How good are the Strictly professionals?

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In terms of professional dancers, are they right at the top of their game?

And are they all roughly of the same ability? If not who are the most technically able?

Or do they have to dumb down so much to dance with the celebs that you wouldn't know?

I think there's one who stands out as a cut above the rest but I'll admit I know nothing about dance that I haven't learned from Strictly

What calibre of celebs are you expecting? They have an England footballer, several household faces, if you're into the soaps, a presenter who's on TV every day. I've usually never heard of anyone except the sports ones but that's because I don't know who anyone is.

Two England footballers, Alex and David.

I normally watch rumbas on Strictly from behind a cushion. I've always rated Oti but last night was another level. She was mesmerising. And agree with a PP, those legs! Reminded me of Cyd Charisse in Singing in the Rain.

I hate Contemporary even when it's done well

Yes Expletive, I slapped my own wrist after I posted. An an double Olympic Gold winner (for a while)

I know nothing about dancing but I always found Aliona completely mesmerising. Oti now too. I love watching Giovanni and Johannes of the current men.

twistin being sexy is not a dancing element or requirement though

but in some dances they are trying to look sexy, aren't they - the facial expressions, the way they look at their partner.

OP asked who was technically the best dancer.

A few posters replied with Neil but some people overlook or dislike him, because he's not as sexy as the others.

Being sexy is part of the act in some of the dances but that still doesn't take away the fact he is extremely well qualified in his field and more so than some of the "sexy" ones.

But if they are staying on a helping out with choreography and stuff unseen, maybe not. Those that get knocked out early also do the Children in Need and Christmas Specials which involve training a new partner.

spider its barely 'dancing'....the required elements are buried under so much showmanship its nothing like real dancing. as i said, its the basics. most of what you see is silly extras tacked on, with costumes hiding feet so footwork is hard to see and music which makes dances detached from what they should be....some of the tango's are so cringe due to the music

this is why its frowned on....makes a mockery of proper dancing. the older style come dancing was actually more realistic! this is just entertainment

with costumes hiding feet so footwork is hard to see

Also the camera work obscures the footwork half the time. Drives me mad!

with costumes hiding feet so footwork is hard to see

And all the bloody dry ice 'smoke'.

Taking advantage of the knowledgeable people on this thread.... Are the Pro group dances also mainly showmanship or is the dancing in those actually technically difficult?

@JasperRising I have noticed fewer ballroom and latin sequences in the group dances and more modern and contemporary stuff.

In past series, the group dances show cases the dancing skills of the pros very clearly, even to the untrained eye. There's a group Jive dance with Ian Waite, Erin, Brenda, Karen, Darren, Liliya etc which isn't showy like today's stuff, but the dancing seems to be just so much better for some reason.

Mainly showmanship IMO. When I YouTube pro dances it is the early series when the pros just used part of their own routines to demonstrate a particular dance.

I would like to see Burn the Floor, as the choreographer for that is heavily involved in Strictly now and I think it would be fantastic on the stage but the lack of ballroom and latin in the group dances is a bit of a pain tbh. Even the celeb dances tend towards the showy IMO, you wouldn't see a lot of that in competitions either.

I’m glad others are seeing this too

I was shouted down last year!

When I used to compete it was full on intense technique from head to toe. My parents were pro’s, Dad knows some of the strictly pro’s ... they are all better than what you see on strictly, but we get that it’s a money making entertainment show now. And Dad has done well on the back of it....£90 for an hour ten minutes of private waltz lessons for that wedding day first dance 💃🏼

I admire the faith the female pros have with the lifts they do with the celeb males.

Are the Pro group dances also mainly showmanship or is the dancing in those actually technically difficult?
Those group dances are a triumph of style over content, and no, they aren't technically difficult for trained dancers.

And agree with a PP, those legs! Reminded me of Cyd Charisse in Singing in the Rain.

This! I hadn't realised it before, but she is like Cyd Charisse. I was so in love with her as a teen, I watched Singing in the Rain obsessively. That dance on the steps with the wind machine... Sublime! Oti has a very similar style to her definitely.

Been down a YouTube rabbit hole

Katya and Neil cha cha cha from 2016 on dsi London channel is perfection

He’s excellent. I don’t think I’ve seen a better dancer in recent years

Have also gone done a YouTube rabbit hole (and ended up at Neil and Katya performing in fatsuits...) To a completely non dance eye, I think I would describe it that the pros look mesmerising and skillful dancing on a plain dancefloor surrounded by tables with no or limited lighting. Not sure many of the strictly dances would hold up if stripped of staging.

It did make me think it would be interesting to make the celebs perform like an actual competition one week with them all on the floor at once...that would show up which of the pros (and celebs) were technically best.