Strictly Come Dancing 2016 - Glitterballs ready?

[SheHasAWildHeart]

First 'celebrity' confirmed:
Ed Balls

Another shameless plug for monkseal.wordpress.com/category/strictly-come-dancing/
here. I adore that man. He makes the show for me. All his strictly stuff is archived too for anyone who wants to look back on other series. But yes, in the same way Guardian's Tapehead and Charlie Brooker used to make my week, Chris Rubery now fills that function (is also on twitter). He and his partner Steve also take it in turns to do very good GBBO recaps.

The Clifton's haven't always got good partners, as others have said. Louise Redknapp may have gone to Italia Conti, but it was a long time ago. Any actor or singer has to do some dance training as part of their job. The Clifton's apparently have been subjected to some quite relentless trolling today, instigated by James and Ola Jordan, who have a vendetta against them for a reason I can't quite fathom.

Karen and Ola fell out a couple of series ago didn't they? Wonder if it stemmed from there?

Even if there is a grain of truth in what James is saying, it is just coming across as extreme sour grapes and bitterness!

^ Karen allegedly dissed Ola's dancing claiming that was "why she was always at the back".
Gobby James was out after getting Vanessa, but iirc was banned from supporting Ola in the studio when she was paired with Steve as he kept leaking stuff to the press/twattering.
Then Ola gets Iwan and burns all her bridges after her. Shame really.
I think he was hoping to get regular columns in a tabloid but it didn't pan out. They do not have show tours like the others. Their dance classes are ker-ching but whether that's enough to live on? Hence the sleb shite.
Amazed they have never done a tell-all book deal tbh.
Although I really do not need the details of them shagging in the Strictly changing rooms.

I think the Ann Summers gig just about sums them up

I'm absolutely fine with some of the contestants having had some dance experience. Most actors have had some dance training as part of their acting training. A lot of women have had ballet/tap/Irish dancing lessons as children. A lot of singers/boy band/girl band members will have had to learn dance routines as part of their stage show. It's just part of their life experience, none of them did it at the time with the intention of 'cheating' in Strictly. And, while some of the plucky strugglers are engaging to watch, I really wouldn't be bothered watching an entire series of duffers. I like to see beautiful dancing, it sends a shiver down my spine.

Jo...Scott then benched. Deserved a good 'un. I had her down for Will actually.
Karen...has done very well making purses from pigs' ears the last couple of years. Plus Will may have requested to have her (like Widdy did for Anton).
Kev from monday to friday Grimsby In fairness, Frankie was the one you would have deemed ringer. I loved the AS with Kelly (had hopes that would have been Katie/Anton's freestyle, but Kev got in there first and nailed it). Loved the Paso with Susanna* and loved the Tango with Frankie.

forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1910528

Whether he is the equivalent to DWTS Derek Hough though...might be stretching it

Before they joined Strictly, James and Ola were regularly making professional Latin finals. Kevin never competed as a professional and Karen's expertise is in the mambo, so if there is some animosity there the Jordans probably feel quite justified in saying that they're better dancers! I'm not saying they're not being arsey, but to be told your dancing is worse than somebody who has never competed at the same level as you is probably quite galling.

Agree with Polkadots, James and Ola were top level Latin competitors. Karen and Kevin danced in the West End. Nuff said as far as dance talent/ability goes.

Another one longing for Monkseal's commentary!

I groaned when I read the names of the new celebs, but I was pleasantly surprised at Saturday night's show. I'm looking forward to seeing more of Anastacia and Rinder. I also have a girl crush on Oti and hope she gets to stay in longer this year.

But wasnt Jo a world ballroom champion? and didnt Karen publicly apologise to Ola about this. The gracious thing to do would be to accept the apology and move on. I think being married to an arse may make that a bit difficult though! I have no knowledge or issue with the Cliftons. I think they all seem quite harmless, but I get a bad vibe from James Jordan. He comes across as deperate for publicity and quite unpleasant, and has dragged her down into the gutter with him.

Jo was ballroom champion, Kevin was also a very good Junior but just wasn't good enough to cut it as an adult professional.

I have no issue per se with the Clifton's and am not a fan of James Jordan as a person, but facts are that on their day the Jordan's were better dancers than the Clifton's (Kevin and Karen).

