Strictly Come Dancing 2014

Heroditas

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Who said she ever had dance training, though?

She's clearly hugely talented, but I don't ever recall her or anyone else saying that she had training - I'm open to correction on that, but most celebs who have a bit of talent are always accused of being jockeys. I'm sure if she had any formal dance training it'd have to have been declared in advance of the competition starting?

How come no-one is accusing Caroline of having had prior training?

She might not have had formal ballroom or Latin dancing but she would have been trained how to dance for stuff like videos and choreography for when on stage. Frankie would have been the same.
However, Pixie is just naturally talented, along with being young and in good shape so it all adds up to a good combination.

HeidiHeidi

Heroditas wrote: »

She might not have had formal ballroom or Latin dancing but she would have been trained how to dance for stuff like videos and choreography for when on stage. Frankie would have been the same.
However, Pixie is just naturally talented, along with being young and in good shape so it all adds up to a good combination.

And I would argue that dance training for the likes of dance videos is as far removed from ballroom/latin training as being trained for the 100m dash.

I think that the fact that the Pixie and Frankie are musicians in their real lives means they have a naturally musical ear and probably a very good sense of rhythm which can't be but a good thing. Should we ban all musicians as jockeys since they clearly have an advantage?

I'm not trying to pick an argument with you or anyone else, but I really think it's unfair that Pixie gets (got) called out all the time when I don't think she'd had any relevant dance training.

The nature of the competition is that some will be more talented than others, and they will rise to the top, or get to the finals (well, you'd think.....).

Heroditas

I completely agree with you.

EDIT: I do think that being in a formal training environment all the time helps. Also, dancing properly to music is tricky and she's been trained to do that.

Anyway, completely agree with your view!

HeidiHeidi

Heroditas wrote: »

I completely agree with you.

EDIT: I do think that being in a formal training environment all the time helps. Also, dancing properly to music is tricky and she's been trained to do that.

Anyway, completely agree with your view!

I would say that this applies to professional sportspeople as well, who tend to do very well usually. They're usually exceptionally well co-ordinated, fit as fiddles, and used to a strict training regime.

larko

Darcey voted for Simon too so its not all on Len really. Then Darcey crying at the end annoyed me so much. You voted for Simon ... what did you expect?

ShazGV

According to my extensive research *cough 2 minutes of googling when I should be working cough* Pixie went to the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts for ~8 years which involved dance training, and Caroline's been involved in a show called Dancing on Wheels, where celebs danced with people in wheelchairs.

Loughc

Yea I wouldn't believe much that comes out of James Jordan's mouth, he seems very bitter towards Strictly now that he's left.

At the end of the day, Len voted it off the dance off, on that particular dance off, I think he was right. Pixie was the better dancer and had a better chance of winning the final overall but on the night she had an off night and Simon was better.

Meauldsegosha

Pixie won a scholarship to the Italia Conti Academy and has been in West End productions including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang since she was 13. It is fair to say she has had more dance training then the other celebs.

Call me Al

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Who said she ever had dance training, though?

She's clearly hugely talented, but I don't ever recall her or anyone else saying that she had training - I'm open to correction on that, but most celebs who have a bit of talent are always accused of being jockeys. I'm sure if she had any formal dance training it'd have to have been declared in advance of the competition starting?

How come no-one is accusing Caroline of having had prior training?

She has had years of schooling in the Conti school of Performing Arts (is that the name?). So yes she has had years more training in dance than any of the others I'd think.

_Whimsical_

Frankie was in the SClub Juniors ( who knew that was a thing?) and had been dancing in their music vids and on top of the pops since she was 10-11, Caroline has had some ballet training, Pixie was as good as a pro dancer, who knows where Simon came from as lot of people who got into pop bands came from stage schools.

It's never been a level playing field as a competition and quite frankly it would be as boring as hell if we had 13 Judy's every year. I'm ok with people having some background in dance personally.

Heroditas

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

It's never been a level playing field as a competition and quite frankly it would be as boring as hell if we had 13 Judy's every year. I'm ok with people having some background in dance personally.

Imagine if they were all like Judy, John Sergeant, Chris Parker or Joe Calzaghe!

Call me Al

I don't think anyone expects it to be a level playing field (and I agree it would be boring if they were all ex stage school or stiff as boards), but the celebrities can't not expect to be judged on their original ability to a large degree.
Hence my comment that she's fab, has always been fab, and that is now going against her. The public ( abd the judges) expect more from her.
They have seen Mark and Simon who have made huge improvements in their performances, and Pixie was still fab (but no more fab than she was in week 1 when she was ahead of the field by miles).

The best dancer doesn't ever seem to win this competition if he or she has had years of stage school like Pixie had.

RosyLily

I thought Pixie would go the same way as Denise Van Outen - really good dancer, reaches the final but doesn't win.

Would have almost bet my Christmas fund that she would be in the final. Thank god I didn't!!:pac:

Howjoe1

99% seem to agree the best dancer was sent home.

Can't recall Len getting on his high horse the year Louis Smith won it doing more gymnastic routines than dancing.

I'd imagine Len might be regretting his decision having reflected on in. It's made the show weaker from this point on.

Heroditas

I doubt he will. He likes the "blokes" or the "real men" doing well. It stretches back as far as Darren "I'm a real blurrrke, me" Gough

Snoopy1

Judy murray was saying on it takes two, and my mum said it too
They said.it's very hard in a dance off when the dances are so different I.e Latin versus ballroom to judge who's better. I do prefer it when there's more of the same dance.
Simon annoyed me when he dropped to the floor, come on
Same way as kristina is so over dramatic every week.

