I just love SCD! As I am not qualified to comment on the technical bits I can only say how I feel. Last series I was blown away by Mark and Karen's salsa and Argentine Tango because of the way they just melted into each other and the fantastic choice of music added to the drama and excitement of it all. Total entertainment and that show dance when he lifted her on his hand at the beginning - wow! This series has been so enjoyable - was sorry to see Willy leave, he is such a gentleman and surprisibly light on his feet - maybe we could persuade Steve Davies to have a go? Throughout this series I have been impressed by Alesha but have not felt much drama or excitement watching her. Gethin was lovely - such a gentleman and what a revelation when he finally came out of his shell - sorry any of them have to go out. Then last night - click! Matt walzed away with my heart.... was it the music? We sailed away together, we drifted apart...lovely ... or was it his fantastic dancing? I think he turned from a lad into a man on Saturday so watch out Alesha - you are beautiful and look great in those wonderful outfits but Matt just has that certain something special - star quality. Good luck to both couples and if you both dance to the best of your abilities we will have a fantastic final to enjoy. Looking forward to the Christmas show too - will Darren and Lilia dance to Jingle Bells again? That is another wonderful SCD memory for me.

No negative comments please - don't spoil my enjoyment of this wonderful show.

I am so glad that you feel that way. Interestingly on the forum this morning there are dance teachers saying that Matt has that special something as a DANCER – saying that he has the Billy Elliot factor.

I love Alesha’s bubbly personality and joy in dancing, but Matt is a truly special dancer.

Do you know what I love your post. When I read the title of your thread, I thought, I'm sure it's another bashing thread, but it's lovely.

I feel the same, Mark and Karen's AT is still my favourite dance. This series, quite a few people touched me with their dances. I loved Alesha's foxtrot, Matt's Waltz, Kelly and Brendan's VW, Kenny's dances und I loved the gentlemanlike and sporty behaviour of Gethin.

The show is just great, and makes my Saturday.

I loved both Alesha's and Gethin's waltzes. They were beautiful. And Matt's salsa and quickstep. Previously I hadn't got into the various dances until Mark came on the scene and I was hooked. When this series started I vowed to be impartial but Gethin suddenly appeared and that was it. I do like Matt and Alesha and think the final will be great.

I only wish it had been a three-person final as in previous years. And no dance-off.

I second that, I would have loved to see three fantastic show-dances.

Me too!

And it's great to have a positive thread on here also - thanks.

great post and i melted at that waltz too

Sometimes I wish I dould enjoy SCD as a non-dancer, purely for entertainment value. But as it is I know enough about ballroom and latin dancing that I get bogged down in the technical and can't quite enjoy the performances for what they are! For example I go so annoyed with Alesha's bad technique in her 39/40 cha cha that the fact that the performance level was fantastic didn't interest me Thank goodness for Hindsight. And YouTube!

Gosh, CarysK, what a lovely post

My sentiments exactly

cat what did you as a dancer think of matt and flavs waltz then?
i dont dance but try to listen to the judges comments and take it all in, and was thinking his rise and fall was good.

I thought it was wonderful, but I didn't expect a perfect score. My hosuemate did though and she doesn't dance!! Not quite sure what that tells you... Maybe that I didn't dare hope for a perfect score because I like them so much!!

I'm no expert but I do know that NO DANCE this year has deserved a 40/40 except the Pro dances on a sunday.

40 isn't for perfection, IMO. It's for better than a 39. You can't judge any of the SCD couples by professional standards. Because really, compared to Vincent & Flavia's waltz, Matt deserved about a 5!

but thats why the judges need only use paddles 1-5. or 0 for Kate if they have one

But where's the fun in that? Each competition has a standard to score to, like you can't judge Junior competitions the same as the World Championships, but then you also can't score the best kids 2, cos, well, that's just mean!

am I making sense?!

I've hardly ever posted on here, just enjoyed reading the various threads, but this post really struck a chord. I couldnt agree more. For my part one of my favourite dances was kenny and Ola's Rhumba the night they went out. It may not have been technically great (and i wouldnt know anyway)........but the emotion was superb, and it brought a lump to my throat. There seemed more connection in that than any of the other rhumbas i've seen. Good luck to both couples for the final (tho like most others I would have loved to have seen all three there!)

thx cat, i just wondered, i guess its hard to be subjective when they are your faves.
I had tears in my eyes at the end of the dance, it touched me.

