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
Thursday 28 November 2013
Wednesday 20 November 2013
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
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
Wednesday 13 November 2013
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
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
Thursday 7 November 2013
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
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
Monday 4 November 2013
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 :)
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 :)
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