So this week we had the dance fusion - what was the point? Some contestants used 2 dances that they had already done (Lisa and Kimberley), most used 1 they'd done and one they hadn't (Dani, Louis and Denise) and if I've got this right, one had to learn 2 dances effectively (Nicky).
Was Tess dressed best?: I actually quite liked this week's effort. Colour let it down though and I've preferred some of her other outfits. 7.5/10
Denise & James - Quickstep/Jive - "Reet Petite"
She started off well, but I noticed the mistake straight away. Do Wardrobe really have no idea how long dresses should be? There's been too many malfunctions this series and sadly for Denise she was the victim of one. I thought I spotted a couple of other mistakes too near the end. I did like the choreography though so well done James, I actually enjoyed one of your dances. Bad time to have an off week.
Judges' scores: 8, 9, 9, 9
My score: 8
Lisa & Robin - Tango/Cha Cha Cha - "Voulez-Vous"
I have been a champion of Lisa before but after tonight, no way. I actually agreed with Darcey, the Tango section was much better than the CCC section. Robin has had to dance down to Lisa's level but the CCC portion of the routine just looked really laboured and limp. So many mistakes, she has to go soon.
Judges' scores: 7, 8, 7, 8
My score: 6
Nicky & Karen - American Smooth/Samba - "Troublemaker"
I may be slightly controversial here, but I was surprised and impressed by this. Lazy choreography from Karen, it must be said, but I thought that Nicky danced it really well and those comments from Craig were ridiculous and uncalled for. He doesn't seem to like the male celebrities does he?
Judges' scores: 5, 7, 8, 7
My score: 6.5 (close to a 7, but Denise was much better so had to round down to a 6.5)
Dani & Vincent - Quickstep/Charleston - "Happy Feet"
WOW! I know I like Dani but this was brilliant. Vincent's choreography was fantastic (especially the Charleston elements)and Dani's technique has improved enormously since week 1. I can't give it a 10 as I think I spotted a mistake, but she was top of my leaderboard this week, and I can't help but think that a certain Girls Aloud member isn't getting as many votes as hoped....
Judges' scores: 9, 10, 9, 10
My score: 9
Louis & Flavia - Tango/Rumba - "With Or Without You"
Now I know I've been hard on Louis before (get your minds out of the gutter please folks!) but I think I've worked out why I'm just not enjoying this partnership - Flavia's choreography. The softness he has in his arm and hip movements should be perfect for the Rumba and yet it just didn't work (I felt as though Louis was just posing really). The Rumba section was better than the Tango section though, the Tango part was just too frantic and didn't flow with the song.
Judges' scores: 9, 9, 9, 10
My score: 8
Kimberley & Pasha - Tango/CCC - "It's Raining Men"
WHAT ON EARTH WERE THE JUDGES WATCHING? Kimberley's free arm was just hanging there all the way through, she messed up the footwork a few times and yet apparently it was the best dance of the series?!? Denise's week 2 Jive was a lot better than that (and it pains me to say it as I really don't like D&J). Maybe the 4 couple final is to make sure that Kimberley gets there....
Judges' scores: 10, 10, 10, 10
My score: 7
My Leaderboard:
1. Dani & Vincent - 36
=2. Denise & James - 32
=2. Louis & Flavia - 32
4. Kimberley & Pasha - 28
5. Nicky & Karen - 26
6. Lisa & Robin - 24
Saturday 8 December 2012
Sunday 2 December 2012
SCD Week 9 Review
Just to make sure that it's posted :)
So we waved a sad farewell to Michael and Natalie. I'm sure Michael will be fondly remembered for the worst (and yet most hilarious) Jive in Strictly history. I have to applaud him though, he tried his hardest each and every week and I now fully appreciate Natalie because of their partnership. Kudos to Ms Lowe.
Was Tess best dressed?: Hmm, not as good as last week. The split in her dress was too high and the bling was not necessary. 7/10
Kimberley & Pasha - Jive - "Land of 1000 Dances"
Definitely overmarked this week. She was doing alright but she did tire quite badly towards the end and really can't do spins. Suffice to say I think the song was a bit too quick and Pasha might have put too much content in for Kimberley to handle. She needs to come back, refine the technique and dial back the performance a bit.
Judges' scores: 9, 8, 8, 9
My score: 7.5
Dani & Vincent - Viennese Waltz - "That's Amore"
What is it with the judges and undermarking Dani? This was so much better than Kimberley's effort, I'm starting to wonder if she's doing better in the vote than we all thought. She still struggles to fully extend in the arms and feet but I feel she did all the extensions quite well. Vincent has excelled himself again with the choreography.
Judges' scores: 8, 8, 9, 9
My score: 8.5
Michael & Natalie - Samba - "Tequila"
Oh Michael, thank you for carrying on from Victoria in terms of car-crash Latin. It wasn't actually too bad though. Natalie had taken tips from Ola in trying to do 90% of the work, and Michael didn't look awful apart from the hip thrusting (it never looks right when male celebs do that though). It's a shame that he's gone as he got into the spirit of Strictly and then some.
Judges' scores: 5, 7, 6, 6
My score: 5.5
Nicky & Karen - Argentine Tango - "Skyfall"
I actually thought this was quite good for the most part. At least he was actually doing some dancing and not just posing/lifts (see Colin and Kristina). In my opinion, he wasn't being that aggressive at all, so not sure what the judges were seeing there. He needs to refine the technical side, especially for the Ballroom dances, but he should be ok for any Latins that he has left.
Judges' scores: 7, 8, 7, 8
My score: 7.5
Lisa & Robin - Quickstep - "Bring Me Sunshine"
This was what I'd say "wasn't Lisa's dance". She doesn't seem to be able to master travelling in hold, and seeing as that's what the Quickstep mostly is, this wasn't technically very good. Her footwork was terrible - hardly mirroring Robin at all and she struggled to pick up her feet. She did however give a good performance again, and the roll-over onto the sofa made me smile. Robin needs to try and choreograph so that she's able to keep up with him and then it will look a lot better.
Judges' scores: 7, 8, 8, 8
My score: 6
Denise & James - Salsa - "Rhythm of the Night"
I might not like this pairing, but for about the first third of the dance I thought Denise was doing really well. Like Kimberley, there seemed to be too much content for her to cope with. The meltdown from James (supposedly him) just topped it off. This was better than her Cha Cha Cha and I reckon James might just decide to skip the Rumba, seeing as Denise can't seem to master hip action. Denise needs to watch Kimberley for if she has the Samba.
Judges' scores: 8, 8, 8, 8
My score: 7.5
Louis & Flavia - Charleston - "Dr Wanna Do"
Call me cynical but as soon as I realised that Louis was towards the end of the show I knew he'd get his "breakthrough". I actually quite liked this dance and he did finally give a performance (so kudos to him for that), but for me, some of the technique seemed a little messy and I can't understand the 10s. To improve, he needs to keep it up with the performance at all times, but not at the expense of the technique. He'd do well to have a look at some of Harry's dances.
Judges' scores: 8, 10, 9, 10
My score: 8.5
My Leaderboard:
=1. Dani & Vincent - 34
=1. Louis & Flavia - 34
=3. Kimberley & Pasha - 30
=3. Nicky & Karen - 30
=3. Denise & James - 30
6. Lisa & Robin - 24
7. Michael & Natalie - 22
So we waved a sad farewell to Michael and Natalie. I'm sure Michael will be fondly remembered for the worst (and yet most hilarious) Jive in Strictly history. I have to applaud him though, he tried his hardest each and every week and I now fully appreciate Natalie because of their partnership. Kudos to Ms Lowe.
Was Tess best dressed?: Hmm, not as good as last week. The split in her dress was too high and the bling was not necessary. 7/10
Kimberley & Pasha - Jive - "Land of 1000 Dances"
Definitely overmarked this week. She was doing alright but she did tire quite badly towards the end and really can't do spins. Suffice to say I think the song was a bit too quick and Pasha might have put too much content in for Kimberley to handle. She needs to come back, refine the technique and dial back the performance a bit.
