2020 Tango's 'Little bit of Honesty'

mauveangel09 wrote:  I do think they could have spread things out a bit more so we could be having some pasos now for example, and there are a few other dances that we have barely seen, like the Foxtrot. Just saying...........................

All of the A.Smooth's have been Foxtrot based, and Gio & Ranvir did a Foxtrot too, but we've only had one traditional waltz which was from JJ & Amy I think. I'm surprised the male celebs haven't got the dreaded Rumba out of the way before the final weeks, but maybe they just won't do that dance this year.

I think the Rumba has been binned this year. In one way I am glad (because it can be very squirmy and cringey to have to watch), BUT it is one of the competition ten, and I genuinely think I'd rather watch ten rumbas from between my fingers hiding behind the sofa (because two of them will probably be very good) than watch any Couples Choice dances.

I too think we've seen a fair bit of foxtrotting if you included the American Smooths, and Ranvir's Foxtrot was gorgeous. We've had a few VW's now, but yes, only one Waltz I think.

I agree Ranvir needs to do some party Latin for variety and Jamie needs to do a waltz or a foxtrot. I imagine their partners (or the producers) have perhaps skewed it so that they may escape the dances that don't suit them. With only 9 weeks and one of those being a Couples Choice/Get Out of Jail card, that means they only have to do 8 dances. As well as the competition ten, we also have Charleston, AT and Salsa that they can choose - so eight dances out of 13. With that amount of choice it's very easy to drop the ones that really don't suit. (And if I was Gio and forced to give Ranvir a latin dance I would go for a rumba - insist it was unbinned. Ranvir can do emotional intensity/intimacy but not convinced she can be lively/party)

Will do a proper post later, but just to say that I was left with the tears running down my face after Ranvir's dance. If dance is meant to make you feel then she has a multitude of tens from me...

Might get me in hot water, but....

Little doubt the consonants fella, ie, HRVY or Maisie,  will win the mirror bauble. There's so little in it now, and  they all deserve big credit for what they've achieved,, but these two are undeniably both a shade above the rest on pure dance talent. Sorry, but II thought Ranvir was overmarked (promoted?)tonight and working on sentiment rather than dance talent, and will find it hard to decide from her, Bill (who I thought was a very creditable Phantom), and J.J (undermarked for a great Charlston).

Jamie, for me was pretty average tonight and should have been bottom of the board and might be in the dance off with Ranvir. It doesn't matter what they all get next, as long as they escape tonight .

There are a few more things that I can't be too honest about, but that's another story.  More tomorrow.

Is it me, but I can't fathom why we're getting extra male pro dancers this year?
I thought the opening dance was different. I see Gorka ended up with Cuban heels after struggling to walk in the stilettos. How he managed to walk at all after the training that must have gone into that jive.
Gio seemed to be enjoying himself a bit too much. It was interesting watching how Gorka and Gio's change in foot angle affected the usual freedom of their movements. Johannes was living his best life.
I'm guessing it will be a male same sex couple next year. Let's hope we lose the 'twinning' hairstyles and costumes of this year.

From the rehearsals clip, it seemed like Lloyd Webber was seeing how Maisie and HRVY would look on his West End Stage. Quite a few ex-Strictly celebs have gone on to dance in the West End Theatres.

Thoughts on tonight's show:
JJ - Charleston. I enjoyed it, but it didn’t blow me away. I agree with Cr aig that a bit more ‘hamming it up’ would have taken it to the next level. Considering his extensive limb and spinal injuries, I thought he danced well and those heel click leaps were impressive.  I thought a 7 was about right.

Ranvir - V.Waltz. Very emotional dance. Lovely story telling. Sitting in the cheap seats, from the camera angle I didn’t see what Shirley described as the best ever flickerl on Strictly. I saw a lot of pivots, not sure if there was as much actual waltzing? Ranvir's come a long way and it’s neck and neck between her scores and Bill. I thought she was slightly over marked and would have given her an 8.

Maisie - Jive. I loved this, in fact it was probably my favourite dance of the night. Gorka put a fantastic complex routine together, and Maisie couldn’t have put much more effort in. I enjoyed the performance, the dancing, the light and shade.  I’m not sure whether Maisie will lift the glitter ball. Even if she gets to the final, she hasn’t had the public vote like HRVY. I would have given a 9/10

Bill - A.Tango. I thought Bill looked like Obi 1 Kanobe in the VTs. I agree with Shirley that it’s hard for the celeb to lead in the A.Tango. Ramprakash was exceptional. I like Bill but I found the ‘power, dominance and stability’ angle whilst Oti danced around, made his role look a bit static and pedestrian.  It will be interesting to see what dance they have next. Can he regain the quality of a couple of weeks ago? Mid table. He may be in danger so I threw him my votes. 8’s were about right for me

HRVY - A.Smooth. Another cracking routine designed by Janette. What I really enjoyed was the dance punctuations matching points in the music. He did a great job especially with all those lifts and will no doubt get to the final. He has the votes too. I didn’t realise Janette hadn’t made it to Musicals week before. Like Maisie I thought 9/10

Jamie - Jive. I wasn’t sure about the desk-ography. It was fast and furious  but it didn’t blow me away. The performance seemed muted by his concentration level and dire need to keep breathing. It was like he just had to get from A-B in one piece.  7 or 8.

