First off, apologies for not posting last week. I've been both ill and very busy so I couldn't put up the blog :)
My favourites were: Mark & Iveta's Salsa, Deborah & Robin's CCC, and Ashley & Ola's American Smooth. (I did love Sophie's Charleston as well but I just can't take to her)
So this week was Luurrrrrve Week (also known as Recycled Songs Week), and our 14 remaining couples did about 12 different dances to try and avoid being eliminated. My thoughts, as always, are below. I'll be covering the first 7 dances in this part, and part 2 will be for the final 7 dances.
Now before I start, there's been a bit of a debate over on Digital Spy as to what a recycled song choice actually is: to me, it has to have been to the same dance style to count as a recycled song choice; whereas for others, it's just whether it's been used before at all. So for me, there's 10 recycled songs, whilst the other interpretation gives 11 recycled ones.
We've got the boring bit over with, so let's go!
Abbey & Aljaz - Jive - "Can't Buy Me Love"
Abbey didn't do so well in her Cha Cha Cha last week, so I was hoping for a bit of improvement from her Jive. Sadly I didn't get it. Her footwork was extremely laboured (although Aljaz did over-dance a bit), and Aljaz' choreography wasn't good - took way too long to start properly Jiving (about a quarter of the way through in fact) and although it improved towards the end, I think he could have done something so that Abbey didn't look so laboured. I haven't been impressed with his Latin choreography so far, so I'll just be hoping for a decent Paso from now on I think. It's not known yet which dance they have this week, but the presumption is that they'll have some sort of Ballroom routine - my guess is either a Tango or an American Smooth.
Judges' score: 28/40 (6, 7, 8, 7)
My score: 5.5 (I would put her just ahead of Patrick, as she at least performed relatively well. NOTE: due to the order of clips on the BBC website, I watched Patrick's dance before Abbey's, hence the comparison here)
Patrick & Anya - Foxtrot - "Let There Be Love"
*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Pamela & James in series 8). Ok, so I've said before how Patrick's feet are generally good, but that his upper half is really letting him down. More of the same again I'm afraid. He seems very uncomfortable in hold, which is strange as with his injury, you would think that he'd have more problems with the footwork. He was hunching over Anya at times, there was gapping at several points, and he just didn't look elegant at all. Whilst I've liked Anya's choreography so far, this dance wasn't for me - a bit too much faffing at the start to get into hold, and the standing spin didn't do Patrick any favours at all. I did quite like the ending though. They have the Cha Cha Cha next week, so Patrick should be ok as long as he can do the arm movements for things like New Yorkers.
Judges' score: 27/40 (6, 7, 7, 7)
My score: 5 (it was ok but he doesn't seem to be improving at all)
Dave & Karen - Paso Doble - "I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)"
*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Matt & Lilia in series 4). Oh. Good. Lord. What did my eyes just witness? You know it's bad when you know that it's meant to be funny and yet you don't laugh. In their defence, I don't think the song choice helped them at all. Paso(s) are meant to be dramatic and fiery, this was half of that and half limp and lifeless. Too much time spent faffing at the start (Dave didn't really start doing anything until the cape twirling at about 30 seconds in - just when the music went into the faster tempo. Added to that, he was much better when the music was uptempo.), and there wasn't much Paso content in there. Come on Karen, step it up! Even Russell Grant's Paso had a lot more content in and was actually entertaining. Dave tried to look masculine and ended up looking like he was building up to a massive trump (sorry Dave). Well, he has the Waltz this week, and I get the feeling that he might end up in the bottom 2 on that dance.
Judges' score: 16/40 (2, 5, 5, 4)
My score: 3 (not much content, danced badly)
Fiona & Anton - Waltz - "True Love"
*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Denise & Ian in series 2). I have to say, Fiona really upped her game this week. That's the best that I've seen her dance. Anton has showcased her beautifully. She's almost got the arm extensions, just needs to extend through the hand to finish off the line. Also, her footwork was great. Her main issue in this dance was the spinning sections. She seems to be a little uncomfortable when spinning: Fiona tends to bring her arms up to her chest, and I think she loses her balance a little as her feet get a bit muddled up after - I hate to say it but she needs to copy DVO's example (have the arms at her sides but shaped, and ensure that she 'spots' so that her feet are in the right position for the next step). The only other thing that I spotted is that she needed to move her head to the left a little more and try to elongate the neck (I'm starting to sound like Darcey). Fiona has the Rumba next, and I actually believe this could be a good dance for her.
Judges' score: 28/40 (7, 7, 7, 7)
My score: 6.5 (minor issues really, and I think she deserved to be higher than Abbey)
Rachel & Pasha - Cha Cha Cha - "When Love Takes Over"
*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Alex & James in series 9). Firstly, much better from Rachel this week. However, I really didn't like the choreography. It just didn't really flow for me. Rachel still seems a bit unsure on how to move her upper body - she doesn't quite know what to do with her free arm (although at least she did place it, albeit in the same position), and she just seemed a bit awkward as she didn't have much to do at some points. Her footwork was great though, and from that little foot swivel-ly section until the end she danced brilliantly (it did look as though she went a little wrong in the end position though). A bit more work and polish and she could be a 'journey' contestant. Rachel has the Quickstep next, and I'm a little worried for her, I think she might struggle with the speed.
Judges' score: 27/40 (6, 7, 7, 7)
My score: 6 (just a bit under Fiona, due to the slightly awkward parts, and I don't think the choreography helped her)
Mark & Iveta - American Smooth - "It Must Be Love"
I really liked this, Iveta did a great job with the choreography and Mark did well with a less 'comedic' dance. Like Fiona, he nearly had the arm extension but just needs to shape the hand (pancake/spatulistic); there was much less gapping this time and the only dodgy part footwork part was when he did the spins mirroring Iveta (he nearly bumped into her at one point). He's definitely getting there and is a better comedy act than Dave. We're not sure what dance he has next, but it's a 'less serious' one than the American Smooth according to Mark, so we think either a Quickstep or a Latin number - I can't wait!
Judges' score: 26/40 (6, 6, 7, 7)
My score: 6.5 (about the same as Fiona for me, he had the same problems but also performed well)
Ben & Kristina - Rumba - "To Make You Feel My Love"
*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Pamela & James in series 8). This was definitely his best dance yet. I'm not normally a fan of Kristina's choreography but I have to give credit to her for this routine. Ben had good footwork, some semblance of hip action and I think he managed the impressive feat of still looking masculine whilst doing the Rumba. He also at least tried to do something with his free arm (although he does need to work on his hands). I do think he forgot the routine at one point though, when he was meant to pick up Kristina's leg whilst she arched back, it's as if he forgot he had to do that bit. All in all, a vast improvement. Ben has the Salsa this week and I think he could actually do alright with it (maybe Kristina could put in quite a bit of armography as I reckon he could do that well, and we know the lifts are going to be good).
Judges' score: 28/40 (7, 7, 7, 7)
My score: 6 (about on a par with Rachel, and I think he gave a great performance)
So my leaderboard for this part goes like this:
=1. Fiona & Anton - 6.5
=1. Mark & Iveta - 6.5
=3. Rachel & Pasha - 6
=3. Ben & Kristina - 6
5. Abbey & Aljaz - 5.5
6. Patrick & Anya - 5
7. Dave & Karen - 3
Looks like I really disagree with the judges hehe. Part 2 should be up either Wednesday or Thursday - I run a game on DS and it depends what day I'm able to put the show up this week (at the moment it's looking like Wednesday at the earliest meaning that this would be posted on Thursday).
Hope you've enjoyed the blog so far. If there's something you particularly like about it, something you might want me to include or maybe ways for me to improve it; or even if you just want to agree or disagree with me, then let me know by commenting.
Monday, 14 October 2013
Friday, 4 October 2013
SCD 2013: Week 1, Saturday
Sorry for this not being up on Thursday like I had said it would - I've been a bit busy since getting back home so I've only just been able to write this up.
For those of you who don't know me, I'm a non-dancer as such: I did freestyle dancing for around 6 years when I was younger, but no Ballroom or Latin training. But from watching Strictly since the start, I do have a decent idea of how things should look. Whilst I have my first impressions of each dance from watching the show, I do look at the dances again via the clips on the BBC website, so that I can put some of the more technical aspects in the reviews.
With that being said, let's get started!
Ben & Kristina - Cha Cha Cha - "Love Me Again"
Not the best song choice for them, it does have it's CCC moments but a lot of it is just too slow for the dance. On to Ben - dodgy footwork from him for most of the routine (although it was decent on occasion), and he obviously can't dance on his own as he's with Kristina all the time. That being said, at least he did something with his free arm, even if it was just the same pose (hand on hip) all of the time. You could tell that he forgot something at one point as his free arm position wasn't there, even though his feet were moving. Also, it looked as though he was just following Kristina's movements sometimes, rather than actually doing them himself if you know what I mean. I guess he struggled to hear the beat of the song (to be fair to him, I would have struggled a bit too). He has the Waltz this week so that should be a better dance for him.
Judges' scores: 19/40 (3, 5, 6, 5)
My score: 4 (lots of mistakes, quite stiff, not much dancing going on)
Fiona & Anton - Tango - "A View to a Kill"
Now TPTB must think that Fiona wouldn't last long, or else they wouldn't have played their 'Bond music' card so early on. I didn't like the beginning and end of the routine, bit too gimmicky for my liking. On to Fiona - framing issues due to her left hand being in the wrong position, and her footwork was quite dreadful for the most part. The Tango should look staccato rather than stutter-y. Her leg kick wasn't good and she seemed to mess up the quick foot change soon after. Also, her arm extension towards the end of the routine, she just flung that arm out and didn't bother to extend it. Overall, I was a little underwhelmed to be honest. She has the Cha Cha Cha coming up so she needs to improve fast.
