I didn't stop laughing for the 90 seconds of the Paso. Not really the reaction I should have on a serious bullfight.

The trouble is that dancing in a competetion like this is about more than the technical. Austin is a better performer than Tom, who often comes across as quite camp in the way he moves.

It's Toms exuberance which makes his dancing more entertaining for me and the lack of which puts me of the "technically" more accurate Austin.

Interesting picture because it goes against most perceptions. I think Tom's flexibility flatters to deceive a little. Yes he looks great doing the Latin but he's built for it much better than the far stockier Austin. Austin is better in the moves that require strength and poise, Tom in the ones that require flexibility and ease of movement.

You mean the one when he slapped his own buttocks in the Salsa?

He's not built like a rugby player, so naturally when he does those gyrations, he'll look more 'campy', I supposed. That said, I do think he's beginning to conquer the facial expression bit of the dance (hopefully this continues).

There is not quotations needed for the word technically. Austin IS technically far MORE superior than Tom, especially in ballroom, and this will always mean Austin will get that '10' probably more so in the ballroom dances than Tom ever will. Tom is given waltz which should be the 'easiest' of all ballroom dances to get tens, with its slow sway-ish movements (which is not unlike latin requirement of being 'fluid'). Because it's slow his footwork can be more easily perfected than, say, a Tango or a Quickstep. Then again, the perception of him having some kind of dance training (apparently John Borrowman said in one of the online interviews about Tom) and him doing quite well from the word go might count it against him. Len was willing to give Gethin 10 despite spotting some footwork mistakes because Gethin was rather meh in the beginning and then transformed right before our eyes. Tom doesn't seem to have that obvious 'breakthrough' as yet, though I could be proven wrong when he does his waltz this Saturday.

Agree with other comments on here.

Tom is the more talented dancer and the group dance showed it big time.

BUT if you compare Tom's tango with the one Austin did the week before, Austin's won hands down because his frame was so much better. He has a certain class that Tom doesn't have, which is probably why the judges favour him.

I dont get why people dont like Tom more. Its Austen whose the cocky sod.

How exactly?

Trouble maker, you. This is about Tom Chambers in the group dance. Compare him with Austin in dance terms, if you will. But why launch a nasty personal name-calling on Austin?

Sod?

R U serious?

I think Rachel is a better dancer than both Tom and Austin.

Oh good, the mature argument! Second only to smug!

It saddens me to say it because I think Tom is easily the best natural dancer in the series, but I DON'T think he was better than Austin in the group dance. There were things that showed up against him. The lines in the photo
http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/g...n/results6.png
as have been pointed out were much better in Austin's pose than in Tom's. Also during the dance, whenever the girls had to be lifted or spun around, Tom was often just a little behind the beat. Things were sometimes just too loose and in a bad way, not an exciting way.

To me, one of the reasons that Tom isn't getting the tens is that he's so naturally gifted, he doesn't actually Work as hard. Now before you get all worked up, I don't mean he doesn't put in the effort. I'm sure he does, but I suspect he doesn't think of some of the finicky little things that the judges look for because he is so very nearly able to do them anyway. The others, like Austin, to whom it doesn't come so readily have to work more precisely to get their dances right. That's my theory anyway.

One other thing... and I'm not quite sure what this means, whether it's a good thing or not, or whether it's nothing at all.
During the dance, when Austin and Tom were at the front, several times Tom looked across at Austin. Austin never looked at Tom. Now this may be Austin concentrating on the dance like billy-oh. But if this was a theatrical performance - and I know what I'm talking about here - I would suspect that Austin was upstaging Tom. If they'd been rehearsing with that sort of eye contact with each other, and then in performance Austin ignores Tom, it makes Austin look very strong and Tom look very needy and insecure. I wondered about that. Austin is a top class sportsman. Psychological play comes naturally to people like him. Like I say, it just made me wonder.

Wow! Great post. I agree with you. I hadn't thought about it that way before, but when it comes naturally to someone, they don't break it down and analyse something like someone who has less natural talent but is prepared to work as hard as it takes.

Austin is very mathematically minded and so he probably does break things down and analyse them more than anyone else there, he spends a lot of time on youtube analysing dances and trying to get the moods right because he's not a natural actor.

I actually thought that both the boys were strong in different areas, as mentioned before. Most of Tom's good points were caught on camera, he moves more fluidly and dances better as an individual, but Austin's lines were much better and he danced as part of a couple better than Tom did imo.

If were going to say Austin has better lines could we maybe have something other than one spilt second screenshot to compare them both, that's hardly fair.

No, I'm talking about Austin dancing generally, he's been told by the judges that he has the best frame that they've seen in ballroom from a man. And Tom is told that his frame isn't strong enough.

Tom's strength is in his musicality and natural rhythm, not in the lines that he makes.

I suspect that's true too. I'm not sure why that is, because as much as people love to deride Camilla, she's done well with dancers in the past, most notably with Gethin. I suspect it's just Erin's ballroom strengths coming through in the training.

By the way, I know people are always going on about Camilla's facial expressions during the dances. Have they ever noticed Ian's? Just as outrageous! Perhaps it's a partner thing.

I don't think there's a need compare TBH, there's very little separating Rachel/Tom/Austin, they all have different strengths and weaknesses.

Maybe its because we're all individuals and see things differently. I quite like Austin though my fave was Jodie, but can't for the life of me see what people see in Tom, though he is a good dancer.

Personally I prefer people who are flawed. I spent two years completely obsessed with a 60 year old ex mountaineer who looks more like a scarecrow than a man, and has a very acerbic, black sense of humour. However in his heyday he was a sh*t hot climber and didn't suffer fools gladly.

I'm not really bothered what anyone else thinks.

No you're quite right. I'll have a look through other photos as well to see. Mind you I thought the judges were unnecessarily hard on his tango. Most men they'd have been over the moon with for producing a tango like that. Not quite sure why they didn't go for Tom's.

He did stoop a little bit in the Tango, I can't say I've noticed it in his other Ballroom dances. I wonder if the posture is harder to hold in the Tango? It's the only dance that varies from the normal Ballroom hold isn't it?

Oh no - I didn't notice Camilla's till somebody pointed it out, and now I can't focus on anything else. I bet the same happens with Ian for me now

I actually liked seeing them side to side. I don't mind Tom's dancing at all, but it confirmed to me how much better Austin is.

Isn't it all a matter of taste? I think they're both great dancers but I prefer a man to dance in a slightly more 'blokey' style. So Austin's less fluid lines don't bother me but Tom's slight feyness and those faces does.

Tom's gurning gets on my nerves. Austin for me every time!