I don't understand how asking for details about a competition could be patronising?

I would understand if it had been mistakenly interpreted to mean that I doubted the existence of the competition, therefore making out another poster to be a liar, but as I didn't I really don't know why I've caused this offence. I'm sorry that I have, but I really don't think that I've actually done anything wrong?

I'd also hardly call myself 'knowledgable' about dance - I know a few results of a few competitions and have very basic technical knowledge, nothing that places me 'above' anyone else and I've certainly never intended to come across that way.

I also think that with an internet forum that consists only of words on a page, it is difficult to determine the way in which a statement is meant or how it is intended to sound. I've never tried to patronise anybody. I may have been a little free in expressing my opinion in the past but I've never meant to upset anybody or to sound like I'm being horrible.

Glad you agree. Camilla is brilliant at Latin, and Ian is so tall he nearly disappears off the scale but his Latin is out of this world. He also makes a superb Ballroom dancer because he is so tall and elegant. A tall male celeb though might not do latin very well, after all those two have been dancing all their lives. smaller more compact dancers generally do better at latin but there are always exceptions to every rule.

Yes, Ian is one of my favorites and is an amazing dancer especially considering his height. Perhaps I should invest in the DVD. Think I was smitten since SCD2- in the last episode when he danced with Bruce's wife!!!He was very cool with his fabulous hips. lol. Shame he went out so early last year, not sure if Mica Paris could have developed further. Doubt if her jive would have been good.

Well Mica's rehearsal Jive is on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz5SESk3Qu0
I really love Ian's choereography in Ballroom and Latin. He brings so much character to his dances. His freestyle with Zoe is fab, one of the best imo.
I really missed him last series.
One dance I would love to have seen him do is a smooth foxtrot with Denise
Last edited by Stella Street : 27-02-2007 at 21:56

The DVD is amazing. They do the dances in beautiful locations, Camilla's dresses are really lovely. The Jive is fab. I love it all, I absolutely love the American Smooth and the Samba on the beach. It is worth the money.

I agree, it's totally worth it. I wasn't the hugest Ian/Camilla fan (not that I didn't like them, but I had others that I prefer) but the DVD is amazing.

Just adding my bit.....Yep,anyone out there who hasn't got a copy of Ian and Camilla's Magic of Dance DVD please do even if like quacka quacka you don't at first think of them as your best favourites! It's truly beautiful,and showcases both wonderful latin and ballroom dances.Ian and Camilla have the advantage of being brilliant at both! The jive on there is one of my faves ever !!!!!!! and I have been lucky enough to see them perform it live as well

As elizabethjo points out,the accepted norm is that shorter dancers are better suited to latin,but there will always be exceptions to any rule,and in my opinion Ian & Camilla (as well as Brendan) are uniquely special examples of these exceptions!

I'm wondering if the people who are so quick to slam Camilla's 'flailing limbs' (horrible expression! She is just naturally and beautifully lithe in build - are you jealous?) are only thinking of the recent pro performances of jive/swing,which were not her own style of jive ie choreographed by other pros hence suiting their own particular style . I have been interested watching many of the pros having to dance out of their own 'comfort zones' in these pro dances! Watching Ian and Camilla jive their own jives is a whole different world!
Last edited by *Liza* : 28-02-2007 at 00:56

Just to add a few words ...

When I went to watch the UK Dance Champs I was really shocked at how short some of the latin dancers where.

Im not exceptionally tall being 5'6/7 but they definately made me feel tall ----- then again I was so thrilled to be there it was all just a blur!

I personally think more compact people pick up the latin dances more easily but when you see a taller person (such as Brendan, Camilla or Ian) do it so amazingly you realise that it is possible.

Apart from Darren and Lilia, Vincent and Simone I didnt think there were that many really small ones so what you say is interesting. Matthew is not small, nor Karen, Paul Killick, James Jordan . I have lessons with John Byrnes and while Jane Lyttelton (his partner and wife) is quite small I wouldnt say he was. He is probably about the same as Anton in height, and while I am 5'5 just, I can dance ballroom with him quite comfortably.I think he is just built right for a Latin dancer, not short and not tall but very well coordinated and his latin movements are compact and slick.
I also have Ian as a teacher occasionally and being so much smaller than him makes latin easier for me but does present some problems in ballroom but we can accomodate those.