Judges' scores: 24/40 (5, 6, 7, 6)
My score: 4 (about on a par with Ben for me: if I had to separate them, I'd say Fiona gave a better performance)
Dave & Karen - Cha Cha Cha - "Moves Like Jagger"
*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Harry & Aliona's CCC in series 9, but the music was slowed down quite a bit for Dave & Karen). First off, I LOVED IT! Falls into the 'so bad that it's good' category for me. On to Dave - his footwork was decent in places, and the man can certainly gyrate, but that's about as good as it gets technically. I think he should have scored lower than Tony really, but you can tell that Dave was actually trying as well as having fun with the routine (although I think he did forget it at one point from having too much fun). Love the nod to John Sergeant too. He has the American Smooth this week; it depends on how Karen chooses to choreograph it as to whether it might actually be quite good.
Judges' scores: 16/40 (2, 5, 5, 4)
My score: 3 (sorry Dave, I love you but it wasn't good)
Rachel & Pasha - Waltz - "When I Need You"
*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Patsy & Robin from series 8). I wasn't expecting much of Rachel after the launch show (she had a nightmare in the group dance), but this wasn't too bad. She had some issues with her frame (the head was in a strange position and there was some gapping on occasion), and her footwork, well what I could see of it with her dress covering it most of the time, was slightly dodgy in a couple of places, but she did quite well with it. The one thing I would say that she needs to do is to watch her free arm - it seemed as though she didn't really know what to do with it sometimes - and her arm extensions in general. She almost had it, but she didn't fully extend through the hand so it looked a bit messy. She's got Salsa this week; good luck with that one Rach as you might just need it.
Judges' scores: 27/40 (6, 7, 7, 7)
My score: 5.5 (mostly just minor errors that she can fix easily)
Julien & Janette - Cha Cha Cha - "Vogue"
Oh. Good. Lord. Probably one of the worst CCCs I've seen for a while (I'm sad to say Dave's was better) - this was more Vogue-ing and posing than CCC. He tried, I can give him that, and ok, the raised platform didn't help him, but this was awful. The faces alone...... *shudders*. What was Janette thinking when she choreographed this? Not much more I can say about it really. He has the Tango this week, and I hope Janette gives him something to do, although it doesn't look like it from the training footage.
Judges' scores: 20/40 (3, 5, 6, 6)
My score: 2 (how he got half marks is beyond me)
Deborah & Robin - Tango - "Money Money Money"
*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Ray & Camilla from series 4). I love this partnership, and their training looked good so I was hoping for a decent performance. On to Deborah - her posture was good most of the time (she did lose it at one bit) but she had big problems with gapping. Her body (well torso really) was turned out when it should have been turned in. Also, although she did have some great footwork in there, she did mess up sometimes and it looked a bit skippy (Fiona had this issue as well). She did get the character right though, so props to her for that when she isn't an actress. She has the Cha Cha Cha this week, and the training footage looks great so I'm hoping for another decent showing from her.
Judges' scores: 24/40 (6, 6, 6, 6)
My score: 5
Patrick & Anya - Jive - "Runaway Baby"
*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Holly & Artem in series 9). I did find this couple a bit forgettable, so I was hoping that this dance might make up for it. And it did, it was a really pleasant surprise for me. Patrick's footwork was great but his upper body really let him down - he doesn't seem to know what to do with it and his arm extensions were quite bad, just threw most of those away. I loved the whole performance of the routine, and Anya did a great job with it. He has the Tango next, so he should be much better in hold and I think this might be another pleasant surprise.
Judges' scores: 28/40 (7, 7, 7, 7)
My score: 5.5 (footwork awesome, but upper body not good)
Vanessa & James - Cha Cha Cha - "That don't Impress me Much"
Here comes the comedy pairing :D I have to say that I love James as the comic relief, makes a nice change :p . As to Vanessa - she has the same problem as Patrick: her footwork is alright, even decent at times (I thought the set of side-by-side CC walks at the beginning was good); but her upper body is giving her issues. She seems to be out of balance quite a lot in that routine and I'm wondering if she has a weak core? Her arms aren't good either, but she did have some nice finishes with them. She can improve, and I think the Waltz this week could be a good one for her.
Judges' scores: 19/40 (3, 5, 6, 5)
My score: 3.5 (somewhere between Dave and Ben/Fiona - she did try and she could do the footwork)
Abbey & Aljaz - Waltz - "Kissing You"
*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Ricky & Natalie in series 7). I must admit, I'm not a fan of this pair: Abbey seems very detached from the whole thing (very defensive posture when in the Strictly/ITT studio) and Aljaz hasn't shown much personality yet. That said, this was an excellent routine. The only problem was that there was quite a bit of gapping going on, but Aljaz solved the problem of the free arm by giving her things to do with it. Not a traditional Waltz, but it really worked. They have the Cha Cha Cha next and that also looks to be a good routine for them. She may just be a contender to 'ringer' Natalie.
Judges' scores: 32/40 (8, 8, 8, 8)
My score: 7.5 (just the amount of gapping)
My Leaderboard:
1. Abbey & Aljaz - 7.5/10
=2. Rachel & Pasha - 5.5/10
=2. Patrick & Anya - 5.5/10
4. Deborah & Robin - 5/10
=5. Ben & Kristina - 4/10
=5. Fiona & Anton - 4/10
7. Vanessa & James - 3.5/10
8. Dave & Karen - 3/10
9. Julien & Janette - 2/10
For those of you who don't know me, I'm a non-dancer as such: I did freestyle dancing for around 6 years when I was younger, but no Ballroom or Latin training. But from watching Strictly since the start, I do have a decent idea of how things should look. Whilst I have my first impressions of each dance from watching the show, I do look at the dances again via the clips on the BBC website, so that I can put some of the more technical aspects in the reviews.
With that being said, let's get started!
Ben & Kristina - Cha Cha Cha - "Love Me Again"
Not the best song choice for them, it does have it's CCC moments but a lot of it is just too slow for the dance. On to Ben - dodgy footwork from him for most of the routine (although it was decent on occasion), and he obviously can't dance on his own as he's with Kristina all the time. That being said, at least he did something with his free arm, even if it was just the same pose (hand on hip) all of the time. You could tell that he forgot something at one point as his free arm position wasn't there, even though his feet were moving. Also, it looked as though he was just following Kristina's movements sometimes, rather than actually doing them himself if you know what I mean. I guess he struggled to hear the beat of the song (to be fair to him, I would have struggled a bit too). He has the Waltz this week so that should be a better dance for him.
Judges' scores: 19/40 (3, 5, 6, 5)
My score: 4 (lots of mistakes, quite stiff, not much dancing going on)
Fiona & Anton - Tango - "A View to a Kill"
Now TPTB must think that Fiona wouldn't last long, or else they wouldn't have played their 'Bond music' card so early on. I didn't like the beginning and end of the routine, bit too gimmicky for my liking. On to Fiona - framing issues due to her left hand being in the wrong position, and her footwork was quite dreadful for the most part. The Tango should look staccato rather than stutter-y. Her leg kick wasn't good and she seemed to mess up the quick foot change soon after. Also, her arm extension towards the end of the routine, she just flung that arm out and didn't bother to extend it. Overall, I was a little underwhelmed to be honest. She has the Cha Cha Cha coming up so she needs to improve fast.
Judges' scores: 24/40 (5, 6, 7, 6)
My score: 4 (about on a par with Ben for me: if I had to separate them, I'd say Fiona gave a better performance)
Dave & Karen - Cha Cha Cha - "Moves Like Jagger"
*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Harry & Aliona's CCC in series 9, but the music was slowed down quite a bit for Dave & Karen). First off, I LOVED IT! Falls into the 'so bad that it's good' category for me. On to Dave - his footwork was decent in places, and the man can certainly gyrate, but that's about as good as it gets technically. I think he should have scored lower than Tony really, but you can tell that Dave was actually trying as well as having fun with the routine (although I think he did forget it at one point from having too much fun). Love the nod to John Sergeant too. He has the American Smooth this week; it depends on how Karen chooses to choreograph it as to whether it might actually be quite good.
Judges' scores: 16/40 (2, 5, 5, 4)
My score: 3 (sorry Dave, I love you but it wasn't good)
Rachel & Pasha - Waltz - "When I Need You"
*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Patsy & Robin from series 8). I wasn't expecting much of Rachel after the launch show (she had a nightmare in the group dance), but this wasn't too bad. She had some issues with her frame (the head was in a strange position and there was some gapping on occasion), and her footwork, well what I could see of it with her dress covering it most of the time, was slightly dodgy in a couple of places, but she did quite well with it. The one thing I would say that she needs to do is to watch her free arm - it seemed as though she didn't really know what to do with it sometimes - and her arm extensions in general. She almost had it, but she didn't fully extend through the hand so it looked a bit messy. She's got Salsa this week; good luck with that one Rach as you might just need it.
Judges' scores: 27/40 (6, 7, 7, 7)
My score: 5.5 (mostly just minor errors that she can fix easily)
Julien & Janette - Cha Cha Cha - "Vogue"
Oh. Good. Lord. Probably one of the worst CCCs I've seen for a while (I'm sad to say Dave's was better) - this was more Vogue-ing and posing than CCC. He tried, I can give him that, and ok, the raised platform didn't help him, but this was awful. The faces alone...... *shudders*. What was Janette thinking when she choreographed this? Not much more I can say about it really. He has the Tango this week, and I hope Janette gives him something to do, although it doesn't look like it from the training footage.
Judges' scores: 20/40 (3, 5, 6, 6)
My score: 2 (how he got half marks is beyond me)
Deborah & Robin - Tango - "Money Money Money"
*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Ray & Camilla from series 4). I love this partnership, and their training looked good so I was hoping for a decent performance. On to Deborah - her posture was good most of the time (she did lose it at one bit) but she had big problems with gapping. Her body (well torso really) was turned out when it should have been turned in. Also, although she did have some great footwork in there, she did mess up sometimes and it looked a bit skippy (Fiona had this issue as well). She did get the character right though, so props to her for that when she isn't an actress. She has the Cha Cha Cha this week, and the training footage looks great so I'm hoping for another decent showing from her.
