Strictly Come Dancing 2015: Week 2 (part, the only)

Evening all, and apologies for neglecting the blog this week: being at work from 11-7 plus 3 hours worth of travel time means an exhausted Enigma. So the blog is still going up, but it's going to be a slightly different format.

Over on the Strictly forums on Digital Spy, there's a thread called '5 thoughts' where you post 5 thoughts for each particular week. It's been going for a while and it's a great read (I sometimes post there too). So for this blog, I'm adapting that a little and adding 5 thoughts for every couple - and if this works then if I think I might not be able to get the blog up, then I'll post another of these instead. I've only been able to see the dances once this week, so it's less about them and more on how I see the couples, as well as the dance they're doing for week 3.

With that long preamble over, let's start with my 5 thoughts list, and I've also included my own drinking game for the week 3 show (which I shall adapt every week).

Ainsley & Natalie:

1. Shake that little tush, honey!

2. Pun song choice: check! Hopefully he's crossed off of the list now

3. Where were the green peppers?

4. Please keep him in for the facial expressions alone

5. Scoring was about right, what a shocker!

Anita & Gleb:

1. Although it was a bit too Gleb-y for my liking (no one likes a show-off), it was actually quite good choreography for a Charleston I thought, so props to him.

2. Loved Anita's outfit, red really suits her and her hair was gorgeous

3. Also loved the start and end with the window, now THAT is how you use a prop!

4. Not much swivel, but then swivel is not the be-all-and-end-all of the Charleston, well, unless you're Craig, that is.

5.  Good performance from Anita actually, I really want to see her do Paso/Tango as I reckon she could knock it out of the park.

Anthony & Oti:

1. More good work from Oti: apparently week 2 in the series of "How to cover up an arm injury when dancing" is all about "lovey-dovey, hand on heart whilst the audience tries not to puke"

2. I did still love their Waltz though

3. I did still give them a vote

4. And I am still looking forward to their Paso, even though the producers have punished them by making them have another round of the ‘pun song choice carousel’ (it’s a bit like jury service: some people never get asked/have to do it, others get picked to do it a lot)

5. Speaking of their Paso, will Anthony be playing a bandit? (I think you all know where my bad joke is coming from)

Carol & Pasha:

1.  Pasha was quite possessive over that umbrella wasn’t he? It’s as if he has to hold on to something during each routine (he might just be making Anthony feel better by copying though, who knows?)

2. Lovely traditional music, always makes a dance look so much better, especially if it’s a duffer (Scott’s Samba last year anyone? I still have nightmares about him suddenly appearing and chasing after me, scuttling sideways with his pincers……)

3. Carol didn’t look too bad in this dance, there could be hope for her yet (actually scratch that, I’ve seen this week’s dance……)

4.  Somehow I get the feeling that this week’s Quickstep will be more of a Slowstep than Peter’s this week – more on THAT to come

5. Seeing as how Pasha loves his props, and they’re dancing to ‘Wash that Man’ from South Pacific, is the beginning going to be him coming out of the shower in a towel? (Well some can dream, not me, but some…..)

Daniel & Kristina:

1. Props to Kristina, she played it just right on the choreography front

2. Less Botox Daniel and more Fun Daniel this week, can we keep this one please?

3. Then again I’m kind of dreading him being Fun Daniel channelling Danny Zuko…..

4. I’m also expecting Craig to open his comments with ‘More Granny Zuko than Danny Zuko’ (if he does, then you heard it here first!)

5. Is it bad that when I’m trying to picture this upcoming Cha Cha Cha, all I’m getting is Chris Hollins and the Starfish?

Georgia & Giovanni:

1. Pun song choice: check!

2. SWING!

3.  I started to fancy Giovanni quite a bit during this dance, and then I see the sweaty Betty at the end of the routine and I rapidly went off him again

4. Is it just me, or does he looks-wise look a lot like Matt Di Angelo? (Something in the face, I don’t know…..)

5.  Still not convinced Georgia has much of a personality, Charleston is a-calling please! What do they have? Rumba? Oh good flipping lord……

Helen & Aljaz:

1.  I think only 3 words are needed to describe Helen in this routine: Awkward. As. F***

2. But then I think the only reason they put this at the end is less about Helen’s ability, and more about us women wanting to see Aljaz as a dirty mechanic (phwoar, to be fair he’s only got about 2 years on me, so I’m allowed)

3. So with them doing Foxtrot this week, and their song, I really want Helen to show off her inner Trixie and give us some sexy sass (because we know Aljaz will put this in, if his dances with Alison Hammond were anything to go by)

4. Going back to number 1, what was Aljaz thinking with the ‘rubbing the chesticles’ trick, it didn’t look sexy, it just looked odd

5. I still wonder why they don’t use the Westlife version of this song at all? It's very similar to the Billy Joel version but more... high-pitched? I think that's the right word there, you think they'd be desperate to use different versions of tracks so we don't do *RECYCLED SONG ALERT* all the bloody time.

Iwan & Ola:

1. Not sexy, but he doesn't know it

2. Breakdancing in a Cha Cha? It’s not unusual, we saw glimpses of it with Mark Wright and his Caterpillar/Worm thing last year, difference was that this was better

3. Did my eyes deceive me, or did Ola not do any of her patented Ola-ography? No pivots, no starfish, what is the world coming to?!

4. That being said, good to see her showing some variety, even if it is a bit too late in this instance

5. Yeah, he deserved to be the first boot.

Jamelia & Tristan:

1. I don’t know if this might have been the first time that instead of a Wardrobe Malfunction, it was Hair Malfunction (caused by the wind machines ofc)? I did feel a bit sorry for Jamelia with that though

2. Ok I think we can call it now, Tristan won’t be getting a contender next year

3.  Which is a shame as I actually quite like his Irish accent

4. Oh yes, Salsa, the all-important question over how much of a good duffer you are is ‘can you do lifts?’ As we found out with Kirsty, erm, no.

5. Not really shocked that she was in the bottom 2, and think she’ll be out in the next couple of weeks.

Jay & Aliona:

1. We haven’t seen spins like that since DVO - *RINGER ALARM*

2. Aliona’s heading into Artemis’ Wafty Territory I see, please come back out

2    3.  Still love Jay though

3    4. Did he really need the haircut? I quite liked the long hair and he could have had it put back into a ponytail if needs be

4    5. Ooh Jive, that should be the making of him I’d think, looking forward to it!

Jeremy & Karen:

1    1. Regarding the set: is this to do with Karen’s secret sexy dream that she could be an alluring librarian, but she has to be Happy Clappy Karen irl to keep up with Ker-azy Kevin? If so, then I applaud the producers for supporting their staff and helping to make their dreams come true

2    2. Anywayyyyy, for the stat fans, this is the second time in 2 years that Karen has done the American Smooth in week 2

3    3. Jeremy is so the cute little nerd isn’t he? If ever they did an oldies version of the Sugababes’ ‘Push the Button’ video, he’d so be the one with the green shirt that gets with Mutya, he has the facial expressions down already

4    4.  I’m not sure what is wrong with me, it’s as if I’ve been hit with Vine Flu

5    5. Ok, I’ll lay off the bad jokes, promise.

      Katie & Anton:

1    1.  I thought they were dancing to ‘Telephone’? Not that I didn’t like the rearranged track, I loved it actually but I’m not sure how they changed it from the original

2    2.   I might end up liking Anton this series, which just goes to show what having a good partner can do for a pro. He deserves it as well, he’s paid his dues and then some

3    3. Although he may have resorted to good old-fashioned bribery and paid the producers, we’ll have to see if he gives any cheeky winks to the judges, then we’ll know

4    4. Katie’s dress was stunning, but we all know she’ll be made to look awful in her Cha Cha Cha to ‘Pretty Woman’; it’s inevitable.

