SCD 2013: Week 10

It's Thursday and I'm back with this week's blog update.

As a little recap - last time, the judges didn't like the way that Ben & Kristina worked it, and they lost out to Mark & Iveta in the dance-off.

This week, it was all about the Musicals. So like practically every other week we get some dodgy songs, dodgy outfits and dodgy choreography. Nothing's changed there.


Patrick & Anya - Charleston - "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"

Wow, now that was brilliant. The only criticism from me is that the 'lobster claw' lift (the very last one) looked a bit messy, but that's it. Patrick managed to give us the performance without going OTT and down the gurning route (Natalie, Susanna, please take note), and his technique was pretty good too. Ok, so there was a bit of faffing with the flying car but come on, of course they were going to do that with this song. Patrick has the Rumba this weekend, to 'If I Was Your Man' by Bruno Mars. I'm a bit worried as we haven't really seen the romantic side of Patrick so far (there was a bit in his VW, granted), and I don't know whether he's going to quite get 'into' it like Ashley did. 

Judges' score: 38/40 (8, 10, 10, 10)
My score: 9 (just the one mistake with the lift)


Natalie & Artem - American Smooth - "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" (from Dreamgirls)

As you will probably know by now, I haven't been a fan of Artem's choreography this series - he's great in the Latin, but his Ballroom choreography is quite hit-and-miss (mostly miss for me). Sadly, this was another miss in my book. The American Smooth is meant to have 40% in hold - and after watching this one over, there was only around 10% in hold (10 seconds out of 90). It was as if Artem was going for the gold medal in the Arm-Wafting Olympics. And although I thought the other lift was great, the crucifix one just looked messy (it was having Natalie do the roll-up to get into it), and surely that would have put quite a bit of strain on Natalie's back in the run-up to it? But then, like Kristina, the judges have let him get away with murder. His Viennese Waltz had pretty much no Viennese Waltz, but scored 38. This American Smooth wasn't an American Smooth and still got 36 (and a 10 from Bruno). I seriously think he's starting to become the Derek Hough of Strictly. Natalie's got the Paso Doble this week, to 'El Gato Montes'. It's a good song choice, and I think this could get Natalie a 40.

Judges' score: 36/40 (9, 9, 8, 10)
My score: 7.5 (2 points deducted for the lack of hold, and 0.5 deducted for the slightly messy lift)


Mark & Iveta - Samba - "I Just Can't Wait to be King" (from The Lion King)

LOVE LOVE LOVE this couple, and although it was the right time for them to go, I was still sad that they went as they (almost) always made me smile (except for that bloody Rumba!). This was probably Mark's best dance, and he did really well on the technical side of it. He just completely pulls you in to the performance. Iveta, I salute you for the brilliant job that you've done with Mark, and I'm looking forward to seeing you both on the tour (I'm thinking they'll have this and his Foxtrot).

Judges' score: 29/40 (7, 7, 7, 8)
My score: 6.5


Sophie & Brendan - Viennese Waltz - "My Favourite Things" (from The Sound of Music)

This was such a joy to watch, and is right up there with her Charleston in my opinion. Brilliant footwork, lovely choreography from Brendan. I agree with what the judges said about her topline - it's as if her head was too far to the left sometimes. Her arm extensions weren't quite finished off either. However, I absolutely loved it, and I don't often say that about a Viennese Waltz (I think only Susanna's and maybe Ashley's were as great as that). Sophie has the Tango this week, to 'Material Girl' by Madonna. I'm a little worried that she'll lack some sharpness, but that's mainly down to the song choice.

Judges' score: 36/40 (9, 9, 9, 9)
My score: 9


Abbey & Aljaz - Salsa - "You Should Be Dancing" (from Saturday Night Fever)

Now I'm going to have to somewhat agree with Karen Hardy on this one. I thought there was way too much disco and not enough Salsa the first time I watched it, but having looked it at again, there's a lot more Salsa than I thought. I'd say there was around 50-60% Salsa, which still isn't brilliant, but it's not as bad as I first imagined. Abbey looked a little messy in some parts, so I really don't understand the 10s. She's got the Viennese Waltz this week, to 'Delilah'. Abbey's Ballroom is pretty good, so I reckon she may well get some 10s for that one.

Judges' score: 40/40 (10, 10, 10, 10)
My score: 8 (1 point deducted for the 'too much disco' bits, and another for the messiness)


Ashley & Ola - Rumba - "A Whole New World" (from Aladdin)

First of all, BLOODY PIVOTS & KNEE SLIDES DO NOT NEED TO GO INTO EVERY ROUTINE! Ok, there's my little rant over with. Unlike Patrick's dance, I don't think flying in on the carpet was actually needed in this one. You could see that Ashley was terrified and it took 30 seconds until he actually started dancing with Ola. Considering that the Rumba is a difficult dance for a male celeb (as said by Len practically every series), he did pretty well with it. I did agree with the judges about the lack of hip action though. Ashley has the Salsa this weekend, and as he was quite good at the Samba, I don't think this one will be a problem for him. 

Judges' score: 35/40 (8, 9, 9, 9)
My score: 8.5


Susanna & Kevin - Quickstep - "Good Morning" (from Singin' in the Rain)

I feel a bit sorry for Susanna. She started off really well, then it went completely wrong in the middle, then she recovered well, before going wrong at the end again. I don't think the choreography helped though, that middle section looked very difficult and it would probably be tricky for any non-pro to get completely right (and I'm including Natalie in that one). Bit iffy from Kevin there, plus he needs to learn to not over-dance as it makes Susanna look worse. They've got the Argentine Tango this week, and this should be an interesting one, as obviously we've never seen an AT from Kevin before, so we have no idea how good he is at it. 

Judges' score: 33/40 (7, 8, 9, 9)
My score: 7


So this would be my leaderboard for the week:
=1. Patrick & Anya - 9
=1. Sophie & Brendan - 9
3. Ashley & Ola - 8.5
4. Abbey & Aljaz - 8
5. Natalie & Artem - 7.5
6. Susanna & Kevin - 7
7. Mark & Iveta - 6

SCD 2013: Week 9

I'm back! This is going up a little later than usual, and that's because I'm involved in Wonder Trade Wednesday (if you're a Pokemon fan then you'll know what I mean). So the blog will now go up on Thursday nights instead - hopefully.

So as a little recap, last week saw Fiona & Anton flying out of the competition after losing out to Mark & Iveta in the dance-off.

This week, it's 'strict and picky marking'. Bit late for that isn't it? Some awful song choices as always, some iffy bits of choreography (and not from Ola or Kristina this week! That's a miracle), and some strange wardrobe choices - it could only mean that Strictly was on!



Susanna & Kevin - Cha Cha Cha - "Hound Dog"

Kevin's second dance with iffy choreography, and he basically rehashed the first one. Yep, this was just a reworking of their Samba. From the shout of 'Kevin!' at the start, to the pose-y hair and hip-ography throughout. Now although I do know about some technical stuff, straight vs bent legs isn't one of them, so I'm not going to say anything about that. What I can say is that Susanna is now rivalling Natalie in the race for the 'Best Gurner' Award. The faces aren't needed. Hopefully she can come back with the Quickstep this weekend.

Judges' score: 31/40 (7, 8, 8, 8)
My score: 5.5


Ashley & Ola - Waltz - "I Will Always Love You"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT!* (Colin & Erin's Waltz in series 3) Now this I loved. It reminded me of Abbey & Aljaz's week 1 Waltz a little - seemed similar in terms of the mood and the style of the routine. I can see what the judges meant about Ashley's head - but for me, it's not necessarily it tilting to the right that is the problem (although he did do it sometimes), it's that most of the time, his head position is near enough upright. He's probably the most improved celeb and if only he had more training time then he could be getting 10s easily. He's got the Rumba this weekend, a dance where a male celeb has never got 10s (Colin Jackson and Harry Judd getting 36). Somehow I don't think Ashley will be making history there.

Judges' score: 35/40 (8, 9, 9, 9)
My score: 8


Natalie & Artem - Tango - "Where Have You Been"

This was definitely overmarked. Natalie's head position wasn't quite right, she stumbled through some of the steps, and the whole thing lacked the drama and passion that you're supposed to get from the Tango. I'm not sure whether it was just the song choice, or if Artem's choreography didn't help with trying to deliver that passion and attack. I don't know, I just felt that it all could have looked much stronger. Added to that, the first 30 seconds was basically a Paso Doble section. I wonder if Natalie might be struggling a bit in the votes, as really, both her Viennese Waltz and this Tango didn't fulfill the brief, and yet they get 10s for that. She's got the American Smooth this weekend, so I'm expecting practically none of it to be in hold (that, and one of the lifts looks really messy and again would most likely put strain on her back), and for them to still get 3 or 4 10s for it.

Judges' score: 37/40 (9, 9, 9, 10)
My score: 7 (she danced it well for the most part, but the atmosphere was severely lacking)


Mark & Iveta - Foxtrot - "It's A Beautiful Day"

I love this couple, but you can tell that this has been a hard week for Mark. His head position was pretty much the same as Ashley's, he practically stood still for part of the routine, and you just didn't get the sense that he was enjoying this one. He looked as though he was really concentrating sometimes and it's the first time that I felt as though something was missing in his performance. He's got the Samba this week, and I think he just needs to go for it like he did with his Jive, as it's almost a certainty that he'll be in the dance-off again.