Judges' scores: 24/40 (6, 6, 6, 6)
My score: 5
Patrick & Anya - Jive - "Runaway Baby"
*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Holly & Artem in series 9). I did find this couple a bit forgettable, so I was hoping that this dance might make up for it. And it did, it was a really pleasant surprise for me. Patrick's footwork was great but his upper body really let him down - he doesn't seem to know what to do with it and his arm extensions were quite bad, just threw most of those away. I loved the whole performance of the routine, and Anya did a great job with it. He has the Tango next, so he should be much better in hold and I think this might be another pleasant surprise.
Judges' scores: 28/40 (7, 7, 7, 7)
My score: 5.5 (footwork awesome, but upper body not good)
Vanessa & James - Cha Cha Cha - "That don't Impress me Much"
Here comes the comedy pairing :D I have to say that I love James as the comic relief, makes a nice change :p . As to Vanessa - she has the same problem as Patrick: her footwork is alright, even decent at times (I thought the set of side-by-side CC walks at the beginning was good); but her upper body is giving her issues. She seems to be out of balance quite a lot in that routine and I'm wondering if she has a weak core? Her arms aren't good either, but she did have some nice finishes with them. She can improve, and I think the Waltz this week could be a good one for her.
Judges' scores: 19/40 (3, 5, 6, 5)
My score: 3.5 (somewhere between Dave and Ben/Fiona - she did try and she could do the footwork)
Abbey & Aljaz - Waltz - "Kissing You"
*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Ricky & Natalie in series 7). I must admit, I'm not a fan of this pair: Abbey seems very detached from the whole thing (very defensive posture when in the Strictly/ITT studio) and Aljaz hasn't shown much personality yet. That said, this was an excellent routine. The only problem was that there was quite a bit of gapping going on, but Aljaz solved the problem of the free arm by giving her things to do with it. Not a traditional Waltz, but it really worked. They have the Cha Cha Cha next and that also looks to be a good routine for them. She may just be a contender to 'ringer' Natalie.
Judges' scores: 32/40 (8, 8, 8, 8)
My score: 7.5 (just the amount of gapping)
My Leaderboard:
1. Abbey & Aljaz - 7.5/10
=2. Rachel & Pasha - 5.5/10
=2. Patrick & Anya - 5.5/10
4. Deborah & Robin - 5/10
=5. Ben & Kristina - 4/10
=5. Fiona & Anton - 4/10
7. Vanessa & James - 3.5/10
8. Dave & Karen - 3/10
9. Julien & Janette - 2/10
Monday, 30 September 2013
SCD 2013: Week 1, Friday
Well we've just seen the first performances from our celebs, taking on either the Cha Cha Cha, Jive, Tango or Waltz. We've had a few surprises, a few 'overmarking' complaints, and a few duffers :) Here's my thoughts on how each couple performed:
Ashley & Ola - Cha Cha Cha - "What Makes You Beautiful"
First off - Ola's been slacking choreography-wise. Is it just me or is this what she would have given Sid Owen last series had they not been forced to do 'Ghostbusters'? This routine was mainly him spinning her, along with the obligatory 'holding a gyrating bum' move. To be honest, I'm surprised that the infamous 'Starfish' move wasn't in there, although I'm expecting to see it at some point. Onto Ashley - his footwork looked alright, but his upper body (and in particular his arms) is really letting him down. His free arm was just hanging there, and when they were doing the New Yorkers, his arm movement was just 'thrown away' as Craig would put it, no extension at all. Added to which, his hand had a tendency to go spatulistic. He also missed a hand grab going into a spin, and he's doing the 'Chris Hollins' faces already. I'm a bit disappointed really.
Judges' score: 25/40 (5, 6, 7, 7)
My score: 4.5 (not much content, bad arm and hand movements)
Tony & Aliona - Waltz - "What'll I Do"
Firstly, *RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Ricky G & Erin's Waltz in series 7). Anyway, Aliona did a great job with the routine, giving Tony steps that he can do well, whilst still making it a lovely performance. One little criticism though - WHY DO PROS KEEP PUTTING IN RUNNING SPLITS? THEY NEVER LOOK ELEGANT SO WHY BOTHER?? And endeth my short rant. Onto Tony - there were a couple of gapping issues and he did appear to have forgotten the routine at one point, but I must say that his hands and his arm extension were great (apart from one moment towards the end where he didn't extend the hand fully). It was a pleasant surprise just how non-duffer-y he was. Shame he has the Charleston next week though, that's probably one of the worst dances for him and Aliona (and the outside choreographers) is really going to have to pull something out of the bag to make him look good.
Judges' score: 16/40 (2, 5, 5, 4)
My score: 5.5 (problems with frame and seemed to lose it at the beginning, but there was a lot that he did right)
Mark & Iveta - Tango - "Hernando's Hideaway"
*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Sarah & Brendan's Tango in series 2). I wasn't a big fan of what Iveta had done with the choreography, but having watched it again, she probably did the best thing for Mark in that he could show his performance skills whilst still showing that he could dance. I just hope that she doesn't make him into a comedy act, as on this showing, he can definitely dance. Onto the man himself - he has the same problem as Ashley: decent footwork (he got it spot-on for the most part, he just seemed to mess up one quick series of steps, and then he was out of sync with Iveta when they lifted their knees to push the foot forwards - not sure on the name of the step but the dance bods will know which part I meant), but bad frame. There was quite a lot of gapping throughout the routine, and he didn't fully extend his arms, making his hands appear spatulistic. I do like Mark but I'm a little unsure about the partnership - Iveta hasn't shown much spark so far in terms of personality, so I'll be looking forward to their first ITT appearance to see if she's more relaxed there. They've got Salsa for week 2, which could be good or bad. Mark's definitely got the performance side down, it's just the technique that could be lacking. There probably won't be much armography in that routine.
Judges' score: 24/40 (5, 6, 7, 6)
My score: 5 (I'd put him just ahead of Ashley, the routine and performance as a whole was better imo, even though both men have the same issues)
Susanna & Kevin - Jive - "Shake Your Tail Feather"
*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Alesha & Matthew's Jive in series 5). I know some have criticised Kevin for including the cartwheel, but it may have just been the case that it was fine in rehearsals but went wrong on the night (if you want random cartwheels put into routines then have a look at Kara & Artem - their Quickstep had one, iirc their Salsa also had one). On the whole, I quite liked the choreography, minus the twerking bit. One thing Kevin does need to learn though is to not out-dance his partner, Susanna probably looked worse than she really did because he just went for it. Onto Susanna - she clearly ran out of steam about two thirds of the way through, and it looked as though she'd forgotten the routine in 2 places. Her arms and hands were good for the most part, and she seemed to cope really well with the difficult armography section. Sometimes her footwork did look a little laboured (the small kicks and flicks section at the beginning being one example), but I'm quite impressed with her.
Judges' score: 28/40 (6, 7, 8, 7)
My score: 6.5 (losing energy, dodgy footwork in places, but had lots of content and she did well with a very difficult dance).
Sophie & Brendan - Waltz - "Moon River"
*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Louis & Flavia in series 10). I'm sad to say it but this routine was pretty forgettable. Maybe because it's a Waltz, but it's not a good sign. Onto Sophie - her footwork looked really good, and most of her arm movements were great (although sometimes her free arm wasn't utilised very well and some of the transitions into those sweeping arm motions were a little ugly). My only issue with her is that sometimes she appeared to lose her balance a little, which is something she'll need to work on quite a lot. I didn't really feel a connection between Brendan and Sophie, which is something that I hope they'll rectify this week when they have a Latin routine. As it stands, she definitely has potential.
Judges' score: 28/40 (7, 7, 7, 7)
My score: 7 (only minor issues)
Natalie & Artem - Cha Cha Cha - "Rasputin"
This was another routine that I found a little boring. The song (much as I love it) isn't that suited to a Cha Cha Cha, and Artem looked like he was doing a Paso Doble. Onto Natalie - her footwork and arms and hands were all great, although there was one moment where it looked as though she tripped or missed a step - she seemed to almost skip before she went into the next step. I can also see what the judges meant by the lack of hip action, but I'm wondering whether she was just sandbagging like everyone thinks DVO did in her week 1 Waltz last year. Natalie's definitely up there, but I don't think she'll be the out-and-out frontrunner like DVO was, I can see a few of the girls at least who have potential to catch her up. Let's just see how she does in her Ballroom routine this week.
Judges' score: 31/40 (8, 8, 8, 7)
My score: 7 (about on a par with Sophie, if not slightly ahead)
My Leaderboard:
=1. Sophie & Brendan - 7/10
=1. Natalie & Artem - 7/10
3. Susanna & Kevin - 6.5/10
4. Tony & Aliona - 5.5/10
5. Mark & Iveta - 5/10
6. Ashley & Ola - 4.5/10
The Saturday musings will be up on Thursday, as I'm going away for a few days with no access to my laptop.
Hope you enjoy my non-expert thoughts on the routines :)
Ashley & Ola - Cha Cha Cha - "What Makes You Beautiful"
First off - Ola's been slacking choreography-wise. Is it just me or is this what she would have given Sid Owen last series had they not been forced to do 'Ghostbusters'? This routine was mainly him spinning her, along with the obligatory 'holding a gyrating bum' move. To be honest, I'm surprised that the infamous 'Starfish' move wasn't in there, although I'm expecting to see it at some point. Onto Ashley - his footwork looked alright, but his upper body (and in particular his arms) is really letting him down. His free arm was just hanging there, and when they were doing the New Yorkers, his arm movement was just 'thrown away' as Craig would put it, no extension at all. Added to which, his hand had a tendency to go spatulistic. He also missed a hand grab going into a spin, and he's doing the 'Chris Hollins' faces already. I'm a bit disappointed really.