5    5. Love Katie in general, she’s not too posh to take the p*ss.

      Kellie & Kevin:

1    1.  Well at least Kevin knows how to do an authentic Cha Cha Cha, doesn’t he Janette?

2    2. Kellie does try too hard on the performance side though

3    3. And as soon as I say that, she gets the Charleston, to Star Wars. *Mind is blown*

4    4. I have the feeling that she’ll be late in the running order, so most likely I shall be completely and utterly gazeboed (thank you Michael McIntyre) when I watch this routine – see my drinking game below for why.

5    5.  I also have the feeling that Kevin will completely go for it and make me see double-vision as a result, so maybe it is best if I get drunk before, yes?

Kirsty & Brendan:

1    1. For anyone (including me) who hoped last week was just a blip: it wasn’t.

2    2. There was also a momentary blip during this routine, the part where her feet actually touched the floor! *shock, horror*

3    3. To those who were clutching their pearls when Giovanni showed the world Georgia’s pants last week (didn’t Natalie do it herself this week as well, where were you then?), they should be outraged at the whole ‘shimmy over the man whilst he lies back, thinks of England and looks up your skirt during the whole thing’ trick that Brendan pulled. Shame on you Mr Cole, and I was starting to get fond of you again after your adventure with Hoggy on Flockstars.

4    4. American Smooth this week? Brendan just needs to ask himself one question – how long can I make these lifts last?

5    5. With 2 lift-fest dances in a row, I take it that Kirsty will have Charleston next week, followed by Argentine Tango? Week 5 for an AT is about the right time after all.

Peter & Janette:

1    1. ‘Look judges! Look how quickly and energetically I can trot like the good little horse that I am! Watch meeeeeee!’

2    2.  I have to admit, watching Peter try to knee himself in the face – so he could knock himself out and get sympathy votes from it all, I know your game Andre – was hilarious.

3    3. Not nearly as hilarious as his Jack Sparrow get-up is bound to be though, he’s no Johnny Depp that’s for sure

4    4. Oh yes, with all of my giggling I nearly forgot, THIS WAS NOT A QUICKSTEP

5    5. I actually have faith in Janette that this Paso will be better than the monstrosity that poor Jake Wood had last year – I’m starting to wonder if I might be getting that Winter Sickness bug after all……..

     And here is my drinking game. Take a drink when the following happens:

      1. Every time Brendan says 'this girl'

2. Every time Len says 'you came aht'
3. Every time Craig mentions hands (bonus drink if he uses the word 'spatulistic' at any point)
4. Every time Tess & Claud, or Anita, go on about Gleb and his so-called hunkyness
5. If Tess talks about Jay's nerves
6. If any of the judges make a reference to Yoda after Kellie & Kevin's Charleston (bonus drink if any impersonate Yoda, my money's on Bruno)
7. If any of Peter Andre's wife/kids appear in his VT
8. Every time you see Peter Andre try to get into shot in the Clauditorium
9. If Gleb finds a mirror in the Clauditorium after his dance
10. If you see Anton and/or Brendan get up to mischief in the Clauditorium

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* count: 14 so far (8 this week as you'll see below)

Anita's Charleston (Ali & Brian in series 7, Richard & Erin in series 10)

Anthony's Waltz (Carol & Matthew in series 4, Kara & Artem in series 8, Michael & Natalie in series 10)

Daniel's Charleston (Pamela & James in series 8)

Helen's Cha Cha Cha (Anita & Brendan in series 9)

Jamelia's Cha Cha Cha (Gavin & Katya in series 8)

Jay's Waltz (Jimmy & Flavia in series 4, Christine & Matthew in series 6, Chelsee & Pasha in series 9)

Kellie's Cha Cha Cha (Lynda & Darren in series 7)

Peter's Quickstep (Alesha & Matthew in series 5, Holly & Artem in series 9)

       

        

J

2

1

Strictly Come Dancing 2015: Week 1 (Night 2)

So last time we saw the first 6 couples strut their stuff on the Strictly Dancefloor for the first time this series. They can basically be summed up thus:

Kellie: wardrobe got the wrong memo, and apparently Kevin only got half of it
Anthony: injured but undermarked
Helen: FEET!
Carol: awkward and 'duffer' (what we've wanted for Pash for awhile, fair play and all that!)
Daniel: oddly charming (the wind has changed and he's stuck like that, I'm dreading his Latin face)
Anita: pleasant surprise, where was Gleb?


And so we now move on to the Saturday portion of proceedings. In the Style Stakes: it was a close call but I think Tess just about won (Claud's dress didn't quite fit her properly). Opening pro dance to 'Shut Up & Dance' (what I thought every time I saw Mark Wright last year, and what I'll most likely be thinking every time I see Peter Andre this series) - I didn't notice until someone pointed it out later but it was a homage to films with famous dances, and who was the randomer with (now) red-haired Joanne?

And as the celebs walk down the stairs, I think to myself: I get that you're nervous Jay but for god sake just acknowledge the audience with a little wave and clap when you get down to the bottom! If Jeremy Vine can do it then so can you.

Funnily enough, Jay's on first, which usually means 'good but won't be top of the leaderboard', so let's see how he, and the rest of them get on.........................


Jay & Aliona - Cha Cha Cha - "Reach Out (I'll Be There)"

Ok, so even though I ribbed him a bit before, I do love Aliona so I was happy when I saw (while in Mexico) that she had got Jay. He's the member of The Wanted that you'd forget when you were trying to name them: the talented one (Nathan), the one who used to be with Michelle Keegan (Max), the one who was on Masterchef (Tom), and the one with the odd name (Siva); so I came into this knowing pretty much nothing about him. I think after seeing him on Saturday and on ITT this week that he's going to be a favourite of mine in the same way that I like Tamal on Bake Off.

Onto the dance itself, and for a week 1 Cha Cha Cha by a male, it's pretty damn good. His hip action looked alright and I think he'll probably have the technique down for most Latin dances if his footwork here was anything to go by. Jay will need to work on his arms though, as he kind of just threw them out instead of extending properly into the line (oh good lord, I'm starting to sound like Craig and Darcey and this will never do!), and his free arm was just dangling on a few occasions. You could tell that he was nervous as well, so he could have a problem with 'letting go' in the more party dances (Samba/Salsa, might have issues with Charleston and Rumba as well).

They've got Waltz this week, so I'm quite hopeful that they'll do a great dance *fingers crossed*

My score: 6.5


Kirsty & Brendan - Waltz - "Vincent"

Kirsty was one where I wasn't sure what my opinion of her was beforehand, she could go either way: I just hoped it wasn't the 'Gabby Logan way' (no offence to Gabby but there's a reason that she went out early in her series and it wasn't the dancing). Would she be another Pendledrama, or another Bacofoil (Victoria Pendleton/Lisa Snowdon)? I do have to admit that I love the Strictly Come Bitching's blog take on this routine - and I think it says everything - so I shall just leave you to go there.

I know, I know, I've cheated by not including my own thoughts on here, but they've said exactly what I wanted to say and in such a brilliant way as well, I think you can hopefully allow me that this once.

God help her if she ever has to do Viennese Waltz. Luckily (or maybe not) for Kirsty, she's got Salsa this week. I do wonder if the 'dazed' face she had on in this dance will reappear.......

My score: 4


Jeremy & Karen - Cha Cha Cha - "September"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT! (Diarmuid & Nicole in series 2)*

I knew Jeremy from both my years as a Law/Politics student, and as a host of 'Eggheads' (love his banter with Judith btw). All I will say on his personality after that Cha Cha Cha is this, and it's exactly what I said to my mom when the dance had finished: there's a reason that Tim Vine is his brother.

