Thanks for explaining that . I know nothing about dance except what I've picked up from watching Strictly!

I'm pretty convinced there's no problem with Louisa taking part. I still won't be voting for her- nothing to do with having issues with previous dance experience as such. I just enjoy watching the people who improve and learn, rather than the ones who are great from the start.

I agree - i like to see improvement on a weekly basis. Also there is the personailty factor. Personally I think Louisa is like the Ever Ready bunny all hoppy and too cute,sometimes you can be too young and immature. but let' s see how her ballroom is. It's much harder to do and you can't just thrash about.
Most actors have been to stage school or have done some training but it may not be a key factor in who has what it takes to win.

I just love the fact that Strictly has got everyone talking about dance!! As a dancer its just fantastic!

I think at the end of the day everyone has their favourites, sometimes its because they are the best, or worst, or most improved or just because they're fit!! At the end of the day to me previous experience doesn't matter as long as people watch it, debate it and enjoy it!

Yeah - I think that Louisa should be on the show - okay, while she has a huge advantage over the others because she is 'highly skilled' in some dance categories - I love watching good dance so I ain't complaining.

I just started this thread because people were saying how impressed they were that she picked up the jive so quicky. I don't mind her being on it - performing in front of millions at 17 is a HUGE thing - but I don't think her extensive training should be hushed up - she is trained in dance! She would have had years of dancing training every day.

There has been a lot of talk of Emma and Louisa having previous dance training at stage school, but people always forget about Ray who has also had previous experience.

louisa ray and emma are not the only contestants to have had some sort of dance training but as far as i know you cannot enter scd if you have had any training in eiter latin or ballroom so what they are being taught now is completely new to all of them which i feel is fair

I agree..I think ballroom is a very unique form of dancing and so it is fair that they are on the show, I just find it strange all of the talk about training is focused on Emma and Louisa when Ray has had just as much experience. I didn't realise oothers had danced before as well.

My attitude with these shows is that the producers deliberately select some contestants to be 'stars', some to be (relatively) hopeless and some to be 'improvers'. That's not to say that things always work out as planned in individual cases but they try to ensure there is a wide range of talent on the show from the outset. The last thing the BBC wants is all the couples dancing to a similar standard....that would be a turn-off for some viewers.

It's not 'fair' in the traditional sense but just another reason why SCD should not be taken too seriously.

Yeah - and it would be boring if they were all hopeless!

thatswhat drivesme nuts

Latinprincess - fantastic post.

[quote=Austen1984]On Louisa's Spotlight page, under what she is 'HIGHLY SKILLED' in is:

BALLET
CABARET DANCING
CHOREOGRAPHY
CONTEMPORARY DANCE
JAZZ DANCING
JIVE
OLD TIME DANCING
PERIOD DANCING
TAP

louisa has never done JIVE-OLD TIME or PERIOD DANCING ? if she had she would not be able to compete..its in the rules....i think your going over the top with the PRO DANCER title !

A little unfair - Ray was trained as a serious stage actor where daily dance classes would not have been on the syllabus.

As usual, another insightful post.

Ray was a Shakespeare trained actor. Far different from stage school. I hardly think that they had dancing as part of their training.

I'm not sure she did only get 2 days' rehearsal; I'd be surprised if she just stood around while Vincent was injured, the sensible thing to do would be to rehearse with a stand-in, with Vincent as choreographer. They might not show it as it might confuse the viewers.

You're right, I shouldn't have said that he went to stage school as he certainly has had far more prestigious acting training!

However, I got told from a very good source who is part of the programme that he has had dance training which formed the basis of my comments...if that's wrong then I apologise, but I don't think it is. Even if he has, I was just pointing it out - I actually don't think that it matters as ballroom is such a different discipline to normal dance!
Last edited by Erinfan : 23-10-2006 at 22:15

I only took up ballroom & Latin recently and I feel that my previous dance experience helped me pick it all up alot easier!!
All forms of dance make you use muscles that you wouldn't use in everyday life, and you learn an understanding of how to use them. Balance and co-ordination are also key to all forms of dance. I don't think it's justified to say that because ballroom is so different, Louisa doesn't have an advantage. She's certainly got an advantage over the others...
Whether that's fair or not is a different argument though!

Well said Endemoniada!!
I have danced for 18 years but doing tap, jazz and modern dance would not necessary make me an excellent ballroom or latin dancer. I also wouldnt consider myself a "pro dancer" - pro being professional?

I'm sure the producers looked at everyones cv's before they were employed and if as a "non dancing celeb" you didn't want to feel disadvantaged then they wouldn't have signed up for it!

I just love the fact that theres pretty dancing on the tv to indulge my passions!!

While that may be true, we need to be careful in not making assumptions. Last year, there were talks that because Colin was an athlete, he therefore should be able to dance because he was used to training. What athletics and running have to do with ballroom dancing, I'll never know. Just because someone can dance or already have natural rhythm doesn't mean that they will master ballroom dancing easily.

[quote=ja'non]

Check out what her management say on her Spotlight page. She has a load of skills there and the ones with the star next to them are the ones she is 'highly skilled' in. I wrote down a list of all the dances she is 'highly skilled' in. Check out the page and its all there!!!!

[quote=Austen1984]
But that does not make her a pro-dancer. You could easily class Jill halfpenny and Emma bunton if this was the case!
She has had training in dance yes..pro dancer NO!

Its like saying someone who ran cross-country in school is a world class marathon runner for god sake!

I agree..that is what I said at the end of my post!I don't think in the slightest that general dance training can be transferred neatly to ballroom. I only brought Ray up because I thought it was strange that all talk of a "supposed" advantage was centred on Emma and Louisa which I don't think is entirely fair.

I think the biggest test will be when she has to do the ballroom dancing, because only a full-time professional dancer will be familiar with this type of dance. You've got to have a few contestants who can move a bit!