Judges' score: 25/40 (5, 6, 7, 7)
My score: 4.5 (not much content, bad arm and hand movements)
Tony & Aliona - Waltz - "What'll I Do"
Firstly, *RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Ricky G & Erin's Waltz in series 7). Anyway, Aliona did a great job with the routine, giving Tony steps that he can do well, whilst still making it a lovely performance. One little criticism though - WHY DO PROS KEEP PUTTING IN RUNNING SPLITS? THEY NEVER LOOK ELEGANT SO WHY BOTHER?? And endeth my short rant. Onto Tony - there were a couple of gapping issues and he did appear to have forgotten the routine at one point, but I must say that his hands and his arm extension were great (apart from one moment towards the end where he didn't extend the hand fully). It was a pleasant surprise just how non-duffer-y he was. Shame he has the Charleston next week though, that's probably one of the worst dances for him and Aliona (and the outside choreographers) is really going to have to pull something out of the bag to make him look good.
Judges' score: 16/40 (2, 5, 5, 4)
My score: 5.5 (problems with frame and seemed to lose it at the beginning, but there was a lot that he did right)
Mark & Iveta - Tango - "Hernando's Hideaway"
*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Sarah & Brendan's Tango in series 2). I wasn't a big fan of what Iveta had done with the choreography, but having watched it again, she probably did the best thing for Mark in that he could show his performance skills whilst still showing that he could dance. I just hope that she doesn't make him into a comedy act, as on this showing, he can definitely dance. Onto the man himself - he has the same problem as Ashley: decent footwork (he got it spot-on for the most part, he just seemed to mess up one quick series of steps, and then he was out of sync with Iveta when they lifted their knees to push the foot forwards - not sure on the name of the step but the dance bods will know which part I meant), but bad frame. There was quite a lot of gapping throughout the routine, and he didn't fully extend his arms, making his hands appear spatulistic. I do like Mark but I'm a little unsure about the partnership - Iveta hasn't shown much spark so far in terms of personality, so I'll be looking forward to their first ITT appearance to see if she's more relaxed there. They've got Salsa for week 2, which could be good or bad. Mark's definitely got the performance side down, it's just the technique that could be lacking. There probably won't be much armography in that routine.
Judges' score: 24/40 (5, 6, 7, 6)
My score: 5 (I'd put him just ahead of Ashley, the routine and performance as a whole was better imo, even though both men have the same issues)
Susanna & Kevin - Jive - "Shake Your Tail Feather"
*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Alesha & Matthew's Jive in series 5). I know some have criticised Kevin for including the cartwheel, but it may have just been the case that it was fine in rehearsals but went wrong on the night (if you want random cartwheels put into routines then have a look at Kara & Artem - their Quickstep had one, iirc their Salsa also had one). On the whole, I quite liked the choreography, minus the twerking bit. One thing Kevin does need to learn though is to not out-dance his partner, Susanna probably looked worse than she really did because he just went for it. Onto Susanna - she clearly ran out of steam about two thirds of the way through, and it looked as though she'd forgotten the routine in 2 places. Her arms and hands were good for the most part, and she seemed to cope really well with the difficult armography section. Sometimes her footwork did look a little laboured (the small kicks and flicks section at the beginning being one example), but I'm quite impressed with her.
Judges' score: 28/40 (6, 7, 8, 7)
My score: 6.5 (losing energy, dodgy footwork in places, but had lots of content and she did well with a very difficult dance).
Sophie & Brendan - Waltz - "Moon River"
*RECYCLED SONG ALERT* (Louis & Flavia in series 10). I'm sad to say it but this routine was pretty forgettable. Maybe because it's a Waltz, but it's not a good sign. Onto Sophie - her footwork looked really good, and most of her arm movements were great (although sometimes her free arm wasn't utilised very well and some of the transitions into those sweeping arm motions were a little ugly). My only issue with her is that sometimes she appeared to lose her balance a little, which is something she'll need to work on quite a lot. I didn't really feel a connection between Brendan and Sophie, which is something that I hope they'll rectify this week when they have a Latin routine. As it stands, she definitely has potential.
Judges' score: 28/40 (7, 7, 7, 7)
My score: 7 (only minor issues)
Natalie & Artem - Cha Cha Cha - "Rasputin"
This was another routine that I found a little boring. The song (much as I love it) isn't that suited to a Cha Cha Cha, and Artem looked like he was doing a Paso Doble. Onto Natalie - her footwork and arms and hands were all great, although there was one moment where it looked as though she tripped or missed a step - she seemed to almost skip before she went into the next step. I can also see what the judges meant by the lack of hip action, but I'm wondering whether she was just sandbagging like everyone thinks DVO did in her week 1 Waltz last year. Natalie's definitely up there, but I don't think she'll be the out-and-out frontrunner like DVO was, I can see a few of the girls at least who have potential to catch her up. Let's just see how she does in her Ballroom routine this week.
Judges' score: 31/40 (8, 8, 8, 7)
My score: 7 (about on a par with Sophie, if not slightly ahead)
My Leaderboard:
=1. Sophie & Brendan - 7/10
=1. Natalie & Artem - 7/10
3. Susanna & Kevin - 6.5/10
4. Tony & Aliona - 5.5/10
5. Mark & Iveta - 5/10
6. Ashley & Ola - 4.5/10
The Saturday musings will be up on Thursday, as I'm going away for a few days with no access to my laptop.
Hope you enjoy my non-expert thoughts on the routines :)
Thursday, 5 September 2013
Strictly Come Dancing 2013: My thoughts on the celebs, and the pairings
Just a warning: this post will contain spoilers for the celeb-pro pairings for this series. This will be further down so I'll give you a warning when the spoilered part is coming up :) Let's get started then:
Abbey Clancy (Model/TV Presenter/WAG of Peter Crouch)
- Abbey is one of those people that I don't particularly like or dislike. I've only seen her doing the fashion segments for 'This Morning' so I haven't formed much of an opinion of her. She seems likeable enough though. I know some people don't want to see her on Strictly due to being a WAG, but really, it's nothing that we haven't seen before. Models don't tend to be great dancers, but I believe that with the right pro, Abbey does have potential. I can see her being a little stiff in the Latin dances at first, but once she lets go and shows us her personality, then I think she could do well.
Ashley Taylor Dawson (Hollyoaks actor)
- I've always liked Ashley, even from his days as a member of the pop band *allstars. I'm surprised that he signed up to be honest, but it's a pleasant surprise. Hollyoaks actors have a decent record on the show, so that's a good omen for him. I think he'll be one of those that will enjoy the experience, even if he doesn't turn out to be a good dancer. He will probably be somewhat decent at the Latin, but I wonder if he might initially struggle with the Ballroom routines - most male celebs tend to find the hold and technical side a bit difficult to start off with. I think he'll go far, but I'm not sure if he'll be the winner.
Ben Cohen (Activist and former rugby player)
- I don't know that much about Ben; I've heard of him, but haven't really seen him before. He's partially deaf so he may be struggling at the beginning, but from Kirsty on SYTYCD UK (who was also deaf), it should still be possible for him to turn in some great performances. His pro will have to be quite patient with him, and they might need to put in more training hours than others to get to the same standard. He's apparently quite nice to look at, so I can see him being popular for the first few weeks at least. The launch show group dance should give me a decent idea of how he might do. Rugby players haven't really been good dancers, but they have got far (5th for both Kenny Logan and Gavin Henson, 4th for Martin Offiah), so there's definitely a benchmark set for him.
Dave Myers (Hairy Biker)
- From the various 'Hairy Bikers' shows, Dave seems very personable and easy-going and I have a sneaking suspicion that he'll be the Russell Grant of the series. We haven't had a chef since series 6 (I think, may have been 5) when Gary Rhodes spectacularly failed, so not much previous form to go on. His Latin probably won't be great, but depending on the pro, his Ballroom could be good. He could make it to about week 6 I think.
Deborah Meaden (One of the 'Dragons' from TV's 'Dragons' Den'; entrepreneur)
- Deborah might have shown her steely side on 'Dragons' Den', but her Strictly journey (yes I've used the j word already) should be an interesting one. I see her as a mix of Dave and Abbey in terms of prospects; she might struggle with the Latin to start with, but once she starts to come out of her shell then I reckon she may surprise us.
Fiona Fullerton (Former Bond girl)
- I must admit, Fiona was one of only 2 celebs that I hadn't heard of before the rumours started. I don't know anything about her at all really, so the launch will form my first real impression of her. Having said that, what's the betting that she'll get Anton? :D She's supposedly had ballet training, so she may be the new Cherie Lunghi.
Julien Macdonald (Fashion designer)
- You just know that he'll get really into it, won't he? He'll have the best costumes every week, just you wait. Julien has his 'Star' range of fashion and homeware going at Debenhams (his homeware stuff is quite nice actually), and also appears on ITT as a fashion pundit. The question with him is which side of camp is he going to go for - the Jason Donovan camp, the Russell Grant camp, or the Richard Arnold camp? (please let it be Jason if only for my own amusement). I get the feeling that he may be better than we expect him to be, so I'd say at least half-way for him.
Mark Benton (Actor, mostly known for Waterloo Road)
- Mark's intriguing in that I haven't really seen him in anything and yet I still like him. That bodes well I guess :) . His 'Waterloo Road' co-star Chelsee Healey finished in 2nd place in her series, but it will be difficult for him to top that. Apparently he's been in 'Hairspray', so he should have some decent rhythm. So why do I picture dad dancing? His Latin will be atrocious, I can see it already. I hope he proves me wrong, but I think he'll be out by week 5.
Natalie Gumede (Former Coronation St actress)
- Ladies and gentlemen, we have this year's 'ringah', or so I've been told. Natalie has been dancing since a young age, so perhaps has even more experience than DVO (is that even possible?). I do think that she'll feel more at home in the Latin dances than the Ballroom, and that she may be popular enough to override the inevitable 'ringah' criticism. I'd say semi-finals at least.
