Favourite SCD performances from previous series

Wasn't sure where to put this, but no doubt Adm!n will 'move me along' if I'm in the wrong place.

To kill some time until Friday, I've been looking back at clips of performances from previous series and picking out some of my favourites.

Here are my top 3 Cha Cha Cha competitive performances:

Alesha & Matthew SCD5

Lisa & Brendan SCD6

Ricky & Natalie SCD7

Any advance on that, or suggestions for the other dances?

What a great thread Kate.

Kelly and Brenda's Rumba http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2PNJRshJbU and of course that fantastic Jive from Jill and Darren

Another Jive - from Kelly and Brendan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXHRFHyvjGU&feature=channel

The best Salsa for me was Mark and Karen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXb7X-4-NCA&feature=more_related

Hi ChrissyAnne

Jill & Darren's Jive really stands out for me. Last year was disappointing for Jive performances, I felt, so I'm hoping for some good ones this year. Mark & Karen's Salsa is still the best of the Strictly Salsas for me too.

I loved Cherie & James' rumba. Really elegant, and shows what the more mature competitor can do. Something for A.nn & A.nton to aim for!

Just had to watch the legendary John Sergeant again. Fab-u-lous!

I enjoyed watching Louisa and Vincent. Especially their tango to 'Sweet Dreams' and their cha cha to 'Rescue me'

1. Louisa & Vincent's Jive

2. Rachel & Vincent's Tangos

3. Mark & Karen's Salsa

Tom/Camilla... Showdance
Mark/Karen... Salsa
Chris/O.la... Charleston
John/Kristina...Paso Doble

Fab thread

I want to break free & Matt.....any way you want it...loved 'em http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzlARcEOWDU

Karen & Mark - Salsa
Vincent & Rachel - Rumba
James & Cherie - Rumba
Darren & Jill - Jive
Ian & Jodie - Viennese Waltz
Brian & Ali - Waltz & American Smooth
Erin & Austin - Paso Doble
Matthew & Alesha - Cha Cha
Camilla & Tom - Quickstep

Group dance - Jitter Bug

Erin, I want to break free, Housewives choice, Vincent when they danced their comical routine

Series 7 was my first series though I have seen quite a lot of highlights on you tube since.

But I now know for sure which is the past favourite of my daughter, E, not quite 3. A few times when she has been bored and ill I have entertained her with clips on You Tube of dancing. Yesterday when she was in a grump I put some clips on but she kept asking me for "The one that is yellow, like the sun!". I was trying to think of all the yellow dresses I could - I was sure in fact that she must mean Erin & Ricky's American Smooth as that is very yellow & there are a couple of lifts that could be very sun-like. I found a clip of Mark & Karen's salsa, but she was wearing red. E got very excited as soon as she saw the first few bars but I was confused because there was no yellow in sight. She was delighted and thoroughly cheered up but I remained confuddled.

A few more google searches revealed the truth - goodness knows when she has seen it as I didn't remember seeing it ever before but then often her memory astonds me. It turned out the original dance (where they get mixed up in the mic and have to start again) is in yellow. She has watched it a gazillion times since and each time is in heaven.

I can understand why. It's an amazing salsa by strictly standards. I used to go to lots of salsa classes and salsa clubs when I lived in London and before that Glasgow. I didn't see a single salsa in series 7 (including that professional salsa group who guested) that seemed to me to be remotely what salsa was about. Karen & Mark's really does capture what salsa is all about.

That thing, though, let's be honest, is barely veiled soft porn with (a few) clothes on, isn't it?

hello Littlebear, what a lovely message you've posted on this fun thread.

Series 7 Salsa clips for you

Phil Tuffnel & Katya
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZefT0JWG2Q

Chris & put a vest on you strumpet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFOeqGO7kQA

Natalie & Vincent
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qfH8wOVlpc

Ricky Whittle & natalie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V_yxad-r1w

Jade & Ian
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ8SkqPBDrk

Brian & Ali
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLihWitsTmY

Lynda & Darren
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcdeH-VW1qQ

Your cute daughter has good taste Littlebear, Karen & Mark's Salsa, in her fabulous yellow dress, was one of the best Salsa dances on Strictly.

My other personal favourite has to be Matt & I want to break free's, but then I'm biased towards those two as a couple on the dance floor...well as a couple in general

This was in 2007 - series 5 - brilliant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLNxFjLNlxo

Ooooh! Thanks for going to so much trouble to post those salsas!

I agree Matt & I want to break free's salsa is fantastic.

Looking back at those series 7 salsas I think where so many of them went wrong was in performing the sexiness to the audiences/judges instead of a) letting go and b) directing the sex at each other.

Chris & put a vest on you strumpet & Natalie & Vincent both come near to capturing the spirit I think, but unfortunately, in C & O's case, with too little pzzazz about the routine and in Natalie & Vincent's case, with too little dancing ability. Jade & Ian & Ricky & Natalie both dance briliiantly but very little letting go &, particularly in N & R's case, all the sexiness is very self-conscious and directed at the audience. Brian & Ali have a great routine and the connection is real but she's just terrified throughout - and when he places her hands all over him that's exactly what it looks like - him placing her hands on him, rather than her looking like she can't keep them off him. Lynda & Darren make the mistake of dancing a foxtrot

M & K's salsa looks really as if they are in the moment, quite casual, almost like you could expect to see in a (very good) real salsa club - almost like they are just dancing for the sake of dancing rather than competing/performing. And on top of that the routine is amazing and it's brilliantly danced.

oh how I agree Littelbear, with all your sentiments towards the Salsa last year, I posted all the links I could find for last years series, hoping you would post your constructive crits about them, being a one time salsa dancer yourself, thank you for your input

So I think you & I agree that Karen & Mark & I want to break free & Matt produced superb salsas' in their respective series...let's hope that the couples this year can also produce a 'true salsa'

Excellent Salsa choices dancingsunshinequeen, and interesting to read your crit of last year's Salsa performances Littlebear. I felt the last series was a bit of a let down in terms of the Latin generally, so am hoping for better this year in Salsa, Samba and Rumba - three of my favourite dances.

Just been watching some Louisa&Vincent clips, and really enjoyed their Tango. I also spotted their showdance from the European Dance Contest, which somehow I'd missed before.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHcX4i--nqY
This is the kind of showdance I really like - not OTT on the lifts, but a good combination of dance styles.

Hi there Kate I'm like you hun, I adore the Salsa, Samba, Rumba & Cha Cha, love the Paso Doble as well, especially if it's an excellent & dramatic version...not using colour & severe contorted faces to produce the drama of the dance

I'll give credit to quite a few people for their efforts including Mark R, Gethin, Austin and Tom in the men, and Rachel, Alesha and Jill for the ladies. In truth, in the latter stages of all series there were some excellent performances. Colin Jackson and Mat Dawson did really well.