Judges' score: 28/40 (6, 8, 7, 7)
My score: 4.5


Sophie & Brendan - Rumba - "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT!* (Craig & Flavia's Rumba from series 7) I agree with Brendan about a Rumba not needing to be raunchy, but the performance did feel a little flat. I do think there was some chemistry there, but it went on and off. Sophie really needs to get completely into the performance side of a dance, she had it in some parts, but then lost it soon after. She should take a leaf out of Deborah's book and ask Mark for a couple of tips. I also felt that she needed to accentuate things a little more, extend those lines and hold the positions for a little longer, and that may have helped her. She's got the Viennese Waltz this time, and as Ballroom is definitely her stronger suit, I expect her to do well with it.

Judges' score: 31/40 (7, 8, 8, 8)
My score: 6


Ben & Kristina - Charleston - "No Diggity"

I really loved the music to this (I know it's effectively a re-working of a hip-hop track, but it worked really well), and I thought Kristina excelled herself with this routine. That's more like it. It looked as though something went wrong coming out of the second lift, and Ben's footwork was a bit lacking in energy. That being said, it all went wrong in the dance-off. Ben was seriously out of sync with Kristina practically all the way through, and I kind of wish that the performances went the other way round so that Ben could go out on a high.

Judges' score: 27/40 (6, 7, 7, 7)
My score: 5.5


Abbey & Aljaz - Paso Doble - "You Got The Love"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT!* (Zoe & James' Paso in series 7) Strange choice of dress for Abbey, it didn't really suit the Paso Doble and looked more like a Ballroom dress. Bad choice of music too. But where this differs from Natalie & Artem's dance is that the routine did have attack and passion - ok, so it might have looked a bit soft in some places, but overall I think Abbey did a really good job with this and a great routine from Aljaz. She's got the Salsa on Saturday, and I'm fearing the worst. Her fast Latin dances haven't been good so far, so she really needs to up her game if she wants this one to go any better. I can see her being in the dance-off with Mark in all honesty.

Judges' score: 32/40 (8, 8, 8, 8)
My score: 7.5


Patrick & Anya - Viennese Waltz - "A New Day Has Come"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT!* (Chris & Ola's Viennese Waltz from series 7) A bit hit and miss. Anya usually does a good job with the choreography, but not this week. Patrick doesn't look right when doing standing spins for some reason, so having 2-3 of them in the routine didn't help him. The spin and the running splits at the end weren't needed either (she's no Natalie Lowe hehe). I did check but I'm pretty sure that Anya's foot didn't come off the floor in that ending spin. He was doing so well but the end just spoiled it a bit for me. He's got the Charleston this week, and from what I've seen so far, it looks good, really good.

Judges' score: 32/40 (8, 8, 8, 8)
My score: 7


So here's my leaderboard for the week:
1. Ashley & Ola - 8
2. Abbey & Aljaz - 7.5
=3. Natalie & Artem - 7
=3. Patrick & Anya - 7
5. Sophie & Brendan - 6
=6. Susanna & Kevin - 5.5
=6. Ben & Kristina - 5.5
8. Mark & Iveta - 4.5

SCD 2013: Week 8

From now on, each week will be covered in one blog post, and they will go up on Wednesday night.

So week 7 saw Dave & Karen walk 500 miles out of the competition as they lost in the dance-off to Mark & Iveta.

This week we were at Blackpool, the land of Ballroom and of overmarking from the judges of course. Also, almost every song choice was recycled (apologies in advance).


Sophie & Brendan - Quickstep - "The Lady is a Tramp"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT!* (Natasha & Brendan in series 1) First off, much better performance from Sophie. Finally she gets into it, and it makes the dance much better to watch. Her footwork was great, only things I noticed were that she didn't do the arm extension correctly in the middle of the routine, and she seemed a bit off-balance sometimes, although I think having her hair down didn't help her there. There was a little bit of gapping, but she held it together for most of the way through. Sophie's got the Rumba this week, but I don't think this will be a good dance for her. She has to really work on the technique if she wants to do well with it. 

Judges' score: 34/40 (7, 9, 9, 9)
My score: 7.5


Patrick & Anya - Samba - "Copacabana"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT!* (Patsy & Robin in series 8, and Jill & Darren in series 2) Poor Patrick. Anya's been scuppered by wardrobe malfunctions for 2 weeks in a row now, it's as if the Costume Dept do it on purpose to add some extra 'drama' to the proceedings. At some parts, Patrick was actually dancing better than Anya. I did notice him mess up on the stationary Samba walk that Craig mentioned (it looked as though he missed a step, although I'm not sure what he technically did wrong). Added to that, although it was a good routine and Patrick danced it well, it was just missing something for me, it lacked that bit of 'wow factor'. Patrick has the Viennese Waltz this week, and he really needs to sort out his frame - he's had trouble with Ballroom dances before because of it (excepting his American Smooth).

Judges' score: 35/40 (8, 9, 9, 9)
My score: 8.5


Ben & Kristina - American Smooth - "Fallin'"

(Not exactly a RECYCLED SONG ALERT, but it was used for Gethin & Camilla's Viennese Waltz in series 5). Well it took them almost 40 seconds to even get into hold. Considering this was meant to have a Viennese Waltz base, there wasn't much of it. Ben hardly danced at all, as once again it was the Kristina show. Why is she still not letting Ben actually dance?! It is seriously annoying me now, but then I guess as long as the judges let her get away with it then she'll carry on doing it. Ok, so the lifts were good, and the bits of actual VW they did were alright, but for god sake, how the hell was it worth 32?! *attempts to calm down* Oh well, he has Charleston this week, and I bet anything it will be all lifts and little content, if any. 

Judges' score: 32/40 (8, 8, 8, 8)
My score: 5


Ashley & Ola - Paso Doble - "You Give Love a Bad Name"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT!* (Kelly & Brendan in series 5) I have wanted Strictly to use this song for ages, but why the cowboy theme? Ashley has said that neither he nor Ola chose the theme, so more producer interference I see. Why not just leave it up to the pro? Onto the routine itself, and although Ashley performed it well, he didn't look as strong and masculine as he should. The cape work was good, and the technique was good, but just lacked the masculinity a little. And Ola, knee slides do not have to be worked into every routine. Ashley has the Waltz this week, and I reckon it could be a breakthrough dance for him. I'm fully expecting the pivots though.

Judges' score: 35/40 (8, 9, 9, 9)
My score: 7.5


Fiona & Anton - American Smooth - "Come Fly With Me"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT!* (Phil & Katya in series 7) Oh Fiona, every time I think you're starting to have a decent routine, you go wrong. She started off really well, footwork was great and all that, but it just went all wrong in the middle. She completely forgot the steps and was just trying to keep up with Anton. The last lift was a bit ugly too. I wasn't surprised to see her in the dance-off, but I did think that Len might have saved her over Mark, so I was a little shocked that she was eliminated. That being said, if she keeps struggling to remember the steps, then it was the right time for her to go.

Judges' score: 29/40 (6, 7, 8, 8)
My score: 5.5 (at least she actually danced, unlike Ben)


Abbey & Aljaz - Quickstep - "Walking on Sunshine"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT!* (Matt & Lilia in series 4) How this got one 10, let alone 3, I have no idea. Started off very slowly, didn't really get going until the first chorus kicked in. The amount of gapping was awful though, and I'm surprised that no judge apart from Craig mentioned it. Also, I did see what Craig was on about with the hold, although I wouldn't say that it was like that all the way through, just the parts where she wasn't traveling across the floor. She was a little out of sync with Aljaz at the end as well, but you can't deny that this was a very good routine, just not 10-worthy. Abbey has the Paso Doble this week, and judging from her Tango, this is probably going to be a good dance for her. As long as she gets the aggression and shaping right, she'll be in business.

Judges' score: 37/40 (7, 10, 10, 10)
My score: 7


Mark & Iveta - Jive - "You Can't Stop the Beat"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT!* (Anita & Robin in series 9, and Austin & Erin in series 6) Oh Mark, the Jive was never going to be your dance. However, he really gave it a good go, and although his knees meant that there were some things that he couldn't do, he still did it really well. Mark, as always, gave a fantastic performance, and I loved Iveta's choreography. So he didn't do that many Jive steps, but at least he bloody danced! (coughBencough) I sense TPTB were trying to get him out this week but the judges didn't get the memo - 3 Latin dances in a row; surely that's a bit odd? Luckily, Mark has the Foxtrot this week. His American Smooth was quite good, so I'm excited for this routine.

Judges' score: 29/40 (5, 8, 8, 8)
My score: 6


Susanna & Kevin - Paso Doble - "Los Toreadors"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT!* (Julian & Erin from series 2, possibly also Russell & Flavia from series 9) Oh my god. If I didn't already love Kevin before this dance, then I definitely do after it. Phwoar. *composes herself*. So dramatic, so full-on and exciting, I absolutely loved this routine. Ok, so there have been some comments that Susanna didn't do much except some skirt-wafting. Therefore, I made sure to keep a close eye on that. I'd say the skirt-wafting would only be for about 15-20% of the routine, so not that much (and she definitely didn't do as much as Fiona or Fern did in their Pasos). The Flamenco section was great, and Susanna really delivered on the performance side. Although, whenever I hear that music, all I can think of is "The Beer Song" (it has this music as the background, please look it up on YouTube). Susanna has the Cha Cha Cha this week - I know what you're thinking: "but she did that for Children in Need". Well, she's able to do it for some reason, and this might be a good one for her.