Onto the dance itself, and I must admit that I didn't get the swingometer part until after the dance had finished (Labour leader election was in September). But apart from that, this was one of my favourite routines of the night, for pure entertainment value alone. Jeremy in this dance was Mark Foster, Jake Wood, Steve Backshall and Chris Hollins all rolled into one. He's my favourite kind of duffer, one that knows they're not going to be around for long so just gives it everything. His arms were awful and his footwork so-so, but those hips, man! *fans herself akin to Darcey*

This dynamic duo have got the American Smooth this week, and I'll be putting some votes their way just for the song alone (songs and dances will be posted at the end). Jeremy should be ok with this, you'd think.

My score: 4.5


Georgia & Giovanni - Jive - "Dear Future Husband"

Urgh, dropped down my rankings for the 'Little Georgia from Bury' shtick alone. This is obviously the 'showmance' of the series, which is hilarious as we all know she's dating 'him-who-has-just-buggered-off-from-Corrie'. Producers, we have more intelligence than you credit us with.

As for the dance, disgustingly cute. The song kind of reminded me of a poor man's version of 'Dance With Me Tonight' by Olly Murs, and the dance reminded me of a poor man's version of Dani & Vincent's Jive (although I appreciate that Dani did hers later on, week 5 I think). It looked decent enough from Georgia, but she almost stumbled coming out of those 2 spins - some spotting help needed there Giovanni, do the whole 'look into my eyes' trick - and although her kicks and flicks were well placed, they just lacked some welly. In all fairness though, it didn't help that Giovanni was going for it like the clappers ('outdancing' pro - check!). I think Georgia will do relatively well, but I get the feeling that she won't be around at the end.

So for Saturday, she's got the Waltz ('pun' song choice - check!), and I reckon she'll do decently, just that spotting as I mentioned earlier, she needs to get that down and fast!

My score: 5.75


Ainsley & Natalie - Tango - "Voulez-Vous"

Oh I do love these two together, I find Natalie so much more likeable since she had her first 'duffer' in Audley Harrison (I was not a fan of hers in her Ricky Whittle days.....). With that song choice, I had a feeling that this routine was going to be more camp than Scott Mills' Samba, and I was right.

I think 2 words are all that is required: Ainsley's face! That Tango face was a delight (and I did see Natalie grinning and singing along, love her!) and although he took the 'Parisian garcon' character just a BIT too far, and his hold was more Quasimodo than anything else, I absolutely loved it. One more thing: whoever rearranged this song to make it more Tango-y, was a bloody genius, as it sounded awesome (I'd certainly buy it).

Salsa for Ainsley to 'Don't Touch My Tomatoes' - *facepalms at the producers for the umpteenth time*. From the adverts on Food Network (showing #TeamAinsley) he does have the possibility of some good hip action and I think this might be the best dance for him - well, it's probably going to be better than Kirsty's at least........

My score: 4.5


Katie & Anton - Jive - "Roll Over Beethoven"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT! (Chris & Ola in series 7)*

Ooh here we go: could this be Anton's year?! (The storyline we fans dream up at the start of every series, usually has the question end with a disappointed but resounding 'NO!') I must admit that although I'd heard of Katie before the show, I hadn't seen anything with her on so knew nothing about her. After this dance, I might just be throwing a few votes to them over the weeks (after Anthony, Jeremy and Jay ofc).

WOW! I didn't think she'd be this good (although on second viewing, it's not as impressive). Legs to die for Katie, I must say. Well we know she can do turns and spins just fine (she could probably give Georgia help on those), but she did lose timing on a couple of occasions, and just like Giovanni, Anton was outdancing his partner. Good dance for week 1 though, and loved Anton's happy dance up in the Clauditorium afterwards.

Our sophisticated twosome have to do a Tango to 'Telephone', now this could go well or horribly wrong - depends what sort of mood Anton's in on Saturday I think.

My score: 5.5


Iwan & Ola - Tango - "Keep On Running"

*sigh* will the producers never learn! Another 'pun' track (pun not really intended there) and then they make it worse by projecting a running track on the floor - and then Ola goes and tops it all off with the beginning of that routine; she clearly doesn't want to come back next year.

Well what can I say about that? Worst bits of Robbie Savage and Ashley Taylor Dawson's Tangos combined, and when you're thinking that Robbie Savage was better than this, you know it's bad. Ola was also doing the Natalie grin during the dance, you know how we used to say when Erin had mentally checked out and was on Erin Island (just Monkseal then? ok), well I think Ola's got there already and is telling James to make a voodoo doll of her and stick pins in to get her out of the show.

Anyway, this duo have got a Cha Cha Cha coming up and all I can say is 1. Look at the song choice, and 2. I get the feeling that I'll be laughing myself silly like I was with Jeremy.....

My score: 3.5 (it's only fair to Carol)


Jamelia & Tristan - Waltz - "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man"

Jamelia's an odd one - I kind of have to support her because she's the local contestant (Dudley to Birmingham), but then I'm not a fan of hers. 

Onto the dance: and like a few others I think this was undermarked, especially compared to Kirsty's effort (it's about the score that I would give it, but there's been a lot of overmarking for me). Now Wardrobe have been quite kind to a lot of the celebs this series so far, but this was awful and not helped by the fact that Jamelia has quite broad shoulders (something my mom pointed out when she started dancing and I've been a bit fascinated by them ever since); I'd almost go as far as to say swap her's and Kirsty's outfits (as Kirsty's dress was gorgeous!). I could see what the judges said about her not closing her feet, and also, like Jay, needs to extend her arm lines more as she rushes them a little at times and spoils the shape. If the end pose was anything to go by then she's not as supple as I thought she would be.

Next time, they've got the moneysupermarket.com song as their Cha Cha Cha (you know the one, and I suspect the guy in the end would dance it better), and I expect Jamelia to come out and give it some sass, like Alesha did for her Beyoncé legendary routine.

My score: 5.25


Peter & Janette - Cha Cha Cha (apparently) - "Ain't No Other Man"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT! (Jade & Ian in series 7)*

If this was a Cha Cha Cha, then I'm a Dutchman (and that's wrong on both counts). The thumbnail on the BBC website (which is where I'm doing a second viewing of all the dances) is not kind to Janette at all, poor thing. 

As for the dance itself, I really thought that with that song, Janette could have choreographed a great and authentic Cha Cha to it (like Ian did with Jade back in series 7) but alas it wasn't to be. Instead we got... well.... this. This did not deserve top scoring of the night, let alone the weekend. I always think the marking should be 'how well did the celeb do at performing (  ) dance style?', so the judges on this made me go like 'what the hell?'. Now I'm not a fan of Peter, but what Janette gave him he did well for the most part. He looks like he could have some good hip action in him, fast footwork and he can certainly go with the performance side (in most Latin and QS definitely, not sure about Ballroom and Rumba). But yeah - NOT A CHA CHA CHA!

On Saturday, these two will be doing the only Quickstep of the night. Janette's choreography skills (what she has of them) don't really stretch to Ballroom, Tango aside possibly, so how she tries to do this will be interesting to see. 

My score: 6.25


Judges' Leaderboard (overall with night 2 in bold):
1. Peter & Janette - 30
2. Helen & Aljaz - 29
=3. Kellie & Kevin, Anita & Gleb, Jay & Aliona, Georgia & Giovanni - 27
7. Katie & Anton - 26
8. Daniel & Kristina - 24
=9. Anthony & Oti, Jamelia & Tristan - 21
=11. Kirsty & Brendan, Ainsley & Natalie - 20
13. Jeremy & Karen - 19
14. Iwan & Ola - 17
15. Carol & Pasha - 16

My Leaderboard (overall with night 2 in bold):
=1. Helen & Aljaz, Anita & Gleb - 28
=3. Daniel & Kristina, Kellie & Kevin, Jay & Aliona - 26
6. Peter & Janette - 25
7. Anthony & Oti - 24
8. Georgia & Giovanni - 23
9. Katie & Anton - 22
10. Jamelia & Tristan - 21
=11. Jeremy & Karen, Ainsley & Natalie - 18
13. Kirsty & Brendan - 16
=14. Carol & Pasha, Iwan & Ola - 14


Songs and dances for week 2 (taken from Strictly website):

Ainsley and Natalie will be serving up a Salsa to ‘Don’t Touch My Tomatoes’ by Josephine Baker.