Patrick Robinson (Actor, mostly known for Casualty)
- Probably one of the more unknown members of the cast. Patrick competed in 'Let's Dance for Comic Relief' a few years ago, reaching the final by performing a version of Riverdance (with Lisa Maxwell iirc, and I think they got 3rd place) - so he's no stranger to dancing. Will he be more Colin Salmon than Colin Jackson? Who knows. I don't believe that SCD has had a Patrick on before, so there's one for you stat fans. Bit of an unknown quantity, so I'll go with the same prediction as Mark and say that he'll have an early exit.
Rachel Riley (Countdown maths guru)
- I take it that the males of the country will be jumping up and down with glee. Similar to Abbey, I don't really have much of an opinion of her yet, but I have seen an article where she says that she wouldn't do Strictly as she 'can't dance'. Well she's on it now, so I wonder if like Pamela and Jason D she's taken some lessons in advance? Having said that, for some reason I can picture her having an arc similar to Victoria Pendleton, but without all the Pendledrama (credit to Monkseal for that phrase). I think she'll get to top 7 or 8.
Sophie Ellis- Bextor (Singer)
- Sophie is another that I'm surprised at signing up. She doesn't do much dancing in her videos (and it may have been a double used for 'Murder on the Dancefloor') so can't take much from there. I get the feeling that she'll fit into the 'nice but a bit bland' role that Kimberley held for me last series. She's tall at 5ft 9, so her Jive will certainly be interesting. I think she'll get to about the same stage as Rachel, so top 7 or 8.
Susanna Reid (Newsreader)
- Susanna won the newsreader Children in Need special, so we know that she can dance. The question for me will be her popularity; she might be good, but if she's struggling for a fanbase then she'll be a shock exit. I can see her being quite a graceful Ballroom dancer, and decent in Latin. Hmm, I'd say a top 5 placing for her.
Tony Jacklin (Former golfer)
- Tony was the other celeb besides Fiona that I hadn't really heard of. Cannon fodder and will almost certainly be first out, fulfilling the 'week 1 male' curse (for the stat fans out there, the first eliminated celebrity has been a male in 7 out of the 10 series so far - exceptions being series 3 (Siobhan Hayes), series 7 (Martina Hingis) and series 9 (Edwina Currie)).
Vanessa Feltz (TV Presenter and radio broadcaster)
- I think Vanessa could be a surprise package this series. She seems quite personable, and will definitely provide a good, fiery relationship with her pro partner. She might have the same issues that Lisa Riley did in the Ballroom department, but I reckon her Latin could be good. She may just be the Pamela Stephenson of the series.
So that's what I think, and I'll attempt to predict the elimination order:
1st - Ashley Taylor Dawson
2nd - Natalie Gumede
3rd - Susanna Reid
4th - Abbey Clancy
5th - Ben Cohen
6th - Julien Macdonald
7th - Rachel Riley
8th - Sophie Ellis Bextor
9th - Vanessa Feltz
10th - Dave Myers
11th - Deborah Meaden
12th - Mark Benton
13th - Patrick Robinson
14th - Fiona Fullerton
15th - Tony Jacklin
Here's your warning. The spoilers for the pairings will be underneath. Don't say I didn't warn you. If you don't want to know, then now's the time to click off the page :)
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That should do it. Ok, so here are the pairings for this series, and my thoughts underneath:
Abbey Clancy - Aljaz Skorjanec
- Not much scope as there's so many tall females in this line-up. We haven't seen Aljaz before, so we don't know how good a pro partner he will be, but I bet there'll be some choreography where Abbey's modelling skills come into play
Deborah Meaden - Robin Windsor
- Think we were all a bit surprised on this one, as we thought Deborah might go to Pasha, who was due a 'duffer' this year. Robin's accused of having limited choreography, so this partnership should test him - we'll know whether he's a one trick pony after the first few dances.
Fiona Fullerton - Anton du Beke
- Bit of an obvious one. I think we have to presume that Fiona won't be good. No comedy gold potential though as far as I can see, which is a good thing considering what we've had to endure the last few years.
Natalie Gumede - Artem Chigvintsev
- Will this be Artem/Holly all over again? They certainly have the height difference for it. But I suppose they needed someone with interesting choreography for Natalie, and again, there weren't many options for her being tall.
Rachel Riley - Pasha Kovalev
- Pasha gets a young female for the third year in a row. We all thought he might have a 'duffer', so this begs the question of whether Rachel will be a duffer, or if Pasha will get to the final again (and get 2nd place again, after a bad Showdance, again)
Sophie Ellis Bextor - Brendan Cole
- I reckon they'll have a good friendship, Sophie seems quite easy-going and I doubt that she'll cause Brendan problems like some of his previous partners have.
Susanna Reid - Kevin Clifton
- Our other new male pro, we haven't seen Kevin in action yet, but word is that he's a fantastic dancer. Just a question of whether he's a good choreographer too. They do seem suited to one another.
Vanessa Feltz - James Jordan
- The partnership that we all wanted, they will provide much entertainment I'm sure. I can see Vanessa being a toned-down version of Denise.
Ashley Taylor Dawson - Ola Jordan
- I don't think many of us predicted this pairing. Ola, like Robin, is also accused of having limited choreography sometimes, so this series will test her. I think they'll work well together. Team Ashla anyone?
Ben Cohen - Kristina Rihanoff
- The 'height mismatch' of the series, with Ben being a whole foot taller than Kristina. There's a theory that Natalie was going to have Ben originally, but they didn't want him with Aliona, so Aliona and Kristina swapped partners. Kristina imo goes for camp and cheese a bit too often, so she'll have to come up with something different for Ben.
Dave Myers - Karen Hauer
- Another one that not many would predict. Karen and Nicky didn't have a good partnership last series, so it'll be interesting to see how she gets on with Dave.
Julien Macdonald - Janette Manrara
- The two shortest paired together, sounds about right to me. Janette is a new pro and so we haven't seen her yet. She's a SYTYCD alumnus so there are some question marks about her Ballroom experience.
Mark Benton - Iveta Lukoshiute
- This one surprised me too. We saw a bit of Iveta last series, but we don't know how she'll be yet. This could be a comedy pairing, so we'll see how she gets on.
Patrick Robinson - Anya Garnis
- Anya's another new pro, but I don't know about this partnership. Has memories of Spoony/Ola and Colin/Kristina for me, and both couples were out early on. I'll have to see them together on the launch to make up my mind.
Tony Jacklin - Aliona Vilani
- Well we did want to see how Aliona did with a duffer, now's our chance. I think that even if Aliona threw the kitchen sink at the routines, then they'll go out first.
^^ So that's just what I think, but what do you make of the celebs and the pairings? Who are your early favourites and who do you think will win? Comments are always appreciated :)
Abbey Clancy (Model/TV Presenter/WAG of Peter Crouch)
- Abbey is one of those people that I don't particularly like or dislike. I've only seen her doing the fashion segments for 'This Morning' so I haven't formed much of an opinion of her. She seems likeable enough though. I know some people don't want to see her on Strictly due to being a WAG, but really, it's nothing that we haven't seen before. Models don't tend to be great dancers, but I believe that with the right pro, Abbey does have potential. I can see her being a little stiff in the Latin dances at first, but once she lets go and shows us her personality, then I think she could do well.
Ashley Taylor Dawson (Hollyoaks actor)
- I've always liked Ashley, even from his days as a member of the pop band *allstars. I'm surprised that he signed up to be honest, but it's a pleasant surprise. Hollyoaks actors have a decent record on the show, so that's a good omen for him. I think he'll be one of those that will enjoy the experience, even if he doesn't turn out to be a good dancer. He will probably be somewhat decent at the Latin, but I wonder if he might initially struggle with the Ballroom routines - most male celebs tend to find the hold and technical side a bit difficult to start off with. I think he'll go far, but I'm not sure if he'll be the winner.
Ben Cohen (Activist and former rugby player)
- I don't know that much about Ben; I've heard of him, but haven't really seen him before. He's partially deaf so he may be struggling at the beginning, but from Kirsty on SYTYCD UK (who was also deaf), it should still be possible for him to turn in some great performances. His pro will have to be quite patient with him, and they might need to put in more training hours than others to get to the same standard. He's apparently quite nice to look at, so I can see him being popular for the first few weeks at least. The launch show group dance should give me a decent idea of how he might do. Rugby players haven't really been good dancers, but they have got far (5th for both Kenny Logan and Gavin Henson, 4th for Martin Offiah), so there's definitely a benchmark set for him.
Dave Myers (Hairy Biker)
- From the various 'Hairy Bikers' shows, Dave seems very personable and easy-going and I have a sneaking suspicion that he'll be the Russell Grant of the series. We haven't had a chef since series 6 (I think, may have been 5) when Gary Rhodes spectacularly failed, so not much previous form to go on. His Latin probably won't be great, but depending on the pro, his Ballroom could be good. He could make it to about week 6 I think.
Deborah Meaden (One of the 'Dragons' from TV's 'Dragons' Den'; entrepreneur)
- Deborah might have shown her steely side on 'Dragons' Den', but her Strictly journey (yes I've used the j word already) should be an interesting one. I see her as a mix of Dave and Abbey in terms of prospects; she might struggle with the Latin to start with, but once she starts to come out of her shell then I reckon she may surprise us.
Fiona Fullerton (Former Bond girl)
- I must admit, Fiona was one of only 2 celebs that I hadn't heard of before the rumours started. I don't know anything about her at all really, so the launch will form my first real impression of her. Having said that, what's the betting that she'll get Anton? :D She's supposedly had ballet training, so she may be the new Cherie Lunghi.
Julien Macdonald (Fashion designer)
- You just know that he'll get really into it, won't he? He'll have the best costumes every week, just you wait. Julien has his 'Star' range of fashion and homeware going at Debenhams (his homeware stuff is quite nice actually), and also appears on ITT as a fashion pundit. The question with him is which side of camp is he going to go for - the Jason Donovan camp, the Russell Grant camp, or the Richard Arnold camp? (please let it be Jason if only for my own amusement). I get the feeling that he may be better than we expect him to be, so I'd say at least half-way for him.
