I wouldn't count on it - Jan wasn't jiving the first time out and she still managed to fall on her backside. If your implication is that Anton is the least sprightly of the pros (something I, frankly, have no idea about), surely Jan would be better off with him? She certainly isn't built for speed!

I've no doubt you're right about there being a male celeb who could dance a jive better, but then with some jive coaching from one of the female pros maybe Anton would be a lot better too?

As for Jan being at a disadvantage - as she's clearly not a good jiver herself it doesn't seem relevant. If she had been the best female celeb then maybe her partner's ability would be more of an issue. As far as I know the judges didn't mark her low because of Anton's dancing.
In fact, have the judges ever commented on his (lack of) latin ability? Perhaps it's never come up as none of his partners have been that good.


I've thought this in the past Nina - when you watch Emma and Darren for instance, Emma's good, but nowhere near as good as Darren and it's really obvious with him going for broke. Not that I'm saying the pro's shouldn't show us how it's done, just something I'd noticed.

Anton is a professional dancer, employed as a professional on SCD to teach and partner a celeb.

As such, he should be able to perform all the dances in the competition to a reasonable professional standard. He should also be able to dance with his partner in such a way that does not detract from the overall performance but enhances the performance.

He is the only one of the professionals who, when it comes to the latin, doesn't manage to do this.

If he is no good at latin, then why didn't he take lessons as bunsengirl suggested? Why, in his fourth series, has his latin got worse? Maybe, as I said before, it's because the celebs in general have got better. If so, then Anton needs to up his game for the good of the show in general.

I remember watching him with Lesley Garrett in series one and they were a very good couple - Lesley was in her late 40s maybe even early 50s back then so her age was no bar to doing well.

You are only as old as you feel Seymour! and I am getting sick and tired of all this Anton bashing , he is kind, caring, and one of those rare breeds -
A GENTLEMAN ,he has personality plus which is a pleasure to see and was very evident when he got through on saturday,he is also one of 24 top
ballroom dancers in the country, so all you instant experts leave him alone

Whether the jive was any good or not is immaterial really.

It's over, they got through, it's done, deal with it.

Anton has a lot of fans not because we all see him with rose-tinted "Oh, you're so good at the samba" glasses, but because he has wit, personality and charm, as well as being a beautiful, graceful gentleman as soon as you put him in tails and give him a ballroom dance to do.

Can't wait to see his attempt at a samba in a couple of weeks if they get through on Saturday! You can't beat a good comedy performance, can you?

Have you got a source for this list of the 24 top ballroom dancers in the country?

Thanks

I'd love to know why none of the other professionals get this degree of unwarranted personal attack, I really would.

god you know i hope jan and anton get to th final just to spit all of you's prats who think he is only a comedy performance
he is a great dancer

I agree...

Although Brendan does get attacked all the time... That's why we made a protection orginazation up for him ...

Has anyone been this harsh to James ... I can't remember reading anything against him...

I thought that saying went- you are only as old as the woman/man you feel, which would make sense giving Anton the oldest Lady celeb.

According to dancesportinfo - the most reliable source for information on ballroom and latin dancing, Anton and Erin are no.8 in England, 24 in the UK, and ranked 60 in the world, as of todays date, to answer spotsters question.

Btw. only said he would be a comedy performance in latin (especially the samba, which he despises by his own admission!) I can only assume that anyone who doesn't realise his capabilities in latin, doesn't dance themselves.

I personally feel that some of the attacks on Anton are below belt. Very nasty indeed.

I suggest our fellow forum members to read what each other has written throughout the forum, and we may find that some people's comments are more acidic than other's. I don't know what it says about them as people and hate to make any suggestions.

Yes I agree that S&O performed better than A&J and Anton is not the greatest Latin dancer in the world but he is trying and he has done nothing to any of us personally (welcome to share your stories - Anotn killed your kitten when you were three?) so why personal insults? He knew the dance was weak and got his votes elsewhere - by being funny, outrageous and ridiculously dressed! That's entertainment folks. And in a competition tactics count, too. So fair play to Anton.

Thanks, I'm trying to get the hang of that website! I can find the top England ballroom professionals though it seems that Anton & Erin haven't competed since 2004

If these ratings are 'Dancesport Info Ratings', then who gives official rankings?

there is no way Anton and Erin have a ranking spotster that is current as they dont compete. The Uk ranking system is done on a series of competitions and the placings attained in those competitions decide rank by the number of points reached (sort of similar to a league table) as for the 24 in Uk would believe that but find it hard to believe top 10 - when they were competing that is and that's based on being around the competition scene at that time knowing couples who have beaten them and their placings
Last edited by bendymixer : 23-10-2006 at 19:42

I don't understand - If they can't been ranked because they don't compete, how can you believe that they could be the Top 24 in the country but not Top 10?
If they're not ranked, surely they can't be in the top 24?

EDIT: Think I understand-ish now...
Last edited by *Nina* : 23-10-2006 at 19:45

I was basing my views on the rank from when they did compete Nina and not now

Ah right, ok, sorry! My mistake! (blush)

We all know that Anton isn't the master at jive as he is in the ball room (even he would addmitt to that) but he is an amazing dancer and a wonderful personality to have on the show and i'm with the people who say we should stop dissing him, (dont like dissing anyone) He's doing the best he can and i bet its a lot better than nearly all of the people dissing him in the first place!

Didn't Gloria go out the week of her jive? In fact, Len commented on her kicks as the way not to do it. Jan's were at least performed in the right way. I suspect both teachers knew how to teach, but there is only so much you can do in a week with an inexperienced celeb.

I dont agree with the Anton dissing either. However, Jan was not performing her steps correctly -she was lifting her foot up at the back?!?Totally bizarre for a jive( and just jiggling about).
I dont mind Jan and Anton and I certainly agree that it is wrong to slag off any of the pros OR celebs (it is only a reality show after all) but the routine was pretty rank!

Bless her, she forgot the routine was all, it happens from time to time, it doesn't mean they're both completely useless!

Her kicks were done from the knee, though I didn't say anything about the rest of the routine

It was clearly not a technically brilliant routine, but people are voting for the whole package, not just the dancing, and that's fine.

Yes. She forgot and generally stank performance-wise. Spoony and Ola danced quite well (and didn't fall on their ar*es the week before, either). They're out, while Jan will grace the floor for yet another week. You see why some people complain?

Bless Swampster, I hope you mean Jan will grace the floor in an upright position this time. Anton's army don't take kindly to jokes.
Last edited by Seymour : 23-10-2006 at 22:36