I have to say I feel very similar to you becca about M&J - they've definately grown on me from a few years ago but not one of my faves. Glad you like jukka and sirpa too! Used to get into arguments with my dance teacher over them (he hated them I loved them). I loved the rumba they did back in 1999 to the song encadenados...no gimmicks, just beautiful dancing. Wish I still had it on video to upload!

I agree entirely Becca. I love Michael and Joanna (as you know) as their skill blows me away and I find them so charasmatic in nearly every dance. (although their rumba isn't my favourite all of the time - it depends upon the performance)

BUT I completely agree with their negatives as you have listed. As you know I prefer Slavik and Elena and get moved more by the performance of other couples as well. However, I have still always loved watching Michael and Joanna, I think Joanna is phenomenally skilled and they blow me away nearly every time I watch them live. For that reason they remain one of my (many) favourite partnerships, although perhaps not the partnership I feel most emotionally connnected to.

I agree with bendymixer, other videos of them performing would impress people more than the demo last night - but maybe they wouldn't. As I have said on here before, different people like different things. I personally really enjoy watching them, others might not...and that's fair enough IMO!

I agree. M+J have definitely improved a lot and I am definitely on your side about Jukka and Sirpa!

Ah, Jukka and Sirpa. Absolute CLASS. And wonderful, down to Earth, 'real' people, too. My favourite show of theirs is the retirement Rumba at WSSL 2003. Absolutely unforgettable! They've always been one of my favourite couples.

She was at the spinning, very fast and neat and effortless.


I think that hits the nail on the head for me, too, Claire.


^ Amen to that!

I was sitting there thinking 'wow, look at them go!' and was impressed with their skill and speed but at the same time, felt no emotional response whatsoever. They were oddly soulless together, like automatons and there was no warmth. When I watch, say, Karen or Lilia dance I get swept away in their passion for it but this was like 'blah blah ooh bendy! blah blah :snore:'.

Very true.

To be honest there are a lot of dancers in dancesport who treat entertainment as a big feature of their dances and perhaps Michael and Joanna aren't the best couple to reflect this. They definitely entertain in their own way, but it is much more based around the use of their technique and speed.

Slavik Kryklyvyy comes immediately to mind as someone who plays with the audience and makes every move entertaining in his showcases. He's got so much charisma it's like a tap and it just flows out of him!

I thought as entertainment goes it was awful! Sure they are great at their job but just as they won't want to watch me at my desk I found watching them sooooooooooooooo boring. And their Samba looked to me like the Rumba but a bit faster!

So agree with you Kez. As Erinfan says, the technical side was brilliant and she knows, so I concur, although I don't know However - just to take ice dancing, they are marked not only for technical skills but also for artistic performance. One without the other does not make a winner.

Should it not be similar for these dances? For instance, while there can be technical brilliance it can seem lacklustre - dancing without the poetry, if you like.

My thoughts exactly, sure they can dance, but it looked just to false and posey for my taste.