"We're all looking for something different" says Craig to Brendan. And so, Craig, are an increasing number of viewers. In fact, a new panel of judges could be a good start! And, before the BBC brings in another judge to award points for ladies' hair styles, the first qualification should be a sound fundamental knowledge of ballroom and latin dancing.
Len is supposed to have this but it's not been much in evidence lately. Perhaps he should spend less time playing to the gallery and thinking up his next witty quip!
As for the other three, anyone seriously involved with the world of ballroom dancing will surely wonder how they have the nerve to pontificate so forcibly on a subject of which their knowledge is so abysmal. For instance, the slow foxtrot is an elegant dance essentially performed on heels and toes and mostly linear in direction. Yet certain judges wax lyrical when some hapless 'celebrity' is quickly dragged and spun around the floor with hardly a heel in sight. Perhaps the judges award points for the high kicks!
As for the music - heaven help us! When are the judges going to speak out about this? Could it be they don't wish to upset the BBC and hazard their position? How can they tell if the couples are in time when they are dancing to music that has no dance tempo? As has been said before on this forum, anyone in the dance world knows that dances such as the tango and the paso doble need to be danced to the appropriate passionate and fiery music. Yet we have to suffer syrupy pop music that is totally unsuitable. This music would be laughed off the dance floor at any dance competition.
The BBC needs to get its act together. Yes, we all know that it's just entertainment and yes, we all know that it helps charity. But, it is just as easy to get it right as get it wrong! The production costs of this programme must be very high indeed so why don't they spend a tiny fraction more and take advice from certain experienced people in the dance world who are not publicity seekers and who are not afraid to tell the BBC what is right and what is wrong? But would the BBC listen?

Incidentally, there's been a big demand for tranquillisers in the surgery recently. No, not for the competitors - but for exasperated viewers!

Dancin' Doc.

Bravo very well said

[quote=blomesThe BBC needs to get its act together. Yes, we all know that it's just entertainment and yes, we all know that it helps charity.

But, it is just as easy to get it right as get it wrong!

spend a tiny fraction more and take advice from certain experienced people in the dance world who are not publicity seekers and who are not afraid to tell the BBC what is right and what is wrong?

Dancin' Doc.[/QUOTE]

I can hear the men-in-suits thinking "if its not broke, don't fix it" but there are small things that are wrong, individually they may just irrate some fans but put together they are spoiling this show. Come on BBC, I know in the modern world of media all these shows have a shelf life but if you don't do something soon, you will be killing-off a great show.

I think one of the best points Brendan made on ITT was his reply that even so, the judges should all be approaching it from the same basic foundation. That was spot on for me. There are rules and technical aspects, to ballroom and latin and they're important. To have some of the judges taking this into account and others not makes the whole thing silly and I can quite understand how confusing it must be for the competitors.

Absolutely right. What it means is that you have to be naturally talented dancer - everything else is secondary in Craig's marking. That's always going to cause an outcry from the fans who enjoy watching dancers improve.

And before anyone asks - I'm at a complete loss on Craig's comments to Matt/Lilia - all I can say is the exception proves the rule

The fact is that three of the judges simply do not know what the 'rules and technical aspects to ballroom and latin dancing' are. Yet there they are, week after week, sounding off as though they were world authorities on the subject! It's simply laughable and, as Annied says, it makes the whole thing silly.
Their incompetence is reducing ballroom and latin dancing to a farce. They should stick to choreography and stage productions where, hopefully, they can do less harm!

But the expert on ballroom/whatever made a complete arse of himself on Saturday...

Yep, totally agree. I for one am sick of hearing about Arlene wanting "the passion". So, a dance can be technically shoddy but she'll mark it up for a bit of bump & grind.....

Yes, he's getting quite an expert at it. As already mentioned, our so-called 'dancing guru' needs to spend less time playing to the gallery and thinking up his next witty quip and more time remembering his dancing roots and what ballroom dancing is all about. Perhaps I should prescribe him some tablets for lost memory?

Dancin' Doc.

Yes I agree with the above comments. Brendan is right and Craig did not make a lot of sense. There has to be a basic agreement on the standard needed for good marks and if you dance badly like Emma and it is actually pointed out during discussions on the panel that she did not master the correct step for the particular dance, yet she got an 8 which was ridiculous!! So she looked good and manage to bluff her way around the dance floor! Oh Please!! Go Brendan and keep it up you are right and if he is voted out next week we will ALL know why!!

