Strictly Come Dancing 2014: Week 1 (part 2)

So it was Saturday night, alright for fighting as Elton John would tell you. The only fighting going on here was to see if anyone could get a lower score than Scott Mills (short answer: no).

As a recap: Mark, Gregg and Alison were dancing the Cha Cha Cha, Simon and Jennifer the Jive, Steve and Sunetra the Tango, and Frankie and Thom the Waltz.

Tess and Claude: MUCH BETTER! We got Claudia back, and boy did they look the better for it. It's fine to experiment with colour Claude but that pink dress was too bright. Tess has managed to get it right probably more times now than she did for the entirety of the last series - that should tell you something.

Ooh opening pro dance! I liked the effects they did with the screen, it took me a little while to figure out that the screen was being used so they did a good job there. Was that the Glee version of 'Pompeii'? It sounded like it to me. Saw the brother and sister from Grimsby dancing together for a small section of the routine, and I was trying to work out who Natalie's pro partner is. I think it was Trent but we hardly saw her so I'm not sure.

Onto the dancing!


Mark & Karen - Cha Cha Cha - "I'm Your Man"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT - Richard & Lilia in series 7*

This song got ruined for me when Shane Richie decided to cover it for Children in Need oh so many years ago (think it was 2003 or something like that), so like with Judy & Anton, I was just watching Mark & Karen. I can't really take Mark seriously - he's so built up top but then he has spindly little legs! Liked the choreography from Karen, Mark already has the 'Nicky Byrne one hand on hip at nearly all times' move down pat. He's actually much better than I thought he would be: his footwork looked pretty good for the most part (think he set off on the wrong foot at one point though when he was in the bottom corner, or had a bit of hesitation there), he had some hip action, and it's only really his arms that he needs to sort out. They were a bit fly-away and he probably needs to extend them through a bit more. Oh yeah, the little tricks he did? Not needed, c'mon Mark you've shown some promise, save those for the Charleston or Showdance should you get that far. Because of his odd build, he might have some struggles with the hold for Ballroom (Steve also has this issue), so I'll be interested in seeing what Karen can do with that.

Judges' scores: 5, 7, 6, 6 making a total of 24/40
My score: 5.5 


Alison & Aljaz - Cha Cha Cha - "I'm Every Woman"

Now this I thought should have been the opener. Alison is my local celeb (so now you all have an idea of where I'm from) and I've always liked her, she's on the right side of 'loud and bubbly'. Having seen her training vid, she has a lot of rhythm so the Cha Cha Cha is the perfect dance for her to start with. I do love this partnership, Aljaz looks to be having a lot of fun with her. Onto the dance itself - I'm really impressed. Alison looked to have the footwork down, and her arms were quite good for the most part, only occasionally going fly-away. The choreography was great, just the right amount of story and they were both enjoying it, which is great to see. Alison just needs to make sure that she doesn't get too 'in the moment', as there were a couple of instances where she lost it for a beat or two as she was enjoying herself that much. Ballroom should be intriguing to watch. She might be a dark horse.

Judges' scores: 6, 6, 7, 7 making a total of 26/40
My score: 6 (a few more mistakes compared to Caroline but I preferred the choreography)


Steve & Ola - Tango - "Born to be Wild"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT - Ali & Brian in series 7*

I totally called it that Steve would be dancing to this at some point. Does he remind anyone else of Chris Hollins or is it just me? Knowing Ola's choreography, I'm just waiting for the pivots to get their weekly outing. YEP, I SEE PIVOTS!!!! Ola also managed to get a move from the Paso that she did with Ashley last year (the cowboy one) into this routine. Hmm, is she struggling that much for ideas? I felt Jake got the hold a bit better than Steve did, but I think it's down to Steve's build - he was hunched over for a fair amount of the routine. He got into the character well, his arms were good in the non-hold sections, he maintained body contact, and he seemed to have decent footwork. Steve is probably the surprise for me so far. He's got the Cha Cha Cha next week - I'm calling it now - STARFISH WILL BE BACK! AND A KNEE SLIDE! 