Anita and Gleb will be performing the Charleston to ‘Pencil Full Of Lead’ by Paolo Nutini.

Anthony and Oti will be Waltzing to ‘If You Don’t Know Me By Now’ by Simply Red.

Carol and Pasha will be performing the American Smooth to ‘Isn’t This A Lovely Day’ by Irving Berlin.

Daniel and Kristina will be performing the Charleston to ‘Let’s Misbehave’ by Cole Porter.

Georgia and Giovanni will be Waltzing to ‘Georgia On My Mind’ by Ray Charles.

Helen and Aljaž will be performing the Cha Cha to Uptown Girl by Billy Joel.

Iwan and Ola will be performing the Cha Cha to ‘Sexy And I Know It’ by LMFAO.

Jamelia and Tristan will be performing the Cha Cha to ‘Don’t Cha’ by Pussycat Dolls.

Jay and Aliona will be Waltzing to ‘See The Day’ by Dee C Lee.

Jeremy and Karen will be performing the American Smooth to ‘Happy Together’ by The Turtles.

Katie and Anton will be Tangoing to ‘Telephone’ by Lady Gaga feat. Beyonce.

Kellie and Kevin will be performing the Cha Cha to ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’ by Elton John & Kiki Dee.

Kirsty and Brendan will be performing the Salsa to ‘Can’t Touch It’ by Ricki Lee.

Peter and Janette will be Quickstepping to ‘Valerie’ by The Zutons.

^ Apologies, this was taken directly from the blog on there.

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT!* count: 6 so far

Strictly Come Dancing 2015: Week 1 (Night 1)

I'm baaaaaaack! Yep, with another new series of Strictly, it's another run of the blog. So just some formalities before I crack on - in the 9 months that have passed since my last post (and apologies for not doing the final, I was kept super-busy in the run up to Christmas and then went away for New Year) I've got a job so I have less time than before to write up the blog. That means that the shows will be divided into 2 or 3 posts to start off with (aside from this week, where it's just night 1 and night 2), but then later on I may be able to get it all down into 1 post, we'll see!

I also never saw the launch show this year; I was on holiday at the time but I was able to find out who was paired with who. Been so excited at work all week for this show to come back!

In Friday's Style Stakes: Claudia was the winner (the cut-outs on Tess' dress at the neckline looked awful); and actually, from what I've seen so far, Wardrobe has definitely improved this year.


Kellie & Kevin - Tango - "You Really Got Me" 

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT! (Ricky & Natalie in series 7)*

Was I the only person that thought they were doing a Jive from their outfits? I get the whole 60s thing that Kevin seems to love (like Brendan and his 80s obsession) but it just did not go with this dance style - it would have been better if they were styled a bit more 'rock'-ish, and put in the moves to match. I usually like KFG's choreo but he needed to put more Tango in dammit! It started off a bit like a comedy Cha Cha Cha, then looked a little like a Paso Doble with the shaped arms and hands, and then finally at around 30 seconds in they got into hold and started doing a Tango. One thing I always look out for with the week 1 Tango(s) is the hold - footwork is one part of the package (which Kellie was pretty good at from what I could see), but if the hold and frame isn't right, it looks messy. Kellie's hold was quite strong and her left hand was tucked in just the right place under Kevin's armpit (Craig mentioned this at some point last series as being the way to go). I would have liked some more staccato and aggression/passion, but Kevin's choreography put paid to that idea..... if anything I would have said this was slightly overmarked if you look at the other 27 scorers, but as a first dance, I'll take it.

Recycled prop alert: their phonebox was used in Dani & Vincent's Tango back in series 10, and I'm not entirely sure but the motorbike may well have been from Steve & Ola's Tango last year.

My score: 6.5


Anthony & Oti - Jive - "Wake Me Up, Before You Go Go"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT! (Jason & Kristina in series 9, Julian & Erin in series 2*

Oh good lord, the producers must have thought that this would be soooooo clever (when we all predicted this would be a song that they'd give him). His arm injury was never going to help him (although Oti was great at helping to disguise it), but that said, I thought this was really undermarked, especially in comparison to some of the night 2 dances (but that will be continued in the night 2 post). His kicks and flicks weren't bad for week 1, and I noticed what the judges said about him trying to do the pumping action with the leg for those. He was in sync with Oti pretty much all the way through as well, which can be difficult for a Jive. Also, kudos to Oti for not over-dancing which the pros like to do in these dances (Giovanni I'm looking at you, and Kevin is normally a serial offender), especially as it makes the celeb look a lot worse than they might actually be. 

Anthony's got Waltz next week, and apparently he's finding it 'nigh on impossible' - I do hope he's ok otherwise he may well have to pull out at some point.....

My score: 6


Helen & Aljaz - Waltz - "With You, I'm Born Again"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT! (Denise & James in series 10, Mark & Karen in series 4, Natasha & Brendan in series 1)*

This is starting to catch up with 'Roxanne' in the recycled song chart. Now whilst this was beautiful and Helen looked gorgeous, I felt this was a poorer version of Aljaz's Waltz with Abbey in series 11. When Helen mentioned about her turned-out feet in the VT beforehand, I was deliberately looking out for them in this routine and she did have them a few times. Also, there was a fair bit of gapping and I think there was a mistake towards the end - there probably wasn't, but it looks like there could have been; and the floor sweep was not needed and made Helen a little unsteady on her feet when she got back up. Somehow I think Helen will really struggle in the Latin, she'll have a problem 'letting go' I feel. 

My score: 7


Carol & Pasha - Cha Cha Cha - "Thunder In My Heart"

I found it a little odd that it was one of the female singers doing this one, as even in the remix (which I think may have been the version used) it is still definitely Leo Sayer..... interesting. Sadly, apart from Pasha descending from the heavens on a glittery cloud - you know this will be a future GIF guys - that was probably the only interesting thing about the routine. Carol was stood still for quite a while, and then it was basically: hands on hips, do something with the legs, hands on hips again..... I do think Pasha could have put a little more variety into the choreography maybe, but who knows if Carol could do much else? Again like Oti, credit to Pasha for not outdancing his partner, he went at Carol's speed for the most part (although I think she forgot a few steps at one point).

Foxtrot next week for Pasharol (apparently that's their team name. Cute!). Slow Ballroom so Carol might be alright with this one.

My score: 3.5


Daniel & Kristina - Waltz - "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling"

Hee hee, his VT was him showing Kristina how to sing this song properly, so I wonder how he would have thought Hayley did? Joking aside, this was actually a really nice performance, and as you guys are well aware I'm not normally a fan of Kristina's, but occasionally I do have to give her props on her choreography and this is one of those times. Now some people on the forums were wondering if Daniel had had a stroke - bit harsh but I can see where that came from as his mouth sort of dropped on the one side (can't really judge him for that though, as mine does the same when I try to smile), which made his smile look more like a grimace. Daniel's footwork looked good, he just needed to pull up his frame a little more as he was starting to hunch over in parts. This was a bit of a pleasant surprise for me so I'm intrigued on how he handles the Latin! (Forgot to mention: love the projections, even though it was basically 'this guy is Irish, so let's Irish the s*** out of everything!' I didn't mind it this time :D )

My score: 6.5


Anita & Gleb - Cha Cha Cha - "Rather Be"

Thought this song would have had it's first outing on last series (it did come out last year didn't it, or am I imagining that the awful Cortana adverts with Clean Bandit were in the run-up to Christmas?), so bit of a surprise that this was used and not another 'pun' song - I suppose they could have gone for 'Country Girl' by Primal Scream but that may have been a bit overkill. Onto the dance and WOW - I'm regretting having my free virtual bet on Anita being the first to leave, as that was awesome from her. Great footwork, nice arms. I think she was slightly ahead of Gleb in timing towards the end but managed to pick it back up superbly, and the drag-through was done well. I wish there was more interaction between the two of them, but then it's a positive that Anita has the confidence to be able to dance on her own and do it well, as not many people can do that in week 1. If she can do Ballroom too then we may have another contender on our hands!