Mark Benton (Actor, mostly known for Waterloo Road)
- Mark's intriguing in that I haven't really seen him in anything and yet I still like him. That bodes well I guess :) . His 'Waterloo Road' co-star Chelsee Healey finished in 2nd place in her series, but it will be difficult for him to top that. Apparently he's been in 'Hairspray', so he should have some decent rhythm. So why do I picture dad dancing? His Latin will be atrocious, I can see it already. I hope he proves me wrong, but I think he'll be out by week 5.
Natalie Gumede (Former Coronation St actress)
- Ladies and gentlemen, we have this year's 'ringah', or so I've been told. Natalie has been dancing since a young age, so perhaps has even more experience than DVO (is that even possible?). I do think that she'll feel more at home in the Latin dances than the Ballroom, and that she may be popular enough to override the inevitable 'ringah' criticism. I'd say semi-finals at least.
Patrick Robinson (Actor, mostly known for Casualty)
- Probably one of the more unknown members of the cast. Patrick competed in 'Let's Dance for Comic Relief' a few years ago, reaching the final by performing a version of Riverdance (with Lisa Maxwell iirc, and I think they got 3rd place) - so he's no stranger to dancing. Will he be more Colin Salmon than Colin Jackson? Who knows. I don't believe that SCD has had a Patrick on before, so there's one for you stat fans. Bit of an unknown quantity, so I'll go with the same prediction as Mark and say that he'll have an early exit.
Rachel Riley (Countdown maths guru)
- I take it that the males of the country will be jumping up and down with glee. Similar to Abbey, I don't really have much of an opinion of her yet, but I have seen an article where she says that she wouldn't do Strictly as she 'can't dance'. Well she's on it now, so I wonder if like Pamela and Jason D she's taken some lessons in advance? Having said that, for some reason I can picture her having an arc similar to Victoria Pendleton, but without all the Pendledrama (credit to Monkseal for that phrase). I think she'll get to top 7 or 8.
Sophie Ellis- Bextor (Singer)
- Sophie is another that I'm surprised at signing up. She doesn't do much dancing in her videos (and it may have been a double used for 'Murder on the Dancefloor') so can't take much from there. I get the feeling that she'll fit into the 'nice but a bit bland' role that Kimberley held for me last series. She's tall at 5ft 9, so her Jive will certainly be interesting. I think she'll get to about the same stage as Rachel, so top 7 or 8.
Susanna Reid (Newsreader)
- Susanna won the newsreader Children in Need special, so we know that she can dance. The question for me will be her popularity; she might be good, but if she's struggling for a fanbase then she'll be a shock exit. I can see her being quite a graceful Ballroom dancer, and decent in Latin. Hmm, I'd say a top 5 placing for her.
Tony Jacklin (Former golfer)
- Tony was the other celeb besides Fiona that I hadn't really heard of. Cannon fodder and will almost certainly be first out, fulfilling the 'week 1 male' curse (for the stat fans out there, the first eliminated celebrity has been a male in 7 out of the 10 series so far - exceptions being series 3 (Siobhan Hayes), series 7 (Martina Hingis) and series 9 (Edwina Currie)).
Vanessa Feltz (TV Presenter and radio broadcaster)
- I think Vanessa could be a surprise package this series. She seems quite personable, and will definitely provide a good, fiery relationship with her pro partner. She might have the same issues that Lisa Riley did in the Ballroom department, but I reckon her Latin could be good. She may just be the Pamela Stephenson of the series.
So that's what I think, and I'll attempt to predict the elimination order:
1st - Ashley Taylor Dawson
2nd - Natalie Gumede
3rd - Susanna Reid
4th - Abbey Clancy
5th - Ben Cohen
6th - Julien Macdonald
7th - Rachel Riley
8th - Sophie Ellis Bextor
9th - Vanessa Feltz
10th - Dave Myers
11th - Deborah Meaden
12th - Mark Benton
13th - Patrick Robinson
14th - Fiona Fullerton
15th - Tony Jacklin
Here's your warning. The spoilers for the pairings will be underneath. Don't say I didn't warn you. If you don't want to know, then now's the time to click off the page :)
SPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILER
That should do it. Ok, so here are the pairings for this series, and my thoughts underneath:
Abbey Clancy - Aljaz Skorjanec
- Not much scope as there's so many tall females in this line-up. We haven't seen Aljaz before, so we don't know how good a pro partner he will be, but I bet there'll be some choreography where Abbey's modelling skills come into play
Deborah Meaden - Robin Windsor
- Think we were all a bit surprised on this one, as we thought Deborah might go to Pasha, who was due a 'duffer' this year. Robin's accused of having limited choreography, so this partnership should test him - we'll know whether he's a one trick pony after the first few dances.
Fiona Fullerton - Anton du Beke
- Bit of an obvious one. I think we have to presume that Fiona won't be good. No comedy gold potential though as far as I can see, which is a good thing considering what we've had to endure the last few years.
Natalie Gumede - Artem Chigvintsev
- Will this be Artem/Holly all over again? They certainly have the height difference for it. But I suppose they needed someone with interesting choreography for Natalie, and again, there weren't many options for her being tall.
Rachel Riley - Pasha Kovalev
- Pasha gets a young female for the third year in a row. We all thought he might have a 'duffer', so this begs the question of whether Rachel will be a duffer, or if Pasha will get to the final again (and get 2nd place again, after a bad Showdance, again)
Sophie Ellis Bextor - Brendan Cole
- I reckon they'll have a good friendship, Sophie seems quite easy-going and I doubt that she'll cause Brendan problems like some of his previous partners have.
Susanna Reid - Kevin Clifton
- Our other new male pro, we haven't seen Kevin in action yet, but word is that he's a fantastic dancer. Just a question of whether he's a good choreographer too. They do seem suited to one another.
Vanessa Feltz - James Jordan
- The partnership that we all wanted, they will provide much entertainment I'm sure. I can see Vanessa being a toned-down version of Denise.
Ashley Taylor Dawson - Ola Jordan
- I don't think many of us predicted this pairing. Ola, like Robin, is also accused of having limited choreography sometimes, so this series will test her. I think they'll work well together. Team Ashla anyone?
Ben Cohen - Kristina Rihanoff
- The 'height mismatch' of the series, with Ben being a whole foot taller than Kristina. There's a theory that Natalie was going to have Ben originally, but they didn't want him with Aliona, so Aliona and Kristina swapped partners. Kristina imo goes for camp and cheese a bit too often, so she'll have to come up with something different for Ben.
Dave Myers - Karen Hauer
- Another one that not many would predict. Karen and Nicky didn't have a good partnership last series, so it'll be interesting to see how she gets on with Dave.
Julien Macdonald - Janette Manrara
- The two shortest paired together, sounds about right to me. Janette is a new pro and so we haven't seen her yet. She's a SYTYCD alumnus so there are some question marks about her Ballroom experience.
Mark Benton - Iveta Lukoshiute
- This one surprised me too. We saw a bit of Iveta last series, but we don't know how she'll be yet. This could be a comedy pairing, so we'll see how she gets on.
Patrick Robinson - Anya Garnis
- Anya's another new pro, but I don't know about this partnership. Has memories of Spoony/Ola and Colin/Kristina for me, and both couples were out early on. I'll have to see them together on the launch to make up my mind.
Tony Jacklin - Aliona Vilani
- Well we did want to see how Aliona did with a duffer, now's our chance. I think that even if Aliona threw the kitchen sink at the routines, then they'll go out first.
^^ So that's just what I think, but what do you make of the celebs and the pairings? Who are your early favourites and who do you think will win? Comments are always appreciated :)
Saturday, 8 December 2012
SCD Week 10 Review
So this week we had the dance fusion - what was the point? Some contestants used 2 dances that they had already done (Lisa and Kimberley), most used 1 they'd done and one they hadn't (Dani, Louis and Denise) and if I've got this right, one had to learn 2 dances effectively (Nicky).
Was Tess dressed best?: I actually quite liked this week's effort. Colour let it down though and I've preferred some of her other outfits. 7.5/10
Denise & James - Quickstep/Jive - "Reet Petite"
She started off well, but I noticed the mistake straight away. Do Wardrobe really have no idea how long dresses should be? There's been too many malfunctions this series and sadly for Denise she was the victim of one. I thought I spotted a couple of other mistakes too near the end. I did like the choreography though so well done James, I actually enjoyed one of your dances. Bad time to have an off week.
Judges' scores: 8, 9, 9, 9
My score: 8
Lisa & Robin - Tango/Cha Cha Cha - "Voulez-Vous"
I have been a champion of Lisa before but after tonight, no way. I actually agreed with Darcey, the Tango section was much better than the CCC section. Robin has had to dance down to Lisa's level but the CCC portion of the routine just looked really laboured and limp. So many mistakes, she has to go soon.
Judges' scores: 7, 8, 7, 8
My score: 6
Nicky & Karen - American Smooth/Samba - "Troublemaker"
I may be slightly controversial here, but I was surprised and impressed by this. Lazy choreography from Karen, it must be said, but I thought that Nicky danced it really well and those comments from Craig were ridiculous and uncalled for. He doesn't seem to like the male celebrities does he?
Judges' scores: 5, 7, 8, 7
My score: 6.5 (close to a 7, but Denise was much better so had to round down to a 6.5)
Dani & Vincent - Quickstep/Charleston - "Happy Feet"
WOW! I know I like Dani but this was brilliant. Vincent's choreography was fantastic (especially the Charleston elements)and Dani's technique has improved enormously since week 1. I can't give it a 10 as I think I spotted a mistake, but she was top of my leaderboard this week, and I can't help but think that a certain Girls Aloud member isn't getting as many votes as hoped....
Judges' scores: 9, 10, 9, 10
My score: 9
Louis & Flavia - Tango/Rumba - "With Or Without You"
Now I know I've been hard on Louis before (get your minds out of the gutter please folks!) but I think I've worked out why I'm just not enjoying this partnership - Flavia's choreography. The softness he has in his arm and hip movements should be perfect for the Rumba and yet it just didn't work (I felt as though Louis was just posing really). The Rumba section was better than the Tango section though, the Tango part was just too frantic and didn't flow with the song.