Judges' scores: 9, 8, 8, 9
My score: 7.5
Dani & Vincent - Viennese Waltz - "That's Amore"
What is it with the judges and undermarking Dani? This was so much better than Kimberley's effort, I'm starting to wonder if she's doing better in the vote than we all thought. She still struggles to fully extend in the arms and feet but I feel she did all the extensions quite well. Vincent has excelled himself again with the choreography.
Judges' scores: 8, 8, 9, 9
My score: 8.5
Michael & Natalie - Samba - "Tequila"
Oh Michael, thank you for carrying on from Victoria in terms of car-crash Latin. It wasn't actually too bad though. Natalie had taken tips from Ola in trying to do 90% of the work, and Michael didn't look awful apart from the hip thrusting (it never looks right when male celebs do that though). It's a shame that he's gone as he got into the spirit of Strictly and then some.
Judges' scores: 5, 7, 6, 6
My score: 5.5
Nicky & Karen - Argentine Tango - "Skyfall"
I actually thought this was quite good for the most part. At least he was actually doing some dancing and not just posing/lifts (see Colin and Kristina). In my opinion, he wasn't being that aggressive at all, so not sure what the judges were seeing there. He needs to refine the technical side, especially for the Ballroom dances, but he should be ok for any Latins that he has left.
Judges' scores: 7, 8, 7, 8
My score: 7.5
Lisa & Robin - Quickstep - "Bring Me Sunshine"
This was what I'd say "wasn't Lisa's dance". She doesn't seem to be able to master travelling in hold, and seeing as that's what the Quickstep mostly is, this wasn't technically very good. Her footwork was terrible - hardly mirroring Robin at all and she struggled to pick up her feet. She did however give a good performance again, and the roll-over onto the sofa made me smile. Robin needs to try and choreograph so that she's able to keep up with him and then it will look a lot better.
Judges' scores: 7, 8, 8, 8
My score: 6
Denise & James - Salsa - "Rhythm of the Night"
I might not like this pairing, but for about the first third of the dance I thought Denise was doing really well. Like Kimberley, there seemed to be too much content for her to cope with. The meltdown from James (supposedly him) just topped it off. This was better than her Cha Cha Cha and I reckon James might just decide to skip the Rumba, seeing as Denise can't seem to master hip action. Denise needs to watch Kimberley for if she has the Samba.
Judges' scores: 8, 8, 8, 8
My score: 7.5
Louis & Flavia - Charleston - "Dr Wanna Do"
Call me cynical but as soon as I realised that Louis was towards the end of the show I knew he'd get his "breakthrough". I actually quite liked this dance and he did finally give a performance (so kudos to him for that), but for me, some of the technique seemed a little messy and I can't understand the 10s. To improve, he needs to keep it up with the performance at all times, but not at the expense of the technique. He'd do well to have a look at some of Harry's dances.
Judges' scores: 8, 10, 9, 10
My score: 8.5
My Leaderboard:
=1. Dani & Vincent - 34
=1. Louis & Flavia - 34
=3. Kimberley & Pasha - 30
=3. Nicky & Karen - 30
=3. Denise & James - 30
6. Lisa & Robin - 24
7. Michael & Natalie - 22
Wednesday 28 November 2012
SCD Week 8 Review
Apologies for not doing reviews for the past few weeks, have been ill and have had internet issues.
So this week saw the demise of Pendledrama, and the obvious relief of Brendan Cole (whether it's relief to be definitely unavailable for when his wife gives birth, or relief to just finally get away from the Pendledrama, I'll leave up to you to decide).
Was Tess best dressed? Well she did pretty well in my opinion. Probably her best dress this series in all honesty. 9/10
Dani & Vincent - Samba - "Single Ladies"
What is it with this show and Beyonce songs, that's 2 already this series. I was really wanting her to do well with this, but, I don't know, something was missing for me. Proper samba choreography, that's what. This was basically a rehash of the dance from the video - which to be fair to Dani, she executed quite well. Just lacked a bit of bounce action, and was she meant to do a floor spin at the end?
Judges' scores: 9, 9, 9, 9
My score: 7.5
Kimberley & Pasha - Tango - "When Doves Cry"
I've said before that I'm not crazy about Kimberley's Ballroom, and I was underwhelmed here as well. Her hold is still way too loose and she went overboard on the facial expression, although her footwork is really good. Sorry Pasha but I did get bored during the routine, that might have been the song choice though. Hope she comes back strongly next week as to be honest, I'm disappointed.
Judges' scores: 8, 9, 8, 9
My score: 7.5
Victoria & Brendan - Salsa - "Candy"
Where do I begin? She messed up at the beginning and just went downhill from there. The armography section was good, but other than that it was a dis-ahhh-stahh. Brendan just couldn't be bothered this week could he? Hehe. Loved when Bruno called him "Brenda" - heard that and thought of Monkseal. It was her time to go, so at least it was on one of her better Latins.
Judges' scores: 4, 6, 6, 5
My score: 4
Louis & Flavia - Paso Doble - "Dirty Diana"
I love this song but even I know that it doesn't work for a Paso. Louis did alright with the capework at the beginning but the dance just completely lacked any attack. I hate to say it but I do blame Flavia's choreography a bit on that one, it didn't really enable Louis to try and deliver on the performance side. I'm glad he has the Charleston this week - if he can't perform in that then he won't be able to at all and will probably leave before the final. His technique is undoubtedly good, but I'm always looking to be excited after the performance, and Team Flouia hasn't given me that so far.
Judges' scores: 6, 7, 7, 7
My score: 6
Lisa & Robin - Rumba - "As If We Never Said Goodbye"
I actually thought she did well with this. I wasn't keen on the song (it was a bit too frantic for me), but she gave the dance a good go and she proved that she could do serious. She at least tried to do the hip action and some of her shaping was good. Unfortunately her frame worked against her on this dance, "it just wasn't her dahhhnce". This week's Quickstep should set her back on the right path.
Judges' scores: 7, 6, 7, 7
My score: 5.5
Michael & Natalie - Argentine Tango - "Bust Your Windows"
I do love this song and I was really looking forward to the dance, to see how Michael has improved as well. He went back to "hanging basket" with his backside and it was all a bit too "English gent" for me. His Samba this week should be entertaining, if mainly for all the wrong reasons!
Judges' scores: 6, 7, 7, 6
My score: 5
Nicky & Karen - Charleston - "Doop"
I thought this might be Nicky's dance and I was glad to see he did well. I think this was more a case of performance over technique though, more Chris & Ola than Kara & Artem. Surely it should be his time to go soon? Karen can't seem to choreograph much and I reckon she'll be Holt!-ed at the end of the series.
Judges' scores: 9, 9, 9, 9
My score: 7
Denise & James - American Smooth - "Imagine"
Was it just me, or was this as boring as watching a Parliamentary debate? Team Vanjam just rehashed their previous Ballroom routines and added some lifts to it. I HATE those spins! They don't look elegant and she just looks down at the floor whenever she does them. It was a good dance technically but they are yet to wow me performance-wise.
Judges' scores: 9, 9, 9, 10
My score: 8.5
Bruno just gave that a 10 to put Denise at the top of the leaderboard didn't he? Hope the marking is more realistic this coming weekend - will we have a new leaderboard-topper for the first time since.... erm.... week 3 or 4 maybe? I can't remember when Denise wasn't top of the leaderboard.
So this week saw the demise of Pendledrama, and the obvious relief of Brendan Cole (whether it's relief to be definitely unavailable for when his wife gives birth, or relief to just finally get away from the Pendledrama, I'll leave up to you to decide).
Was Tess best dressed? Well she did pretty well in my opinion. Probably her best dress this series in all honesty. 9/10
Dani & Vincent - Samba - "Single Ladies"
What is it with this show and Beyonce songs, that's 2 already this series. I was really wanting her to do well with this, but, I don't know, something was missing for me. Proper samba choreography, that's what. This was basically a rehash of the dance from the video - which to be fair to Dani, she executed quite well. Just lacked a bit of bounce action, and was she meant to do a floor spin at the end?