My score: 7



Judges' Leaderboard:
1. Helen & Aljaz - 29
=2. Kellie & Kevin, Anita & Gleb - 27
Daniel & Kristina - 24
Anthony & Oti - 21
Carol & Pasha - 16

My Leaderboard:
=1. Helen & Aljaz, Anita & Gleb - 28
=3. Daniel & Kristina, Kellie & Kevin - 26
5. Anthony & Oti - 24
6. Carol & Pasha - 14



So this is part 1, and part 2 should be up either tomorrow or Tuesday (depends when I have time to write it up, and what time I manage to get back from work for!) :) 

Strictly Come Dancing 2014: Week 12 (Semi-final)

After the carnage and outrage that broke out when Pixie & Trent were eliminated last week, I was hoping that this week would be a quieter affair. I think it's a case of being careful what you wish for - I didn't think it would be this dull. That's right: DULL. There were some stand-out dances of course, but also some dahnce disahstahs (apologies to Craig).

In the Style stakes, Tess won Saturday hands down. That's about as much as I can say, as I can't remember what she and Claudia were wearing in the Sunday show, but I do think Claude's Saturday dress did not suit her at all - even Tess couldn't get away with that one. 

This week the celebs did 2 dances for the first time - last week's Fixathon doesn't count in my opinion - and whilst some dazzled, others faded. I will be doing the 2 dances within one critique this time, hopefully making for easier reading - there will also be different colours for each couple, again, hopefully making for easier reading.


JAKE & JANETTE

Cha Cha Cha - "Boogie Shoes"

Jake has always been better at the Latin dances, so there were hopes that this would be another brilliant routine for him. Sadly, Cha Cha Cha outside of weeks 1-4 is a 'dance of death', so it wasn't surprising that it proved so for Jake; Thom, Pixie, and now Jake have all been eliminated on that dance this series. It took about 20 seconds for him to get anywhere near beginning to dance, so that was probably a bad omen. He was out of synch with Janette for a fair amount of the routine, and I did notice the move she took from Aljaz's Cha Cha Cha with Alison from week 1! This was one of her better routines I must admit, very entertaining and resembling a Cha Cha Cha at least. It's very difficult for a bloke to do this dance without looking 'mince-y', for lack of a better term, and Jake did a decent job in that respect - when he had something to do with his arms, he was great, otherwise it did start veering into that territory. I do still think that Janette over-relies on tricks and stuff that she can do, rather than what her celeb can do, but I feel she's done just about enough to earn a recall for next series: probably best not to give her another contender again, but give her a mid-tabler and see what she does with him, someone like Steve maybe. 

Judges' scores: 6, 8, 8, 8 for a total of 30/40
My score: 6


Viennese Waltz - "When a Man Loves a Woman"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT - Matt & Flavia in series 5*

The Viennese Waltz is a very difficult dance to make look interesting (that last sentence probably doesn't make sense but you know what I mean). A limited range of steps means that apart from the music, most dances look extremely similar. I would have liked to have seen more in traditional hold, and the last 2 sweeps at the end weren't needed, but I actually quite liked this routine - I think this is what they should have done in the dance-off personally, but I can understand why they chose their Cha Cha Cha. 

Judges' scores: 7, 8, 8, 8 for a total of 31/40
My score: 7.25


FRANKIE & KEVIN

Rumba - "Somewhere Only We Know"

I am seriously starting to detest this song, it has been that overplayed. By the way BBC, that was the Lily Allen version, not Keane. I didn't really know what to make of this when I first saw it, and after watching it again, I'm still none the wiser. I did like the whole 'Nutcracker' concept, and Frankie's acting was great, but for me, this was far too 'safe'. A Rumba is meant to be passionate and romantic, and I didn't feel that from this number whatsoever. It started off well enough, but then graduated into a Viennese Waltz, and that floor spin at the end was unnecessary. Kevin usually gets it so right with choreography, but this was a real miss from him (and I'm surprised the judges (Len) didn't pull him up on that, but I'll carry that on in more detail when I get to Mark's Rumba).

Judges' scores: 7, 8, 9, 10 for a total of 34/40
My score: 7.5 (danced well, but not a Rumba for me)


Argentine Tango - "The 5th"

Wow, now this was more like it! I was a bit apprehensive about the song choice, but it really worked for this dance. Ok, this is probably where I'm going to get lynched - I wouldn't have put that dance at a 10. For me, Frankie's leg action needed to be much sharper - it was too placed and deliberate; plus she seemed to go wrong in the middle when she was at the top of the floor, either she missed a step or she stumbled somewhere. I can't say for sure what happened but I know something went wrong there, your eye gets drawn to it. It was a spectacular dance, but I think she's done much better than that previously, and it wasn't perfect for me.

Judges' scores: 9, 9, 10, 10 for a total of 38/40
My score: 9.25



MARK & KAREN

Viennese Waltz - "I Got You Babe"

Well Mattiona's swing got upgraded! I did think this was quite cheesy and boring to watch the first time, but it was much better on second viewing. Yes, it took them ages to start dancing properly (about 30 seconds), but from there, brilliant. I think this was a bit undermarked to be honest, comparatively to Jake's at least. Mark does need to do some more work on his hands, he's got beautiful flow in his arm lines now, but his hands are still very flat, just a touch of polishing to be done there. There was too much rise and fall in this as well, Mark needed to drive into the floor a bit more so that his movements across the floor were smooth and all on one level, rather than bobbing down for when he's about to make a step. On the whole though, a great performance.

Judges' scores: 8, 8, 9, 8 for a total of 33/40
My score: 8.5


Rumba - "Fields of Gold"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT - Kenny & Ola in series 5*

Oh BBC, this was the Eva Cassidy version, not the Sting one. Anyway, here's where I carry on from what I was saying during Frankie's Rumba: I do think it was unfair of Len to single out Karen, when Kevin was guilty of doing the same thing. At least Karen's actually looked like a Rumba, and you'd know what it was if you saw it without music. Ok, so it was a little repetitive, and you couldn't see much hip action from Mark as he was standing still for some of it, but this dance actually moved me, so in that respect, props to Karen. I felt so sorry for them both afterwards, so I'm glad they got into the final. Again, I think Mark would have been better off doing his Viennese Waltz in the dance-off, but as before, I can understand why they chose to do this dance instead.

Judges' scores: 9, 8, 8, 8 for a total of 33/40
My score: 8


SIMON & KRISTINA

Samba - "I Like to Move it"

I know this song from the film 'Madagascar', so I was intrigued to see what Kristina would do with it. Sadly, Simon made a few noticeable errors - he nearly tripped over after the cartwheel at the beginning, he seemed to forget where he was for a second after the promenade runs, he missed the hand grab after the first series of Samba rolls going into the second, and as Bruno said on ITT, he looked to have forgotten some of the routine and was improvising (just after the Samba rolls, when Kristina is moving around behind him is when I think this was). By the way, is that move where it looks like they're attempting to be elephants whipping their trunks back and forth a traditional Samba step? Only it was there in Jake's Samba, and I think his Cha Cha Cha tonight too. It's a shame Simon made so many mistakes, as it could have been a brilliant routine.