Judges' score: 39/40 (9, 10, 10, 10)
My score: 10


Natalie & Artem - Charleston - "Bang Bang"

I really didn't like this routine, and again, I'm surprised it got 10s. You could tell Natalie wasn't at 100% and she was out of synch with Artem for most of the time they were together. It took 40 seconds before they actually started dancing together - that's nearly 1/3 of the routine. Most of the Strictly Charlestons that I've seen involve a lot more work with the partner (except perhaps Artem's), and that's maybe why I wasn't so interested in this one. I didn't feel that they were a partnership, just 2 people who happen to be doing the same dance. This felt more like an Artem showcase to me, and I just think it was a bad judgement call on his part as Natalie's partner to put in those particular tricks, which have surely got to put a fair amount of strain on her back. It was a good performance by Natalie, probably the one that I've enjoyed the most, but I do think that Artem got it wrong on this occasion. She has the Tango this week, and whilst I reckon this could be her dance, I'm not too sure about the song choice. 

Judges' score: 39/40 (9, 10, 10, 10)
My score: 8 


So my overall leaderboard would go like this:
1. Susanna & Kevin - 10
2. Patrick & Anya - 8.5
3. Natalie & Artem - 8
=4. Sophie & Brendan - 7.5
=4. Ashley & Ola - 7.5
6. Abbey & Aljaz - 7
7. Mark & Iveta - 6
8. Fiona & Anton - 5.5
9. Ben & Kristina - 5

SCD 2013: Week 7

A slightly later outing for the blog this week, and that's because I'm doing it all in one go rather than 2 parts.

So to recap slightly, last week Rachel & Pasha failed to put a spell on us as they lost out in the dance-off to shock opponents Abbey & Aljaz.

This week, the couples were aiming to impress as they want to get to Blackpool. Unfortunately, Natalie was unable to dance this week due to collapsing twice during the dress rehearsal, so there will be 9 dances to review.


Ben & Kristina - Jive - "Jump, Jive & Wail"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT!* (Natasha & Brendan in series 1) Typical Kristina choreography rears its head again. When is she going to let him dance rather than pose and walk his way through a routine? Not much Jive content as such, and what they did do was either lacklustre or had mistakes. Ben went wrong on both kicks and flicks section (and it was the same error too - I couldn't quite tell whether it was him being on the wrong foot or just not being able to keep up, but he did the same thing in both sections). The Jive should be bouncy and light, and whilst Kristina was bouncing around enough for the both of them, Ben was very half-hearted in his movements throughout the routine. Bit of faffing at the start, as it took them about 20 seconds just to get moving (was that backflip REALLY necessary? I think not). On Saturday they will be dancing the American Smooth, which will have a Viennese Waltz base. Methinks it will be more lifts than dancing.

Judges' score: 26/40 (4, 7, 8, 7)
My score: 4.5 


Fiona & Anton - Paso Doble - "Song 2"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT!* (Jodie & Ian in series 6) Oh good lord. Not the worst song choice in the world, but the Paso is meant to be fiery and dramatic, and this was a bit of a damp squib. Fiona wins this year's 'Best Skirt Wafting' award (won by Fern Britton in 2012), and what disappointed me is that I thought she'd get into the character of it (like she did in her week 1 Tango) but she didn't. Her arms (and frame in general) were quite soft and floppy, and although her footwork was great for the most part (aside from a little mess up on one of the flamenco sections), that doesn't really make up for it. I actually thought that she'd injured her arm after she did that floor spin at the end as she landed really awkwardly. Fiona has the American Smooth this week, and I think this could be her best dance yet.

Judges' score: 26/40 (5, 7, 7, 7)
My score: 5 (I'll probably be agreeing with Craig quite a lot to be honest)


Abbey & Aljaz - Charleston - "Cabaret"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT!* (Peter & Erin in series 8) Now this was a dance that I was looking forward to. Abbey's Latin dances so far haven't been great, but I was hoping that the Charleston might change that. I have to say, I really enjoyed this routine and Abbey really got into the feel of it all. She actually danced it better than Aljaz in a couple of places. She did well on the technical side of things, just a little out of synch with Alijaz at times. Maybe overmarked a little, but I expect the judges wanted to keep her high on the leaderboard to try and prevent her going into the dance-off again. Abbey has the Quickstep this week, and if her Charleston and other Ballrooms are anything to go by, then this should be brilliant. She has a good song choice for it, so let's hope that Aljaz can do the choreography to go with it.

Judges' score: 36/40 (9, 9, 9, 9)
My score: 8.5


Mark & Iveta - Rumba - "Goldfinger"

Mark had made it plain on ITT this week that neither he nor Iveta chose the song or the theme behind the dance. I wonder why TPTB are trying to make Mark into a comedy dancer when he can move well enough. Took them nearly 25 seconds before Mark started dancing, and it kind of went downhill from there. Not much hip movement, a lot of repetition, and his arms were awful. He did mess up on the footwork at one part too. That being said, he definitely improved it in the dance-off - his arms were much better with his hands actually being shaped, and he had some decent hip action going on there. I was quite angry with Len when he was asked for his vote - by all means, state who you want to save but do it by praising them and not berating the other couple. Mark was still much better than Dave in the DO so I'm not sure what Len was looking at. Mark has the Jive this week, and from the song choice, this could be brilliant or a disaster. 

Judges' score: 23/40 (5, 6, 7, 5)
My score: 3


Susanna & Kevin - Waltz - "You Light Up My Life"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT!* (Gavin & Katya in series 8, and also Julian & Erin in series 2) I thought this was absolutely beautiful and Kevin did a superb job with the choreography. That set of pivot turns was brilliant, and Susanna did a great job. The only thing I noticed is that sometimes her right arm straightened out towards being horizontal instead of maintaining the hold all the way through. So I can kind of see why they didn't give 10s, but on the other hand, this was definitely better than Abbey's Charleston, so if she got all 9s then Susanna should have had at least one 10. She's got the Paso Doble this week, and if she keeps improving at the rate that she is at the moment, then this could be awesome. Depends where Kevin goes with it. 

Judges' score: 36/40 (9, 9, 9, 9)
My score: 9


Dave & Karen - Tango - "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)"

Is it bad that I was trying not to laugh all the way through this? Bloody hell, less Tango and more 'Stomp' really. Not much staccato or passion there, just pure, I don't know, comedy? I can see Karen's nicked a few moves from previous dances - John Barnes & Nicole Cutler's Tango (the piggyback drag) followed by Darren Gough & Lilia Kopylova's Paso Doble (the forehead glue). Not a lot of actual dancing from Dave, so I'm surprised that this was called his best dance, I thought his Waltz was much better. Just his stompy racing on the first chorus makes me giggle inside.

Judges' score: 20/40 (4, 6, 6, 4)
My score: 2.5


Ashley & Ola - Quickstep - "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT!* (Kara & Artem in series 8) Live on the Apollo song! Sorry, apart from the previous dance to this song (seen to your left), then that's what I think of as soon as I hear the beginning. Loved the choreography, well done to Ola there, that little foot dance was brilliant. Ashley's topline has been letting him down in previous weeks but it was great in this. I could see what Craig meant by the gapping, it was pretty much there throughout. Also, you could clearly see Ashley look petrified sometimes, and then go into 'dance face' at others. Definitely his best dance and if he can do that on just 12 hours of training, then just how good could he be if he had more practice? He has the Paso Doble this week, to a song that I absolutely love, so I'm really hoping that he does a good job with that.

Judges' score: 35/40 (8, 9, 9, 9)
My score: 8 (the amount of gapping puts him just below Abbey)


Sophie & Brendan - Argentine Tango - "Sweet Dreams"

Ok, so I've said before how Sophie needs to actually put some effort in and dance, right? I'll save you a rant and just say 'same again'. She looked as though she was just walking through it rather than dancing it. As for Brendan, bit of lazy choreography (even though he probably didn't do most of it). Too much time spent on the chair, and at some points you could see Sophie stand still as she was waiting for Brendan to finish doing his thing and go into the next step - you shouldn't be able to see that in any dance. She did well technically and the lifts were great, but there was no drama, no passion in the routine, and part of that is down to Sophie. She really needs to get into the performance side, create a character for herself if necessary. She's got the Quickstep this week, and if she can't do well in this dance, then there's not much hope for her if I'm honest.

Judges' score: 32/40 (8, 8, 8, 8)
My score: 7


Patrick & Anya - American Smooth - "It Had to be You"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT!* (Patsy & Anton in series 3) Such a shame about the last lift. It seems that Anya had gotten caught in her dress so Patrick couldn't lift her up properly. Apart from that, this was for me the best dance of the series. Elegant, great footwork, fantastic lifts (well 2 of them) and a much better frame from Patrick. Anya, brilliant choreography, I take my imaginary hat off to you there. Just one thing though: Patrick, stop making the sex faces! It's driving me nuts! He has the Samba this week, and with his Salsa being so great, I have very high hopes for this routine.

Judges' score: 37/40 (9, 10, 9, 9)
My score: 9


Note: Natalie has been declared fit to dance, and she'll be doing the Charleston this week.


