On DWTS in the US, the contestants & the pros don't get to choose their own music, the producer's do. Most of the songs that are chosen for the routines are ridiculous. For instance, they chose a hip hop tune for the mambo & Gwen Stefani's "what you waiting for" for the tango. lol it's a joke! anyway, I noticed that the songs on SCD are better suited for the dances & I was just wondering if the pros/contestants get to choose their own songs.

I think that the profs choose their own songs - last night on ITT Darren talked about hearing "I'm still standing" on the radio and thinking it would work well for a jive

The professionals choose their songs, but the producers can reject a choice and substitute their own. Part of it is to do with licensing as well.

There seems definitely to be a policy to get a "mix" of music which will appeal to the BBC's "target audience"
They rightly consider that a lot of viewers will be young people who will know few of the traditional dance tunes.
What they don't want is for these to get bored with the programme and switch over to "The X-Factor"

Darren was at great pains to explain that the "professionals" chose the music and they played some excellent choices as "examples". Funnily enough, they didn't play any "dodgy" tunes.
I think the pros do have a choice but it is "Hobson's choice," on occasions from a list selected by the producers. So he wasn't telling any lies.
I can't see their being any problem with copyright, (if it hasn't expired like that for many "standards")
No songwriter is going to turn down the opportunity of their tune being exposed to 11 million people and the ensuing sales of CD's and possibly half a dozen copies of the sheet music.

The only time in my memory when songs have been generally restricted was when the musical My Fair Lady opened in London's West-End. No recordings were released or allowed to be played on the radio in this country until after it opened.

Most tunes chosen for SCD are "standards" and played everywhere.

PLEASE could someone give an authoritative answer on this one? I would just love to know.

Apparently someone is dancing a tango today to the Eurythmics - I thought it a ghastly choice although the panel on ITT tonight were raving about it. I couldn't understand how a professional (Vincent I think) could voluntarily choose it.

I suggested "It's so quiet" to Nicole for the American Smooth, and Laura suggested "Dancing in the Moonlight" for the cha cha and now Matt's dancing to them! See, proof the pros chose!