Which ballroom dances allow lifts

So while Inaba does love to see a good lift, she will not be swayed in letting lifts slide. Which brings us back to the dances when there are major lifts, like Mai and Armstrong's over the top literally lift that wasn't penalized at all. After watching the pair's dance, fans had a lot of questions. One tweeted , "I'm confused Though it might seem like the two couples were treated differently — especially when one team's lift was much more egregious than the other's — Inaba's Facebook post clears things up pretty simply.

It turns out, it's all about the style of dance. In those styles, lifts are allowed. But the addition of the new dance styles did not open up the opportunity for lifts in the original dance styles featured on the show. According to Carrie Ann , the show put the rule in place out of respect for proper ballroom dance competitions.

That's what fans wanted to know on Twitter after seeing The Real star go flying in the air on Monday night. The answer: You're allowed to do lifts for the Salsa, which is what Jeannie and Brandon performed, but not the Foxtrot, which was the dance style assigned to Vernon and Peta in week one. Of course, Carrie Ann is being a stickler for the rules for a good reason: As she explained, the rule was enacted to keep an emphasis on technique, rather than flashy showmanship.

It levels the playing field for those who have physical challenges that make lifts impossible," Carrie Ann wrote. Product Reviews. The Foxtrot does not allow for lifts, which made Peta lifting off the ground illegal, and therefore worthy of losing a point.

On the other hand, Jeannie and Brandon performed a Salsa dance. Lifts are permitted in the Salsa, so Inaba had no reason to dock a point from Jeannie's score. There are a few other dance styles that allow for lifts, including Jazz, Contemporary, and the Argentine Tango.

Inaba obviously has extensive knowledge of ballroom dancing, and she's versatile. She's also going to appear on The Talk season 11, and is promoting that show on her Instagram. Past seasons of Dancing With the Stars have featured even more extreme moves. They make for jaw-dropping feats. Per Inaba's post, the no-lift rule makes for a fairer competition. The show features competitors from a number of ages—this year's youngest competitor, Skai Jackson, is 18, and the oldest, Carole Baskin , is By monitoring lifts, Dancing With the Stars judges can reward participants who cannot perform those gravity-defying stunts.

If lifts were allowed in every dance, people would start doing lifts to make their dances visually exciting, because truth be told, a good lift is always great to watch," Inaba explained in her Facebook post. Even though lifts are officially banned, Inaba is the only judge who is a true stickler for enforcing this rule. She stands by that well-earned nickname—even if her eagle eyes makes audiences or competitors angry.

As much as she wears the badge of "Lift Police" with pride, Inaba does acknowledge the moves' inherent appeal. Sometimes, pairs may decide an illegal lift is worth performing, since it may win over the audience—who, with their voting power, also have a say in deciding which pairs move forward in the competition.