Judges' scores: 6, 9, 8, 7 for a total of 30/40
My score: 7


Foxtrot - "My Guy"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT - John & Nicole in series 5*

Now this is where Kristina shines as a choreographer: anyone else remember her Jessica Rabbit-style Foxtrot with Jason Donovan in the early weeks of series 9? This was absolutely stunning - traditional, elegant, totally suited to Simon. His technique was fantastic, his performance excellent. I'm close to running out of superlatives to describe this routine but it was just sublime: (somewhat) traditional music with choreography that draws the eye; you know, Foxtrots can be boring to watch but this one kept me glued. I couldn't see any mistakes at all. I'm about to do something that I haven't done for any other dance this series *cue standing ovation from me*. Ok, maybe 2 things......

Judges' scores: 9, 10, 10, 9 for a total of 38/40
My score: I'm with Darcey and Len for once, it's a 10 from me!


CAROLINE & PASHA

Foxtrot - "Diamonds"

Odd choice of song, from the Sony tv advert if I remember rightly. Caroline always seems uncomfortable in Ballroom, and I'm not sure why: is it the hold that she finds tricky? Does the precise footwork prove a problem for her? I don't know, but this dance did not look like a Foxtrot to me, and I think only some of it can be put down to the music - I thought this dance was more like a Waltz in terms of how it looked on screen. Caroline does need to work on her hand positioning, she kept changing it throughout the dance and it seemed she was clinging on to Pasha at times. Also, LIFT at the end - an accidental one, but her foot definitely came off the floor whilst she was doing the spin into the ending position. It's lucky that she's great at the Latin dances, otherwise I think she would have been in trouble.

Judges' scores: 8, 9, 9, 9 for a total of 35/40
My score: 7.5


Salsa - "Maria"

Knockout blow! Seriously, that was hot, hot, hot! (Wait, wrong song, and wrong couple.) This was so fluid and dynamic, Caroline was so much more at ease so she was able to put more into the performance - she was even singing along at some points! Now I know that some people thought that this didn't deserve a 10 as she seemed to get tired by the end, and I was included in that, but having watched it again, Pasha slowed down as well, it wasn't just Caroline. That makes me think it was deliberate so Caroline could relax a little after the scorching start, so I can't really penalise her for that. She was much more comfortable with the lifts this time, the transitions were much better. I absolutely loved this routine.

Judges' scores: all 10s for a total of 40/40
My score: I'm having to be in agreement here, another 10 from me!


Judges' Leaderboard:
1. Caroline & Pasha - 35 + 40 = 75/80
2. Frankie & Kevin - 34 + 38 = 72/80
3. Simon & Kristina - 30 + 38 = 68/80
4. Mark & Karen - 33 + 33 = 66/80
5. Jake & Janette - 30 + 31 = 61/80

My Leaderboard:
1. Caroline & Pasha - 30 + 40 = 70/80
2. Simon & Kristina - 28 + 40 = 68/80
3. Frankie & Kevin - 30 + 37 = 67/80
4. Mark & Karen - 34 + 32 = 66/80
5. Jake & Janette - 24 + 29 = 53/80


Dance-off: Mark & Karen vs Jake & Janette. I wasn't too surprised at this one - Jake basically had to be top of the vote with Caroline in 4th to avoid the dance-off, and Mark was bound to be here given that Frankie has avoided it thus far and Simon would probably have the bounce vote from being in the bottom 2 the previous week.

Elimination: Jake & Janette. I certainly didn't think it would go to a 2-2 casting vote decision. Jake has had more stand-out dances than Mark, so in that respect you could argue that he should be saved. But on the other hand, I do feel Mark is the better dancer overall, and it's nice for Karen to get to the final, I think she's given him some great routines this year (his Waltz, Jive and Samba spring to mind) so I reckon she deserves it. Plus it's Karen vs Kevin which is... fascinating to say the least. Overall, I'd say the right decision was made.

Recycled song alerts for this series now stands at 37.

So next week it's the final! Each couple will perform the judges' choice and their Showdance, before one couple is eliminated. After that, the remaining 3 couples will perform their favourite dance, before the lines close for the final time and the winner is announced. Personally, I'd like Caroline or Mark to win, but for once, I think all of them are deserving of the title. I'll be putting up my review of the final a little while after the event - in the run up to Christmas, I'll have much more of my time taken up, so I may have to type this out on Word and then just copy it in (whereas I usually do this all in one go, so it can take around 3-4 hours for each post to go up from when I start writing it).


I'm so excited for the final! I have a feeling this might be the best final yet, so until I write next, I'm going to................................


KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP WATCHING!

Strictly Come Dancing 2014: Week 11 (Quarter-final)

After witnessing 'The Curse of the Backing Dancers, part 2' last week, we're hopefully back to normal now. Sunetra & Brendan failed to romance the judges with their Rumba and were thus eliminated after appearing in the dance-off with Mark & Karen. It's at this stage now where we pretty much know what dances they'll be doing in the semis (indeed everyone's Latin dance is confirmed), so it's interesting to look at what will be skipped.

Style stakes: Claudia just about won Saturday's show (although she needed to pull her dress up a tad), but Tess is the winner of the Sunday show with that stunning black halterneck jumpsuit. Wardrobe did a good job with them both. Loved both Tess and Claude's hairstyles on the Sunday show.


Simon & Kristina - American Smooth - "Heartache Tonight"

Of course Mickey flipping Bubble had to make an appearance, he is the only voice that can be used for this dance *sarcasm*. Seriously producers, find something that isn't by him for once. As for the dance itself, I wasn't completely enamoured with the choreography - the lifts weren't great and I just got reminded of Patrick & Anya's AS with the section on the steps. It was bloody good though, Simon's hold was fantastic and his footwork was excellent. I would have just liked a little less 'American' and a bit more 'Smooth'. That ending lift, we could all see that it had gone wrong, and apparently it was down to Kristina getting her foot caught in her dress; but really, I thought it looked messy anyway and something that the pros on 'Dancing on Ice' would do. With that lift, you have to rely on the female getting her leg into the right place on the male so that she can then push up her other leg to the other side of his arm, thus enabling the lift. It was a bit too risky and although they got it right in the dance-off, I think it would have been better had they gone with a different lift. 

Simon is doing the Foxtrot and Samba next week: his Foxtrot should be good, given that his American Smooth was with a Foxtrot base, I can see him getting 10s for that (probably not a 40 though). As for the Samba, he is best suited to the fast Latin dances, so if he can master the technique (and I reckon he will) he'll be onto a winner - it all depends on the music with the Samba though, you can have great music (see Pixie's) or slightly duffer music (Frankie, Mark), or very duff music (Caroline, Jake). I'm quite confident for him. Should he get through to the final, then as of this week, I'd like him to do either his Waltz or Argentine Tango, and his Jive again.

Judges' scores: 8, 9, 9, 9 for a total of 35/40
My score: 8.5


Caroline & Pasha - Argentine Tango - "La Cumparsita"

Wardrobe have failed Caroline again I see. What was that big, ugly, visible zip doing on that dress? She looked frumpy rather than sexy - the neckline needed to be a bit lower (although I do understand that Caroline was worried about a possible wardrobe malfunction), the hem more flattering (we know she's short, but don't make her look it), and if it had to have a visible zip, then for god sake, make it the same colour as the dress so it's not as distracting. Onto the dance, and I feel I really am missing something. To me, Caroline looked so uncomfortable, and she was apologising to Pasha at the end as if she'd messed something up (although I couldn't see it myself). It got better as the music kicked in, but I found it very boring to watch and I can't tell whether it was good or not, which normally I can with an Argentine Tango. The lifts were awesome, that much I can say. 