So here's how my leaderboard would go:
=1. Susanna & Kevin - 9
=1. Patrick & Anya - 9
3. Abbey & Aljaz - 8.5
4. Ashley & Ola - 8
5. Sophie & Brendan - 7
6. Fiona & Anton - 5
7. Ben & Kristina - 4
8. Mark & Iveta - 3
9. Dave & Karen - 2.5

SCD 2013: Week 6, part 2

It's Thursday night and so I'm here reviewing the second half of Saturday's dances (from Rachel to Susanna)


Rachel & Pasha - American Smooth - "I Put A Spell On You"

(Not a recycled song choice as such, but it was used for Scott & Natalie's Viennese Waltz in series 8) Another pro breaking the rules I see. An American Smooth is allowed a maximum of 3 lifts, and in this routine there were at least 4 if not 5 lifts (at least one of the little jumps had both feet off of the floor). Nothing mentioned about it by the judges though - being their usual inconsistent selves. Rachel looked quite awkward throughout and I don't think the choreography showed her in the best light. Her arm extensions were not great at all (no shaping of the hands and no attempt at extending the arm), and her frame was a little odd - her head was nearly upright at times when there should be more of a tilt due to having to extend the neckline to maintain the frame. Her footwork looked decent though (what I could see of it with how long her dress was). A bit of a forgettable routine, so I wasn't that surprised to see them in the bottom 2. I thought she was very gracious about being eliminated but it was lovely to see just how much she had enjoyed the experience and how much it meant to her. 

Judges' score: 30/40 (7, 7, 8, 8)
My score: 6 (not her best performance, but certainly not her worst)


Ashley & Ola - Tango - "Beautiful Monster"

(Again, not a recycled song choice per se, but was used for Tina & Jared's Argentine Tango in series 8) First off, there was an illegal lift at the end; and it took nearly 30 seconds to get into hold. Also, whilst Ashley had great footwork and the sharpness was there, his frame was awful. I think the problem is that he pitches his arm too far forward - the top part is always straight out in front of him, when it should be horizontal and in line with his shoulders; and this might be why like Rachel, his head was upright when it should be slightly tilted. Ola still likes her pivots, there were parts of that dance where I could actually see Chris Hollins doing the exact same steps. I'm beginning to sound like a broken record but Ola needs to give Ashley more challenging choreography, as he is capable of doing it. Not just giving him a rehash of a routine that she'd done with another celebrity. If she does that and manages to sort out his frame, then they'll be in business (actually, she probably needed to do with him what Aliona did with Harry: get the technique down early, and then get into the choreography as Ashley would be in a better position further on in the competition). Ashley's got the Quickstep this week, and if Ola can get him working on his hold, I'm sure that they can get into the mid-30s.

Judges' score: 33/40 (8, 9, 8, 8)
My score: 7 (bit of faffing, and awful frame)


Abbey & Aljaz - Rumba - "Stay"

Firstly, loved the song choice, I've been wanting to see this song for a Rumba for a while and it really worked. I was shocked that they were in the dance-off - it's been calculated that for that to happen, she must have finished last in the public vote, and that doesn't bode well for her going further on. Sadly, there was an illegal lift in the routine (the wraparound towards the end). I'm not too sure about Aljaz' choreography on this one. With the massive scarves at the start (just wasting time when he had to undo them), and then most of the shaping that he was getting Abbey to do was strange - it didn't really go with the dance as such (although the one where she leaned into Aljaz whilst she curved her arm over him was nice, as well as when she leaned away from him and extended her arm upwards, that was gorgeous), and she also lacked hip action. A bit of an underwhelming routine and I think Aljaz could have done more with it. Abbey's got the Charleston this week, and I'm a bit worried for her. Her technique needs to be spot-on and after being in the bottom 2 last time, she can't really afford to have a bad dance.

Judges' score: 34/40 (8, 8, 9, 9)
My score: 7 (it was alright, and performed quite well, but a little unsure on the choreography)


Dave & Karen - Jive - "Monster Mash"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Patsy & Robin in series 8) Hardly any Jive content, which is sad considering that this was probably Dave's best dance. He did well with what he was given, I guess. His footwork (when not doing kicks) was alright, and he performed it adequately. To be honest, I'm getting a bit tired of this comedy act. His Waltz was actually decent, so why Karen vows to go the comedy route with the Latin, I don't know. It's not really working as you have Mark who can do the comedy too, but he can also dance so it makes Dave look even worse than he is. I'm disappointed with those who say he should step down - he might not be entertaining us but he must be doing something right if the public keep voting for him (and he must have been at least 5th in the vote on Saturday to keep him out of the dance-off). Dave's got the Tango this week, to a Proclaimers song. I am fully preparing to just giggle my way through his dance.

Judges' score: 19/40 (4, 5, 6, 4)
My score: 4 (better, but not much content)


Susanna & Kevin - Charleston - "Bad Moon Rising"

I haven't heard this song choice before but I really liked it and I thought that Kevin (and any help he had) choreographed this routine well. He also didn't overdance it as much as he has done previously. Susanna seemed to lack energy in some sections, her swivels weren't that good, and she seemed to completely miss her cue after one spin, requiring a quick and messy turn from her to get into position (I'm guessing she accidentally did a half-turn spin instead of a full-turn). That being said, she performed it well, and her technique looked quite good for the most part. Susanna's definitely improving week on week (like Ashley), and if she can get the rest of her Latin together, then she could be a good challenger soon to the likes of Abbey and Natalie. She's got the Waltz this week, and considering how good her Ballroom is, I reckon this will be a great dance for her and could be her breakthrough.

Judges' score: 34/40 (8, 8, 9, 9)
My score: 7.5 (full of content, performed well if a few errors)


So this is my leaderboard for week 6:
1. Natalie & Artem - 9
2. Patrick & Anya - 8
3. Susanna & Kevin - 7.5
=4. Ashley & Ola - 7
=4. Abbey & Aljaz - 7
=6. Fiona & Anton - 6.5
=6. Mark & Iveta - 6.5
=8. Ben & Kristina - 6
=8. Sophie & Brendan - 6
=8. Rachel & Pasha - 6
11. Dave & Karen - 4


And here's the full list of which dances are being done this weekend:

American Smooth [Foxtrot base] - Patrick & Anya
Argentine Tango - Sophie & Brendan
Charleston - Abbey & Aljaz
Jive - Ben & Kristina, Natalie & Artem
Paso Doble - Fiona & Anton
Quickstep - Ashley & Ola
Rumba - Mark & Iveta
Tango - Dave & Karen
Waltz - Susanna & Kevin

SCD 2013: Week 6, part 1

It's Monday night and so I'm here to bring you my own personal thoughts on the dances, couples (and most likely the song choices or costumes) that Strictly bring us each week.

Last time, we saw Deborah & Robin fleckerl their way out of the competition after failing to survive in their dance-off against Patrick & Anya.

This week, it's Halloween week, so expect awful song choices, awful costumes and some awful dancing - but then, we get those practically every week on Strictly these days.

In this part, I'll be reviewing the first 6 dances from Saturday night (so from Patrick up to and including Mark).


Patrick & Anya - Quickstep - "Man with the Hex"

I didn't think this was that good when I watched it first time, but having seen it again Patrick danced it brilliantly. His hold and top line were so much better (he's had problems with his upper body for weeks but he must have been working on it as it looked great in this routine), his footwork was good as always, he put a lot of energy into it. However, this is probably the first of their dances where I didn't completely like Anya's choreography. She clearly took inspiration from Pasha's Quickstep with Rachel (which I also thought wasn't good choreography on Pasha's part) - the first part in hold seemed a bit too slow for the fast beat of the music, but at about halfway through the routine, they sped it up and it got much better from there. Also, they did the same hop-bend-slide move that Pashel did (although Patrick performed it better than Rachel did). I didn't mind that it wasn't in hold all the way through, as it was for the majority of the time (I'd guess about 75-80% was in hold) and it is Halloween week after all. I did love the Charleston elements that they had in there and Patrick was excellent at those. This was definitely his best dance. 

Judges' score: 34/40 (8, 9, 9, 8)
My score: 8 (great technique, but I wasn't a fan of the choreography)


Fiona & Anton - Charleston - "Jeepers Creepers"

Not exactly the kind of Charleston that we're used to seeing, but I do agree with Len that that was more of a proper Charleston than the gurnfests that we usually get (although I did think the song choice wasn't particularly suited to the dance). I thought Anton did a good job in choreographing this (well, at least partly), and Fiona did well with it. There were a few issues with synchronicity and she does still sometimes pre-anticipate the next step, but on the whole, I actually really liked this routine. She had excellent swivel action, much better than Anton's I must admit - which is a bit worrying as he's meant to be the pro. Hopefully they get a nice Ballroom routine next week so that Fiona can concentrate on remembering all of the steps and the technique. A Viennese Waltz would be a good choice for them.

Judges' score: 28/40 (6, 7, 8, 7)
My score: 6.5 (she did a simple routine quite well, but still with some errors)


Ben & Kristina - Paso Doble - "Supermassive Black Hole"

Firstly, I LOVE this song, and I really hoped that they could do an exciting routine to it. Sadly not. There was at least one illegal lift in there if not two (although to be fair, the second one could be classed as an assisted jump), and it was mostly just posing rather than dancing. I also felt as though Kristina was leading Ben rather than him leading her. I do have to commend him on his cape work though, that was great. Just, I feel as though Kristina is really letting him down - he showed in his Waltz that he could dance and do it well, so why since then she hasn't really let him dance (especially in the Latin numbers) is beyond me. He can do it Kristina, so for god sake just bloody let him! *rant almost over, don't worry* One other thing, bad dancing gets you bad marks, but bad dancing whilst topless somehow gets you great marks? Nuh-uh. The judges have been overmarking Ben for weeks, and to be honest I'm getting fed up of it now. He's got the Jive this week, so hopefully Kristina will let him dance for a change, although I'm not getting my hopes up.