And I also thought it interesting that Craig was unable to explain why Emma got 8's when her footwork was no great shakes, no heels, etc, which is fundamental to a foxtrot, as I understand it. And much as I am neither a Brendan lover or hater, I really did enjoy his dig about favouritism and the fact that he NAMED NAMES!!

Well I would hope Len isn't looking for what Arlene is, I mean a man of his lusting after Mark's bum is hardly tea time BBC

Sorry forgot to mention in my post that I hate the music. The music last Saturday was pretty awful and did not seem to match up with the dancing!! What on earth is going on this year with SCD?? Talk about standards slipping??

Yep because we can get no one to listen!

I have little or no time for Arlene and Bruno to be honest, although I have to say I often agree with Craigs assessments,if not his low marking, although that in itself is not a problem if he marks low across the board. However, I believe I am correct in saying that when the series was first planned, various eminent figures in the ballroom/latin world were asked to take part, and declined as they thought the programme might not do much of a service to ballroom/latin dancing. Len was the only one in that field who was prepared to take that risk. That is why they had to approach people from different backgrounds. So if there is a lack of knowledge of the technical side of ballroom/latin, then people in that business have only themselves to blame really. It is not necessarily a bad thing to have these four, from a viewing and entertainment point of view. Four Len clones would be awful. And to be honest, his marking was more erratic than some of the others last Saturday.

If this is the story they are playing as their get out of goal free card - then fair enough - a different judge marks different aspects of the dance/performance.
BUT it should be made perfectly clear (and should have been from the start) that this is why sometimes the marks will fluctuate wildly!

Unfortunately all the judges have huge egos......like mostl 'bosses' they won't listen to suggestions from the professional dancers and just seem to enjoy 'slapping' them down. Sparks were obviously flying last night between Craig & Brendan - made me laugh the way they were trying to keep it light hearted - ha don't patronise your audience!!

Even if the judges are looking at the different things... as Brendan said they should all have a basic foundation to look at. Otherwise how can the professionals teach their celebs if one things footwork isn't an issue because the performance is good or one thinks the hands of the celeb are good whereas one dosen't. It can't be both even if they are looking for different things from the dance.
Technically they should be in some agreement, whereas this series they aren't.
It is also obvious that all the judges bar Len have favourites. Emma for Craig, Mark for Arlene and Louisa for Bruno. And I can't believe that Bruno said stop picking on the kid - for God's sake does that mean that Bruno will never criticise Louisa because she looks young...?

I'm not sure Arlene lusting after Mark's bum is really teatime BBC either! LOL

(though I admit to not being able to blame her...)

I'd like to see more technical knowhow and reasoning behind the marks.

Yes, the Mission Impossible theme to a Paso Doble? I half expected them to drop into a headbanging mosh half way through.

I have never felt that the songs fully match the dances.

I much prefer watching dances where the traditional style of music is being played. That is, after all, how the dances developed to compliment the beats and rhythms.

Tanco always looks and, emotionally, feels the best when you see a couple dancing to traditional Tango music and I have noticed that when couples do dance to the 'proper' music they get a better response as the dancing and music merged so they dance *with* the music and they are a whole performance.

Where there is a couple dancing with 'wrong' music they dance *to* the music and I still feel that separation of watching a dance and listening to music rather than experiencing one performance.

Craig lectured Matt last week to remember it's for charity and to lighten up.

Pots and kettles Craig...take a leaf out of your own book.

4 gigantic egos now after 3 series.... they're all a collective nightmare.

Only 4 gigantic egos on SCD? Can anyone think of a 5th?

Dancin' Doc.

I'm not sure why it is sometimes assumed that all ballroom judges are like Len.

Don't know the names but two of the judges on the American SYTYCD showed that you could be entertaining, passionate and knowledgeable about ballroom.

I just keep coming back to my idea from the last series that I would prefer entertaining judges 3 from the world of ballroom/latin (judges/ex.dancers) and one choreographer from the world of theatre.

As I've said elsewhere, when you watch the professionals (particularly doing exhibition dances) you absolutely know they understand the necessity for performance and passion.

I loved the way that Craig got so annoyed when Brendan taunted him. I reckon Brendan knew exactly what buttons to press and was deliberately goading Craig. Quite right too. It was no surprise to see Craig, who usually likes to indulge in lazy vitriol as a judge, isn't so good at taking it.

Its about time they got a taste of their own medicine!