Serendipity, I thought your point was that the music was woeful. If your point was that the dance could be more popular if it changed, then you forgot to make it.

What you now propose sounds dire. Sequences of steps that could be reproduced on Dancing with the Stars would be the absolute antithesis of AT. Just look at American Style (and to a lesser extent, International) Tango and weep.

BTW the second programme in the most recent series of DWS is being shown on UK TV today. I saw the first show two weeks ago (I think that this is the first time we have been able to see DWS on a regular channel). I couldn't believe the difference in standard between the professional dancers, compared with their Strictly Come Dancing UK equivalents. There were two couples where I just couldn't tell who was the first-week-nerves B-list celeb, and supposed pro. Would anyone with experience of the American dance scene care to comment on whether this standard of dancing is typical in US?

I have bought Classical music . One of my favourites is Rachmaninov's Concerto NO. 2. My choice of music is wide and varied. But I can't ever see myself rushing out to buy a disk of Argentine Tango's. How many have you guys got. There is nothing wrong with the steps that can be performed. I find most of them very clever and requires a lot of skill. But much of the music does not inspire me at all.

Clive-- having taught in the states for many yrs,let me assure you, that the top flite pro,s seldom get involved in the " theatrics " , that is so pervasive in ALL t.v.programs, no matter the country of origin ( can you ever imagine marcus doing this !! )

programs that portray " their " version of what the public will be allowed to see , is unforunately dictated by public taste .

having said that-- i cannot ever imagine, for e.g.-- why an authentic T / Arg or Q .Step for openers, would not find a captivated audience .

Much has to do with music availability . I doubt there is one band, who has the correct musical scores ( and or instruments ) to cater to all the different genres being performed .
When producers with little or no dance background are involved -- well-- youve seen the results!!

At last a disk of Argentine Tango's I can listen to and enjoy. The disk is Gotan Project Lunatico. Track 3 is a beauty once it gets going. For my money all the tracks are super. With music like this it sells itself. Maybe its the distinct beat that appeals to me over the traditional stuff.

In my opinion I believe that it doesn't matter who asks whom to dance.I don't have any rules for that. If someone wants to dance then the only thing he or she have to do is just dance. Personaly tango is my favourite dance. Yesterday I went to a tango milonga and asked some girls to dance and I had a lot of fun. I 'd like to add here that dancing is something vital to me!! I love to dance and when I am somewhere that plays tango or latin music I don't have any second thoughts. I just go to a girl or a woman and ask her to dance with me.
Nikolas from peiraus/athens/greece

Regarding DWS-U.S., I found there to be a noticeable difference in the quality of dancing when the Latin pros had to do ballroom or ballroom pros had to do latin. I always felt for the couples who had to dance to a pop tune rather than more traditional, authentic music. Some of the song choices were AWFUL!

Some of the song choices ??-- hows about ALL of them !!

This happens on both sides of the pond.

One need to keep in context, what this " show " , is all about-- ratings !!-- the average Joe Public, wouldnt know a Tango from a Mazurka . its all about entertainment .

The music is bad, the choreography is bad ( in many cases ) the band, and singers (?) are bad, and 2 judges who couldnt teach a whisk from a quarter turn .-- Point-- it doesnt matter -- it gets ratings .

I gave up watching after one episode ( I just hate slow deaths !! )

I agree with Terence2. I started ballroom dancing about a year ago, partly as a result of watching shows like DWTS, but I am now finding it harder and harder to watch as most dances are a joke and the music is terrible. I have enjoyed watching some the pro performances on the result shows but that's about it.

The only ballroom show I have enjoyed on TV lately was America's Ballroom Challenge broadcast on PBS in February. However, most people I know who enjoy DTWS (and are not ballroom dancers) did not like that show because they found the dancing boring!!!

I have to say that Tango is my least favorite of the Smooth dances as I think it has no soul compared to Argentine Tango. I have never done Standard but I don't know that Standard Tango would be much better... And don't even get me started on Merengue which I see being taught as a ballroom dance in my school and performed at competitions. What a joke!

Tango has no soul! WHAT? (You've touched a nerve with me there!) Granted, you won't find it on DWTS. William Pino and Alessandra Bucciarelli did one of my favorite showcase dances EVER (a tango).

Please don't misread me... I said "compared to Argentine Tango", ballroom tango doesn't do it for me. It's just personal preference. I have also seen some amazing tango showcase routines but competitive ballroom tango just feels empty (too technical, not passionate?) to me.

Some people might feel the same way about ballroom samba compared to Brazilian samba. I happen to like ballroom samba but can see how some might find the highly codified ballroom version unappealing.