Judges' scores: 6, 6, 7, 7 making a total of 26/40
My score: 6.5 


Jenny & Tristan - Jive - "Happy"

I'm fed up of this song by now, make it stop! I felt Tristan over-danced for some parts, making Jenny look a lot worse than she was. She might not have got the technique (she needs to point her feet when doing the kicks for example), she might not have had much energy, but she was able to keep up with him all the way through. Her timing was pretty much spot-on, apart from one little bit at the very end when she seemed to stand still for a beat or two, as if she'd forgotten her step. I think Tristan's choreography could have been a bit better - I wouldn't have put her on the table for one (making her feet more noticeable), and I wouldn't have had so many side-by-side sections, she needed a bit more 'in-hold' I think. Waltz this week should be a lot better for her, she might struggle with the hold, but I think she'll be better there.

Judges' scores: 3, 5, 5, 5 making a total of 18/40
My score: 4


Thom & Iveta - Waltz - "You Raise Me Up"

I can't stand this song either, having had to suffer through it for months when Westlife released it. Thom is a bit bland, and I don't really understand the attractiveness, he looked better when he was playing rugby imo. I loved Iveta with Mark last year so I was hoping for a good dance for her. Thom had a bit of a rictus grin on all the way through, and I can see why the judges said the routine was 'careful'. It was very well placed, his lines were drawn out and done well, but it wasn't that engaging to watch. He needed to draw his shoulders back a bit more as he looked hunched over at points, and he also needed to have better body contact with Iveta. A cautious start, he might need to be helped with the performance side (go and see Alison would be my tip). He's got Salsa this week, and I am practicing my 'struggling not to laugh' face in anticipation of his awkwardness.

Judges' scores: 5, 6, 6, 6 making a total of 23/40
My score: 5


Sunetra & Brendan - Tango - "Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)"

Good song choice, one I haven't heard of before. Predictable start to the routine, but liked the easy way to get out of the surgical gowns. She seemed to have good footwork, but I would have liked to have seen a slightly stronger hold from her. Her head also needed to be a bit more tilted to the left, it was too upright during the routine. I think she didn't really get into the performance element of the Tango either, I wanted to see a bit more from her in that respect. Sunetra has the Cha Cha Cha this week, so she needs to work on the performance side for definite. Not a bad start from her though, and I get the feeling that Latin might be more her thing.

Judges' scores: 5, 6, 6, 7 making a total of 24/40
My score: 5


Gregg & Aliona - Cha Cha Cha - "Hot & Cold"

Two words: Poor Aliona. We all know his reputation from Twitter/media etc. I have to say though, I think I laughed at this even more than I did Scott's on Friday. He was trying, but it just wasn't there. That, and how much of the choreography was dedicated to side-by-side so Aliona wasn't anywhere near him. Odd arrangement of the song though, seemed a bit slower compared to the original. His arms were awful, he struggled with the footwork, jeez I don't know if I can say anything was good, Oh yes, Aliona was good, that's it. He just looks odd without his glasses, like a weird version of Richard O'Brien from The Crystal Maze. Hopefully he gets a nice Ballroom to go out on, something like a Foxtrot maybe - I say that as I'm pretty sure he'll be out first.

Judges' scores: 3, 5, 5, 5 making a total of 18/40
My score: 3.5


Frankie & Kevin - Waltz - "Someone Like You"

Adele should sue for what they did to her song, just saying. That aside, this was so beautiful, so elegant, they should both be proud of what they did here. Her arms were exquisite, her footwork was excellent, she even got in the patented 'Natalie head twirl' (copyrighted by Messrs Lowe and Gumede). I actually felt she was undermarked, this was just as good as Abbey's last year and yet she got less. I still find Frankie a little bland at the moment, but I love Kevin and I think a good party Latin might be all she needs to win over everyone. She has the Charleston this week, and I thought Kevin's with Susanna last year was quite underrated, so she might do well here. Give her the kind of routine that Abbey had for hers, and she'll be in business.

Judges' scores: 7, 7, 8, 8 making a total of 30/40
My score: 8


Simon & Kristina - Jive - "Good Golly Miss Molly"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT - Natalie & Vincent in series 7*

I think everyone knows my warm and loving affection for Kristina (not). Sadly, Simon seems very cocky and I get the feeling they'll be unbearable this year in the way that Ricky & Natalie were on series 7. I did quite like Kristina's choreography for this Jive though. Lots of kicks and flicks, with a Rock n Roll edge. Simon was pretty good, but a little flat-footed in places, he needed to point his feet on the kicks and flicks (I do think the shoes might have been a hindrance there). I also thought he was a bit slow in some sections, but that might have been choreographed slowness. He was decent on the Christmas Special he did with Katya, so I'm not surprised he did well for this first routine. I get the feeling he'll be good at Ballroom as well, but might struggle slightly with the performance side as I think he did here.

