The Italian style is an attempt at making the best of things for people who didn't learn the critical early habits necessary to support the true English style. If you neglect to really use your feet, but try to move as much as an English champion using legs alone, what you end up doing is developoing towards what people think of as Italian style. Those big leg swings look powerful, sure, but they lack the artistry and precision of the coordinated foot and leg action of the English masters. And they force the bodies further apart - leading either to seperation, or distored posture as the partners attempt to maintain contact even while seperated. It's not just the Italians - note that this is also by and large the way most Americans dance.