Judges' scores: 9, 9, 9, 9
My score: 7.5
Kimberley & Pasha - Tango - "When Doves Cry"
I've said before that I'm not crazy about Kimberley's Ballroom, and I was underwhelmed here as well. Her hold is still way too loose and she went overboard on the facial expression, although her footwork is really good. Sorry Pasha but I did get bored during the routine, that might have been the song choice though. Hope she comes back strongly next week as to be honest, I'm disappointed.
Judges' scores: 8, 9, 8, 9
My score: 7.5
Victoria & Brendan - Salsa - "Candy"
Where do I begin? She messed up at the beginning and just went downhill from there. The armography section was good, but other than that it was a dis-ahhh-stahh. Brendan just couldn't be bothered this week could he? Hehe. Loved when Bruno called him "Brenda" - heard that and thought of Monkseal. It was her time to go, so at least it was on one of her better Latins.
Judges' scores: 4, 6, 6, 5
My score: 4
Louis & Flavia - Paso Doble - "Dirty Diana"
I love this song but even I know that it doesn't work for a Paso. Louis did alright with the capework at the beginning but the dance just completely lacked any attack. I hate to say it but I do blame Flavia's choreography a bit on that one, it didn't really enable Louis to try and deliver on the performance side. I'm glad he has the Charleston this week - if he can't perform in that then he won't be able to at all and will probably leave before the final. His technique is undoubtedly good, but I'm always looking to be excited after the performance, and Team Flouia hasn't given me that so far.
Judges' scores: 6, 7, 7, 7
My score: 6
Lisa & Robin - Rumba - "As If We Never Said Goodbye"
I actually thought she did well with this. I wasn't keen on the song (it was a bit too frantic for me), but she gave the dance a good go and she proved that she could do serious. She at least tried to do the hip action and some of her shaping was good. Unfortunately her frame worked against her on this dance, "it just wasn't her dahhhnce". This week's Quickstep should set her back on the right path.
Judges' scores: 7, 6, 7, 7
My score: 5.5
Michael & Natalie - Argentine Tango - "Bust Your Windows"
I do love this song and I was really looking forward to the dance, to see how Michael has improved as well. He went back to "hanging basket" with his backside and it was all a bit too "English gent" for me. His Samba this week should be entertaining, if mainly for all the wrong reasons!
Judges' scores: 6, 7, 7, 6
My score: 5
Nicky & Karen - Charleston - "Doop"
I thought this might be Nicky's dance and I was glad to see he did well. I think this was more a case of performance over technique though, more Chris & Ola than Kara & Artem. Surely it should be his time to go soon? Karen can't seem to choreograph much and I reckon she'll be Holt!-ed at the end of the series.
Judges' scores: 9, 9, 9, 9
My score: 7
Denise & James - American Smooth - "Imagine"
Was it just me, or was this as boring as watching a Parliamentary debate? Team Vanjam just rehashed their previous Ballroom routines and added some lifts to it. I HATE those spins! They don't look elegant and she just looks down at the floor whenever she does them. It was a good dance technically but they are yet to wow me performance-wise.
Judges' scores: 9, 9, 9, 10
My score: 8.5
Bruno just gave that a 10 to put Denise at the top of the leaderboard didn't he? Hope the marking is more realistic this coming weekend - will we have a new leaderboard-topper for the first time since.... erm.... week 3 or 4 maybe? I can't remember when Denise wasn't top of the leaderboard.
Monday 5 November 2012
SCD Week 5 Review
So Bond and his Pussy Galore have crashed out of the competition. Oh well. At least Kristina and her ever-decreasing outfits have gone. Colin sadly just wasn't camp enough for her choreography. As of this week, I will be introducing ".5"'s to my scores to differentiate better between the dancers.
Was Tess best dressed?: In a word, no. 4/10
Kimberley & Pasha - Salsa - "Naughty Girl"
To start, the song wasn't suitable for a Salsa. The "flying" - just no point. As for the actual dance, Kimberley's footwork was pretty good, but her arms were awful. She also stumbled out of the first lift, and the armography section at the beginning went really wrong. Not sure what the judges saw in this.
Judges' scores: 8, 8, 8, 9
My score: 6.5
Lisa & Robin - Tango - "Let's Stick Together"
Unlike most people, I felt that the song did kind of go with the dance. Lisa's footwork looked excellent for the most part, and the hold seemed alright to me. She just didn't do the sharp head turns for some reason, and her leg extensions and wrap-around were terrible.
Judges' scores: 7, 7, 6, 7
My score: 6.5
Richard & Erin - Foxtrot - "Big Spender"
And it was all going so well....or not. He went wrong at the very beginning, but he got back into it and was looking good (frame seemed good, as did the footwork). Then, with about 30 seconds to go, he seemed to go wrong on a turn and that just put him off (I'm pretty sure they improvised some of it too).
Judges' scores: 3, 5, 5, 4
My score: 4
Denise & James - Viennese Waltz - "At Last"
I hate to say it (as I really don't like this pairing), but the girl did good. I only saw one "mistake" and it was to do with her arm placement when they were out of hold. Very good work guys, but can Denise and Ian (who's stepping in for an injured James, why not Anton?) please get a bad Latin dance next week?
Judges' scores: 9, 8, 9, 9
My score: 9
Victoria & Brendan - Samba - "It's Not Unusual"
At least it had some technique in there. Victoria still seems quite unstable in her core and never knows what to do with her free arm. Some of the footwork was messy too. Oh well, Brendan has smashed his Samba curse again, so yay! Btw - LIFT!
Judges' scores: 6, 6, 6, 5
My score: 5
Louis & Flavia - Samba - "La Bomba"
Am I the only person who just didn't "get" this routine? This was a really bad week for Louis. The samba rolls didn't look as though they were done properly, his free arm went a bit limp at times, and every movement of his arms just looked really "soft" again, which is the issue that I had with his Tango.
Judges' scores: 6, 7, 8, 8
My score: 6
Colin & Kristina - Foxtrot - "Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive"
I'm sorry Team Colina but I just didn't like this. Once again, his footwork was good for the most part, but his arms (and hold in general) were poor. With that height difference, the hold was never going to look right. He also messed up his footwork at the very end (loved his kicks though). I'm glad for him that they went out now.
Judges' scores: 6, 7, 7, 7
My score: 5.5
Nicky & Karen - Rumba - "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing"
God Karen, your choreography is awful. And you were doing so well in the last 2 weeks too. What pluses can I take out of that routine? Well, his arms looked quite good in places. That's it. Btw LIFT?
Judges' scores: 4, 7, 7, 7
My score: 4
Fern & Artem - Paso Doble - "Espana Cani"
More skirt-wafting I see *yawns* . How much longer is Artem going to play that one for? Fern's footwork looked good until after she came out of the drag where she went a bit wrong, but she picked it back up. Her arms however, are hideous.
Judges' scores: 6, 6, 6, 6
My score: 5.5
Michael & Natalie - Foxtrot - "Sweetest Feeling"
Not as good as last week. In this dance his hold seemed a bit off, as if he was hunched over a little. There was a fair amount of gapping too. He's definitely a Ballroom boy, but I'm waiting for the car-crash that will be the Salsa next week!
Judges' scores: 7, 8, 8, 8
My score: 7.5
Dani & Vincent - Jive - "Dance With Me Tonight"
Now as you all probably know by now, I love these guys, and I wasn't expecting to. I can see what the judges said about her arm extensions, but in this dance I felt she got away with it, and her kicks and flicks were fantastic!