Judges' scores: 6, 7, 7, 7 making a total of 27/40
My score: 6.5


Judges' overall leaderboard:
1. Frankie & Kevin - 30
2. Jake & Janette - 28
=3. Caroline & Pasha, Pixie & Trent, Simon & Kristina - 27
=6. Alison & Aljaz, Steve & Ola - 26
=8. Mark & Karen, Sunetra & Brendan - 24
10. Thom & Iveta - 23
=11. Tim & Natalie, Judy & Anton, Jennifer & Tristan, Gregg & Aliona - 18
15. Scott & Joanne - 16

My overall leaderboard (marks multiplied by 4):
1. Frankie & Kevin - 32
2. Jake & Janette - 28
=3. Steve & Ola, Simon & Kristina - 26
=5. Caroline & Pasha, Pixie & Trent, Alison & Aljaz - 24
8. Mark & Karen - 22
=9. Thom & Iveta, Sunetra & Brendan - 20
11. Judy & Anton - 18
12. Jenny & Tristan - 16
=13. Tim & Natalie, Gregg & Aliona - 14
15. Scott & Joanne - 12


Join me next time, when I'll be dissecting the week 2 dances. But until then, 


KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP READING!

Strictly Come Dancing 2014: Week 1 (part 1)

I'm baaaaack! After going AWOL towards the end of the series last year (due to simply being extremely busy in the run up to Christmas), I'm making a (hopefully triumphant) return to blogging the show. I'm aiming to post the blog as soon as I can after the show has aired, but because I have work 3 days a week, it will be up on either Sundays, Mondays or Fridays.

So the live shows have now kicked off, with Tess & Claude at the helm. Tess looked quite nice last night in her jumpsuit (I think that's what it's called, I'm not really a follower of fashion) whilst Claudia, well, that pink dress did not suit her whatsoever and she needs to get her fringe back as she looked old.

It was Friday night and the first 6 couples kicked off the series - Caroline, Tim and Scott with the Cha Cha Cha, Pixie with the Jive, Jake with the Tango and Judy with the Waltz. I was most looking forward to seeing Jake and Scott after watching the training videos, but I was hoping that I'd warm to the other couples and that they would all produce decent if not great performances.


Caroline & Pasha - Cha Cha Cha - "Can You Feel It?"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT - Ray & Camilla in series 4*

So it was down to former Xtra Factor host and Harry Styles' ex Caroline Flack to open the show. She actually won a Strictly-style show called 'Dancing on Wheels' a few years ago, with Ola as one of the judges so I had a feeling that she'd be one of the better ones. It was a bit of a struggle to watch this back (via the Strictly website) as the camera work was quite blurry. I wasn't a fan of her dress, yes it allowed for movement but it disguised the hip action. As for the dance, she was great but I found it boring to watch. It might be down to the choreography, but it just didn't grab me and hold my interest in the way that the opening number should. Caroline went a bit wrong in the middle (I think she forgot a step or two), the 'clock' move was messy and not needed, and her arms were 'fly away' sometimes, but it was a very good first routine and I think she has real potential. 

Judges' scores: 6, 7, 7, 7 making a total of 27/40
My score: 6


Tim & Natalie - Cha Cha Cha - "Shop Around"

And so the 'make the song have a tenuous link to the celeb' theme has risen again. I love this pairing and I think they'll have fun, although maybe don't expect good dancing from them. The opening gambit was before the music so Len's customary 'faffing abaht' comment wasn't required. Okay, so not much was good in terms of technique, but there was a lot of Cha Cha content in there and you could tell he was trying. Once he gets a Ballroom out of the way then we can properly judge. I reckon a lot of viewers will fall in love with them, and Natalie will cement her status as the most popular female pro.

