The stylistic mixing of Smooth & Standard -- current trend

FWIW, if David Hamilton feels comfortable calling Slawek "one of the best American Smooth boys that has ever danced this style," I'd trust his opinion.

Maybe it could be called "The New Smooth" style. Clearly, there are those who like it, and it's thriving.

IME...no. But I've put a sharp enough point on what I had to say, myself. Am still curious to hear more from teaching & judging pros.

I don't think I could choose between steak and lobster. Too much yummy both ways.

Good analogy, I think it applies.

I'd say there is just as much a "New Standard" as a "New Smooth," although the timelines may be different. The Standard of today certainly doesn't look like it did in the past. Dance styles change, evolve, trend, etc.

Yes, tis true indeed, that.

Re DJs versus tails, there are certainly men who dance Standard in DJs in the UK and Europe, but in competition I would say that the majority still wear tails. I don't have strong feelings on the matter tbh. I would however, much, much rather see a man in a well-fitting, well tailored DJ than badly fitting tails that they've got on the cheap. Sadly there are too many of the latter around.

I've very little knowledge of Smooth so I can't really comment on the "Standardisation" of Smooth, other than to say I think that it would be a shame. One of the great things about dancing for me is that we have so many distinctive styles - I would hate to see them merge into an amorphous mass. Evolution is different and I'd see that as a good thing, but I really don't have enough knowledge to know if that's what's going on here.

I like this a lot too! I was in no way trying to say that I don't like Slawek and Marzena or that I don't find them to be extremely talented. Simply commenting that I find there are others who draw me in emotionally as a spectator.

working on getting the wife to let me dance with marzena LOL

and you wont meet an nicer couple !!!

that is the beauty of the american styles right now everyone is "new" and different no two couples in the top seven either style are alike its a feast to the eyes enjoy!!!

was hitting the wall during HIIT for arms this morning . kept reciting this to my self !!! thanks Larinda!!!

That would explain the difficulty of my Open Rights in Viennese ...

just has a"surf and turf" roll at a innovative asian restaurant spicy lobster roll with slice of medium well filet on top and dipping sauces No choosing here ill take BOTH!! LOL

lol both are avoidable however, well at least theoretically up to a point LOL

I don't know if a spectator's emotional reaction is necessarily a good criteria for labeling something "Smooth" or not. I feel more of an emotional reaction too, and feel more of a connection between, some Standard couples - even beyond some Smooth couples... does that make their dancing more "Smooth"? I don't think so; it just variation in the expression of the dance.

I think Travis and Jaimee Tuft have a good balance of closed and open in their smooth and tend to stick close to the "smooth" style.