This is out of interest and I genuinely would like anyone knowledgable to educate me!

I find I often notice on Strictly that the Ballroom specialists look pretty uncomfortable in the Latin - Anton never looks happy to me, though Erin generally I think looks pretty good but sometimes doesn't quite have the flair I'd expect from some of the others. (and I don't mean this to be dissing the ballroom specialists, because clearly they're pretty damn good dancers, but I keep noticing this)

On the other hand the Latin specialists seem to always look pretty happy with ballroom - sometimes one or two of them don't, but I notice it much less that they are dancing on the other side of that divide.

And of course there are a few who are all-rounders, Vincent and Flavia being the obvious candidates.

Basically, I feel like I can tell much more of a difference between two different specialist couples in a Latin dance than in a Ballroom dance... not always, but often enough to wonder about it.

Does anyone know what the reason for this is?

I can think of a few possible reasons... and I have no idea which if any of them is right... so... educate me, dance experts!

1) Latin being harder - not done either, really, so no idea - I can see that Latin dances tend to require much more solo work, but then Ballroom requires the technique and posture... not sure.

2) Does everyone effectively start off with ballroom and then move on to Latin? I've had that impression but it could be wrong, but I could guess that might mean that everyone got reasonably competent in ballroom whereas ballroom specialists might not have had SO much training in Latin.

3) Is it just that with there being so many Latin specialists vs Ballroom specialists on strictly that the layman (or laywoman ) doesn't see what is wrong with the Latin peoples' Ballroom because we're used to seeing it danced by Latin specialists?? Whereas if there were more ballroom specialists showing how it should be done, I might see the difference more starkly.

I'm not sure I've asked the right question in the right way, but it struck me in the pro Jive, and I wondered if there was some obvious reason or if it was just my lack of knowledge meaning that I couldn't see faults in, say, the Cutlers' Ballroom that were not present with Anton and Erin - which is entirely possible.

Anyone?

I won't pretend to be knowledgeable, but from what I have read on various forums I think it is a mixture of 2) and 3).

I've read various dance experts pointing out errors in the ballroom performed by some of the latin specialists, which I generally find quite hard to see even when I know what I'm looking for! Whereas someone not being quite comfortable in latin is easier for me to spot.

Thanks katie_p - that was sort of my suspicion...


I guess it's probably easier to fake it in hold, and yeah, if someone is struggling with things and they're out on their own, there's nowhere to hide...

Thanks...

Any more opinions welcome but glad I seem to be vaguely along the right track!

Mostly answer 2 in my opinion.

Good questions SF, I have wondered the same, for example the fabulous Ola is great at Latin but is she considered to be as good at ballroom - I ask this because she always looks great at both but then I am not an expert

dancingfan: glad it's not just me who wonders!

Do Spanish and South American dancers do latin in a different style, with a different flavour? South Americans certainly play football in a different way to north europeans.

Ballroom is the lineal descendent of Edwardian, Victorian dances, then going back to the royal courts of Europe in Hanoverian and Plantagenet times. Reflecting the culture and outlook of each period, such dances faithfully performed on SCD would be fascinating -- another idea for Splash TV, the producers of SCD for BBC.

A gavotte, sarabande, minuet anyone?

Bascially this is the reason (with a few exceptions)

All Children learn Ballroom and Latin and compete in both it is very unusual for them to specialise until they are 16 and join the Adult ranks.

Hence a professional on the show who has competed since a child has experience in both styles and certainly enough to get by. Anton didnt start to dance until 14 or 15 and I know he has never competed in Latin.

In beginner classes pupils usually start by learning a waltz and a cha cha and so on very rare to teach ballroom and then move on to latin

Of course, some dancers keep competiting in both Ian for many years did compete in both I can't remember if he specialised - I remember Darren competing in juniors in both (feels old) but think he specialised once Adult

In ballroom basic routines performed well to the untrained eye can look really good whereas in Latin the same thing compared to a Latin specialist can look a bit lacking

I am sorry if I'm going a little off topic here, but I have never realized what a great Pro Anton is. I have watched the Andrea Bocelli, Katherine Jenkins / Pro Dance on Utube many times and Erin and Anton look amazing. I think up to now that is the favourite part of this series for me. Song/Dance simply beautiful.

Can someone put a list on here of which pro dancers specialise in which style ? Thanks

all the pros specialise in Latin except for vincent and flavia who do both and Anton who did ballroom

Ok, i'll throw a question in as well (because I know NOTHING) can someone explain to me what the showdance is & how it differs from the latin/ballroom/whatever?
I just remember reading something that Ian was a European showdance champ (or something?) and wondered what that actually entailed?

anyone?

Showdance is usualy free in style can be based on latin or ballroom or something in between even but there are no set figures and no restritictions on lifts - showdance in competition is performed individually as opposed to a floor full of couples and the dancer performs a routine to their own music as well

Oh! I didn't know that!

ooooh, that's very helpful thanks! I always assumed it was some sort of american smooth type thing lol

McFrannigan, you watch SCD5 in New Zealand recorded, or in real time at 6am on Sunday morning?

Last year there was this nordic Russian girl dancing the most exquisite waltz with Matt Dawson. A few weeks later Lilia went native donning a rioter's red headdress.

Her samba with Matt was the most exuberant latin dance I can ever remember. Lilia became one with the music and I believe the experience was as exhilarating for her as for spectators. Matt reported that Lilia was determined that they be voted into the bottom two so that they got to dance the samba again. Words nearly failed me; when I recovered I described it as a dance to bring the sick off their beds and the dead from their graves.

In the final Lilia danced the same samba with Matt, but by then she had winning SCD on her mind and had gone respectable in a middle class silk dress. It was not the same.

Thanks for that Bendymixer, interesting reading. I was wondering which latin specialists you would consider to be strongest in both and who would be weakest at ballroom because I can't really tell.

Were they voted into the bottom 2? An' if so, why?

Unfortunately they were not,
and viewers without VRC were deprived of the chance to see an unrepeatable performance repeated.

I think either of the Jordans weakest at ballroom if I had to choose I consider (and this is just MY opinion ) that Ian Waite is strongest over two having reached good standards in both closely followed by Darren and Matthew

I dont think any of the latin people particularly weak at ballroom though I think their standard is really quite good but and I dont mean this cruelly Anton is extremely weak at Latin sometimes embarrasingly so

Thanks for that. Really interesting. Strongest female latin dancer at Ballroom?

Pah -as much as I love SCD i'd never get up at 6am on a sunday to watch it

I come on here at about 9:30, find out the scores. Come back at lunchtime, find out who was eliminated. THEN I watch the show in the afternoon (youtube )

The things I do.....

for me it has to be LIlia she brings so much out of her partners in both styles