the actual dance from then on. So Danny is lucky in that he has a pro who works in this way. And she is lucky in that he can pick up said basics quickly!

I am not sure that other pro dancers teach basics first though.

Regarding the Salsa - not all the Pro's get someone in to help them ! The AT and Charleston are the obvious dances that they don't know enough about so they'll get help with those.

I agree about Natalie probably knowing Greg is her last young celebrity, and that she'll be pulling out all the stops to stay in Strictly as long as she can this series. She hasn't had a decent partner since Scott Maslen, and if she's back in the future it's likely to be the over 40's males from now on, which I think her style of choreography is best suited to anyway. With all the Botox and fake tan, she's having to work hard to look young at 36, and it would seem odd to see her partnered with a 25 year old, like Jay for instance.

Oksana at 28, is great addition to the show - her Cha - Cha, Jive and QS routines for Robert were spot on choreography wise.

I find it incredible that someone can spell his name in three different ways in the same post.

It is surely a new record!

This ^^^^^

The failure of a celeb to exhibit certain aspects of technique in no way tells you whether they were taught it or not. I remember when I started dancing being told lots of things. I actually thought I was doing them. I wasn't, as I found out 2 or 3 years later! I asked my dance teacher why I had missed or misinterpreted these points and he told me I just wasn't ready and everyone has the same problem. I still don't dance the basics in the way I would really want to, even though I will be teaching them. I spent last night's dance lesson trying to improve my body movement in Tango in some very basic Bronze level steps. It's a case of the more you learn, the more you realise what you don't know/can't do.

I think I particularly want to defend Brendan. The actions people were looking for from Anastacia in her jive are difficult for a beginner or even intermediate to achieve.

PS I know Bendymixer may not agree with this but I thought Anton had upped his overall dancing level this year and wondered if he had been brushing up on his Latin. His cha cha, when dancing with Lesley, seemed much better.

BIB Can I be the first to shout "SABOTAGE"!!!

They have to teach basics first - what Oti does is the way to teach - she is lucky has a celeb who has been taught dancing so understands timing, foot placement etc so teaching the basics is that much easier. Think some concentrate on the proper technique more than others Oti, Kevin, Jo, Natalie (normally) seem to come from same direction and always try to achieve correct technique (not including the 'extra' dances just the standard ones) some of the others do good routines but dont concentrate on the technique so much

I actually do agree - Anton has changed so much this year - a new man fatherhood is good for him