Judges' score: 32/40 (7, 8, 9, 8)
My score: 6 (he performed it well, but he's below Fiona for me as at least Fiona actually danced in her routine)


Sophie & Brendan - Jive - "Maneater"

Not a jubilant Jive I'm afraid. Normally I'm a fan of Brendan's choreography but he got it totally wrong this week. As Paul Hollywood said to Frances: 'style over substance'. Too much faffing and not enough Jive. Where were the kicks and flicks, the drunken sailors, the JIVE? And what on earth was Brendan thinking with the illegal lift? It wasn't an accidental slip of the foot, it was blatant and obvious. Sophie did ok with what she was given, but I feel as though with a more technical routine, she would have looked a lot better. I did notice that just after the lift, she seemed to set off on the wrong foot for the next step, and so she had to correct herself and catch up. Definitely her worst dance to date, and not much of it is her fault.

Judges' score: 28/40 (6, 7, 8, 7)
My score: 6 (not much actual Jive content, and some errors)


Natalie & Artem - Viennese Waltz - "Devil in Me"

Let me just state a fact right here: there was only 21 seconds of the routine where they were in hold. That was less than 20% of the whole routine - ie NOT A BLOODY VIENNESE WALTZ! *sorry, just needed to get that off of my chest* I swear Artem does this on purpose sometimes, does he not like being in hold or something? First Kara's American Smooth (which was a nice enough dance, but not enough in hold), then Holly's American Smooth (just, why?), and now Natalie's Viennese Waltz (her Quickstep wasn't in hold much either). Now, it's not all negative. I did love the concept that they were going for, and Natalie did dance it perfectly as far as I could tell. But there is no way that they should have got 10s when they did not do the dance that they were meant to. Artem seems to be Strictly's version of Derek Hough. 

Judges' score: 38/40 (9, 10, 9, 10)
My score: 9 (danced perfectly, but nowhere near enough in hold)


Mark & Iveta - Paso Doble - "I Lost my Heart to a Starship Trooper"

I think this qualifies for 'Worst Song Choice of the Night Award'. And it would probably win too. Iveta let Mark down a bit with the choreography, but it was nowhere near as bad as Bentina's. Mark actually did some Paso steps, attempted the shaping (if not completely successful on that score), and funnily enough, looked brilliant in the disco section. So why on earth did he have the second-lowest score of the night, and Ben was 4 places above him? Words do fail me sometimes with the judges and their marking. Hence why I threw a couple of votes Mark's way, hoping that he wouldn't be in the dance-off. Mark's got the Rumba this week, and I actually think he could have a decent stab at this. His Waltz was lovely and so emotional, and if Iveta plays this right, then it could be one of, if not his best dance.

Judges' score: 25/40 (6, 6, 7, 6)
My score: 6.5 (more content than Ben and he performed it well)


So this is how my leaderboard would look so far:
1. Natalie & Artem - 9
2. Patrick & Anya - 8
=3. Fiona & Anton - 6.5
=3. Mark & Iveta - 6.5
=5. Ben & Kristina - 6
=5. Sophie & Brendan - 6


Part 2 shall be up on Thursday evening :)

SCD 2013: Week 5, part 2

It's Thursday night, and so I'm here with part 2 of my week 5 musings.

I must admit, I was a bit upset when Deborah went out. She had a brilliant attitude to the whole thing, she could actually dance, but the best part was that you could tell she was loving every second of it. I wish more celebs could be like that really.

Anyway, here's the final 6 dances of Saturday night (so going from Rachel to Sophie).


Rachel & Pasha - Paso Doble - "Maneater"

For the second week in a row, I'm disappointed with Pasha's choreography. It was too much posing and posturing and nothing like a Paso Doble. The role of the pro is to make their celeb look good, and Pasha doesn't seem to be doing that with Rachel. She just looked stiff and awkward, he probably needed to get her into hold at the beginning, and then have some small sections apart to make her feel more comfortable. He also should have told her to point her toe on the leg extension. I feel a bit sorry for Rachel as having that much fabric on the dress can't have helped her. Skirt wafting does not equal Paso. However, the song choice was completely wrong and whoever thought that would suit a Paso has clearly never listened to it as it's much more a Tango song. This week, Rachel's got the American Smooth, which they will use a Viennese Waltz base for. If I remember rightly, Harry & Aliona did a beautiful VW-style American Smooth so the potential for greatness is there. 

Judges' score: 22/40 (4, 6, 6, 6)
My score: 5 (not great choreography, but she did get into the character of the routine)


Mark & Iveta - Waltz - "Apologise"

I thought this was so lovely. The song in its original arrangement isn't in 3-time, but I really liked how the band adapted it to suit the Waltz. Iveta's choreography was great as usual, and Mark danced it superbly. Only a few minor issues - he needs to tuck his bum under a little more, and to shape his hands whenever he's doing an extension. The only other thing was that the sweeping move that he did with his left leg in the middle didn't look smooth, but I think that's the side that his knee injury is on, so I guess that's as elegant as he could make it. Mark has brilliant musicality, and he gets into the character and feel of the dance every time. If he was younger and fitter, I'd say he'd be the main contender to Natalie. As it is, I hope he gets to dance at Blackpool at least, he deserves that. Mark has the Paso Doble this week, and the song that he has to dance to - oh good lord. 

Judges' score: 28/40 (7, 7, 7, 7)
My score: 7 (he's more than half a point behind Natalie on technicality, but he just performs every dance perfectly)


Ashley & Ola - Jive - "Johnny B Goode"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT!* (Kelly & Brendan from series 5). 20 seconds of faffing there at least. Ashley definitely needs to work on his arm placement, he can do it for the Ballroom dances but it seems to disappear when he does the faster Latins (excluding his Samba). Also, he looked to mess up on the solo spin a little - I'm not sure if it was a case of him not spotting properly or if it's because he had to do it so quickly that it unsettled him a bit. Ola's gone back to her usual Latin choreography I see - for god sake Ola, this is the first good celeb that you have had in years, if ever, so give him more actual dancing to do! Not playing guitar for 20 seconds followed by a knee slide and a leap over your head. He can do the choreography, so challenge him with it. Otherwise, you're going to struggle to break into the mid-30s and beyond. I can see Ashley's point about the dance shoes - they did curl up slightly at the front, making it look as though he wasn't point his feet on the kicks and flicks when he may well have done. They've got the Tango this week, which could be a good dance for Ashley as he gets to show another side performance-wise. 

Judges' score: 31/40 (7, 8, 8, 8)
My score: 6.5 (he didn't have as much content as Mark and there were a few mistakes)


Susanna & Kevin - American Smooth - "Sunny Side of the Street"

I really liked this routine and what Kevin did with it choreographically, much better than last week's Samba. Susanna seemed to mess up one or two of the leg kicks, and it looked like they'd missed a hand grab towards the beginning. Besides that, her footwork was good and her frame and arms were too. She has the same issue as Natalie in that she's trying a bit too hard with the facial expressions, and the transitions into the lifts were a little off. It was classy, elegant, and very enjoyable to watch. Susanna has the Charleston this week. If she can get the technique sorted then this could be a very good dance for her. Kevin also needs to make sure that he doesn't overdance as he tends to do in the Latin dances (I know Charleston isn't technically Latin, but for some reason it is on this show so........).

Judges' score: 32/40 (8, 8, 8, 8)
My score: 7 (some errors in technique and the faces did detract from the performance a little)


Ben & Kristina - Quickstep - "I'll Be There for You"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT!* (Diarmuid & Nicole from series 2). Friends theme tune! Sorry, that's the first thing I think of when I hear this song. Also, why was there a female singer on the track, let alone having her mic turned up so high? The male singer was doing a fine job on his own, thank you. Onto the dance itself - at least 20 seconds worth of faffing at the beginning, and it had the same problem choreographically that Rachel's Quickstep had: they were doing a slower routine to a quick song, and it just didn't work. Also, the height difference really hindered the dance as there was so much gapping, and this was perhaps because Ben and Kristina were effectively going at different speeds, they were never in sync (Kristina probably had to take 2 or 3 steps for every one that Ben did). I don't know what the judges saw as this dance was so overmarked. They had a good song there and Kristina could have, and should have, done much more with it than she did. Ben has the Paso Doble this week, and I feel a bit sorry for him as it's probably going to pale into comparison with Mark's PasoDisco offering. At least they're dancing to one of my favourite songs, by one of my favourite bands.

Judges' score: 27/40 (6, 7, 7, 7)
My score: 5.5 (a lot of things wrong technically, even though I can't really blame either of them for that, and at least Kristina attempted to make an effort with the choreography)


Sophie & Brendan - Cha Cha Cha - "P.Y.T"

Oh Sophie, can you not be bothered to put in effort for the Latin dances anymore now that you've got the Charleston out of the way? There were a few technical issues - some of her arm extensions (especially those at the beginning) weren't finished properly, she kind of just 'threw them out' really. Also, like some of the others, she seems a bit uncomfortable with spins. Similar to Fiona in her Quickstep, it looked like Sophie pre-anticipated some of the steps. I was a bit disappointed with Brendan's choreography - it didn't feel as though Sophie was really doing all that much (even though she was), and the beginning wasn't great either. She really needs to lose the 'too cool for school' attitude for when she performs the Latin routines - it makes them look worse than they are because the performance isn't coming from her. She got the performance right in her Charleston, so she just needs to adapt, assume a character for the other dances if it helps. The judges are always telling people that they need to 'let go' in the Latin numbers and I think that's what Sophie needs to try and do. She's got the Jive this week, I hope she can get it together and produce both good dancing and a good performance.

