With all this talk of Jill's jive and Kelly's (for the record, nothing will match Jill's for me but Louisa's was better than Kellys in my opinion) who are the benchmarks at all the dances we now think of?

I won't say all mine, but imo (and lets not get personal if we disagree!!! )

No one has matched the list belowso far, and is what I keep in mind whenever I watch an episode of SCD and what i judge by (and I suspect the judges do too) -


Jill's Jive
Zoe's Tango
Matt's Waltz
Mark's Argentine tango
Mark's Salsa
Darren Gough's freestyle
Denise's Quickstep
I tend to measure all of the celebs on these and imo everyone above was worth a 10.

(I use Louisa's jive and a few of Colin's dances as back up too. And special mention to Julian's jive.)

I'd like to add Jill's Paso

I try to not benchmark but I agree that Ramps and Karen did a great Salsa.

Just wanted to point out I don't think the judges go by my list, but that they have dances they use as benchmarks too.

Jill's paso was great but also really enjoyed marks and Colin's so for me, I have a few I like with that dance and tend to compare too.

Pretty much agree with you on all of those Picklish.

No foxtrot or American Smooth mentioned - My two favourite dances. Maybe none obviously stands out from the others.

There are only a handful of dances where there is one performance which will be nearly impossible to beat those are

Jill and Darren's Jive (although I think her paso and cha cha were better)
Colin and Erin's Rumba
Mark and Karen's AT

With all the other dances their have been a few fantastic performances, but these are the dances that are the stand out performance (if that makes sense).

That's the thing. Foxtrot is actually my least favourite I think, but love the Paso, AS and cha cha cha as well as the ones I have listed. But no one stood out for me on those dances above anyone else. There were so many good ones. But for me not one where you actually drop your jaw and get shivers up your back. (Not had that this year yet though mearly did last week with JB's dance.) But I have enjoyed many celebs do those dances. have to say have never liked the Rhumba either and was pleasantly surprised to find I enjoyed Gethin's last night. But it doesn't match Carole's or Esthers.

Edit. makes perfect sense Jocko. When thinking about it I was surprised to find I liked so many so much as I only had the AT and Jive in my head to start with. But found that so many others I must compare to without realising when I gave it more thought.

Probably should have said as you below Dolly and mentioned the pro's too, but was going by the Kelly vs jill debate. But the pro's obviously deserve a mention in all those dances. I wish I could see Denise's QS again actually, that bit where they played the instruments I could watch over and over.

For me there's very few:

J&D's jive, paso and samba (her samba is never mentioned - it was fantastic)
Zoe's tango
Mark and Karen's AT
Colin and Erin's AS
Denise and Ian's QS

I have to say that as a diehard ballroom fan in the past, this show has converted me to latin. Especially when I see professionals such as the Cutlers dancing together (I hated the cha cha until I saw them dance one on a previous series.)

The dance I imagine myself doing (in my dreams) is Jill's jive, which is extraordinary really since I was never a great fan of the jive previously.

I really don't like competition rhumba at all (although enjoy dancing it) but agree with Jocko Homo that Colin and Erin were memorable.

Pretty much agree, although I'd have Colins QS very close behind Denise's, and I preferred Zoe's freestyle to Gough's

I love all those mentioned and I'd like to add another

Mark & Karen's VW it was gorgeous.

So far nothing this season has compared. Not choreography, music or performance.

Jive, Jill halfpenny, no contest!

American Smooth, Colin Jackson

Argentine Tango, Mark Rampakash, again no contest there!

Quickstep, Colin Jackson he set the floor alight and particularly the Christmas special one!

Rumba, again Action jackson for me, his lines were beautiful

Foxtrot, dare I say, Alesha!

Paso Doble, Louisa

Salsa, Mark Rampakash

This is the thing... I think Alesha's foxtrot was i've seen on strictly, but I wouldn't say it was the best by a long way in the way that Jill's jive, Colin's rumba and Mark's AT and salsa is, for example I think Will's, Denise's and Jill's were also to a pretty high standard.

Same with the quickstep you have Denise's but also there was Colin's which was amazing too, as was Matt's last year. I think thats the difference.

I forgot Will's foxtrot. Obviously not in my mind to use as one I mark all foxtrot's too, but nice to be reminded all the same. He could have gone further.

Mark and Karen's VW and AT

I agree with all the above but Mark and Karen's freestyle was memorable to me if only for that lift at the beginning

Colin and Erin's rumba is honestly the only rumba that's ever held my attention. It just always looks like a load of posing to me!

Mark and Karen's Salsa
Matt and Lilia's Waltz
Jill and Darren's Jive
Zoe and Ian's Tango
Mark and Karen's A-Tango
Colin and Erin's Quickstep

Colin and Erin's rumba was fantastic.

My favourite SCD moment ever.

I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it

Jill and Darrens jive
Matt and Lilias waltz
Goughie and Lilias freestyle
Mark and Karens AT

I pretty much agree with your choices Picklish, but it gets quite hard to choose. I'd quite like to add James Martin's Tango. Although not the best technically perhaps, Camillas' dramatic routine was great. Zoe did a pretty good foxtrot as I remember.

Remember the Pros' choice on ITT last year? That was quite interesting. I think most of the ones's you've got were selected.

Totally agree loved his AS and quickstep also
LOved mark and karens AT and his salsa

louisa's jive was FAR superior to kelly's jive - what WAS arlene watching last night?

Don't watch every ITT tbh but did see the one where they praised up the tango by Zoe so did remember that.

Have to say in answer to another post, I loved Ian and Zoe's freestyle too, but he fell over, and so in that respect didn't stand out for me as a 'wow' dance, that no one else can match. i just remember Darren Gough lifting lillia all over the place and was very impressed as the freestyle dance doesn't always go well. (I remember this bitterly from Strictly dance fever where the best couple imo lost due to their freestyle and off course, who can forget muppet gate. The freestyle is a hard thing to do.)

Yep and louisa had hardly anytime to actually rehearse it!

i know - and herself and vincente were gorgeous together - and never fought (unlike kelly and b)