Maybe the Cliftons tow the line

I like Jo Clifton and think she is, to my inexperienced eye, a very good dancer and one I enjoy watching.

Kevin, on the other hand, is not in the same league in my opinion. Karen irritates me, she stood in for Natalie on the tour and I found her trying to be funny routine cringe making.

I don't know what it is about Kevin's dancing and choreography but I just don't think it is anywhere near the standard of some others and even though I disliked James at times his dancing and choreography was far superior.

Annoyingly I agree with JJ about Kevin, he is the show favourite for some reason, has always been given a good dancer, although I'm reserving judgement on Louise for now. All the others have taken their turn with a less able duffer celeb. I can understand that he doesn't like Karen after she had a pop at Ola, she's OK and seems to get on well with her partners.

He never criticises Jo though, presumably she has the pedigree he approves of.

I remember Melvin Odoom from the days he was a regular on "Dick and Dom In Da Bungalow" - he was hilarious.
I still have a dvd somewhere from a few years ago - my teenage boys love him too purely from seeing him on that show.

Polkadots and Cavemum. I'm no particular Kevin Clifton fan but he competed at the top level - he won the British championships several times (just looked it up - it was 4 times British latin champion). Much more successful competitively than James. Yes, he did Burn the Floor and other things in the West End and on Broadway too, but he was a v successful champion before that. Joanne even more so - she was world ballroom champion a few years ago. Karen not so much. I think they said in show on Saturday that she was world mambo champion - which is all well and good but she's not as highly trained in ballroom and latin as the Kevin and Jo.

In fact, I read somewhere the other day, that Derek Hough came 2nd to him in the British championships a couple of times. I don't think the Jordans were in the same league competitively.

The whole thing with the Jordans is maybe me like Kevin and co more actually. James Jordan is a nasty piece of work.

Kevin only competed amateur though Jill - it's impressive, but the Jordans were competing as professionals.

Tbf, I think Kevin probably had a bit of bad luck when he stopped dancing with that partner - she's competing as a professional now, but none of his results with partners afterwards were ever as good.

Have a look at dancesportinfo to see comp results - it's really interesting.

They are a good dance family - his dad's judged me, and I like that he's done ballroom and Latin 'properly' but Kevin is not a professional dancer of the calibre that some of the others have been. I'd say the same about AJ and Chloe tbh - as an amateur you're not allowed to teach. They're actively competing as amateurs, so should only have minimal teaching experience.

Polkadots can you explain the difference between amateur/ professionals for those of us unfamiliar with the ballroom world. Are the separate competitions? Thanks in advance.

Ah I see. But it's certainly the case that Kevin just someone who did Burn the Floor and never was properly trained.

Joanne was professional wasn't she? I think she trained in Italy for years - and has known Giovanni since he was a young teenager at the same top dance school in Italy (and so presumably recommended him for the show).

So as an amateur you can't make money from dancing - no teaching, no demos, in the past there was no prize money. Pros can do demos and run courses and most will take qualifications and teach.

The biggest difference is that at amateur level dancing is definitely a sport. At professional level there's more 'art' I suppose - all the technique is there so musicality, artistry etc become more important.

They have different governing boards and sets of competitions, although for some things (eg if it were to be in the Olympics or something) people from each category could compete against each other.

Polkadots - who of the current crop do you rate? I guess on paper, Joanne and the new couple Neil and Katya Jones are technically the best or at least the most successful, as world champions, but I guess it's like most things, there are different styles and everyone has different tastes. Eg although I've been defending Kevin against the Cliftons and I think he's a great dancer, his style is a bit too over the top for my taste (well maybe not with every partner, but that's what I thought about him and Kellie last series).

I didn't he wasn't properly trained - I just said he never competed as a professional (but I suppose people don't necessarily know that there's a difference between amateur and professional). Yes, Joanne competed and was world champion as a professional.

Neil and Katya are great (but I'm biased - they were great fun at a workshop I did with them!). I admit I don't know what their ballroom is like though. AJ and Chloe are very good, but they're amateurs and very young, so I don't know what their teaching will be like.

I really like Natalie - I think she balances ballroom and Latin well.