Judges' scores: 8, 8, 9, 8
My score: 8.5
So my personal leaderboard goes like this:
Denise & James - 36/40
Dani & Vincent - 34/40
Michael & Natalie - 30/40
Kimberley & Pasha - 26/40
Lisa & Robin - 26/40
Louis & Flavia - 24/40
Colin & Kristina - 22/40
Fern & Artem - 22/40
Victoria & Brendan - 20/40
Richard & Erin - 16/40
Nicky & Karen - 16/40
Was Tess best dressed?: In a word, no. 4/10
Kimberley & Pasha - Salsa - "Naughty Girl"
To start, the song wasn't suitable for a Salsa. The "flying" - just no point. As for the actual dance, Kimberley's footwork was pretty good, but her arms were awful. She also stumbled out of the first lift, and the armography section at the beginning went really wrong. Not sure what the judges saw in this.
Judges' scores: 8, 8, 8, 9
My score: 6.5
Lisa & Robin - Tango - "Let's Stick Together"
Unlike most people, I felt that the song did kind of go with the dance. Lisa's footwork looked excellent for the most part, and the hold seemed alright to me. She just didn't do the sharp head turns for some reason, and her leg extensions and wrap-around were terrible.
Judges' scores: 7, 7, 6, 7
My score: 6.5
Richard & Erin - Foxtrot - "Big Spender"
And it was all going so well....or not. He went wrong at the very beginning, but he got back into it and was looking good (frame seemed good, as did the footwork). Then, with about 30 seconds to go, he seemed to go wrong on a turn and that just put him off (I'm pretty sure they improvised some of it too).
Judges' scores: 3, 5, 5, 4
My score: 4
Denise & James - Viennese Waltz - "At Last"
I hate to say it (as I really don't like this pairing), but the girl did good. I only saw one "mistake" and it was to do with her arm placement when they were out of hold. Very good work guys, but can Denise and Ian (who's stepping in for an injured James, why not Anton?) please get a bad Latin dance next week?
Judges' scores: 9, 8, 9, 9
My score: 9
Victoria & Brendan - Samba - "It's Not Unusual"
At least it had some technique in there. Victoria still seems quite unstable in her core and never knows what to do with her free arm. Some of the footwork was messy too. Oh well, Brendan has smashed his Samba curse again, so yay! Btw - LIFT!
Judges' scores: 6, 6, 6, 5
My score: 5
Louis & Flavia - Samba - "La Bomba"
Am I the only person who just didn't "get" this routine? This was a really bad week for Louis. The samba rolls didn't look as though they were done properly, his free arm went a bit limp at times, and every movement of his arms just looked really "soft" again, which is the issue that I had with his Tango.
Judges' scores: 6, 7, 8, 8
My score: 6
Colin & Kristina - Foxtrot - "Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive"
I'm sorry Team Colina but I just didn't like this. Once again, his footwork was good for the most part, but his arms (and hold in general) were poor. With that height difference, the hold was never going to look right. He also messed up his footwork at the very end (loved his kicks though). I'm glad for him that they went out now.
Judges' scores: 6, 7, 7, 7
My score: 5.5
Nicky & Karen - Rumba - "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing"
God Karen, your choreography is awful. And you were doing so well in the last 2 weeks too. What pluses can I take out of that routine? Well, his arms looked quite good in places. That's it. Btw LIFT?
Judges' scores: 4, 7, 7, 7
My score: 4
Fern & Artem - Paso Doble - "Espana Cani"
More skirt-wafting I see *yawns* . How much longer is Artem going to play that one for? Fern's footwork looked good until after she came out of the drag where she went a bit wrong, but she picked it back up. Her arms however, are hideous.
Judges' scores: 6, 6, 6, 6
My score: 5.5
Michael & Natalie - Foxtrot - "Sweetest Feeling"
Not as good as last week. In this dance his hold seemed a bit off, as if he was hunched over a little. There was a fair amount of gapping too. He's definitely a Ballroom boy, but I'm waiting for the car-crash that will be the Salsa next week!
Judges' scores: 7, 8, 8, 8
My score: 7.5
Dani & Vincent - Jive - "Dance With Me Tonight"
Now as you all probably know by now, I love these guys, and I wasn't expecting to. I can see what the judges said about her arm extensions, but in this dance I felt she got away with it, and her kicks and flicks were fantastic!
Judges' scores: 8, 8, 9, 8
My score: 8.5
So my personal leaderboard goes like this:
Denise & James - 36/40
Dani & Vincent - 34/40
Michael & Natalie - 30/40
Kimberley & Pasha - 26/40
Lisa & Robin - 26/40
Louis & Flavia - 24/40
Colin & Kristina - 22/40
Fern & Artem - 22/40
Victoria & Brendan - 20/40
Richard & Erin - 16/40
Nicky & Karen - 16/40
Sunday 28 October 2012
SCD Week 4 Review
So week 4 has been and gone. By the time this blog is up the results show won't have finished - I do know who is in the dance-off and who was eliminated. I won't reveal who it is for the sake of those who don't want to know, so all I will say is, the pro who has gone is quite popular :)
Opening pro (and celeb) dance: I think only one word is needed for this and that is PREDICTABLE.
Was Tess dressed best?: I really liked this outfit, that's 2 weeks in a row! Let's hope this is the sign of things to come from Ms Daly. 8/10
So onto the dances themselves. Because I missed one completely and I struggled to concentrate on others, I've been watching them all again on the BBC site.
Dani & Vincent - Cha Cha Cha - "Scooby Doo Theme"
Surprisingly, the song actually worked as a Cha Cha Cha. Dani's footwork was really good and she kept up well with the pace of the dance, but her arms did let her down a little in places. Vincent - was there a reason that you went for repetitive choreography this week? Nice touch with Anton being the villain at the end and him saying the catchphrase into the camera.
Judges' scores: 6, 6, 8, 7
My score: 7
(Sidenote: does Darcey really not like Dani for some reason? Her 3 most recent dances (this, her Foxtrot and her Salsa) all got a 6 from Darcey, and that was the worst mark that she had for those dances)
Richard & Erin - Paso Doble - "O Fortuna"
There's no denying that there was quite a bit of content in there, and that he went for it, but he didn't quite manage to pull it off. His arm placement disappeared at times, and his cape work (although he managed to get the wrist action right) seemed forced (for me it looked like he was trying to generate the movement from his hips rather than his arm so he hunched over when he was trying to get the action going).
Judges' scores: 5, 5, 7, 5
My score: 5
Lisa & Robin - Charleston - "Witch Doctor"
Now unlike most people, I do think Robin put quite a bit of content in this. Lisa did really well at the beginning but then made a mistake in the middle and although she brought it back pretty well, she did tire towards the end. I'm glad that she'll be heading back to the Ballroom dances as I do think that 3 Latins in 4 weeks is a bit much.
Judges' scores: 6, 6, 7, 7
My score: 6
Sid & Ola - Cha Cha Cha - "Ghostbusters"
Oh dear. 2 bad weeks in a row for Sid & Ola, although I don't think this was as bad as their Tango. Holding a prop for quite a while does not a good dance make. He did at least get his arm placement right most of the time, and some of the footwork was good, but this just wasn't a Cha Cha Cha for me (sorry Iveta).
Judges' scores: 2, 5, 5, 5
My score: 4
Nicky & Karen - Tango - "Weird Science"
Now, I have to applaud Karen here as the choreography was really good and much more like it! Nicky's hold looked strong, although his posture wasn't great (his shoulders seemed a bit too raised, although the outfit might be to blame for that). Footwork looked decent to me too. If he keeps up the improvement then we could be seeing a dancer emerge yet.
Judges' scores: 6, 6, 7, 7
My score: 6
Fern & Artem - American Smooth - "Killer Queen"
I wondered if Artem could actually play it straight with an American Smooth and he's managed it. Fern made a mistake at the beginning with the footwork and that seemed to throw her off a bit. Her footwork for the rest of the dance looked good, but her arm placement was too high at times.
