I loved Letitia Dean in Eastenders but every time I've seen her dance on Strictly, she has her mouth open and is pulling the most peculiar faces!

Has anyone else noticed this? Why is she doing it!?

This has already been discussed on so many other topics. If you look at the professional dancers, in particular Karen Hardy, they all pull what might be termed strange faces as they dance. I actually find this topic heading a bit distasteful tbh.

I hate Karen Hardy's facial expressions they drive me coo coo

Me too especially in ballroom I can almost forgive her in latin dances

You are not on your own, I find everything about Karen the (needy one) OTT.:yawn: I must admit I have never noticed Letitia pulling faces.

I think Karen is a really good dancer but her facial expressions do spoil the performance, they are a bit too over the top. Brenda also over does the face pulling so I guess they make a good dancing couple ..lol

Here we go again, from a (dubious) topic of Letitia's mouth into some ad hominem (sp?) attack on Karen Hardy.

Should I be surprised???

Camilla did some erm interesting facial expressions last year. I do love Camilla and it just shows how much they dancers are getting into the dance.

...were you watching on Saturday? And Sunday? When she was trying to "take off the handbrake" and be more expressive in the danceoff!

She looked ridiculous.

Though something else was over done a bit in her routine, but I can't be bothered to start another thread called "Letitia Dean's Gusset".

(Note: never mentioned Karen - it can be done, folks!)

Oh go on,go on, go on!!!

Me too - I find Karen over the top! I think she does do amazing choreography - but sometimes on the dance floor (and PARTICULARLY off the dance floor) she is over the top!

I have to say, although I DO like him a lot, the person most guilty for doing this is Ian! His faces can be cringeing! Darren does it a bit too sometimes!

So is Matt Cutler, so is Camilla at times...

Notice people only get upset with SOME of them 'doing faces' while forgiving or not even noticing others?

Perceptions, perceptions...

its not an attack on her just her facial expressions they are a bit OTT at times

Actually, now we're at it .... Kelly Brooke was pulling odd faces too, she kept dancing with her mouth open.

I think they all have these affectations, just some a bit more than others, and some of the faces they pull are less attractive than others

TBH, I don't like Karen's expressions at times too. Yes, I feel it's a little OTT. I felt the same with Matt Cutler. I think even as a hot-blooded hetro-male, I would classify Matt Cutler's dances (esp. latin) as sexy. But what I am saying is that many of the pros have 'funny faces' when they are into it. See Ian's 'haughty' look when he did the tango with Zoe? You either like it or you hate it! Like Marmite actually, there is no ignoring it at the end of the day...

BUT, this is about Letitia's mouth (like this: :yawn: ), no? I don't think it's a very nice topic, because I was afraid it might turn into something nasty about Letitia. Don't know her, not really her fan, but still I felt the FMs should have more class this way...

Yeah I agree it could turn nasty and if im honest didnt notice letitias mouth because I was watching her arms and legs and watching Darren

Darren was good and supportive to Letitia, isn't he?

My daughter dances with BULABDS :Bristol University Latin American & Ballroom Dancing Society

http://www.bulabds.co.uk/

She is their publicity officer .
She danced in teh beginners team last year and went to a number of competitions .
They were given a great deal . advice about how to dress, make up , etc ( much of it available on their website ). As you would expec that advice included , the tan , the dramatic, smokey eyes , the eye catching hair ornaments and jewellery ...all of it intended to make them stand out on a dancefloor with several hundred couples . The judges have to notice you , or you won't have a chance to progress to teh next round .

The other piece of advice was about what to do with your face ....... smile is the easy one ! The facial expressions are expected and are regarded as an integral part of the routines, some more than others , they are essential to tell the story of the dance and as such are more important in some dances than others.Judges expect to see it .
It has become obvious that many posters are very much anti at least one of the pro dancers for this very reason .
That is selective as they all do it , they have been doing it for years and they have won major UK and International awards doing it .
What to us is OTT to them is part of the routine . I agree sometimes it becomes excessive , but in all honesty I notice it more when a celebrity fails to show
engagement with their partner and with the routine and so fails to tell the story . Letitia is learning , hopefully she will get it right if she stays longer .
Some never do , eg Emma last year .

I also think this topic may become too personal , it has already .

I agree that sometimes the celebs can look a bit strange when they try to show emotion in their faces when they are dancing as they are not used to it and it looks odd.

I also think that we notice the pro's facial expressions more as it is on TV and we're getting extreme closeups, whereas if they were in a competition environment they would have to exagerate their expressions so that the whole audience can see from a distance.

I may be wrong here , but was it not how the professionals ( the older ones) were taught

What I mean is at one time in the teaching of Ballroom the face was supposed to be used to convey emotion ( or over-convey it)

My late Mother-in-Law was a ballroom teacher and I got that impression from her watching her teach and dance

Don't think its the fashion in teaching now

That's what I as trying to say too, Inners !

That is right , I am sure .

yes deffo, I think she looked the most nervous and he was a great support for her. I think they make a great partnership and it helps Darren is fit. we have Darren who iss fit and Gethin who is also fit fit fit haha

[quote=spannerandpony;18689165]I loved Letitia Dean in Eastenders but every time I've seen her dance on Strictly, she has her mouth open and is pulling the most peculiar faces!

Has anyone else noticed this? Why is she doing it!?[/QUOTE]

I noticed her doing this in the group dance, when she came on Sat, I found myself shouting (in my head) at the tv 'Letitia shut your mouth'. I know the pro's do it for dramatic effect but.......

Hadn't noticed anyone else doing it but will be keeping an eye out!

[quote=marks thespot;18690622
Though something else was over done a bit in her routine, but I can't be bothered to start another thread called "Letitia Dean's Gusset".
)[/QUOTE]


Best laugh of the day! Thank you marksthespot. Its been an awful day so far and I needed a good chuckle.

I quite like Letitia but she did appear, inadvertently, to be presenting her gusset to the nation.

And the thought of a special gusset thread just made me howl.

Trying to be constructive/respectful about it, hope I succeed!

I noticed in the dance off that Laetitia seemed to be using her mouth/face more than in the original rhumba. I can only put this down to the judges' advice to her to act it out a bit more, and let's face it (pardon the pun) it worked (in that it got her through to the next round).