does anyone know who is dancing to which dance this week yet? I hope louisa is doing the samba.

I think it said on ITT that Ray and Peter are doing the Samba and Mark the American Smooth but i'm not sure about the others

I'm not sure but at a guess I would expect those who danced the salsa to do the american smooth and those who did the VW to dance the samba. I may be wrong but it would make sense to swap between latin and smooth.

I'm intreagued as to how they are going to do the american smooth because from what I know of the dance lifts are a big part of it. Maybe there is a version where they don't feature but I thought it was quite characteristic - oh well we'll have to see

The dancers they've mentioned so far are doing a direct swap between Latin and Ballroom, so judging by that I'd expect

Ray, Emma, Peter to do Samba
Mark, Louisa, Matt and Carol to do American Smooth.

Last year in the American Smooth each couple did one lift in the dance, don't know if they'll be allowed more this year, but I would expect to see one lift, at least, per couple.

What are the rules on lifts this year? Is it just certain dances that they aren't allowed to do lifts in? Or all of them?

I dont think they have ever been allowed to do them, except in the final - dont they do a free/show dance when they are allowed?

And in dances the judges dont mark.

I think it's part of the style that Latin and Ballroom doesn't contain lifts, and similarly part of the style that the American Smooth does. If I remember right from last year... I think it was later in the competition last year?

They're allowed lifts - as many as they want - in the freestyle, and last year one in the American Smooth. I would imagine that it would be the same, but I don't know - American Smooth was a lot later in the competition last year.

They did the American Smooth on week 8 last year, the quarter final in effect.

They are allowed one lift.