I <3 Joanna & Michael

[elisedance]

so does it get to the point where we watch the dancers for the tricks they will play?  Not sure that is bad, I mean after all it is entertaining, but it might detract a bit from the competition itself....

[samina]

is it tricks or just spontaneous fun... being in the moment... which is where all great dancing occurs anyway?

[QPO]

someone commented to me recently that they thought their performance at a championship in Vienna or something (cant member the location), michael was playing to the audience instead of taking the dance seriously, and that is fine in a showcase but this was during a comp!

a lot of top pros seem to do this... yulia, max, andre, and elena had at a of fun at the manhattan comp -- in the final! -- where they all switched partners, at the end of a rumba IIRC.

I personally dont have a problem with it, it was the comentator that said something during the event....but that could be a personal opinion...I remember watching a tape from the 2004 Blackpool Festival and a couple did a very fancy quickstep with wonderful backward steps but the comentator said it was just too flashy and not necessary but I did not think that it was very artistic.

[elisedance]

is it tricks or just spontaneous fun... being in the moment... which is where all great dancing occurs anyway?

I'm afraid I think some of it is just too slick - and its choreographed - the famous one where he goes between the legs - how would you react if someone did that to you?  You wouldn't just stand there - he had to know....

[samina]

what advantage would another dancer have in participating in that kind of pre-planned choreo, tho? franco when and won that final after he crawled through his competitor's legs with such composure. i didn't get the sense it was choreo'd but... mebbe my sense is off.

[dlgodud]

Samba Practice Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBUGkfXqaps

Chacha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odLB1MAYTSg&feature=related

[QPO]

is it tricks or just spontaneous fun... being in the moment... which is where all great dancing occurs anyway?

I'm afraid I think some of it is just too slick - and its choreographed - the famous one where he goes between the legs - how would you react if someone did that to you?  You wouldn't just stand there - he had to know....

I have seen that as well and dont know if it was stge or not, but the other person was very compliant and I wonder what benefits it iwas to him to do so? It was great for the audience

[dlgodud]

someone commented to me recently that they thought their performance at a championship in Vienna or something (cant member the location), michael was playing to the audience instead of taking the dance seriously, and that is fine in a showcase but this was during a comp!

a lot of top pros seem to do this... yulia, max, andre, and elena had at a of fun at the manhattan comp -- in the final! -- where they all switched partners, at the end of a rumba IIRC.

I personally dont have a problem with it, it was the comentator that said something during the event....but that could be a personal opinion...I remember watching a tape from the 2004 Blackpool Festival and a couple did a very fancy quickstep with wonderful backward steps but the comentator said it was just too flashy and not necessary but I did not think that it was very artistic.

Commentators sometimes do that. I've watched a few very bad comments about top pros. Some of them simply don't like some couples. That was my impression. I will upload some videos if I found them.

[elisedance]

You're quite the video queen DGDD - keep 'em comin!

[QPO]

I dont look at that many it effect my download

[dlgodud]

You're quite the video queen DGDD - keep 'em comin!

hehe..... that might be true. i love watching things including tv......