Judges' score: 30/40 (7, 8, 7, 8)
My score: 6.5 (I agree with her being about the same as Fiona - Sophie probably edges it on technique, but Fiona gave a better performance)



So my leaderboard for the week goes like this:
1. Abbey & Aljaz - 8
2. Natalie & Artem - 7.5
=3. Mark & Iveta - 7
=3. Susanna & Kevin - 7
=5. Patrick & Anya - 6.5
=5. Fiona & Anton - 6.5
=5. Ashley & Ola - 6.5
=5. Sophie & Brendan - 6.5
9. Deborah & Robin - 6
10. Ben & Kristina - 5.5
11. Rachel & Pasha - 5
12. Dave & Karen - 3.5


And a list of what the couples will be dancing this week:

American Smooth - Rachel & Pasha
Charleston - Fiona & Anton, Susanna & Kevin
Jive - Dave & Karen, Sophie & Brendan
Paso Doble - Ben & Kristina, Mark & Iveta
Quickstep - Patrick & Anya
Rumba - Abbey & Aljaz
Tango - Ashley & Ola
Viennese Waltz - Natalie & Artem

SCD 2013: Week 5, part 1

It's Monday night and I'm back with my thoughts on the series. Last time, Julien & Janette failed to spice up our lives as they went out of the competition on their third and final dance-off against Rachel & Pasha.

Today, I'll be covering the first 6 dances from Saturday night (so from Natalie up to and including Fiona).



Natalie & Artem - Samba - "Bambeleo"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT!* (Gavin & Katya in series 8). Bit of a dodgy song choice in my opinion. I can see it going with a Paso or a Salsa, but not a Samba. Also, who did Natalie annoy in wardrobe to get that monstrosity? The dress would have been fine if it didn't have that big poofy part at the back. Onto the actual dancing - no mistakes as far as I can see, just that the pull-through at the end looked a bit messy, as if she wasn't in the right position for that. One thing though - try and stop the faces Natalie, as they are very distracting. I really want to like this pairing as the dancing is so good, but I just can't. None of their performances have made me go 'Wow! That was brilliant!' thus far, maybe something like a Paso or Tango might do it. As of yet, we don't know what Natalie will be dancing this week, but we expect it to be a Ballroom routine.

Judges' score: 35/40 (8, 9, 9, 9)
My score: 7.5 (just the one slight error, but personally just didn't enjoy the performance)


Abbey & Aljaz - Foxtrot - "Dear Darlin'"

Another dodgy song choice here. This suited the Foxtrot about as much as 'Someone Like You' did (ie not at all) and yet unlike the performers of that previous routine, Abbey and Aljaz did really well with it. Only a few niggles with this - there was quite a bit of gapping, and Abbey looked a bit uncomfortable doing the underarm turn. I liked the storytelling (although not the ending, guess I just didn't 'get it'), that was great. Loved her dress, not exactly Foxtrot-y, but it was beautiful all the same. We don't know what Abbey will be dancing this week, but my hunch is that she'll get a Latin, possibly the Rumba.

Judges' score: 35/40 (8, 9, 9, 9)
My score: 8 (more errors, but a much better performance)


Dave & Karen - Salsa - "Cuban Pete"

Only one word I can use to describe this: AWFUL! The man can't even Conga in time to the music! (and I'm actually in disbelief at that one as surely everyone can do the Conga?) The only decent parts were the armography sections and the aeroplane spin at the end. Apparently this was the result of 30 hours of rehearsal, I'm starting to think that either Dave simply isn't trying, or he's deliberately being bad. Either way, he should be on his way soon. Expecting Dave to have a Ballroom routine this week.

Judges' score: 17/40 (3, 5, 5, 4)
My score: 3.5 (some nice touches, but overall, 'dahnce disahstah' territory)


Deborah & Robin - Viennese Waltz - "It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT!* (Jade & Ian from series 7 - it's credited under a different name but it is the same song). Ok, so I do kind of get what Robin was going for with the table and all that jazz. But the fact is, messing with the table took up over a third of their routine, and that is way too much. They needed to get into hold earlier, because when they did, it was much better and actually really nice. Deborah seemed to have got the hang of the footwork, the problem was with her frame. She doesn't extend enough through the neck and she seems to have a bit of a loose hold. Nevertheless, I was quite upset that she was eliminated. I loved the partnership - and it is so nice and refreshing to see someone that you know is just loving and enjoying the whole experience of learning to dance. Deborah's attitude was perfect and I wish more of the celebs were like this. Take it seriously by all means, but for god sake, just go out there and enjoy yourself - even if you're not the best dancer, you'll still come across very well to the public.

Judges' score: 27/40 (6, 7, 7, 7)
My score: 6 (kept in time all the way through, good footwork, just a bit too much faffing and a loose hold)


Patrick & Anya - Salsa - "Wings"

First off, I felt so sorry for Patrick. Due to his hand injury, they had to alter or take out some of the lifts, and Anya had to completely change the choreography so that Patrick could dance it with his one good hand. I have to say, they both did a fantastic job considering all that. I thought the routine as a whole was great, and very entertaining. Patrick still needs to do some work on his upper body - it seems to be very loose, and it's causing him problems both in the Latin and the Ballroom (his hold isn't good). His footwork was quite good though (only a few small mistakes). Hopefully he can improve his Ballroom, as he has the Quickstep this week. The worrying thing though, is that he doesn't seem to have much of a fanbase if he was in the bottom 2 this week with the injury. 

Judges' score: 28/40 (6, 8, 7, 7)
My score: 6.5 (probably closer to a 7, but it wasn't only 0.5 behind Natalie. I'm also taking into account that he had to dance it all with his less dominant hand, which would have been difficult for him)


Fiona & Anton - Quickstep - "If My Friends Could See Me Now"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT!* (Verona & Paul from series 1). To start with, Tom Chambers' Showdance music anyone? (Albeit a different version I think) Bit of faffing at the start, but only half as much as Deborah's routine. Well done to Anton for putting the little 'cloth' breaks in to help Fiona (it detracted from the dance a bit for me, but I can't deny that it was clever). As for the dancing itself - Fiona messed up the little jump just after they'd got into hold, and she seemed to pre-anticipate some of the steps, so she did them before they were meant to be done. It was a little skippy in places, but it was certainly Fiona's best routine by far. We don't currently know which dance she's doing yet, our guess is a Latin routine.

Judges' score: 30/40 (7, 7, 8, 8)
My core: 6.5 (sorry judges but this was overmarked)



So my leaderboard at the moment goes like this:
1. Abbey & Aljaz - 8
2. Natalie & Artem - 7.5
=3. Patrick & Anya - 6.5
=3. Fiona & Anton - 6.5
5. Deborah & Robin - 6
6. Dave & Karen - 3.5


Part 2 shall be up on Thursday night :)

SCD 2013: Week 4, part 2

It's Thursday so here is part 2 of my week 4 recap.

But first, I would like to respond to a derogatory comment that was made on a previous post. Basically it went along the lines of 'you don't have any comments so your opinion isn't worth anything' (but addressed in a more rude way than that). Well, this is the very first time that I have done a blog for a TV series - I don't expect to get comments. People can choose whether to comment or not; if they do, then great, and if not, then that's fine as well. As long as the viewers of this blog enjoy it and want to read the next installment then I'm happy. If I do get comments then that's a nice bonus. What I will say about that is that whilst constructive criticism is perfectly fine (in fact it's quite welcome), derogatory comments just aren't worth it. If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't bother saying it. If you don't like it, then you don't have to read it. There's a lot of great Strictly blogs out there, mine just offers my own personal take.

That's all I'm going to say on that subject. I'm sorry if it made for slightly uncomfortable reading, but I only discovered the aforementioned comment last night, and I felt that it did need some sort of response.

Now that the slightly depressing part is over and done with, onto the remaining dances!


Deborah & Robin - Jive - "Making Your Mind Up"

Poor, poor Deborah. She got completely screwed over by wardrobe this week. Who on earth thought that wearing a tight pencil skirt teamed with flat, slipper-style shoes was going to produce a good Jive? Ok, so it was definitely Deborah's worst dance, but she still had some nice moments during that routine. That armography part towards the end was good, and some of the arm work throughout was executed well. It didn't help that Robin completely over-danced it either, or that she did forget a couple of the steps. Overall, she did well to get through it. She's got the Viennese Waltz this week, which she should do well with. Just needs to make sure that there's as little gapping as possible and she'll be fine.

Judges' score: 23/40 (5, 6, 6, 6)
My score: 4.5 (I think she deserved the same as Julien)


Natalie & Artem - Quickstep - "Yeah!"

Well Artem has kind of done this routine before - he was part of a group of dancers that performed to this on DWTS. I do agree with Darcey on this one - he could have done with simplifying the routine a little to make it a bit easier on Natalie. As to how Natalie did - she was out of sync with Artem a few times in the beginning, and she seemed to mess up a step towards the end and didn't really recover from it. Also, there was quite a bit of gapping going on during the parts in hold, and either Artem overdanced or Natalie wasn't up to going full pelt. Hopefully her back has got better, as she has the Samba this week. Artem's never done a Samba on Strictly before, so this is kind of unknown territory. I think she'll do a good routine though.