Caroline has the Salsa next week, and either the Viennese Waltz or the Foxtrot. I'm guessing it's the Viennese Waltz she has due to Simon doing the Foxtrot. Caroline isn't the best at the slower Ballroom dances, but both of those options are a bit quicker so she should be ok. If anything, it's her Salsa that I worry about - it could either go really well or really badly for her. Fingers crossed. If she got to the final, I'd want her to do her American Smooth and her Charleston again.

Judges' scores: 9, 10, 10, 10 for a total of 39/40
My score: I'm going to give the only score that I think I can give, and therefore go for an 8


Pixie & Trent - Cha Cha Cha - "Love Shack"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT - Richard & Erin from series 10*

This was a bit odd to watch back again due to the camera work being rubbish. I can see what Len meant about her legs, and I am so glad that he pulled Trent up on the lifts - there's been a few occasions before tonight where it looked as though Pixie did an illegal lift, and it had never been mentioned until now. Surprised Craig still gave 9 despite those lifts, maybe she really is his favourite. Yet again, it felt like 2 dancers who happen to be doing the same dance rather than a partnership, and for all those who say that Kevin does routines that don't play to Frankie's strengths, I personally think the same applies to Trent, with both this and her Charleston. After Trent's comments to Len about how 'rules are meant to be broken', it's pretty much a no-brainer that they went into the dance-off, Brendan can get away with that one but not a newbie pro. Pixie would have done the American Smooth and Salsa in the semis, which means double lifts - could have thrown her a bit.

Judges' scores: 9, 9, 8, 9 for a total of 35/40
My score: 7.5


Mark & Karen - Foxtrot - "L-O-V-E"

*RECYCLED SONG ALERT - Austin & Erin in series 6*

Now I'm no fan of Mark as a personality, but I wouldn't mind him winning the series. Karen has done a fantastic job with him, and this was another great dance, I'd probably say this was his best. He does need to sort out his hands, and he was a little out of time with Karen on occasion; but, his footwork was great, he had lovely musicality, and the dance was fantastic to watch, which I don't often say about Foxtrots. Bravo guys, bravo.

Mark definitely has the Rumba next week, and either the Argentine Tango or the Viennese Waltz. Personally, I would say to do the Argentine Tango - Karen did a superb one with Nicky in series 10 and he wasn't as good a dancer as Mark (I didn't think it was great at the time, but seeing it on the tour at the start of this year changed my mind), so I do think it will suit him. For the Rumba, he just needs to work on his hands and arm lines, get those sorted and he will definitely be in the '30 club' (the magic club for male celebs who score 30 or over for their Rumba. Up to and including Simon in this series, only 12 celebs are in this club, 1 of them being Chris Hollins). Should he get to the final, I want to see his Quickstep and his Samba again.

Judges' scores: 8, 9, 9, 9 for a total of 35/40
My score: 8.25


Jake & Janette - Charleston - "Entry of the Gladiators"

Was it just me, or was Jake's swivel better than Janette's? Either way, this dance should not have had 10s whatsoever, not when there was a blatant mishap with the penultimate lift. Also, didn't this dance have 4 lifts when it should have been 3? I can't fault Jake's performance, and this was probably his best dance technically, but still, not a 10. Loved the choreography with the ball projection though, that was inspired.

Next week Jake has the Cha Cha Cha, and either the Foxtrot or Viennese Waltz. Somehow I can see Janette going for the mean and melancholy Viennese Waltz... sorry, I know I don't have a high opinion of her, but come on, show us something different performance-wise. Cha Cha Cha might be a problem dance for him, calling it now. He needs to pull out something special as at the moment, they'd be very undeserving winners in my eyes. Should he get to the final, I'd like to see a rehashed Argentine Tango, and his Salsa again. 

Judges' scores: 9, 9, 10, 10 for a total of 38/40
My score: 8.25


Frankie & Kevin - Salsa - "Work"

We know Latin isn't Frankie's thing, but again, you could see how uncomfortable she was with this dance. She seemed to forget where she was towards the end, before getting into that last lift. Her free arm placement was a bit dodgy again this week, something that she really needs to think about with her next dances. I'm starting to think that she won't win now and may go to pieces during the final like Chelsee did in her series.

Frankie has the Rumba, and either the American Smooth or Argentine Tango next week. I'd go for American Smooth with her, she can do classy Ballroom and then some - just needs some good lifts in and that would be great for her. Rumba, hmm. Bit of a tricky one that - Caroline's was fantastic and one of the dances of the series for me, whereas I wasn't a fan of Pixie's despite it being an impressive dance for her. We haven't seen a Kevin Rumba yet (it was the dance that he skipped with Susanna), so it would be interesting to see what he comes up with. If she got to the final, I'd like to see her Viennese Waltz and her Paso Doble again.

Judges' scores: 8, 9, 8, 9 for a total of 34/40
My score: 8



Waltzathon: I think anyone could have predicted the rankings before the show even started - I did it, and apart from getting Frankie and Simon the wrong way round, I was spot on. After watching the dance back, I would have had the leaderboard slightly different, with Frankie top, Pixie 2nd, Simon 3rd, Mark 4th, Caroline 5th, and Jake 6th. 


Strictly Leaderboard:

1. Caroline & Pasha - 39 + 3 = 42
2. Pixie & Trent - 35 + 6 = 41
=3. Jake & Janette (38 + 1), Simon & Kristina (35 + 4), Frankie & Kevin (34 + 5) = 39
6. Mark & Karen - 35 + 2 = 37

My Leaderboard:

=1. Simon & Kristina - 34 + 4 = 38, Frankie & Kevin - 32 + 6 = 38
3. Mark & Karen - 33 + 3 = 36
4. Pixie & Trent - 30 + 5 = 35
=5. Caroline & Pasha - 32 + 2 = 34, Jake & Janette - 33 + 1 = 34


Dance-off: Pixie & Trent vs Simon & Kristina. I was a bit surprised that Pixie was here, as I expected Mark to be in the dance-off for sure; but Simon was always going to end up here - Jake and Frankie both have proven fanbases and Caroline was too far ahead to go down in the dance-off. Pixie could only have been 5th in the vote at best, and this was the only week where her vote would have been tested, so it's a bit unlucky that she landed in it on this week.


Elimination: Pixie & Trent. If you think about it - although Pixie and Simon scored the same for their first dance, Simon's included a major mistake in the final lift, so really, Simon's was better. As for the judges: based on scores, Craig and Len had to vote the way that they did, so actually it was down to Darcey and Bruno. Pixie was unlucky that she came up against this dance of Simon's with what was probably her worst dance (excluding her week 1 Jive), almost any other week and she would have sailed through, but on this showing, I do think it was the right decision to eliminate her. It's a bit sad as although I didn't enjoy their partnership, I would have loved to see her Quickstep again, that was her one outstanding dance for me. 

Recycled song choices are now at 34 for the series.


So next week the couples take on 2 dances for the first time. Will they wow us with both of their offerings, or will they crack under the pressure?

Until next time, keep reading and keep watching!

Strictly Come Dancing 2014: Week 10

Hello again everyone! Now this blog is posted a bit later than usual, as it was my older sister's birthday this weekend, so we've been celebrating that. I didn't get to see the show live on Saturday as I was out for a meal with the family, but I've seen the dances twice and watched the Saturday show yesterday. 

Last time, we saw Sunetra & Brendan granted their last request to stay, and that meant Steve & Ola had to go home. Love Ola's new hair colour btw, she suits being a brunette.

In the style stakes, Tess won for Saturday's show, and Claudia for Sunday's, so honours are even. The theme for this week was 'Around the World' - sadly not the ATC, Aqua or Lisa Stansfield songs of the same name, but an excuse for bad song choices, weird outfits, and backing dancers. So basically, Blackpool mark 2.