Judges' scores: 4, 5, 6, 6
My score: 5
Denise & James - Cha Cha Cha - "Superfreak"
I don't think Denise seemed too comfortable with this dance. Her free arm was limp at times (although to be fair, so was James'), her spins weren't good and at one point it was as if she'd forgotten the routine and was looking to James for what to do next. This just wasn't her week.
Judges' scores: 7, 7, 7, 7
My score: 6
Michael & Natalie - Quickstep - "That Old Black Magic"
Now this is what I call a transformation! His footwork was spot on (I didn't see any mistakes there and he was able to keep up with Natalie). My only criticisms were that his free arm in those promenades (? I think that's what they're called) at the very end was limp, and that occasionally there was a bit of gapping, but that's all I could fault him on. I gave him a standing ovation when I first saw it.
Judges' scores: 8, 8, 8, 7
My score: 8
Victoria & Brendan - Tango - "White Wedding"
Another transformation here, although not as impressive as Michael's (despite what the judges scored them). There was one point where it looked as though Brendan forced her into place, and she messed up the footwork quite a few times (most noticeably at the very end). You still have to give her credit though.
Judges' scores: 7, 8, 8, 8
My score: 6
Colin & Kristina - Salsa - "Superstition"
Oh Colin. You really did not look into this. Your footwork is usually decent but in this dance it seemed really laboured. He never quite knows what to do with his arms, and the Salsa should contain quite a bit of arm movement. With the lifts, they don't look as effortless as they should (I'm not entirely sure but it looks like he either leans back quite far or leans too far forward, he's never in the right position). This was NOT your dance, Kristina needs to give you more steps.
Judges' scores: 5, 7, 6, 6
My score: 4
Louis & Flavia - Tango - "Disturbia"
Sorry Louis, but there's no way that dance should have scored 35. The footwork was excellent for the most part, but everything in the Tango should be strong, and for me it was all a bit too soft (although he did get the staccato, sort of). And please Flavia, for the love of God (or any other deity), do not do what Artem did with Kara and shoehorn some kind of acrobatics into pretty much every routine, as I will get bored and not want to watch you.
Judges' scores: 8, 9, 9, 9
My score: 6
Kimberley & Pasha - Paso Doble - "Hungry Like The Wolf"
I'm going to have to disagree with the judges again on this one. This just didn't contain enough content for me, it was basically them both just going round in circles with them doing something with their arms, pretty much all the way through. She did do some nice shaping however, but there wasn't much attack in there and this was her worst dance for me.
Judges' scores: 8, 8, 7, 8
My score: 5
So I've disagreed with the judges a lot this week. To be honest, I was a little disappointed with the overall standard. A lot of them need to up their game for next week.
Opening pro (and celeb) dance: I think only one word is needed for this and that is PREDICTABLE.
Was Tess dressed best?: I really liked this outfit, that's 2 weeks in a row! Let's hope this is the sign of things to come from Ms Daly. 8/10
So onto the dances themselves. Because I missed one completely and I struggled to concentrate on others, I've been watching them all again on the BBC site.
Dani & Vincent - Cha Cha Cha - "Scooby Doo Theme"
Surprisingly, the song actually worked as a Cha Cha Cha. Dani's footwork was really good and she kept up well with the pace of the dance, but her arms did let her down a little in places. Vincent - was there a reason that you went for repetitive choreography this week? Nice touch with Anton being the villain at the end and him saying the catchphrase into the camera.
Judges' scores: 6, 6, 8, 7
My score: 7
(Sidenote: does Darcey really not like Dani for some reason? Her 3 most recent dances (this, her Foxtrot and her Salsa) all got a 6 from Darcey, and that was the worst mark that she had for those dances)
Richard & Erin - Paso Doble - "O Fortuna"
There's no denying that there was quite a bit of content in there, and that he went for it, but he didn't quite manage to pull it off. His arm placement disappeared at times, and his cape work (although he managed to get the wrist action right) seemed forced (for me it looked like he was trying to generate the movement from his hips rather than his arm so he hunched over when he was trying to get the action going).
Judges' scores: 5, 5, 7, 5
My score: 5
Lisa & Robin - Charleston - "Witch Doctor"
Now unlike most people, I do think Robin put quite a bit of content in this. Lisa did really well at the beginning but then made a mistake in the middle and although she brought it back pretty well, she did tire towards the end. I'm glad that she'll be heading back to the Ballroom dances as I do think that 3 Latins in 4 weeks is a bit much.
Judges' scores: 6, 6, 7, 7
My score: 6
Sid & Ola - Cha Cha Cha - "Ghostbusters"
Oh dear. 2 bad weeks in a row for Sid & Ola, although I don't think this was as bad as their Tango. Holding a prop for quite a while does not a good dance make. He did at least get his arm placement right most of the time, and some of the footwork was good, but this just wasn't a Cha Cha Cha for me (sorry Iveta).
Judges' scores: 2, 5, 5, 5
My score: 4
Nicky & Karen - Tango - "Weird Science"
Now, I have to applaud Karen here as the choreography was really good and much more like it! Nicky's hold looked strong, although his posture wasn't great (his shoulders seemed a bit too raised, although the outfit might be to blame for that). Footwork looked decent to me too. If he keeps up the improvement then we could be seeing a dancer emerge yet.
Judges' scores: 6, 6, 7, 7
My score: 6
Fern & Artem - American Smooth - "Killer Queen"
I wondered if Artem could actually play it straight with an American Smooth and he's managed it. Fern made a mistake at the beginning with the footwork and that seemed to throw her off a bit. Her footwork for the rest of the dance looked good, but her arm placement was too high at times.
Judges' scores: 4, 5, 6, 6
My score: 5
Denise & James - Cha Cha Cha - "Superfreak"
I don't think Denise seemed too comfortable with this dance. Her free arm was limp at times (although to be fair, so was James'), her spins weren't good and at one point it was as if she'd forgotten the routine and was looking to James for what to do next. This just wasn't her week.
Judges' scores: 7, 7, 7, 7
My score: 6
Michael & Natalie - Quickstep - "That Old Black Magic"
Now this is what I call a transformation! His footwork was spot on (I didn't see any mistakes there and he was able to keep up with Natalie). My only criticisms were that his free arm in those promenades (? I think that's what they're called) at the very end was limp, and that occasionally there was a bit of gapping, but that's all I could fault him on. I gave him a standing ovation when I first saw it.
Judges' scores: 8, 8, 8, 7
My score: 8
Victoria & Brendan - Tango - "White Wedding"
Another transformation here, although not as impressive as Michael's (despite what the judges scored them). There was one point where it looked as though Brendan forced her into place, and she messed up the footwork quite a few times (most noticeably at the very end). You still have to give her credit though.
Judges' scores: 7, 8, 8, 8
My score: 6
Colin & Kristina - Salsa - "Superstition"
Oh Colin. You really did not look into this. Your footwork is usually decent but in this dance it seemed really laboured. He never quite knows what to do with his arms, and the Salsa should contain quite a bit of arm movement. With the lifts, they don't look as effortless as they should (I'm not entirely sure but it looks like he either leans back quite far or leans too far forward, he's never in the right position). This was NOT your dance, Kristina needs to give you more steps.
Judges' scores: 5, 7, 6, 6
My score: 4
Louis & Flavia - Tango - "Disturbia"
Sorry Louis, but there's no way that dance should have scored 35. The footwork was excellent for the most part, but everything in the Tango should be strong, and for me it was all a bit too soft (although he did get the staccato, sort of). And please Flavia, for the love of God (or any other deity), do not do what Artem did with Kara and shoehorn some kind of acrobatics into pretty much every routine, as I will get bored and not want to watch you.
Judges' scores: 8, 9, 9, 9
My score: 6
Kimberley & Pasha - Paso Doble - "Hungry Like The Wolf"
I'm going to have to disagree with the judges again on this one. This just didn't contain enough content for me, it was basically them both just going round in circles with them doing something with their arms, pretty much all the way through. She did do some nice shaping however, but there wasn't much attack in there and this was her worst dance for me.
