There's always going to be the possibility of them doing one or both on the show, even if they go out in week 1, as was the case this year. So why do they wait until each series starts to "learn" the dance? What stops them from having lessons in these 2 dances during the Strictly off-season?

The BBC should make learning these dances mandatory for the pros. I'm sure the "experts" who teach them the routines don't hang around for every second of their training, so if the pros don't know the basics (which I imagine they're not being taught - they're probably shown the steps needed for each choreographed routine) how can they tell if their celeb is doing something wrong?

And why hasn't Anton's latin improved all these years, if the celebs are meant to improve after 12 weeks of dancing?

They are not ballroom dances thats why they don't learn them.

Excellent questions. I wish I knew.

London is awash with both salsa and AT classes - dozens of them each week. How difficult is it to take a couple of private lessons? I know for a fact that Vincent and Flavia do still take AT classes, so what makes the others think they can just wing it?

If only we could ask these real questions to Len rather than some rubbish about hokey-cokey, huh?

That's no sort of answer. These are two key dances in their main money-earning part of their profession - and for all the pros, this competition is the only actual competing they do now.

Now, OK, I can sort of understand them not learning AT - it's very difficult and only comes up in the semis, so most pros won't need it.

But salsa? They're highly likely to need to do that - and they just haven't learnt.

So they should damn well learn how to dance the dances.

I'm heartily sick of these so-called professionals murdering the salsa - Brian showed what's possible with even a mediocre partner, so why can't anyone else do it?

They're pretty naff dances and my least favourite of all the ones danced.

Can't stand the AT :yawn: (also it's not fair as Vincent has such a huge advantage) and every year they seem to roll out the boring salsa couple. :yawn: :yawn: :yawn:

Good point. I'm not a dancer and I would love the opportunity to learn the argentine tango.

Imagine being pro and not even caring to learn such exciting dance. What wrong with those people.

Well, thanks for sharing your expert opinions with us.

Is that your answer tp the actual question? That they're "pretty naff dances", so not worth learning?

I'm mystified - they're dancers, and they appear on a high profile dance competition.
V&F can do EVERYTHING competently (more than IMO), and are, it seems, still learning.

Perhaps the other pros are too arrogant to bother?

Or think they can 'wing' it and nobody important will notice or bother?

Same argument.

Are you kidding? how is it possible that you don't like the AT. Did you watch Mark and Karen routine.

Well, as they might be called on to not only dance them before an audience of millions, but also teach a non-dancer to do them, it might be sensible of them to learn.

For all you know, some of them probably have. but not necessarily the ones who are left in.

Good question.

This is an interesting point and one I've never thought of before! I'd be quite surprised if none of the pros (bar V&F as we know they do) didn't work with some kind of trainer during the non-strictly season for the 10 "normal" ballroom and latin, maybe it's just that we don't know that they do! As for the salsa and AT - I see what you mean, esp the salsa, although the BBC do at least ackowledge the fact that they aren't "traditional" ballroom / latin dances and employ some pro choreographers if and when they are required.

I suppose if the pros were seriously competitive about winning they could take lessons in the off-season but on the other hand they are employed by the BBC for the show and it obviously isn't an essential employment criteria that they have pro experience or are trained in the salsa and the AT. You would argue that as employers maybe the BBC could pay for some sort of development program for the pros to learn the salsa and AT as if they don't dance it in their demos outside of strictly then it's just a skill for strictly. I don't know really - good question though!

Yes V&F do still take AT training sessions from visiting AT pros and had an intensive 3 or 4 day course with some back in the summer (approx 30 hours in 4 days) and were trying to perfect the Milonga which of course they did manage because they produced that marvellous Milonga show dance last month.

Im so surprised that the other pros don't seem to want to learn either the Salsa or AT because anyone with any ambitions to win on Strictly has to produce routines for both of these before the end. Obviously some of the pros are not so amibitious as to think they can win????????????

What amazed me was that Brendan seemed to revel in his complete ignorance of literally anything to do with AT on ITT.

Is he trying to play the expectations-management game?

Did he seriously never expect to reach the semis?

Or has he just given up on the whole "learning to dance" and "wanting to win" thing?

I have no idea but I too noticed the "revelling" in the ignorance thing... I wonder if its a very clever game because there is so much expectation on what Vincent (and that translates to pressure for him) is going to come up with that Brendan feels that he is in with a chance of sneeking through quietly on the inside.

Its going to be difficult for Tom though, but as Camilla did it last year at least she has some dealings with it.

This happens in all fields. In my day job, before I retired, I used to teach dressage/jumping in the US. I was constantly taking workshops to improve and help with my teaching. You would be surprised at how many people I ran into who once they started teaching stopped taking classes themselves.

It doesn't matter how good you are, mistakes creep in, plus you do need to keep interest and enjoyment alive. You never stop learning, or you shouldn't, it keeps us excited and alive.

how many years has the AT been in the programme - it's only been the last two years that he's had a partner that IMO has been capable of getting to this stage of the comp but neither of them seem to be popular with the public so maybe he didn't think he would get this far

This is the third year it's been in, and the year before that it was done as a group dance. So it's not like it's a massive sudden shock or anything.


Could be - but I always thought he was, you know, trying to win? God knows he whinges enough about poor marks - I took that to mean he cared about how well he did.

Frankly, I hope the judges give him a good pasting for not learning to dance the dance. He's got no excuse for not having taken at least one lesson over the past 3 years. Strictly takes (at most) 6 months of his time per year - what, he couldn't find an hour somewhere?

So if he screws up, it'll be his own fault.

well he's not the only pro not to have done the dance before & maybe being new to the dance he will be able to bring something "fresh" to the dance - I don't think Camilla or Matthew had attempted the dance before last year neither

First I'd like to say I haven't got a clue why Anton isn't an expert Latin dancer by now!

But the main point - It is a really good question because the celeb looks to their pro for knowledge, technique, support, guidance - all that sort of thing. It isn't really on imho for a pro to be learning a dance mid series. I mean how hard would it be for them to ring up one of their dancing contacts and ask for some training? It is not as if this is the first time this has happened or like the pro didn't know before the series started what could be required of them.

Great post pasodabble.

Well, I would be very surprised if the pros didn't all have regular lessons. I think they will all be having lessons at least a couple of times a week because they are all doing regular performances if they are not competing.

I am surprised the BBC don't organise a couple of hours of AT/Salsa training for all the pros because that would be a tiny expense in their SCD budget. I don't think the pros should be expected to organise this for themselves, because they are doing SCD for a quarter of a year each year and these are only 2 dances in each series which you are not neccesarily going to do!!!

I agree with the OP wholeheartedly!

I just assumed that a pro dancer involved in the show would want to improve their skill set-why wouldn't a dancer want to broaden their talents?

I don't think that thinking they wouldn't need them is a good excuse or reason-in fact it defeats the purpose of being involved in the show at all!

The purpose is for the pro's to teach the celebs to dance different styles, well enough hopefully to get as far as possible-the salsa definitely should be considered part and parcel of it now, and a bit of AT training wouldn't hurt just in case.

A new skill is never wasted after all.

I would quite love a group dance of the AT by the pro's-why not? Maybe that would be incentive enough?

Well, it's a theory...

Brendan has clearly and explicitly stated that he's never been anywhere near an AT lesson in his life.

Sure, it's possible (as someone pointed out earlier) that some of the other pros have taken AT / salsa lessons. But we know he hasn't.