Judges' scores: 9, 9, 9, 10
My score: 8
Kimberley & Pasha - Tango/CCC - "It's Raining Men"
WHAT ON EARTH WERE THE JUDGES WATCHING? Kimberley's free arm was just hanging there all the way through, she messed up the footwork a few times and yet apparently it was the best dance of the series?!? Denise's week 2 Jive was a lot better than that (and it pains me to say it as I really don't like D&J). Maybe the 4 couple final is to make sure that Kimberley gets there....
Judges' scores: 10, 10, 10, 10
My score: 7
My Leaderboard:
1. Dani & Vincent - 36
=2. Denise & James - 32
=2. Louis & Flavia - 32
4. Kimberley & Pasha - 28
5. Nicky & Karen - 26
6. Lisa & Robin - 24
Was Tess dressed best?: I actually quite liked this week's effort. Colour let it down though and I've preferred some of her other outfits. 7.5/10
Denise & James - Quickstep/Jive - "Reet Petite"
She started off well, but I noticed the mistake straight away. Do Wardrobe really have no idea how long dresses should be? There's been too many malfunctions this series and sadly for Denise she was the victim of one. I thought I spotted a couple of other mistakes too near the end. I did like the choreography though so well done James, I actually enjoyed one of your dances. Bad time to have an off week.
Judges' scores: 8, 9, 9, 9
My score: 8
Lisa & Robin - Tango/Cha Cha Cha - "Voulez-Vous"
I have been a champion of Lisa before but after tonight, no way. I actually agreed with Darcey, the Tango section was much better than the CCC section. Robin has had to dance down to Lisa's level but the CCC portion of the routine just looked really laboured and limp. So many mistakes, she has to go soon.
Judges' scores: 7, 8, 7, 8
My score: 6
Nicky & Karen - American Smooth/Samba - "Troublemaker"
I may be slightly controversial here, but I was surprised and impressed by this. Lazy choreography from Karen, it must be said, but I thought that Nicky danced it really well and those comments from Craig were ridiculous and uncalled for. He doesn't seem to like the male celebrities does he?
Judges' scores: 5, 7, 8, 7
My score: 6.5 (close to a 7, but Denise was much better so had to round down to a 6.5)
Dani & Vincent - Quickstep/Charleston - "Happy Feet"
WOW! I know I like Dani but this was brilliant. Vincent's choreography was fantastic (especially the Charleston elements)and Dani's technique has improved enormously since week 1. I can't give it a 10 as I think I spotted a mistake, but she was top of my leaderboard this week, and I can't help but think that a certain Girls Aloud member isn't getting as many votes as hoped....
Judges' scores: 9, 10, 9, 10
My score: 9
Louis & Flavia - Tango/Rumba - "With Or Without You"
Now I know I've been hard on Louis before (get your minds out of the gutter please folks!) but I think I've worked out why I'm just not enjoying this partnership - Flavia's choreography. The softness he has in his arm and hip movements should be perfect for the Rumba and yet it just didn't work (I felt as though Louis was just posing really). The Rumba section was better than the Tango section though, the Tango part was just too frantic and didn't flow with the song.
Judges' scores: 9, 9, 9, 10
My score: 8
Kimberley & Pasha - Tango/CCC - "It's Raining Men"
WHAT ON EARTH WERE THE JUDGES WATCHING? Kimberley's free arm was just hanging there all the way through, she messed up the footwork a few times and yet apparently it was the best dance of the series?!? Denise's week 2 Jive was a lot better than that (and it pains me to say it as I really don't like D&J). Maybe the 4 couple final is to make sure that Kimberley gets there....
Judges' scores: 10, 10, 10, 10
My score: 7
My Leaderboard:
1. Dani & Vincent - 36
=2. Denise & James - 32
=2. Louis & Flavia - 32
4. Kimberley & Pasha - 28
5. Nicky & Karen - 26
6. Lisa & Robin - 24
Sunday, 2 December 2012
SCD Week 9 Review
Just to make sure that it's posted :)
So we waved a sad farewell to Michael and Natalie. I'm sure Michael will be fondly remembered for the worst (and yet most hilarious) Jive in Strictly history. I have to applaud him though, he tried his hardest each and every week and I now fully appreciate Natalie because of their partnership. Kudos to Ms Lowe.
Was Tess best dressed?: Hmm, not as good as last week. The split in her dress was too high and the bling was not necessary. 7/10
Kimberley & Pasha - Jive - "Land of 1000 Dances"
Definitely overmarked this week. She was doing alright but she did tire quite badly towards the end and really can't do spins. Suffice to say I think the song was a bit too quick and Pasha might have put too much content in for Kimberley to handle. She needs to come back, refine the technique and dial back the performance a bit.
Judges' scores: 9, 8, 8, 9
My score: 7.5
Dani & Vincent - Viennese Waltz - "That's Amore"
What is it with the judges and undermarking Dani? This was so much better than Kimberley's effort, I'm starting to wonder if she's doing better in the vote than we all thought. She still struggles to fully extend in the arms and feet but I feel she did all the extensions quite well. Vincent has excelled himself again with the choreography.
Judges' scores: 8, 8, 9, 9
My score: 8.5
Michael & Natalie - Samba - "Tequila"
Oh Michael, thank you for carrying on from Victoria in terms of car-crash Latin. It wasn't actually too bad though. Natalie had taken tips from Ola in trying to do 90% of the work, and Michael didn't look awful apart from the hip thrusting (it never looks right when male celebs do that though). It's a shame that he's gone as he got into the spirit of Strictly and then some.
Judges' scores: 5, 7, 6, 6
My score: 5.5
Nicky & Karen - Argentine Tango - "Skyfall"
I actually thought this was quite good for the most part. At least he was actually doing some dancing and not just posing/lifts (see Colin and Kristina). In my opinion, he wasn't being that aggressive at all, so not sure what the judges were seeing there. He needs to refine the technical side, especially for the Ballroom dances, but he should be ok for any Latins that he has left.
Judges' scores: 7, 8, 7, 8
My score: 7.5
Lisa & Robin - Quickstep - "Bring Me Sunshine"
This was what I'd say "wasn't Lisa's dance". She doesn't seem to be able to master travelling in hold, and seeing as that's what the Quickstep mostly is, this wasn't technically very good. Her footwork was terrible - hardly mirroring Robin at all and she struggled to pick up her feet. She did however give a good performance again, and the roll-over onto the sofa made me smile. Robin needs to try and choreograph so that she's able to keep up with him and then it will look a lot better.
Judges' scores: 7, 8, 8, 8
My score: 6
Denise & James - Salsa - "Rhythm of the Night"
I might not like this pairing, but for about the first third of the dance I thought Denise was doing really well. Like Kimberley, there seemed to be too much content for her to cope with. The meltdown from James (supposedly him) just topped it off. This was better than her Cha Cha Cha and I reckon James might just decide to skip the Rumba, seeing as Denise can't seem to master hip action. Denise needs to watch Kimberley for if she has the Samba.
Judges' scores: 8, 8, 8, 8
My score: 7.5
Louis & Flavia - Charleston - "Dr Wanna Do"
Call me cynical but as soon as I realised that Louis was towards the end of the show I knew he'd get his "breakthrough". I actually quite liked this dance and he did finally give a performance (so kudos to him for that), but for me, some of the technique seemed a little messy and I can't understand the 10s. To improve, he needs to keep it up with the performance at all times, but not at the expense of the technique. He'd do well to have a look at some of Harry's dances.
Judges' scores: 8, 10, 9, 10
My score: 8.5
My Leaderboard:
=1. Dani & Vincent - 34
=1. Louis & Flavia - 34
=3. Kimberley & Pasha - 30
=3. Nicky & Karen - 30
=3. Denise & James - 30
6. Lisa & Robin - 24
7. Michael & Natalie - 22
So we waved a sad farewell to Michael and Natalie. I'm sure Michael will be fondly remembered for the worst (and yet most hilarious) Jive in Strictly history. I have to applaud him though, he tried his hardest each and every week and I now fully appreciate Natalie because of their partnership. Kudos to Ms Lowe.
Was Tess best dressed?: Hmm, not as good as last week. The split in her dress was too high and the bling was not necessary. 7/10
Kimberley & Pasha - Jive - "Land of 1000 Dances"
Definitely overmarked this week. She was doing alright but she did tire quite badly towards the end and really can't do spins. Suffice to say I think the song was a bit too quick and Pasha might have put too much content in for Kimberley to handle. She needs to come back, refine the technique and dial back the performance a bit.
Judges' scores: 9, 8, 8, 9
My score: 7.5
Dani & Vincent - Viennese Waltz - "That's Amore"
What is it with the judges and undermarking Dani? This was so much better than Kimberley's effort, I'm starting to wonder if she's doing better in the vote than we all thought. She still struggles to fully extend in the arms and feet but I feel she did all the extensions quite well. Vincent has excelled himself again with the choreography.
Judges' scores: 8, 8, 9, 9
My score: 8.5
Michael & Natalie - Samba - "Tequila"
Oh Michael, thank you for carrying on from Victoria in terms of car-crash Latin. It wasn't actually too bad though. Natalie had taken tips from Ola in trying to do 90% of the work, and Michael didn't look awful apart from the hip thrusting (it never looks right when male celebs do that though). It's a shame that he's gone as he got into the spirit of Strictly and then some.
Judges' scores: 5, 7, 6, 6
My score: 5.5
Nicky & Karen - Argentine Tango - "Skyfall"
I actually thought this was quite good for the most part. At least he was actually doing some dancing and not just posing/lifts (see Colin and Kristina). In my opinion, he wasn't being that aggressive at all, so not sure what the judges were seeing there. He needs to refine the technical side, especially for the Ballroom dances, but he should be ok for any Latins that he has left.