Judges' scores: 8, 8, 7, 8
My score: 5
So I've disagreed with the judges a lot this week. To be honest, I was a little disappointed with the overall standard. A lot of them need to up their game for next week.
Wednesday 24 October 2012
SCD Week 4 Preview
So we now know which dances will be performed by which celebs on Saturday. Here's my view on how the couples are doing so far plus clues to music/theme where they've been said on It Takes Two.
Colin & Kristina - SALSA. Supposedly a wizard theme. Hmm. In the training footage, Colin seems to be pulling the same constipated sex face that the Donovan had down to an art last year. If this is what Kristina teaches her celebs then maybe she needs to go to some acting lessons? In terms of technique, footwork looks alright, but I always worry about his arms and I don't think they'll be great on Saturday either.
Dani & Vincent - CHA CHA CHA. All I will say is "shaggy" - that should give a clue. The footage on Ian's WWU looks good, but the one shown in their interview wasn't. Dani seems to be struggling a little with the pace of the routine. Like Colin, her footwork is always decent, but her arms will be her downfall. Hopefully she can sort that out in the next few days.
Denise & James - CHA CHA CHA. No clue or theme mentioned for this one. I can't even remember them being on Ian's WWU - were they the ones where he said the celeb hardly straightened their legs? I think they might have been. All will depend on James' choreography for this one I reckon.
Fern & Artem - AMERICAN SMOOTH. Again, no clue or theme mentioned. As Ian said, her topline and hands especially are looking much better. As with Denise, it will probably depend on Artem's choreography for this one. Could he actually play it straight for once?
Kimberley & Pasha - PASO DOBLE. Theme seems to be Little Red Riding Hood/Werewolf, not sure what song can be done out of that. I really think that she'll struggle with this one, as I don't know if she'll be able to get both the technique and performance right.
Lisa & Robin - CHARLESTON. Who else thinks that "Hanky Panky" would have been better served as a Charleston number? All we know is that Robin is going to be a geek. We are well aware by now that Lisa is always able to sell a routine, so we now need to see the technique from her. Her foot swivels looked ok, not great but not terrible by any means.
Louis & Flavia - TANGO. No clue or theme mentioned. I'm expecting good things from him but to me, the training footage didn't look that good. His hold and arms should be great but his footwork might let him down (as it did in his VW). Should be able to pull off the "Tango/Paso face" without resembling Chris Hollins.
Michael & Natalie - QUICKSTEP. No clue or theme mentioned as far as I'm aware. He is much better at Ballroom and the training footage shows that. He looks to have a good hold and the footwork seemed decent so we might have a nice surprise on Saturday.
Nicky & Karen - TANGO. No clue or theme mentioned so far. Ian was a bit scathing about this as well! I have no idea how he's going to do. His hold might be alright but I think he'll be really heavy-footed, so who knows whether it will go the way of his Quickstep or his Cha Cha Cha.
Richard & Erin - PASO DOBLE. No clue/theme mentioned. He's going to struggle to look masculine so they might have to go down the Russell Grant route for this (sorry Erin). From the footage, he seems to have grasped the shaping quite well, so this could be quite decent.
Sid & Iveta - CHA CHA CHA. No clue/theme mentioned. Understandably not much was shown here. I think he'll be ok, maybe more of a Colin than a Louis (comparing their CCC's in week 1). Hopefully Iveta can avoid the patented Ola Jordan Latin Choreography as he might be better with that.
Victoria & Brendan - TANGO. No clue/theme mentioned. I hate to say it but I doubt she's going to improve. I don't think she'll be able to get the staccato right and Brendan might well end up dragging her through it.
My ones to watch for improvement: Fern, Michael, Richard
Who I'll be looking out for: Dani
Colin & Kristina - SALSA. Supposedly a wizard theme. Hmm. In the training footage, Colin seems to be pulling the same constipated sex face that the Donovan had down to an art last year. If this is what Kristina teaches her celebs then maybe she needs to go to some acting lessons? In terms of technique, footwork looks alright, but I always worry about his arms and I don't think they'll be great on Saturday either.
Dani & Vincent - CHA CHA CHA. All I will say is "shaggy" - that should give a clue. The footage on Ian's WWU looks good, but the one shown in their interview wasn't. Dani seems to be struggling a little with the pace of the routine. Like Colin, her footwork is always decent, but her arms will be her downfall. Hopefully she can sort that out in the next few days.
Denise & James - CHA CHA CHA. No clue or theme mentioned for this one. I can't even remember them being on Ian's WWU - were they the ones where he said the celeb hardly straightened their legs? I think they might have been. All will depend on James' choreography for this one I reckon.
Fern & Artem - AMERICAN SMOOTH. Again, no clue or theme mentioned. As Ian said, her topline and hands especially are looking much better. As with Denise, it will probably depend on Artem's choreography for this one. Could he actually play it straight for once?
Kimberley & Pasha - PASO DOBLE. Theme seems to be Little Red Riding Hood/Werewolf, not sure what song can be done out of that. I really think that she'll struggle with this one, as I don't know if she'll be able to get both the technique and performance right.
Lisa & Robin - CHARLESTON. Who else thinks that "Hanky Panky" would have been better served as a Charleston number? All we know is that Robin is going to be a geek. We are well aware by now that Lisa is always able to sell a routine, so we now need to see the technique from her. Her foot swivels looked ok, not great but not terrible by any means.
Louis & Flavia - TANGO. No clue or theme mentioned. I'm expecting good things from him but to me, the training footage didn't look that good. His hold and arms should be great but his footwork might let him down (as it did in his VW). Should be able to pull off the "Tango/Paso face" without resembling Chris Hollins.
Michael & Natalie - QUICKSTEP. No clue or theme mentioned as far as I'm aware. He is much better at Ballroom and the training footage shows that. He looks to have a good hold and the footwork seemed decent so we might have a nice surprise on Saturday.
Nicky & Karen - TANGO. No clue or theme mentioned so far. Ian was a bit scathing about this as well! I have no idea how he's going to do. His hold might be alright but I think he'll be really heavy-footed, so who knows whether it will go the way of his Quickstep or his Cha Cha Cha.
Richard & Erin - PASO DOBLE. No clue/theme mentioned. He's going to struggle to look masculine so they might have to go down the Russell Grant route for this (sorry Erin). From the footage, he seems to have grasped the shaping quite well, so this could be quite decent.
Sid & Iveta - CHA CHA CHA. No clue/theme mentioned. Understandably not much was shown here. I think he'll be ok, maybe more of a Colin than a Louis (comparing their CCC's in week 1). Hopefully Iveta can avoid the patented Ola Jordan Latin Choreography as he might be better with that.
Victoria & Brendan - TANGO. No clue/theme mentioned. I hate to say it but I doubt she's going to improve. I don't think she'll be able to get the staccato right and Brendan might well end up dragging her through it.
My ones to watch for improvement: Fern, Michael, Richard
Who I'll be looking out for: Dani
Monday 22 October 2012
Strictly Comparisons
So we now know that Jerry was the one to bite the dust this week, and won't be able to "paint it black" any more (shame, as I love that song and a Paso to it would be brilliant, although maybe not from Jerry lol).
For a bit of fun, let's try and compare all the stars of the 2012 cast to former competitors :)
Louis Smith - The new MARK RAMPRAKASH. I know most fans would compare him to Harry Judd from last year, but for me, the chemistry with his partner (or more the lack of it for the most part) echoes that of Mark and Karen from series 4 (H&A got the chemistry right quite early on).
Michael Vaughan - The new JULIAN CLARY. I was tempted to go with Chris Parker but that would be doing Michael a disservice (sorry Chris but you were rubbish all-round, at least Michael is alright at the Ballroom). Was also tempted by John Sergeant.
Johnny Ball - The new JIMMY TARBUCK. Both connected by withdrawals (Jimmy withdrew, Aliona had to withdraw due to injury), and both elder statesmen who, though we loved them, just couldn't dance.