Judges' score: 35/40 (9, 9, 8, 9)
My score: 7.5 (I'd say she was slightly lower than Sophie, but a 7 would be too low)


Patrick & Anya - Cha Cha Cha - "Mercy"

*RECYCLED SONG CHOICE* (Andrew & Ola in series 6). Now this was a nice surprise. Patrick's footwork is great, but his upper body has let him down previously. Whilst that aspect wasn't completely sorted, he's definitely been doing some work on it as it was much better in this routine. I have to admit though, I was kind of scared of the faces he was pulling. Enough for him to present some serious competition to Chris Hollins in the 'Inappropriate Sex Face' contest. That aside, this was definitely his breakthrough with me - I'd found his previous routines a bit boring to watch, but I was glued to this. Loved the little tricks too. He has the Salsa this week, and I predict great things for that performance, if this was anything to go by.

Judges' score: 33/40 (8, 8, 9, 8)
My score: 7 (The faces alone..... *shudder*)


Abbey & Aljaz - Tango - "Spectrum"

I haven't been Abbey's biggest fan, but the girl did good with the Tango. Definitely the wrong song choice, it made the routine quite boring to watch. However, I couldn't spot any errors with this at all. She had the character of the routine down perfectly, she had the staccato and sharpness all the way through. I'm really impressed, if she can get her Latin to the same standard as her Ballroom then she'll be able to rival Natalie no problem. Abbey has the Foxtrot this week, and as her Ballroom is just sublime, this has to be good.

Judges' score: 35/40 (9, 8, 9, 9)
My score: 8 (purely down to the song choice limiting the performance a little)


Dave & Karen - Waltz - "Take it to the Limit"

*RECYCLED SONG CHOICE* (Peter & Erin from series 8, but also Zoe & Ian from series 3). Aww, this was so sweet. Certainly Dave's best dance. He had decent footwork, and delivered a good performance, now he just needs to sort out his arms and hands. They're still quite flat and need to be extended properly. Also his bum does stick out a bit so he has to tuck it under for his next Ballroom dance. I thought the little spin where he pretended to be in hold before he actually got into hold with Karen looked messy at first, but the transition into hold was really smooth. And the reaction at the end was just, so endearing. Dave has the Salsa this week, I think the only words I'll be using are either 'replay button' or 'brain bleach'.

Judges' score: 23/40 (5, 6, 6, 6)
My score: 5 (executed better than Deborah and Julien in my opinion)


Susanna & Kevin - Samba - "Whenever Wherever" 

*RECYCLED SONG CHOICE* (Roger & Camilla in series 2). What on earth did I just watch? Kevin, you didn't do that well with the choreography this week. Too much attempting to be sexy and hair-tossing for me (I wonder if he thought he was doing the Salsa instead). You've got to say though, at least Susanna gives it her all in the Latin numbers. She might have made quite a few mistakes, but she just went for it. That was just so cheesy though. The proper bits of Samba that they did were good (apart from a couple of missed hand placements). Brave of Kevin to let her effectively open and close the routine on her own, but I don't know, this just felt like it should have been a comedy routine. Susanna has the American Smooth this week, and as she did really well in her Viennese Waltz a few weeks ago, I think she could get near the top of the leaderboard again.

Judges' score: 29/40 (6, 7, 8, 8)
My score: 6.5


So here was my leaderboard for week 4:
=1. Ashley & Ola - 8
=1. Abbey & Aljaz - 8
=3. Sophie & Brendan - 7.5
=3. Natalie & Artem - 7.5
5. Patrick & Anya - 7
6. Susanna & Kevin - 6.5
=7. Mark & Iveta - 5.5
=7. Rachel & Pasha - 5.5
=7. Ben & Kristina - 5.5
10. Dave & Karen - 5
=11. Julien & Janette - 4.5
=11. Deborah & Robin - 4.5
13. Fiona & Anton - 3


And to end, here's what dances everyone will be doing this weekend:

American Smooth - Susanna & Kevin
Cha Cha Cha - Sophie & Brendan
Foxtrot - Abbey & Aljaz
Jive - Ashley & Ola
Paso Doble - Rachel & Pasha
Quickstep - Ben & Kristina, Fiona & Anton
Salsa - Dave & Karen, Patrick & Anya
Samba - Natalie & Artem
Waltz - Mark & Iveta
Viennese Waltz - Deborah & Robin

SCD 2013: Week 4, part 1

It's Monday night and here I am again with my usual ramblings. So as a quick recap of last time, it was Love Week and Natalie & Artem topped the leaderboard with their Rumba, whilst Vanessa & James Tango-ed their way out of the competition against Julien & Janette (again) in the dance-off.

We're now a third of the way through the series - it's gone quick hasn't it? Soon we'll be at the final, and that's a scary thought (but not as scary as the thought of Halloween week in 2 weeks - awful song choices just to fit the theme, just another normal day at Strictly as far as I'm concerned :D).

Let's get on with the blog. I'll be running through the first 7 dances in this part (so from Sophie & Brendan up to and including Ben & Kristina).


Sophie & Brendan - Foxtrot - "Cheek to Cheek"

It's probably mean of me to say this, but I really want Sophie to lighten up a bit, as sometimes she looks very detached and disinterested - as if she doesn't really want to be there, and as much as I like Brendan it's not helping me to warm to them as a partnership, as much as I want to like them. Onto the dance itself - I think Sophie was excellent in this, only minor issues really. Her arms and hands needed a bit more work, she had what Craig would call 'pancake hands' and she didn't extend her arm as much as she could have at the end. Also, there was quite a bit of gapping in the first half of the dance and you could see Brendan trying to keep her in place. The final thing, and it might just be me not knowing any better, but her head placement seemed a bit odd - Darcey is always telling people to extend so that you can see the neck, and well, I couldn't see Sophie's at all during that routine. That being said, Ballroom is definitely her forte. Currently we don't know her dance for next week, but I feel she'll be doing a Latin.

Judges' score: 35/40 (8, 9, 9, 9)
My score: 7.5 


Fiona & Anton - Rumba - "World of our Own"

First off, whoever picked this song should be hung, drawn and quartered, and then shot just to make sure. WooO (funnily enough the initials are perfect for a Rumba) is way too fast for a Rumba, and I just can't believe that no-one would have been able to foresee just how bad this would be. Fiona managed only one good arm extension throughout the whole routine, she definitely forgot most of it (you could tell she was looking at Anton for the next step) and it just looked awful. That being said, either Anton shouldn't have put in the floor parts, or he should have worked out an elegant way for Fiona to get up from them. Also, just before the spin at the end, she caught her heel in the bottom of the dress, which is what made her stumble (and you think the costume people would have thought about that possibility when they designed it). Her worst dance and deservedly her worst score. Fiona has the Quickstep next week, and I reckon Anton will have to do what he did with Jerry Hall and make it quite slow for her so that she can keep up. 

Judges' score: 22/40 (4, 6, 6, 6)
My score: 3 


Mark & Iveta - Cha Cha Cha - "You Can't Touch This"

I LOVED THIS! Sorry, just had to say it. Iveta's choreography was brilliant once again, Mark can do comedy and he can dance. The section with the shifting feet and then the body rolls from side to side was awesome. I had to dance to this song once back when I used to do cheerleading, and we had to do similar moves for that section - it's difficult to make it look good but Mark managed it so props to him. Ok, so there might not have been much recogniseable Cha Cha content to us non-dancer viewers (although apparently there was quite a bit in there), and he shouldn't have got 8s, but I think the overall score was about right. Again, we don't know what dance they're doing next, but I think they'll be doing Ballroom, as according to Mark his dance is 'totally different' to the Cha Cha Cha and that we 'might be surprised'.

Judges' score: 26/40 (3, 8, 8, 7)
My score: 5.5 (I loved it enough to give more, but I did take into account that it wasn't really a CCC)


Ashley & Ola - Viennese Waltz - "Angel"

Whoever thought this song would suit a Viennese Waltz should also be punished. It's a Waltz song, although I thought Ola did really well in trying to choreograph a routine to it. The only thing is that I wish she didn't put in that bit when Ashley was doing the 'walking whilst floating and extending alternate arms in front of him' (don't know what it's called hehe), it just looked very awkward and out of place with the rest of the routine. Ashley has definitely been working on improving his hands and arms as they were so much better in this dance. To be honest I think they were underscored - you don't need 'gusto' in a Viennese Waltz, and any shortcomings in the performance were down to the song choice really. I thought Ashley should have at least been tied with Patrick, if not one point higher. They have the Jive this week, and I think this may well be Ashley's breakthrough dance. I'll have to see how it looks in training but I have high hopes. 

Judges' score: 31/40 (7, 8, 8, 8)
My score: 8 (purely because I personally found more errors in Sophie's routine, I was thinking about an 8.5 score, but then I don't know if he should be a whole point above Sophie in my marking. 8.25 would be more like it)


Julien & Janette - Salsa - "Spice up your Life"

I have to give props to Janette on this one, she did do better with the choreography (and so she bloody well should, she's a Salsa specialist). But, she does like her signature moves doesn't she? (That thing with her head going from side-to-side at the start, and then the extended arm in hold going down and then up, that last one was in their Tango routine) I think Julien knows he probably can't do the choreography well and so just goes for it on the performance side in the hope of making up for it. The problem with that is that he actually is decent in places, but he just can't sustain it throughout the whole routine. So the trouble for him is that he isn't a Dave who's just bad full stop but is entertaining with it, and he isn't a Mark who can do the comedy but can also dance well with it. It's just kind of middle ground and I think it's one of the reasons that he hasn't been doing well in the public vote. 

