Just throwing it out there as he's already at such a high level.

How long would Danny have to train for to be of a very good professional dancer standard? Im talking at the level of the pro dancers on Strictly? Or is that not possible unless you start very young?

He will never get there.

He's great at a celeb level. But the pro's have been dancing since they were kids.

Bit late for that really, but he has had a start at ArtsEd. He is a good dancer, but he is not exceptional or extraordinary in any way, just way better than the average, and with good looks and the right body for it to work to his advantage.

I started at 5, some start at 7. Most of the pros on SD started around the same age too.

Years and years.

He's a very good dancer but he's learning technique to suit the routines he's performing that week, not necessarily for that style of dance on a whole. (this probably makes no sense but I really don't know how to describe what I mean properly, sorry.) I doubt he'd be quite so good if he didn't have someone guiding him as well as Oti has. Even with another pro, I don't think he'd be as good.

That makes sense. He's got to be the best dancer they have had on Strictly so far.

No, Colin Jackson was better and Ricky Whittle was great, as was the one Karen Hardy danced with, Mark ??? - and there were few others as well, but hard to recall this late at night and full of the dreaded lurgy!

I forget each SCD once it's over - and all the names!

My two favourite male celebs who danced some of my favourite ever routines on SCD both of them made me cry with the beauty of their dancing (Colin's SF Rumba and Ricky's SF Waltz - simply exquisite)

Mark Rampakash.

As was Harry's ballroom. He's a good hoofer, made more appealing by good looks.

No way was Mark Ramprakash as good as Danny ... nowhere near it and I say that as someone who voted for him. I personally don't think that Ricky and Colin were either.

We forget how good Colin was. Didn't he learn the Foxtrot in 45 minutes or something? Some of his performances were so effortlessly good.

Shame he was undone by puppets

And Ricky too, talk about "Swing and Sway"

It's not something you can just change careers to do and disrespectful to say it

I don't think he would even contemplate trying to become a pro ballroom dancer. He did it to expand his chances in his chosen career, as he said on the This Morning interview.

Why would he want to?

He must earn far more money doing what he's doing.

It's not possible and why would he even want to. He has a career and it's better paying

Gosh people really do jump down your throat at the littlest things on these forums.

I was just wondering out pure curiosity how long it would take someone of Danny's level to train to be of a professional standard. Wasn't suggesting he change careers, I was just using him as an example as hes very good. But of course I realise it would take years or maybe never. Just wondered do you absolutely have to start young to get to a professional standard.

That's all. No disrespect intended, lets keep it it nice folks.

Starting young is a benefit but I cant see why it's a compulsion.surely hard work and determination pays off? With more training, I could imagine that if Danny were plonked on one of the foreign versions, as a pro, viewers would barely notice

Yes, it was a good partnership.

And agreed on Ricky Nipple - who I would argue was the best male, overall.

Probably too late and he's not specialised physically enough. He's been trained to dance well enough to get into a leading drama college at 18. He's then spent 3 years being taught everything from ballet to contemporary dance. if he did the musical theatre course he will have learnt multiple numbers, some classically based or ballroom. A showdance or Charleston should be well within his ability. His first job was understudy bok in Wicked, which means most of the time he will have been in the ensemble doing the dances.

But he's not going to be as good as the Musical Theatre people who specialised in dance, amd tend to come from Bird and Laine colleges, with a few people from elsewhere. They tend to come from dance school and ballet school bckgrounds - and they get the jobs in dance heavy shows like West Side Story or Cats. Watch them in their environment and they are far better at it than any Strictly Pro .Indeed if the BBc wanted to be more spectacular, they would use a proper current show cast for their end pieces , not the paid staff.

He can do this - wicked - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psU5wY7KudY
or probably the sound of music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXZJ-l5wDS8
but not -
cats
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=861jN3mKE9Q or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qJxXURgi6s

Not that simple. The reason for starting young is to train your body and your mind as you grow so that it you become stronger and more supple and more capable of handling the intense rigour and demands of professional dancing.

This is particularly true of ballet, which is the hardest dance form to learn. A lot of dancers include some ballet to improve their quality of dance, balance and precision.

And another dancer can always spot some/good training when they see it. The general public? No, not so much.

You have great taste! and a very good eye!

Fab post. The only celebs who could pull of real MT/Ballroom/Latin dance would be the likes of Jill, Natalie Gumede, Caroline (and DVO, sat in her chair. ) Danny is a solid dancer - not spectacular.

And drop dead gorgeous to boot!

Sod the pro ballroom - he's an actor! He'd never take up ballroom.

It will add to his skills in theatre and musicals.

Yep. Amazing. Incredible grace. Gorgeous. Etc, etc.