_Whimsical_

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

Oh the plot thickens...

James Jordan retweeted someone saying that tonight's dance off had one couple who had confirmed for the Strictly Tour and one who had not, guess who went. Simon is confirmed but pixie is not in the tour lineup.

Could it be that they couldn't risk a tour that didn't include the winning dancer and so had to let the obvious winner go when they got the chance?

dastardly00 wrote: »

Possibly best suited to the conspiracy theory forum

I don't think so, I think it's a valid concern. Pixie herself pointed out tonight that the judges had never given her any feedback that her footwork was lax and that Trent had not picked on it either, infact she'd been highly praised for it every week. Saturday night Craig said he found her legs too stiff, Len found them too bent, Darcy found them inconsistent. The judges were inconsistent!A cracker of a routine was mediocrely received by them after she'd been the darling all season. Also judges have turned a blind eye to illegal lifts this year, Judys performances were littered with lifts, then suddenly they're an issue.

Something about it just seems very off to me. At first I wondered if Len had taken umbrage at Trent giving him a bit of back chat but that would be extremely unprofessional. I think it's absolutely conceivable that they wouldn't want a tour where the winner doesn't participate, the tour is where the money is made after all.

HeidiHeidi

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

I don't think so, I think it's a valid concern. Pixie herself pointed out tonight that the judges had never given her any feedback that her footwork was lax and that Trent had not picked on it either, infact she'd been highly praised for it every week. Saturday night Craig said he found her legs too stiff, Len found them too bent, Darcy found them inconsistent. The judges were inconsistent!A cracker of a routine was mediocrely received by them after she'd been the darling all season. Also judges have turned a blind eye to illegal lifts this year, Judys performances were littered with lifts, then suddenly they're an issue.

Something about it just seems very off to me. At first I wondered if Len had taken umbrage at Trent giving him a bit of back chat but that would be extremely unprofessional. I think it's absolutely conceivable that they wouldn't want a tour where the winner doesn't participate, the tour is where the money is made after all.

Just to continue the conspiracy theory for a bit (and I'm not saying I disagree with it btw) - has Caroline confirmed for the tour? I'm deeply suspicious of her judging/marking this week - although she's been fantastic all along, to my eye (admittedly completely untutored, but I've watched a LOT of Strictly over the years!) her Argentine tango was nowhere near deserving of all those 10's.

Snoopy1

But what if pixie never made the dance off? They would have had to rig the voting then, or did it work out for the bbc that she was in the dance off.
Also if they wanted pixie out why give her the highest marks for the Walzathon

_Whimsical_

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Just to continue the conspiracy theory for a bit (and I'm not saying I disagree with it btw) - has Caroline confirmed for the tour? I'm deeply suspicious of her judging/marking this week - although she's been fantastic all along, to my eye (admittedly completely untutored, but I've watched a LOT of Strictly over the years!) her Argentine tango was nowhere near deserving of all those 10's.

Caroline confirmed, yes.
This is the full lineup

Here is the final line-up of celebrities and their dance partners on tour:

• Frankie Bridge with Kevin Clifton

• Thom Evans with Iveta Lukosiute

• Caroline Flack with Tristan MacManus

• Mark Wright with Karen Hauer

• Alison Hammond with Aljaž Skorjanec

• Simon Webbe with Kristina Rihanoff

• Scott Mills with Joanne Clifton

I agree with you too, I love Caroline,I think she's brilliant but I was underwhelmed by her Argentine tango and very surprised by the marks she got. For me it lacked intensity and the intricate footwork it's famous for and yet was hailed as one of the best they'd ever seen!

casio4

Caroline has split with her partner of 18 months the curse of strictly hits again

dark crystal

Just watched it now. Len's decision was a joke.

Pixie would have made the final, Simon will not, judging by the amount of times he's been bottom two. The overall stronger dancer should always progress, imo.

I honestly get annoyed when people say they'll stop watching because their favourite went out, but I won't be watching again after that. Not sure Pixie was even my favourite, but she deserved to get further than this for sure. I thought her and Trent were just fantastic to watch throughout. They even made the awful Rhumba enjoyable to watch!

One of the worst decisions I've ever seen on Strictly. What a shame.

dastardly00

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

Here is the final line-up of celebrities and their dance partners on tour:

• Scott Mills with Joanne Clifton

My head hurts even just from imagining it!

Snoopy1

casio4 wrote: »

Caroline has split with her partner of 18 months the curse of strictly hits again

Rachel Riley must be worried now

P. Breathnach

Perhaps gender quotas are an issue. It was starting to look like the three remaining women could be the finalists.

Go Harvey Go

P. Breathnach wrote: »

Perhaps gender quotas are an issue. It was starting to look like the three remaining women could be the finalists.

And, of course, the final four last year were all ladies.

JP Liz V1

Snoopy1 wrote: »

Rachel Riley must be worried now

Oh yes Pasha Pasha Pasha

phasers

Perhaps the curse of Strictly should be renamed the curse of Pasha? :pac:

368100

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

Caroline confirmed, yes.
This is the full lineup



I agree with you too, I love Caroline,I think she's brilliant but I was underwhelmed by her Argentine tango and very surprised by the marks she got. For me it lacked intensity and the intricate footwork it's famous for and yet was hailed as one of the best they'd ever seen!

Anyone know why Pasha isn't in the tour?

Karen on It takes two, agreed with Lens decision.