About as much as Alesha Dixon I should think!!

At least Strictly still has Len (this year anyway) who is a bb/Lat expert, and Craig who actually knows quite a bit. Bruno is equally useless on both shows.

I cannot understand the mentality of people who produce shows - however much they may call them "Entertainment" - which feature ballroom dancing as their main element, and set up a panel of judges who know nothing about ballroom dancing. Bizarre in the least.

However, that article doesn't say Paula will definitely be a judge, does it? So fingers crossed that some sense may prevail.

I think Alesha will know a bit more than Paula given she has actually done some Ballroom dancing where as I doubt Paula has - and as you say we've still got Len on SCD.

Personally I think Paula will either go back to AI after all or choose something more like 'So You Think You Can Dance?' which is another show she has been linked with.

Keep your fingers (and everything else) crossed!

I hope the report is complete nonsense as she would be dreadful as a judge. But on the other hand, DWTS seems to be moving further and further away from the original concept so it wouldn't surprise me to find her as an additional judge since they don't seem that bothered about getting the contestants to learn "proper" dancing anymore.. After all, don't forget the PTB invited Michael Flatley to be a judge last series

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...ew-TV-job.html

Looks like she is more likely to be a contestant a bit unfair to have a choreographer as a contestant; she wouldn't make a good judge as she has no ballroom experience and that's what DWTS needs

Think she more likely to go on to sytycd but who knows? She could do both or go back to Idol

I totally agree that DWTS is moving away from the original SCD idea. The different dances like the Lindy Hop, etc. might be fun to watch, but to coin a well know phrase "It's not strictly ballroom" is it? (Reminder to myself to watch that fab film again!)

What a dilema! Paula Abdul (who I like on AI btw) or Michael Flatley!


More and more I am convinced that ABC guy is actually the boss man on the Orange adverts in disguise, where film stars pitch a film idea to him and his hilarious flunkies, who all proceed to ruin the idea by basing the film around the use of an Orange mobile phone!

Oh neither

like Paula as Idol judge but not on DWTS panel

DTWS was never strictly ballroom (Love that film by the way ) as it used American style dancing instead of international which is less strict in terms of technique (or at least it seem to be to me ~ complete novice)

I'm hoping it's all a ploy by Simon Cowell to ramp up the viewing figures. After all, it worked with Louis Walsh in the UK on X Factor, so why not try it in the USA? Get a couple of guest judges in and then have a massive publicity campaign to bring Paula back and she will come back to American Idol in a blaze of glory! Admittedly, that didn't happen when Sharon Osborne left X Factor (thank God!) but might work with Paula. Hope so anyway, as I rather like her on AI. She's just not right for DWTS.

I realise DWTS follows international rules, but it did originally stick to the traditional ballroom and Latin dances. - 9 out of the 10 '10 dances' were danced in the first 3 series.

It started messing about with 'tradition' when the Mambo was introduced in S3, the Waltz was dropped () for the VW for S4-S7 and then both were in S8, but the big changes started in S7.

All seasons - Cha-Cha-Cha, Foxtrot, Jive, Paso Doble, Quickstep, Rumba, Samba, Tango
Some seasons - Waltz S1-S4 and S8, Viennese Waltz S5-S8

Mambo - S3-S8
Jitterbug - S7
West Coast Swing - S7
Hustle - S7
Salsa - S7-S8
Argentine Tango - S8
Lindy Hop - S8
(Obviously the Freestyle is in all the finals).

I think DWTS is basically true to its name now and the fact that it doesn't have the word 'Ballroom' in the title like SCD means it can really introduce what ever mixture of dances it likes as long as it keeps the audience happy - and it does.

I suspect I will still watch, but I will have to get used to the idea DWTS is no longer the American equivalent of SDC.

I don't know about it being a ploy by SC, but I am also hoping Paula will just end up doing AI again!

It will be interesting to see how 16 couples works on DWTS and I think 3 double elimination weeks will make the show quite exciting!

Only 6 days to go until we know who the couples will be!

American Rhythm and Smooth are different, as you rightly say, from the International style that is danced in UK. It allows for a greater range of choreography, but it is still just as technical. However, I think dwts coming as it does from Hollywood, it is inevitable that the emphasis is more on razz-ma-tazz than technique!

Every show sparkles like a Christmas tree!

Thanks that's what I was trying to say but didn't know how to i was trying to talk about the shows more than the styles.

You right in saying that the title means that they could do any kind of dancing but i think they will lose fans and pros if they don't keep the traditional ballroom dances i think that why they put back in the waltz.

Wonder who the pros will be? and the 16 celebs? Looking forward to both shows restarting I take it DTWS will be on watch again

I was shocked when they dropped the waltz!

Only a five more days to find out

Is the line up ever leaked?

At least Louis Van Amstell is back this season

I love Louis's dancing. First time I saw him was many moons ago when he was dancing with Julie Fryer.

Thing is, the title is "Dance" with the Stars - not "Ballroom Dance" wts...... And a lot of the dances we might not (in UK) think of as being ballroom (salsa, swing, for example) are part of the American Rhythm section.

And producers probably think more viewers will be entertained by watching a jitterbug and Lindy hop than they would be by watching a (usually in dwts) a poorly danced waltz.

Yep, in the 90's they were great on the dance floor. And Louis is also a great choreographer.

My favourite performer of them was the Paso they did to Gladiator music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pHta...eature=related

Great dancing; thanks for posting that Lady L. I hadn't seen that one before.

Glad Louis back His choreography on SYTYCD this season was amazing

Spoilers for sytycd s5

Paso

Samba

Quickstep

That's basically I said in my post #583

I think DWTS is basically true to its name now and the fact that it doesn't have the word 'Ballroom' in the title like SCD means it can really introduce what ever mixture of dances it likes as long as it keeps the audience happy - and it does.

It really isn't the American version of SCD any more, but I'll still keep watching for now!

It reminds me of Bolero by T&D!


I haven't watched sytycd this time - I must try and watch it!

Wonder why sytycd has seemingly been dropped from UK tv?

Derek and Gerard Butler...LOL I wouldn't have expected them to hang out together

The concept of dwts is the same as scd - tbh I often prefer it as it is often livelier and the presenters are more credible, and the band is streets ahead of the scd band. I was simply making the point that what we might not think of as "ballroom" dances, are part of the US dance scene, so only right they should be used.

Even so, if you think about it, scd doesn't use the word "ballroom" in its title either. It implies ballroom if you like, but that's mainly because it is associated with the old "Come Dancing". But nothing to stop them including Line Dance, Ballet, Tap, or anything else really - it's all dancing.

As a matter of interest (or not!!) the idea was actually thought up in the US, by a woman who tried to sell the idea to ABC. They weren't interested, but strangely the show appeared in the UK. A court case was going to be held as the woman in question claimed copyright, but I never heard the outcome.

I agree, although I've always imagined the name SCD was a mixture of the names 'Strictly Ballroom' and 'Come Dancing'!

I wonder what happened to that court case? Was it you who told me about the involvement of John Byrne in the show? I wonder if the idea was his, or if he just helped make it happen?