Pixie & Trent - Viennese Waltz - "Tulips from Amsterdam"

Now this is the kind of song that I could imagine being done at an Andre Rieu concert. I might not like this pairing but I can always appreciate when they have done a good dance. On this occasion, I thought it was good, but not worthy of 10s from the judges. This is probably the first instance where I think Trent might have put too much in to the choreography - lots of faffing abaht, yes, but also lots of times where you could see Pixie trying hard to get into the correct place for the next move. It just about worked, but could have so easily gone wrong. It took them about 30 seconds to get anywhere near each other let alone in hold, and that's a good third of the routine wasted. Trent is a good storyteller, but like Janette, sometimes I think he'd be better off with less story and more content. This might have made things easier on Pixie as he could have had simpler choreography for the rest of the routine. As an aside, what was going on with the backing dancers? Apparently they were doing the 'Single Ladies' dance during the routine? I also felt that Trent and Pixie were apart too much, I would have liked them dancing together more. That being said, Pixie did very well with the content. I was looking out to see if they'd do a fleckel, and I'm not sure that Pixie had the correct footwork for that (you more knowledgeable people out there can tell me that one). As for what she has left, she could go either way, but I get the feeling she'll skip the Argentine Tango, and so be doing a Latin this week.

Judges' scores: 9, 9, 10, 10 for a total of 38/40
My score: 8.5


Mark & Karen - Salsa - "Viva Las Vegas"

Mark had to head back to Tenerife this week so he's not had much time to train, and sadly it showed in this routine. After his impressive Samba a while ago, I had hoped that this would be a good dance for him. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. The lifts and tricks weren't particularly great (aside from the ending press lift which I thought was brilliant), he was out of time with Karen, and he just didn't seem to get into the performance as much as he usually does. I was wondering where the usual armography had gone - there wasn't any (as far as I can remember) in this routine, so maybe Mark couldn't do it for some reason? That or his training time was SO limited (like Sunetra's usually is) that Karen and the choreographers had to give him a relatively simple routine? I'd say probably the latter, as last week's Tango wasn't up to his usual standard either, and he also had limited practice time then. With only one Latin left, Mark has to be doing Ballroom this week - his options are the AT, Foxtrot or Viennese Waltz - with Caroline doing AT and Simon having to do Foxtrot in the semis, I think he'll have the Foxtrot for this week.

Judges' scores: 7, 8, 9, 8 for a total of 32/40
My score: 7


Sunetra & Brendan - Rumba - "Girl from Ipanema"

They should have had Amy from 'The Big Bang Theory' doing this on her harp. Isn't this song normally a Foxtrot? To fit in with the 'theme' I think the producers have just gone for any song that has a place in the title (Simon excepted). It was a bit of a different kind of Rumba, and like our Bruno, I thought the concept was good so props to Brendan for that. However, it was a bit boring to watch if I'm honest and I didn't see much actual Rumba going on between the two of them. Like Pixie's dance, I would have liked to have seen S & B dancing together more, it felt like the Sunetra Show with a cameo from Brendan, which might work for some dances (Showdance for one) but definitely not a Rumba. All arms and nothing else from Sunetra, which she's struggled with for a while. As Marian Keyes put it on ITT tonight, Rumba is 'the dance of death', and so it proved for this pair. Also, LIFT! Probably intentional, but still, points must be deducted for that. There was also an accidental lift when Brendan did the drag, which was corrected when they did it second time round for the dance-off. It's a shame that Sunetra couldn't have gone out on a better dance, but this was the right time for her to go.

Judges' scores: 5, 7, 8, 7 for a total of 27/40
My score: 5 (would have been 6 if not for the lifts)


Caroline & Pasha - Charleston - "Istanbul"

I already knew this song from a Strictly game, so I knew it would work for a Charleston. I wasn't sure how Caroline would cope with this dance - not so much the technical and fast-paced side of it, as we saw from her Jive that she has no problem in that respect; but the performance side. She pulled off everything with aplomb! Some of the lifts were a bit clunky (she seems to struggle with the transitions of getting into them) so I can't give her a 10, but other than that it was FAB-U-LOUS! Caroline's got the Argentine Tango this week, and I reckon this will be a cracking dance for her. It will definitely challenge her - with the lifts, and maintaining the performance throughout, but that's a good thing I think. I'm not really a fan of Pasha, but I would be happy for him to lift the glitterball with Caroline.

Judges' scores: 9, 10, 10, 10 for a total of 39/40
My score: 9.5


Simon & Kristina - Waltz - "Edelweiss"

Simon's back in the game with this dance! It was beautiful, moving, and although he didn't have enough swing and sway, it was magical. Credit to Kristina, the choreography was sublime, and that's how you tell a story whilst still having tons of content (take note Trent). Simon's been confirmed to have the American Smooth this week, so we already know that he would dance the Foxtrot and Samba in the semi-final (he did the Cha Cha Cha in the Christmas special so he'll skip that). I think AS will be a good dance for him, the interesting thing will be what dance style he does for it - will he go traditional Foxtrot which would help him for next week? Or go for something different which we know he can already do? Whatever it is, I'm sure Kristina will do a great job with it.

Judges' scores: 9, 10, 10, 9 for a total of 38/40
My score: 9


Frankie & Kevin - Jive - "Surfin' USA"

I've been waiting for Frankie to do a Jive for ages, and after this one, I'm not really sure what to make of it. For some reason, Frankie seems to struggle in the fast Latin dances, and I'm starting to think that it's the performance that lets her down. She has a smile on granted, but sometimes you need to do more. Take Simon's week 1 Jive - you could tell that he was enjoying it and that enhanced his performance. That might be where Frankie has a problem - she needs to import not more energy, but more enthusiasm (that might not be the right word, but it's the best I've got). Perhaps take a small leaf from Kevin's book - he might overdo it sometimes, but he does have that enthusiasm that Frankie lacks. Aside from this, she did pretty well, just going out of time with Kevin on occasion. They have the Salsa this week: I'm not sure what to expect really, it could go either way. 

Judges' scores: all 9s for a total of 36/40
My score: 8


Jake & Janette - Argentine Tango - "Zorba the Greek"

Oh, good lord. This was just awful, and I can't even blame Janette this time. What did Jake actually do other than shout 'Opa!', swing his leg a few times, and basically stand and get Janette to do her tricks? Even the outrage over the backing dancer bumping into him (sorry Craig but you were wrong) couldn't change the fact that this was just weird. Not an Argentine Tango whatsoever and I feel sorry for Jake getting the novelty songs and comedy dances at this stage of the competition. I can't even give a real critique as I really don't know what I can say about this dance. He could go either way in his dance choices for this week, but I'd guess he's doing a Latin - which means either Cha Cha Cha or Charleston. He'd be better off with Charleston I'd say.

Judges' scores: 5, 8, 8, 8 for a total of 29/40
My score: 4


Strictly Leaderboard:
1. Caroline & Pasha - 39
=2. Pixie & Trent, Simon & Kristina - 38
4. Frankie & Kevin - 36
5. Mark & Karen - 32
6. Jake & Janette - 29
7. Sunetra & Brendan - 27

My Leaderboard:
1. Caroline & Pasha - 38
2. Simon & Kristina - 36
3. Pixie & Trent - 34
4. Frankie & Kevin - 32
5. Mark & Karen - 28
6. Sunetra & Brendan - 20
7. Jake & Janette - 16


Dance-off: Mark & Karen vs Sunetra & Brendan. Not that much of a surprise, as we know that Jake and Frankie have support from previous weeks.

Elimination: Sunetra & Brendan. Like the last few weeks, this could have gone either way. On the dance-off alone, I would have saved Sunetra, but if you're looking at overall, then Mark had to go through to next week.