It seems to me from watching Strictly that there are two natural sorts of dancers, which I will call, for want of better terms, 'stiff' and 'floppy'.
'Stiff' dancers hold their bodies erect, really connect with the floor, are good at making precise, snappy movements and dance in an explosive way. On the downside, they may not have much natural hip action, their movements may not flow very well and their hands might look stiff and unnatural. They may be told they have 'attack' but are also called 'wooden'.
Examples of this sort of dancer would be Austin, Darren Gough, Matt Dawson, Jill Halfpenny, Anton. Vincent. The best dances for these sorts of dancers are the jive, quickstep, tango, paso, AT and ballroom for the men where they have to provide a strong frame.
'Floppy' dancers use very elegant and fluid movements. have a lot of natural hip action, good arms and their transitions are very smooth. However they may not connect so much with the floor, be accused of having messy footwork and have trouble with dances requiring precise, staccato movements.
Examples of this type of dancer would be Tom, Colin Jackson, Alesha, Lisa, Fred Astaire, Matt DA. Good dances for them are the American Smooth, Foxtrot, Rumba, VW and the waltz for girls. These dancers will always be called elegant, but might also be accused of 'lazy' footwork, or being like a 'rag doll'.
This is not to say that the very best dancers can't correct their natural flaws and incorporate both 'stiffness' and 'floppiness' into their dancing, but I still think most start from a natural propensity for one or the other.
I think a lot of people's preferences are based on what type of dancer they prefer. I personally am sad that there are no more 'stiff' dancers in the competition as I like that explosive, powerful form of dancing but it seems like many other people disagree.
'Stiff' dancers hold their bodies erect, really connect with the floor, are good at making precise, snappy movements and dance in an explosive way. On the downside, they may not have much natural hip action, their movements may not flow very well and their hands might look stiff and unnatural. They may be told they have 'attack' but are also called 'wooden'.
Examples of this sort of dancer would be Austin, Darren Gough, Matt Dawson, Jill Halfpenny, Anton. Vincent. The best dances for these sorts of dancers are the jive, quickstep, tango, paso, AT and ballroom for the men where they have to provide a strong frame.
'Floppy' dancers use very elegant and fluid movements. have a lot of natural hip action, good arms and their transitions are very smooth. However they may not connect so much with the floor, be accused of having messy footwork and have trouble with dances requiring precise, staccato movements.
Examples of this type of dancer would be Tom, Colin Jackson, Alesha, Lisa, Fred Astaire, Matt DA. Good dances for them are the American Smooth, Foxtrot, Rumba, VW and the waltz for girls. These dancers will always be called elegant, but might also be accused of 'lazy' footwork, or being like a 'rag doll'.
This is not to say that the very best dancers can't correct their natural flaws and incorporate both 'stiffness' and 'floppiness' into their dancing, but I still think most start from a natural propensity for one or the other.
I think a lot of people's preferences are based on what type of dancer they prefer. I personally am sad that there are no more 'stiff' dancers in the competition as I like that explosive, powerful form of dancing but it seems like many other people disagree.