Sid Owen - The new CHRIS HOLLINS. Unexpectedly good to start with, and then The Latin Choreography of Ola gets in the way (although it's now The Ballroom Choreography of Ola too). Somehow I don't see him lasting as long.
Colin Salmon - The new JIMI MISTRY. Good at most dances, but a shock early exit has got to be on the cards for him. The producers played up the "Hollywood star" angle with him as well.
Nicky Byrne - The new CHRIS PARKER. I struggled a bit with this one as Nicky does seem better than Chris already, but in terms of "young person who we thought would be good and wasn't" he seems to fit. Both suffered from the choreography of their pro partners too.
Richard Arnold - The new RUSSELL GRANT. We expected them to be duffers but they actually turned out alright. Can't see Richard going as far as Russell though, not unless the magic of Halfway-Erin comes in (as in, pretty much all of her partners have lasted until the halfway point).
Dani Harmer - The new CHELSEE HEALEY. Someone who wasn't really liked at first but seems to be winning people over each week with both her personality and her dancing. Hope she goes as far as Chelsee too.
Victoria Pendleton - The new ALEX JONES. I do think there is a bit of a parallel here. Both didn't do great on their first dances but visibly improved in their week 2 Foxtrot, before their week 3 Rumba didn't go well. Not sure Victoria has the personality to get as far as Alex though.
Kimberley Walsh - The new RACHEL STEVENS. Probably a bit harsh but although Kimberley is good, her personality just isn't coming across much at all. Don't know if Pasha will be able to help her with that.
Denise Van Outen - The new LISA SNOWDON. Popular with the judges but not with the public. The dance-off will save her but like Lisa, she ain't getting near that glitterball trophy. Having James doesn't help either.
Lisa Riley - The new PAMELA STEPHENSON. A larger lady who we were all surprised could dance, Lisa seems to be quite popular too. Could she get to the final as well?
Jerry Hall - The new JO WOOD. Another former rock star's wife who just couldn't really dance. Jerry though could have been better if she practiced more.
Fern Britton - The new LYNDA BELLINGHAM. Fairly popular and with a nice enough personality but the dancing is a bit "nice but boring". Think she'll last longer than Lynda though.
So what do you guys reckon? Do you think my comparisons are about right, or do you think there's some better ones that could be made? Feel free to leave me comments below.
For a bit of fun, let's try and compare all the stars of the 2012 cast to former competitors :)
Louis Smith - The new MARK RAMPRAKASH. I know most fans would compare him to Harry Judd from last year, but for me, the chemistry with his partner (or more the lack of it for the most part) echoes that of Mark and Karen from series 4 (H&A got the chemistry right quite early on).
Michael Vaughan - The new JULIAN CLARY. I was tempted to go with Chris Parker but that would be doing Michael a disservice (sorry Chris but you were rubbish all-round, at least Michael is alright at the Ballroom). Was also tempted by John Sergeant.
Johnny Ball - The new JIMMY TARBUCK. Both connected by withdrawals (Jimmy withdrew, Aliona had to withdraw due to injury), and both elder statesmen who, though we loved them, just couldn't dance.
Sid Owen - The new CHRIS HOLLINS. Unexpectedly good to start with, and then The Latin Choreography of Ola gets in the way (although it's now The Ballroom Choreography of Ola too). Somehow I don't see him lasting as long.
Colin Salmon - The new JIMI MISTRY. Good at most dances, but a shock early exit has got to be on the cards for him. The producers played up the "Hollywood star" angle with him as well.
Nicky Byrne - The new CHRIS PARKER. I struggled a bit with this one as Nicky does seem better than Chris already, but in terms of "young person who we thought would be good and wasn't" he seems to fit. Both suffered from the choreography of their pro partners too.
Richard Arnold - The new RUSSELL GRANT. We expected them to be duffers but they actually turned out alright. Can't see Richard going as far as Russell though, not unless the magic of Halfway-Erin comes in (as in, pretty much all of her partners have lasted until the halfway point).
Dani Harmer - The new CHELSEE HEALEY. Someone who wasn't really liked at first but seems to be winning people over each week with both her personality and her dancing. Hope she goes as far as Chelsee too.
Victoria Pendleton - The new ALEX JONES. I do think there is a bit of a parallel here. Both didn't do great on their first dances but visibly improved in their week 2 Foxtrot, before their week 3 Rumba didn't go well. Not sure Victoria has the personality to get as far as Alex though.
Kimberley Walsh - The new RACHEL STEVENS. Probably a bit harsh but although Kimberley is good, her personality just isn't coming across much at all. Don't know if Pasha will be able to help her with that.
Denise Van Outen - The new LISA SNOWDON. Popular with the judges but not with the public. The dance-off will save her but like Lisa, she ain't getting near that glitterball trophy. Having James doesn't help either.
Lisa Riley - The new PAMELA STEPHENSON. A larger lady who we were all surprised could dance, Lisa seems to be quite popular too. Could she get to the final as well?
Jerry Hall - The new JO WOOD. Another former rock star's wife who just couldn't really dance. Jerry though could have been better if she practiced more.
Fern Britton - The new LYNDA BELLINGHAM. Fairly popular and with a nice enough personality but the dancing is a bit "nice but boring". Think she'll last longer than Lynda though.
So what do you guys reckon? Do you think my comparisons are about right, or do you think there's some better ones that could be made? Feel free to leave me comments below.
Sunday 21 October 2012
SCD Week 3 Review
Now this is one of the shows that I follow religiously, and I've seen and read so many interesting blogs on it that I thought I'd make my own.
So last week saw the sad departure of Johnny and Aliona/Iveta, although I've heard that Iveta will be back next week as one of the female pros has had to take some time off.
In the meantime, let's see what week 3 gave us:
Opening pro dance: Just another opportunity for Kristina to flash some flesh really, I wasn't a big fan of the routine. Who were the extra females though?
Was Tess dressed best?: Well she did have quite a nice dress on tonight, all sparkly and silver (although the bottom half seemed to be of the fishtail style that I loathe). 8/10 from me.
Fern & Artem - Charleston - "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" from Mary Poppins
Hmm, Artem and Charleston don't seem to mix well. Kara's was technically good but boring, whilst Holly's was... well not great in terms of dancing or entertainment tbh. Fern's was more trying to do as little Charleston as they could get away with. There was a bit of foot swivelling in there but it wasn't executed very well and apart from that it was basically messing around with an umbrella.
Judges' scores: 5, 6, 6, 6
My score: 5
Victoria & Brendan - Rumba - "Up Where We Belong" from An Officer & A Gentleman
Started off well, but then a wardrobe mix-up seemed to throw her off. She really needs to be able to turn in order to do well at most of the dances, so for now there's not much she can do. Brendan might need to employ some "clever choreography" for her. Also, LIFT!
Judges' scores: 4, 5, 7, 6
My score: 5
Michael & Natalie - Cha Cha Cha - "Hot Stuff" from The Full Monty
Well it couldn't get worse than last week's Jive now could it? Ballroom is definitely more his thing and Natalie will need to use that to help them stay in. The ending was as funny as last time.
Judges' scores: 3, 6, 6, 4
My score: 4
Jerry & Anton - Quickstep - "Mrs Robinson" from The Graduate
I shall have to channel Bruno here and say: "Jerry doesn't do quick". Her hold seemed better this week so that's a plus. Shame she can't be bothered to train much as with time and practice she could have been the Cherie Lunghi of the series.
Judges' scores: 3, 6, 5, 4
My score: 4
Sid & Ola - Tango - "Here I Go Again" from Rock of Ages
Sorry Ola but that was NOT a Tango whatsoever. It was messing around with a guitar and hardly anything in hold. Sid proved in his Waltz that he was good in hold so I wonder why Ola didn't play to this strength. Dare I say it? Andrew Castle was better.