Totally Cat but I think this argument is set of run and run. I'm trying to think what score I would have given some of the horses I saw last Friday against even middle-ranking trained dressage horses - in the ones-and-twos maximum. But my 'paddles' were approrpriate to their level of training and consequently they managed to obtain 6s and 7s - but if they went up even one level, those marks would drop (for the exact same movement) to 5s and 6s. Two levels up the scores would be down to 3s and 4s with occasional 2s and 0s (not shown).

Dance has a well structured grading system - both in training and competition. I've always been happy that Len (in particular) judges to some internal system based on years of experience as a judge and teacher. 10 is not perfection, never was and never will be. I know they use the word but I would use "relative perfection" - ie. perfection for the expected level/grade.

10 certainly should not be for utter perfection - particularly not a celebrity dancing competition of all things. If they got 'perfection' something would be a bit wrong to be honest. These people are a long way from pros.

The judges really should have a set standard though for what each score should mean and that's what often seems to be so lacking and inconsistent this year.

Personally I wouldn't have given Matt a 10 for his waltz because the performance wasn't there. He was concentrating intensely on the dance and it did bring his performance down imo. Lost a bit too much of the charm of the waltz for me.

In a '10' dance for me I wouldn't expect absolute technical perfection because that is nigh on impossible no matter how much intensive training these celebs have had, but I would expect an almost flawless p'erformance' of the dance - it's that element that makes it a 10 not a 9 and it was that I thought missing from Matt's waltz.

Lovely post, CarysK.

I agree I love watching the show and really enjoyed Matt's waltz which I thought was understated. There have been some great dances this year and the show is good escapism from real life.

I did prefer Matt Dawson's waltz last year and I think that is down to performance. But I'd still give them both a 10

(There are far too many Matts in the competition! It's too damn confusing!)

Its all too long ago for me to remember, but i did love matts waltz last year,
I was a vincent and louisa fan and still feeling sore that they had gone, so it didnt grab me like matt and flavs
I must rewatch it on youtube if i can

The only 10 that surprised me was Craig. Thought there was a piece in the middle of the waltz that made my jaw drop with admiration with the footwork. I knew that Arlene would hold up a 10 against the constant moan about Alesha's footwork.

But, the performance was lower, slightly less complicated choreography (longer moments out of hold; static moments with Flavia dancing etc) and even though it was a near 10 dance (ie. 3x10 and higher than Alesha), I really didn't see that 4th 10. I bet Len wasn't expecting it, hence the standing ovation, just another way of 'pickling his walnuts' and stating it was a supremely good dance.

Surprised but absolutely delighted for Matt and Flavia.

although i agree with the fact that 40 is for perfection, doesnt that mean that 39, 38 and also 37 mean that atleast one of the judges thought it was perfect (if you get my point)..i think- what difference would it make if craig had given it a 10 and len gave it a 9..or the other way round..

if one of them thought it was perfect thats ok, but if they all though it was perfect why isnt that ok?

Cat123, I've said in another thread, it would be lovely if people like you could start your own Dance Teacher's thread where you could discuss the whys and wherefores of each celebrity dance. There is such a thread on the BBC SCD website and I've found it really informative. For example, they've talked about Letitia's inability to move her hips and how this was down to the balls of her feet not connecting properly with the floor, a problem that they think should have been dealt with in the beginning but was only pointed out by the judges at a later stage - far too late to correct it. Also, on here people have criticized Matt D's walz because of his apparent look of concentration, whereas on that thread at least one teacher talked about his perfect facial expressions changing with the mood of the dance and flowing with it.

On this forum, I get fed up with people talking about liking a dance because of the "performance" or the "technical side" without explaining what they mean. I would love to hear the detail - what technical moves are you talking about, how should the dance be performed and how did the dancer achieve or not achieve it.

Posting in a dedicated dance teacher's thread would also mean you wouldn't have to keep saying "I'm a dance teacher" when you post - we would know it. And if some pretended to be dance teachers or experts when they were not, they would soon be discovered and shot down by their peers.

So how about it - for next year??