Judges' score: 23/40 (4, 6, 7, 6)
My score: 4.5 (much better than Fiona)


Rachel & Pasha - Quickstep - "Johnny got a Boom Boom"

Is it just me or did it seem to anyone else that they were doing a slow routine to a quick song? No? Just me then. What I can agree with everyone else on is this: what on flipping earth was she wearing? Trousers, as we all know, are a death omen (well, not death, just possible elimination but you get the drift). Onto the routine itself - I'm sorry Pasha but this was a mess, and even you looked ropey in parts. Rachel was struggling to keep up and there was quite a big gap between them on a few occasions. She messed up a leg kick on one of the choruses and I think they both mistimed the little jumps towards the end. Not a good performance from either of them and so I'm kind of not surprised that they were in the bottom 2. We don't know what dance she's doing this week, let's just hope that it isn't a Jive. 

Judges' score: 26/40 (5, 7, 7, 7)
My score: 5.5 (I agree that she was on a par with Mark: you have Mark doing non-traditional choreography but executing it well, vs Rachel who has traditional choreography but messing up quite a bit. For me it amounts to the same thing really)


Ben & Kristina - Salsa - "Hard to Handle"

Interesting that Kristina would have danced this dance to this song with Jason had they got through to the final 2 in 2011. So kind of a *recycled song choice* rather than a *RECYCLED SONG CHOICE*. As for the dance itself, well it wasn't really a Salsa was it? Just Kristina doing her usual trick of making it all about her to hide the celebrity (the pro dances do this as well, just making it all about Kristina), and it's a shame that the judges are still falling for it. How the hell was that worth the same as Ashley's routine, or better than Susanna's? It was just lifts and him doing dad dancing for most of it. A bit of faffing at the start (about the same time as Rachel & Pasha spent faffing - 20 seconds) too. He did do well on the armography section though, that was great. And that little backheel to lift Kristina back up was risky but it looked amazing. We learned last week with the Rumba that Ben actually can dance, and yet Julien actually did more Salsa than he did. I'm not looking forward to having to suffer Kristina's choreography for the next 5 or 6 weeks (as I'm expecting Ben to be placed much higher than he should). They have the Quickstep next, so please Kristina, let him actually dance! 

Judges' score: 31/40 (8, 8, 8, 7)
My score: 5.5 (the tricks were great but there wasn't much Salsa in there)


So my leaderboard at the moment looks like this:

1. Ashley & Ola - 8
2. Sophie & Brendan - 7.5
=3. Mark & Iveta - 5.5
=3. Rachel & Pasha - 5.5
=3. Ben & Kristina - 5.5
6. Julien & Janette - 4.5
7. Fiona & Anton - 3


The last 6 dances will be covered in part 2, which I'm planning to be up on Thursday :)

SCD 2013: Week 3, Part 2

Well I posted my thoughts on the first 7 dances a few days ago, and now it's time for me to cover the 7 remaining dances.


Sophie & Brendan - Samba - "All Night Long"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (James & Camilla in series 3). I have to say, whilst I loved her Charleston last week, this was a big disappointment for me. Although it looked like she had the bounce action and the footwork right, her arms looked really floppy all the way through and she seriously needs to look at her arm (and in particular her hand) extensions. Also, even though I do appreciate that this was supposedly a 'cool' Samba - the Samba is the party dance and Sophie's looked as though she didn't want to be at that party. She has the Foxtrot this week, and she did well in her Waltz so I'm expecting good things from this.

Judges' score: 31/40 (7, 8, 8, 8)
My score: 6 (floppy arms and not a great performance)


Julien & Janette - Jive - "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Darren & Lilia in series 3). Well I haven't been impressed by Janette's choreography so far, and I'm afraid this did nothing to change my mind. Not much actual Jive content, lots of faffing at the start, the bit at the judges' table wasn't needed, I could go on. She over-danced too, making his footwork look worse than it was. To be fair to Julien, his footwork wasn't too bad for most of it, but he went wrong with the swizzy arms at the beginning and he was a bit out of time ever since. He has the Salsa this week - now this is Janette's specialty, so if she cannot do a decent bit of choreography here then she never will. He has looked ok in training though, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

Judges' score: 22/40 (4, 5, 7, 6)
My score: 4 (out of time etc)


Susanna & Kevin - Viennese Waltz - "Annie's Song"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Andrew & Ola in series 6). I love what Kevin did with the choreography, it flowed really well and although it took them a while to get into proper hold, they didn't faff and actually still danced. Susanna, great arm and hand extensions from you, and the footwork looked spot-on. Now I'm not sure what Len was saying about the incomplete fleckel (or however you spell it, after 10 years I still have no idea), as it seemed perfectly fine. Maybe there was something in the footwork that I couldn't spot? Still, it was gorgeous and I loved it, which I can't say about most VWs. They have the Samba this week, a tough dance but she looks to be doing well with it in training. I'll be interested to see where Kevin goes with the choreography.

Judges' score: 34/40 (8, 9, 9, 8)
My score: 8 (I couldn't spot anything wrong, but I'll go with the judges on the fleckel debate)


Vanessa & James - Tango - "Lay All Your Love on Me"

Firstly, I love this song, so I was hoping for a great performance at least from these two. I was actually pleasantly surprised. Bear in mind that the audio was messed up and so I had to watch most of it without any audio. I didn't like the beginning with the necklace, but I think she completely got the character of it, so very well done there Vanessa (also well done James, as I liked the little Argentine Tango-style section). However, her hold was too loose, she lacked sharpness, and she went wrong with the footwork quite a few times. I'm a bit sad that she's gone out actually, because James was great as part of the comedy pairing and I'd like to see that niceness more often. 

Judges' score: 20/40 (3, 5, 6, 6)
My score: 4 (about on a par with Julien for me)


Ashley & Ola - Samba - "Love is in the Air"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Natasha & Brendan in series 1). I thought his American Smooth last week was fantastic so I was intrigued to see how he'd cope with this. I have to say I was impressed. His footwork was great, he had the bounce action, and that section with the drums (bongos I think) was awesome. He just needs to watch his arm and hand extensions. He almost has it perfected, just needs to make sure that he extends the hand all the way through and that he doesn't just throw the arm out, but to place it. He has the Viennese Waltz next time, and I'm really excited to see it as his training looks great.

Judges' score: 31/40 (8, 8, 7, 8)
My score: 7.5 (his arms were much better than Sophie's and he gave a better performance)


Natalie & Artem - Rumba - "Love the Way you Lie"

I so badly want to like this partnership, but I still don't (I think it's Artem as I've never liked any of his partnerships). This might have technically been brilliant, but it was just a bit boring for me. I'm not a fan of Artem's choreography this series so far, everything has bored me when I do actually want to keep watching as I know it's going to be good. They did kind of do an illegal lift at the beginning (both of her feet were briefly off the floor when they did the sweeping spin), and Nat did lose it a bit just after she had to move her hair from her face, but those were the only faults that I could spot. They do have the Quickstep this week, but Natalie is injured with what looks like a compressed disc and sciatica - they'll confirm on ITT tomorrow whether she'll be able to dance on Saturday. I hope she will but it might be better for her to rest this week, take a bye and then see if she's able to do next week.

Judges' score: 36/40 (9, 9, 9, 9)
My score: 8.5 (technically great, but the performance didn't do it for me)


Deborah & Robin - Quickstep - "(Your Love is Lifting Me) Higher & Higher"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Matt & Lilia in series 4). This is probably my favourite pairing. Deborah has such a great attitude to the show and Robin isn't camping it up too much this year choreography-wise. Now this was a lovely surprise. Apart from going slightly wrong at the beginning, Deborah's footwork was excellent, and I loved the Charleston and American Smooth touches within the routine. The main issue was gapping - there was a lot of that within the routine (although I think the music was really quick, she might have been better off with 'It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't got that Swing' (the Quickstep version of course) which is a bit slower). They've got the Jive this week, this could be a tricky one and the training doesn't look good. I'll just have to hope and pray for them.

Judges' score: 28/40 (7, 7, 7, 7)
My score: 6 (gapping all the way through)



So my leaderboard for this half is as follows:
1. Natalie & Artem - 8.5
2. Susanna & Kevin - 8
3. Ashley & Ola - 7.5
=4. Sophie & Brendan - 6
=4. Deborah & Robin - 6
=6. Julien & Janette - 4
=6. Vanessa & James - 4

And this is my leaderboard for the week:
1. Natalie & Artem - 8.5
2. Susanna & Kevin - 8
3. Ashley & Ola - 7.5
=4. Fiona & Anton - 6.5
=4. Mark & Iveta - 6.5
=6. Rachel & Pasha - 6
=6. Ben & Kristina - 6
=6. Sophie & Brendan - 6
=6. Deborah & Robin - 6
10. Abbey & Aljaz - 5.5
11. Patrick & Anya - 5
=12. Julien & Janette - 4
=12. Vanessa & James - 4
14. Dave & Karen - 3

So compared to the real leaderboard: Sophie has gone down 3 places, Abbey 5 places, Patrick 2 places, and Ben and Deborah are down 1 place. Fiona and Vanessa have gone up a place, Rachel 3 places and Mark 7 places.

A bit controversial maybe, but that's just my opinion :)

And to finish off, a full list of the dances that will be seen on Saturday:

Cha Cha Cha - Mark & Iveta, Patrick & Anya
Foxtrot - Sophie & Brendan
Jive - Deborah & Robin
Quickstep - Natalie & Artem, Rachel & Pasha
Rumba - Fiona & Anton
Salsa - Ben & Kristina, Julien & Janette
Samba - Susanna & Kevin
Tango - Abbey & Aljaz
Viennese Waltz - Ashley & Ola
Waltz - Dave & Karen

Hope you enjoyed my musings, and I'll be back again next week :D