Judges' scores: 4, 4, 5, 4
My score: 2
Kimberley & Pasha - Quickstep - "Get Happy" from Summer Stock
Better than last week but there were quite a few mistakes, and for some reason her top half hasn't seemed right in both this and her Foxtrot so maybe her frame is an issue? This was however what a Quickstep should be so well done Pasha.
Judges' scores: 7, 7, 7, 8
My score: 6
Denise & James - Foxtrot - "You've Got A Friend In Me" from Toy Story
The actual bits of Foxtrot were really good, but the opening and ending with the "puppet" parts I just felt were contrived and not necessary. She is technically great and the routine was nice and traditional.
Judges' scores: 8, 8, 8, 8
My score: 8
Colin & Kristina - Argentine Tango - "Goldeneye" from Goldeneye
Just as Artem can't seem to choreograph a good Charleston, Kristina can't choreograph a good Argentine Tango. This was basically a rehash of the one she did with Jason last year, but Colin did hardly anything.
Judges' scores: 7, 7, 6, 6
My score: 5
Richard & Erin - Quickstep - "9 to 5" from 9 to 5
Once again, Erin manages to pull out a decent Quickstep from a less able celeb. His footwork and hold looked quite good to me, but the routine was a little boring and I struggled to keep watching.
Judges' scores: 6, 7, 6, 6
My score: 6
Dani & Vincent - Foxtrot - "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz
Now this I thought was great. Vincent gave Dani some really good choreography and she pulled it off (good footwork and hold too). Not exactly a "classic" Foxtrot but it worked for me. The dog at the end was a nice touch as well - I take it that was her own dog?
Judges' scores: 7, 6, 8, 8
My score: 8
Lisa & Robin - Jive - "Hanky Panky" from Dick Tracy
I don't think the song suited the Jive actually. Lisa & Robin did what they could with it but this was probably her worst dance and I was surprised at the marks. Hopefully this was her "bogey dance" and she can come back with a nice Ballroom.
Judges' scores: 8, 6, 7, 8
My score: 6
Nicky & Karen - Quickstep - "Hey Pachuco" from The Mask
A better routine from Karen this week, but Nicky still doesn't look great in terms of technique. I worry for him if he has to do the Jive. Bent knees and overmarked by the judges for definite. It seems you get overmarked by a lot if you show any sort of improvement at all.
Judges' scores: 6, 7, 7, 7
My score: 5
Louis & Flavia - Salsa - "The Time of my Life" from Dirty Dancing
First off, this was not a Salsa. It was basically a repetition of the routine from the end of the film. Granted, it was performed well and the lift was brilliant, but it wasn't a Salsa and so it should have been marked down as such.
Judges' scores: 8, 8, 6, 8
My score: 6
So Denise was flying high at the top of the leaderboard whilst Sid was left languishing at the bottom. Will Richard be able to escape the dance-off this week? Only the viewers (and judges should he end up there) can decide who will be next to leave the competition.
So last week saw the sad departure of Johnny and Aliona/Iveta, although I've heard that Iveta will be back next week as one of the female pros has had to take some time off.
In the meantime, let's see what week 3 gave us:
Opening pro dance: Just another opportunity for Kristina to flash some flesh really, I wasn't a big fan of the routine. Who were the extra females though?
Was Tess dressed best?: Well she did have quite a nice dress on tonight, all sparkly and silver (although the bottom half seemed to be of the fishtail style that I loathe). 8/10 from me.
Fern & Artem - Charleston - "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" from Mary Poppins
Hmm, Artem and Charleston don't seem to mix well. Kara's was technically good but boring, whilst Holly's was... well not great in terms of dancing or entertainment tbh. Fern's was more trying to do as little Charleston as they could get away with. There was a bit of foot swivelling in there but it wasn't executed very well and apart from that it was basically messing around with an umbrella.
Judges' scores: 5, 6, 6, 6
My score: 5
Victoria & Brendan - Rumba - "Up Where We Belong" from An Officer & A Gentleman
Started off well, but then a wardrobe mix-up seemed to throw her off. She really needs to be able to turn in order to do well at most of the dances, so for now there's not much she can do. Brendan might need to employ some "clever choreography" for her. Also, LIFT!
Judges' scores: 4, 5, 7, 6
My score: 5
Michael & Natalie - Cha Cha Cha - "Hot Stuff" from The Full Monty
Well it couldn't get worse than last week's Jive now could it? Ballroom is definitely more his thing and Natalie will need to use that to help them stay in. The ending was as funny as last time.
Judges' scores: 3, 6, 6, 4
My score: 4
Jerry & Anton - Quickstep - "Mrs Robinson" from The Graduate
I shall have to channel Bruno here and say: "Jerry doesn't do quick". Her hold seemed better this week so that's a plus. Shame she can't be bothered to train much as with time and practice she could have been the Cherie Lunghi of the series.
Judges' scores: 3, 6, 5, 4
My score: 4
Sid & Ola - Tango - "Here I Go Again" from Rock of Ages
Sorry Ola but that was NOT a Tango whatsoever. It was messing around with a guitar and hardly anything in hold. Sid proved in his Waltz that he was good in hold so I wonder why Ola didn't play to this strength. Dare I say it? Andrew Castle was better.
Judges' scores: 4, 4, 5, 4
My score: 2
Kimberley & Pasha - Quickstep - "Get Happy" from Summer Stock
Better than last week but there were quite a few mistakes, and for some reason her top half hasn't seemed right in both this and her Foxtrot so maybe her frame is an issue? This was however what a Quickstep should be so well done Pasha.
Judges' scores: 7, 7, 7, 8
My score: 6
Denise & James - Foxtrot - "You've Got A Friend In Me" from Toy Story
The actual bits of Foxtrot were really good, but the opening and ending with the "puppet" parts I just felt were contrived and not necessary. She is technically great and the routine was nice and traditional.
Judges' scores: 8, 8, 8, 8
My score: 8
Colin & Kristina - Argentine Tango - "Goldeneye" from Goldeneye
Just as Artem can't seem to choreograph a good Charleston, Kristina can't choreograph a good Argentine Tango. This was basically a rehash of the one she did with Jason last year, but Colin did hardly anything.
Judges' scores: 7, 7, 6, 6
My score: 5
Richard & Erin - Quickstep - "9 to 5" from 9 to 5
Once again, Erin manages to pull out a decent Quickstep from a less able celeb. His footwork and hold looked quite good to me, but the routine was a little boring and I struggled to keep watching.
Judges' scores: 6, 7, 6, 6
My score: 6
Dani & Vincent - Foxtrot - "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz
Now this I thought was great. Vincent gave Dani some really good choreography and she pulled it off (good footwork and hold too). Not exactly a "classic" Foxtrot but it worked for me. The dog at the end was a nice touch as well - I take it that was her own dog?
Judges' scores: 7, 6, 8, 8
My score: 8
Lisa & Robin - Jive - "Hanky Panky" from Dick Tracy
I don't think the song suited the Jive actually. Lisa & Robin did what they could with it but this was probably her worst dance and I was surprised at the marks. Hopefully this was her "bogey dance" and she can come back with a nice Ballroom.
Judges' scores: 8, 6, 7, 8
My score: 6
Nicky & Karen - Quickstep - "Hey Pachuco" from The Mask
A better routine from Karen this week, but Nicky still doesn't look great in terms of technique. I worry for him if he has to do the Jive. Bent knees and overmarked by the judges for definite. It seems you get overmarked by a lot if you show any sort of improvement at all.
Judges' scores: 6, 7, 7, 7
My score: 5
Louis & Flavia - Salsa - "The Time of my Life" from Dirty Dancing
First off, this was not a Salsa. It was basically a repetition of the routine from the end of the film. Granted, it was performed well and the lift was brilliant, but it wasn't a Salsa and so it should have been marked down as such.
Judges' scores: 8, 8, 6, 8
My score: 6
So Denise was flying high at the top of the leaderboard whilst Sid was left languishing at the bottom. Will Richard be able to escape the dance-off this week? Only the viewers (and judges should he end up there) can decide who will be next to leave the competition.
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