Judges' scores: 7, 8, 7, 8
My score: 7.5
Lisa & Robin - Quickstep - "Bring Me Sunshine"
This was what I'd say "wasn't Lisa's dance". She doesn't seem to be able to master travelling in hold, and seeing as that's what the Quickstep mostly is, this wasn't technically very good. Her footwork was terrible - hardly mirroring Robin at all and she struggled to pick up her feet. She did however give a good performance again, and the roll-over onto the sofa made me smile. Robin needs to try and choreograph so that she's able to keep up with him and then it will look a lot better.
Judges' scores: 7, 8, 8, 8
My score: 6
Denise & James - Salsa - "Rhythm of the Night"
I might not like this pairing, but for about the first third of the dance I thought Denise was doing really well. Like Kimberley, there seemed to be too much content for her to cope with. The meltdown from James (supposedly him) just topped it off. This was better than her Cha Cha Cha and I reckon James might just decide to skip the Rumba, seeing as Denise can't seem to master hip action. Denise needs to watch Kimberley for if she has the Samba.
Judges' scores: 8, 8, 8, 8
My score: 7.5
Louis & Flavia - Charleston - "Dr Wanna Do"
Call me cynical but as soon as I realised that Louis was towards the end of the show I knew he'd get his "breakthrough". I actually quite liked this dance and he did finally give a performance (so kudos to him for that), but for me, some of the technique seemed a little messy and I can't understand the 10s. To improve, he needs to keep it up with the performance at all times, but not at the expense of the technique. He'd do well to have a look at some of Harry's dances.
Judges' scores: 8, 10, 9, 10
My score: 8.5
My Leaderboard:
=1. Dani & Vincent - 34
=1. Louis & Flavia - 34
=3. Kimberley & Pasha - 30
=3. Nicky & Karen - 30
=3. Denise & James - 30
6. Lisa & Robin - 24
7. Michael & Natalie - 22
Wednesday, 28 November 2012
SCD Week 8 Review
Apologies for not doing reviews for the past few weeks, have been ill and have had internet issues.
So this week saw the demise of Pendledrama, and the obvious relief of Brendan Cole (whether it's relief to be definitely unavailable for when his wife gives birth, or relief to just finally get away from the Pendledrama, I'll leave up to you to decide).
Was Tess best dressed? Well she did pretty well in my opinion. Probably her best dress this series in all honesty. 9/10
Dani & Vincent - Samba - "Single Ladies"
What is it with this show and Beyonce songs, that's 2 already this series. I was really wanting her to do well with this, but, I don't know, something was missing for me. Proper samba choreography, that's what. This was basically a rehash of the dance from the video - which to be fair to Dani, she executed quite well. Just lacked a bit of bounce action, and was she meant to do a floor spin at the end?
Judges' scores: 9, 9, 9, 9
My score: 7.5
Kimberley & Pasha - Tango - "When Doves Cry"
I've said before that I'm not crazy about Kimberley's Ballroom, and I was underwhelmed here as well. Her hold is still way too loose and she went overboard on the facial expression, although her footwork is really good. Sorry Pasha but I did get bored during the routine, that might have been the song choice though. Hope she comes back strongly next week as to be honest, I'm disappointed.
Judges' scores: 8, 9, 8, 9
My score: 7.5
Victoria & Brendan - Salsa - "Candy"
Where do I begin? She messed up at the beginning and just went downhill from there. The armography section was good, but other than that it was a dis-ahhh-stahh. Brendan just couldn't be bothered this week could he? Hehe. Loved when Bruno called him "Brenda" - heard that and thought of Monkseal. It was her time to go, so at least it was on one of her better Latins.
Judges' scores: 4, 6, 6, 5
My score: 4
Louis & Flavia - Paso Doble - "Dirty Diana"
I love this song but even I know that it doesn't work for a Paso. Louis did alright with the capework at the beginning but the dance just completely lacked any attack. I hate to say it but I do blame Flavia's choreography a bit on that one, it didn't really enable Louis to try and deliver on the performance side. I'm glad he has the Charleston this week - if he can't perform in that then he won't be able to at all and will probably leave before the final. His technique is undoubtedly good, but I'm always looking to be excited after the performance, and Team Flouia hasn't given me that so far.
Judges' scores: 6, 7, 7, 7
My score: 6
Lisa & Robin - Rumba - "As If We Never Said Goodbye"
I actually thought she did well with this. I wasn't keen on the song (it was a bit too frantic for me), but she gave the dance a good go and she proved that she could do serious. She at least tried to do the hip action and some of her shaping was good. Unfortunately her frame worked against her on this dance, "it just wasn't her dahhhnce". This week's Quickstep should set her back on the right path.
Judges' scores: 7, 6, 7, 7
My score: 5.5
Michael & Natalie - Argentine Tango - "Bust Your Windows"
I do love this song and I was really looking forward to the dance, to see how Michael has improved as well. He went back to "hanging basket" with his backside and it was all a bit too "English gent" for me. His Samba this week should be entertaining, if mainly for all the wrong reasons!
Judges' scores: 6, 7, 7, 6
My score: 5
Nicky & Karen - Charleston - "Doop"
I thought this might be Nicky's dance and I was glad to see he did well. I think this was more a case of performance over technique though, more Chris & Ola than Kara & Artem. Surely it should be his time to go soon? Karen can't seem to choreograph much and I reckon she'll be Holt!-ed at the end of the series.
Judges' scores: 9, 9, 9, 9
My score: 7
Denise & James - American Smooth - "Imagine"
Was it just me, or was this as boring as watching a Parliamentary debate? Team Vanjam just rehashed their previous Ballroom routines and added some lifts to it. I HATE those spins! They don't look elegant and she just looks down at the floor whenever she does them. It was a good dance technically but they are yet to wow me performance-wise.
Judges' scores: 9, 9, 9, 10
My score: 8.5
Bruno just gave that a 10 to put Denise at the top of the leaderboard didn't he? Hope the marking is more realistic this coming weekend - will we have a new leaderboard-topper for the first time since.... erm.... week 3 or 4 maybe? I can't remember when Denise wasn't top of the leaderboard.
So this week saw the demise of Pendledrama, and the obvious relief of Brendan Cole (whether it's relief to be definitely unavailable for when his wife gives birth, or relief to just finally get away from the Pendledrama, I'll leave up to you to decide).
Was Tess best dressed? Well she did pretty well in my opinion. Probably her best dress this series in all honesty. 9/10
Dani & Vincent - Samba - "Single Ladies"
What is it with this show and Beyonce songs, that's 2 already this series. I was really wanting her to do well with this, but, I don't know, something was missing for me. Proper samba choreography, that's what. This was basically a rehash of the dance from the video - which to be fair to Dani, she executed quite well. Just lacked a bit of bounce action, and was she meant to do a floor spin at the end?
Judges' scores: 9, 9, 9, 9
My score: 7.5
Kimberley & Pasha - Tango - "When Doves Cry"
I've said before that I'm not crazy about Kimberley's Ballroom, and I was underwhelmed here as well. Her hold is still way too loose and she went overboard on the facial expression, although her footwork is really good. Sorry Pasha but I did get bored during the routine, that might have been the song choice though. Hope she comes back strongly next week as to be honest, I'm disappointed.
Judges' scores: 8, 9, 8, 9
My score: 7.5
Victoria & Brendan - Salsa - "Candy"
Where do I begin? She messed up at the beginning and just went downhill from there. The armography section was good, but other than that it was a dis-ahhh-stahh. Brendan just couldn't be bothered this week could he? Hehe. Loved when Bruno called him "Brenda" - heard that and thought of Monkseal. It was her time to go, so at least it was on one of her better Latins.
Judges' scores: 4, 6, 6, 5
My score: 4
Louis & Flavia - Paso Doble - "Dirty Diana"
I love this song but even I know that it doesn't work for a Paso. Louis did alright with the capework at the beginning but the dance just completely lacked any attack. I hate to say it but I do blame Flavia's choreography a bit on that one, it didn't really enable Louis to try and deliver on the performance side. I'm glad he has the Charleston this week - if he can't perform in that then he won't be able to at all and will probably leave before the final. His technique is undoubtedly good, but I'm always looking to be excited after the performance, and Team Flouia hasn't given me that so far.
Judges' scores: 6, 7, 7, 7
My score: 6
Lisa & Robin - Rumba - "As If We Never Said Goodbye"
I actually thought she did well with this. I wasn't keen on the song (it was a bit too frantic for me), but she gave the dance a good go and she proved that she could do serious. She at least tried to do the hip action and some of her shaping was good. Unfortunately her frame worked against her on this dance, "it just wasn't her dahhhnce". This week's Quickstep should set her back on the right path.
Judges' scores: 7, 6, 7, 7
My score: 5.5
Michael & Natalie - Argentine Tango - "Bust Your Windows"
I do love this song and I was really looking forward to the dance, to see how Michael has improved as well. He went back to "hanging basket" with his backside and it was all a bit too "English gent" for me. His Samba this week should be entertaining, if mainly for all the wrong reasons!
Judges' scores: 6, 7, 7, 6
My score: 5
Nicky & Karen - Charleston - "Doop"
I thought this might be Nicky's dance and I was glad to see he did well. I think this was more a case of performance over technique though, more Chris & Ola than Kara & Artem. Surely it should be his time to go soon? Karen can't seem to choreograph much and I reckon she'll be Holt!-ed at the end of the series.
Judges' scores: 9, 9, 9, 9
My score: 7
Denise & James - American Smooth - "Imagine"
Was it just me, or was this as boring as watching a Parliamentary debate? Team Vanjam just rehashed their previous Ballroom routines and added some lifts to it. I HATE those spins! They don't look elegant and she just looks down at the floor whenever she does them. It was a good dance technically but they are yet to wow me performance-wise.
Judges' scores: 9, 9, 9, 10
My score: 8.5
Bruno just gave that a 10 to put Denise at the top of the leaderboard didn't he? Hope the marking is more realistic this coming weekend - will we have a new leaderboard-topper for the first time since.... erm.... week 3 or 4 maybe? I can't remember when Denise wasn't top of the leaderboard.
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