Ok so I was browsing through previous SCD videos on YouTube this afternoon, and I was wondering if height had any particular advantage in any certain dance.

Watching dances like the jive and cha cha, the tall couples (such as Denise and Ian) who were technically great just didn't seem to look as 'good' on screen as shorter couples. However dances like the quickstep and samba they seemed to suit much better. I was wondering maybe because they move around more of the floor.

Does anyone else think this? I think on ITT once Len mentioned that Darren (Bennett) is great at jive partly because he is short.

The smaller your body is the easier it is to find grounding in Latin.

But obviously the taller you are and longer your arms and legs are the longer the lines you can create. Good thing if you're doing it right, bad if it looks ugly.

Good question.

My personal taste is for tall couples for ballroom and shorter couples for Latin. In my opinion a more compact couple looks good in Latin, they look faster, tighter and more dynamic. Tall couples don't have that low sense of gravity and all the arms and legs flailing about looks messy. For a case in point, watch Camilla whenever she Jives.

For Ballroom, height is definitely an advantage as longer leg length means greater flight across the floor. Lines also look better, less cluttered.

I admittedly don't know anything technical about dancing - just know what I like to see but agree that Camilla does look arcward when doing the jive.

Think that must mean I'm learning!

I think Ian and Camilla look good at doing the jive, but think of Matt Cutler and Brendan, they are also tall and look good at the jive.

Camilla must be ok at the jive, after all she was Asian Pacific Champion with Brendan. You dont win titles if you are messy!

Compact is usually better for Latin but not neccesarily so. Camilla and Brendan and Camilla and Ian are brilliant at it. I love Camilla and Ian's Jive on the DVD. It is probably easier for a pro to teach a celeb who is compact to do Latin rather than to teach a tall person of either sex.

Tall couples are great for ballroom as they can cover more floor and they look so elegant.

Size matters when you are matching couples though, tall with tall and small with small otherwise it will always look out of balance.

Except if you're Matt and Nicole!

Stacy Kiebler (DWTS) was good at Latin and she was very tall (5 foot 11, IIRC). But as a general rule, yes, I'd agree that tall is probably better for ballroom and short for latin.

This may sound like a REALLY stupid question, but what the hell is the Asian Pacific Championship? In all my years following Dancesport, I have not once heard of this competition!

Try googling it then. It does exist, British and European Comps are not the only ones. If you are up to date with the SCD pros you would have noticed it mentioned in Brendans profile, and Camillas.

Dont have a go at me Becca in such a patronising and aggressive manner.

Excuse me, but how was that having a go at you? How was I being patronising or aggressive? I really don't understand where you've picked that from and to be honest I'm quite shocked and offended. All I was doing was asking a genuine question.

I really, honestly, don't know what the competition is. I know of very many non-European competitions, yet have never heard of this one. I've Googled it and found absolutely nothing. And, since you were speaking about it, I thought I would ask you as I assumed you probably knew.

And in reference to what you said, although I wouldn't label myself as being 'up to date' with Brendan and Camilla as neither of them currently compete, yes I have seen it in both of their profiles and have seen it appear beneath their names during numerous appearances on television. I never once doubted the competition's existence, I just wanted to know whether the competition was open or closed, a past competition or one that is still running. Sorry for being curious!
Last edited by * Becca * : 26-02-2007 at 21:17

Its OK Becca, I didnt read what you put to be aggressive.

I didn't see it as aggressive either!

I won't even be fearful of your 666 post count!

Or Timmy and Jo, or Marat and Alina!

You're much more observant than me then, as I didn't even notice that one myself!

I didn't realise I'd been hanging around here for so long!

Well, someone asks a question starting 'what the hell' that is somewhat offensive.

Your google must be different from mine then as I have no problem finding it, and I have just checked again it is there.

I am well aware that Brendan and Camilla dont compete now, that doesnt invalidate their previous wins. I believe the competition takes place in Hong Kong.

I've done another search with more specific keywords, this time Googling for the exact phrases: "Asian Pacific" "Latin American" Championships - it brings back to me various webpages that state previous winners.

From what I can gather, it is an IDSF competition so therefore it is an amateur competition, and all previous winners and finalists I've found are either from Australia, New Zealand or Japan, so it looks likely that it is a closed competition.

It took place in Malaysia in 1998, Chinese Taipei in 1999 and Australia in 2001. If the competition is still running, then this will be it's 14th year, although I can't at present find any results after 2001.

I can't see Brendan and Camilla listed in any of the years that I found, and they turned professional in 2000 so it must have been before then that they won the competition. It has also been omitted from their Dancesportinfo profile, so there is no way of finding out the year in which they won it.

Whatever. Perhaps you should ask them. This thread is wandering off topic. I could find out, but not really much incentive to do so.

No worries. I've never spoken to either of them in my life, so would have no way of asking them myself, and as it was merely a meandering thought, I've no real reason to look further into it.

Some taller people seem to be able to carry it off better. I think in Camilla's case (as someone mentioned her) she is so thin - it draws attention to the fact she is so tall.

If its any consolation *Becca* I didn't find a single shred of aggression or patronising tone in what you wrote, and I don't blame you for being shocked and offended. Just rise above it, and remember that someone's reaction generally says more about them than it does about you.

True, but you can drop a point or two for a messy Jive and still win. Anyway, I didn't say she was bad at the Jive, just that her long slender legs and arms are not best suited to it. She does a great job otherwise.


Now that I do agree with and I believe it is because tall people can be so self conscious of their height and the span of their arms.

[quote=* Becca *]I've done another search with more specific keywords, this time Googling for the exact phrases: "Asian Pacific" "Latin American" Championships - it brings back to me various webpages that state previous winners.
QUOTE]

It definitely exists as a competition, but I can't find out much info on it at present. It does always remind me of the 'Pan Pacifics' mentioned in Strictly Ballroom!!

Anyway, if it helps at all - Brendan and Camilla were Amateur NZ Latin Champions in 1997, 98 & 99

Then you don't know Becca! Whilst Becca is extremely knowledgeable about dance and has meet lots of people in the dance world, perhaps one of her shortcomings that people object to are her albeit patronising tone to us mere lesser mortals who do not, or ever wish to, move in her world.

Just deciding on to express my opinon and feel the above quote says what I think about the tall/short thing. I remember on the BBC website it states that Camilla is 5ft 10in, but when I saw Camilla in 'real life' she was definately shorter than me and I am 5ft 8in. But Camilla is not compact as her slim figure adds to an appearance of overall range. Still, I like her jiving.