Judges' scores: 3, 5, 5, 5 making a total of 18/40
My score: 3.5


Jake & Janette - Tango - "Toxic"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT - Chris & Hanna in series 1, Gavin & Katya in series 8*

I was a bit worried about this dance due to the song choice, but I think they went for somewhere between the original and the Glee version. I've always liked Jake from seeing him in EastEnders (and he was also in a science video that I had to watch in school, back when he had hair. He hasn't changed much since then), and I'm wondering what his 'Arse Appreciation Society' on Digital Spy are going to make of him. I'm not a fan of Janette and thought her choreography last series was awful, so I'm crossing my fingers that she'll pull it back this year. She did a lot better with this dance, but I feel she put in a bit too much story, Jake could have handled more choreography in my opinion. As for the man himself, he was essentially Max Branning for the routine and it worked - his footwork and staccato were great and he really got into the performance. He wasn't as masculine as I was expecting though, he had such a strong hold that it looked a little robotic. I want to watch him do a Latin though to see if it's stiffness on his part or if it was just a really strong hold he had. I'm impressed and I'll definitely be watching out for them.

Judges' scores: all 7s making a total of 28/40
My score: 7


Judy & Anton - Waltz - "Mull of Kintyre"

I seriously can't stand this song, so I was focused on watching them during the routine. From what I'd seen of her, Judy seemed nice and I'm looking forward to watching how she'd get her personality across in a Latin. Scottish theme was afoot - this would have been so awkward had Scotland voted for independence wouldn't it? I wasn't too excited after watching it for the first time, but after viewing it again, it was actually a lot better than previously thought. I didn't like the beginning, but once they got into hold when the bagpipes started, it was much better. Judy seemed to have got the footwork, and although her frame could use some work, she was quite decent. She did go wrong a couple of times - I think she got caught off-balance and isn't quite used to being in high heels yet, so hopefully now she's got her first dance out of the way she can work on that. I think she might just get to the halfway point, there's some promise there.

Judges' scores: 3, 4, 6, 5 making a total of 18/40
My score: 4.5 (about the right score from the judges, but I would have had her higher than Tim)


Scott & Joanne - Cha Cha Cha - "Rock DJ"

This song brings back memories for me (I had to do a freestyle dance to this back when I was younger, good god the outfit!) and funnily enough, Scott's routine was similar in some ways to mine. Not much Cha Cha in there, it was mostly Freestyle if I'm honest, bit disappointed in Joanne in that respect. Still, it wasn't quite as camp as Tim's, and I never thought I would say that! Again he was trying, but it just didn't look good. I do wonder how he would fare with a Ballroom routine, he might be better there where it's more controlled and you don't have to do as many different steps with your legs. I felt the floor spin and the slide at the end weren't really needed, but the dance was really entertaining so props to them both there.

Judges' scores: 2, 4, 5, 5 making a total of 16/40
My score: 3 (as bad as Tim but less content)


Pixie & Trent - Jive - "Shake it Off"

Not a fan of Pixie or the song so I wasn't looking forward to this routine. A lot of people had Pixie as a favourite so I was waiting to see what she could produce. I was a bit underwhelmed actually. She had the technique down but she was lacking a bit of energy, and unlike Kevin (who was guilty of this a lot last year) I don't think Trent was over-dancing either. She went out of synch in the side-by-side kicks and flicks section and I think she got flustered by that a little and missed a couple of steps. She also seemed to mess up slightly during the armography section, just a bit of hesitation there. Compared to Susanna's and Patrick's Jives at this stage last year, which were full of dynamism and energy, this one just didn't wow. Hopefully with a Ballroom she'll look much better and Trent could create something great for her. 

Judges' scores: 7, 6, 7, 7 making a total of 27/40
My score: 6


Judges' Leaderboard:
1. Jake & Janettte - 28
=2. Caroline & Pasha - 27
=2. Pixie & Trent - 27
=4. Tim & Natalie - 18
=4. Judy & Anton - 18
6. Scott & Joanne - 16

My Leaderboard (marks multiplied by 4 for direct comparison):
1. Jake & Janette - 28
=2. Caroline & Pasha - 24
=2. Pixie & Trent - 24
4. Judy & Anton - 18
5. Tim & Natalie - 14
6. Scott & Joanne - 12


So onto Saturday night, and this is how the dancers line up:

Alison, Gregg, and Mark are doing the Cha Cha Cha, Simon and Jennifer are Jiving, Sunetra and Steve will be dancing the Tango, and Frankie and Thom will be Waltzing.

I'm looking forward to Alison as she's my local celeb and she looks to have a lot of rhythm. I'm also interested in seeing how Frankie gets on - she looked good and she's with one of my favourite pros in the lovely KFG.

I'll be back sometime tomorrow with the review of Saturday's proceedings, but until then:

KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP READING!