In that case just ignore what I said - hehe. I think the excitement most probably got to me - plus 3 inch heels makes everyone look small
Last edited by Mel@lemmie : 28-02-2007 at 12:35

I always wonder if there is an ideal height difference, or if the difference is relatively unimportant (providing it's not huge) compared to other factors in a partnership?
Is it better to be nearer the same height for ballroom?

Attempting to think about it logically ... *if that is possible?*

Would height not matter more in the case of ballroom as opposed to latin - due to in latin the couples arent always in contact, whereas they are in ballroom; so in effect if the height differed greatly in latin it wouldnt be too obvious ?

I hadn't thought about it that way, that does make sense.

I think you have got the point there. When I dance ballroom with John and am wearing heels he is just slightly taller than me so it is comfortable, we are well matched and provided I do it right we cover the floor equally.
On the other hand with Ian he is something like 11 inches taller than me so I have to reach up to him and I cant easily focus on the wall behind him, mostly all I can see is his chest and shoulder. His stride is longer than mine by some way, though he does adjust for dancing with the midget.(!) The overall appearance also is not smooth and elegant because of the height gap.

The Latin dances really are just the same if I am dancing with either of them because the hold is informal and the height difference not so important, however it might look a little odd for someone small to be dancing with someone as tall as Ian.

Phew!! elizabethjo, bet there's a few people would like to be in your position and being only able to see Ian's chest.

One of them's called Star-something or other isn't she????

so lucky...so very, very lucky...
he'd only be a couple of inches taller than me <33

[quote=The Lady Boz
Phew!! elizabethjo, bet there's a few people would like to be in your position and being only able to see Ian's chest.

One of them's called Star-something or other isn't she????[/QUOTE]

I was thinking that too
Far nicer than watching a wall !!!!
Until it comes to 'spotting' on your turns that is !!! Do you go all dizzy ???
There are some on here of course who would go quite dizzy staring at Ian's chest for starters but you mcflea would be able to see over his shoulder !

I do get a bit dizzy on the turns. We did have a joke at one point where I made a badge out of a gold star and he pinned it to his jumper at the point he wanted me to focus. He stopped doing it because it raised rather a lot of jokes from the other teachers!

That certain lady from north of the border had a hand in the making of said 'star' badge!

I dont mind not being able to see beyond his chest though, it is a nice view.! A comment from my other pro today was that Ian was a very good looking young man, so i said he was and it was such a waste!

I like the idea of Ian being a gold star teacher
Your fellow maker of the badge would be delighted to hear I am sure !

The view I would think could be stated as one of the advantages of being a tall dancer(in Ian's case) or having a tall dancer as your teacher ( in your case)
Last edited by *Liza* : 01-03-2007 at 21:05

I know and it sucks! Who wants to look over his shoulder??
I could bend my knees a bit to get a better view...although I'm not sure how good that would look

Not aesthetically pleasing to the dance alas!

( On a different note,can you or anyone else please tell me how you manage to isolate part of a quoted message and still get it in a pink box as above?. It never works for me....I must be doing it wrong!)

I just use the quote button on the bottom right of the posting I want to quote. It always works for me. When I am doing the reply it doesnt look as if it is going to put it in the box but it does when you submit it.

If you dont want to quote the whole message make sure you leave the [/quote] box thingys on when you delete some of the message

Ah! Got it now! Thanks folks

I am not 'slamming' anyone and am certainly not jealous of Camilla's bodyshape. I am just stating my preference for a smaller compact couple for Latin dancing.

I would have thought that by now people here would know that I am perfectly able to critique a dancer without resorting to personal bias or unkind comment.

I'm not saying that Camilla and Ian dance a bad Jive, for I think that they choreograph to their strengths and do a great job. Their shape just doesn't please me in Latin as much as it does in Ballroom.

There are steps which smaller couples can do that makes them look good, that taller couples would struggle to look as good. And vice versa.

Ian and Camilla clearly know what moves are suited to their height and I'm sure choose accordingly. BUT as was demonstrated by Camilla on more than one occasion, there is a danger of it looking 'spidery'