I can't call who'll be in the dance-off, it's too close and the public vote will make a massive difference. If it's JJ and Jamie, I'm guessing Jamie will be saved. If it's Jamie and Ranvir, it may be Ranvir saved. If it's Bill & Ranvir who knows? I can't see the judges letting Maisie or HRVY go too easily.

Hi everyone, what did you think of the show? I have just a few short comments tonight.

HRVY and Janette and Maisie and Gorka are obviously way out in front of the field. I don't care whether they're "ringers" or not. They're just a joy to watch.

Maisie and Gorka - Jive Thsi was extraordinary. Mrs Twirlie called her “a force of nature” and I kind of agree with her. 9.

HRVY and Janette - American Smooth This stole the show for me this evening. I thought their American Smooth was just sensational. Janette had created a wonderful, complicated and exciting choreography, and they both executed it flawlessly. I thought it was worth 3x10s.  

Ranvir and Giovanni - Viennese Waltz These two came next for me tonight She danced her Viennese Waltz beautifully though I wasn’t moved emotionally by it. What’s Motsi on?  8.

Then who? I’d have been hard pushed to pick between Bill and Jamie tonight. Neither was wonderful.

Jamie and Karen  - Jive  Jamie ran out of steam rather. Karen’s choreography ran out of steam rather as well. I thought a lot of what we saw there, we'd seen in previous n'umbers, and there wasn't a lot of Jive there. Am I wrong? 7.  

Bill and Oti - Argentine Tango  I think Bill has reached that dancer’s glass ceiling. He was pretty stiff in that AT with Oti and not in a good way. Again, I think the choreography had been simplified for him and not in a way that made him look good. 7.

JJ and Amy - Charleston. Sadly, today’s loser was JJ. Probably because of his physical difficulties, he really couldn’t hack it. The Charleston was a dance too far for him. In order to allow him to cope with his physical difficulties, the choreography was just too pedestrian and the performance just too tame. I also feel that you can only mark him up because of his physical disability and because he's a nice chap for so long. This is the quarter finals. It's time for reality to set in. 5.

The real question now, is who is going to join HRVY and Maisie in the final because the only way one of them isn’t going to get there is if they’re both in the DO against each other. I don’t see that happening.

Unless the Great British Public keep him in, I’d have thought JJ’s for the high jump this week. That would leave Jamie, Bill and Ranvir fighting for those last two spots. I reckon Ranvir’s more likely to get through than either of the boys based on dance ability, but who knows who Joe Public will vote for?

What did you all think? I’ll go and read your comments now.

Good morning all. Very high quality last night and it will be anybody’s guess who ends up in the dance off.

JJ & Amy - quite accomplished but pretty tame for me. I always think of the Charleston as a free ticket to the next round but I’m not sure they've done enough on this occasion.

Ranvir & Giovanni - I cried real tears from the start of the VT to the end of the dance, absolutely loved it and gave her all my votes. For a non-dancer and non-performer she is amazing. I can’t help hoping she and Gio have fallen in love....

Maisie & Gorka - fast, furious, polished, sassy, everything you would expect from a young lady who has been performing her whole life. I absolutely loved it, I’m a big Maisie fan.

Bill & Oti - again, quite accomplished but, for me, he has never matched the heights of his couples choice and actually looks weaker as time goes on. He may be simply fatigued or has reached his glass ceiling.

HRVY & Janette - meh. Yes, credit where credit’s due but I’m not fond of him or the partnership. If one of the ringers wins then I want it to be Maisie.

Jamie & Karen - another non-dancer but he certainly can perform. Probably has a GCSE in showing off. Not a lot of jive in there, not danced tremendously well but jolly entertaining.

For me, JJ was the weakest (and has been for a couple of weeks) followed by Bill and Jamie. Anybody else in the DO should be saved.

Loved the opening number. As somebody else has said, Johannes is just living his best life and Gio was liking it all just a little bit too much. Gio is fast turning into my favourite pro, from where he started to now is a transformation (or a blossoming).

Hi all,

It’s years since I’ve posted here although I have popped in from time to time to read some of the excellent summaries you all post after the shows.   As regards last night - HRVY and Jeanette stole it for me, a quite brilliant routine.  At the other end of the scale I actually thought JJ’s dance was his most entertaining yet.  For me, entertainment is so often the thing that swings it.    I struggled more with Bill and Oti this week and think we may have seen the best of those two already.    Maisie’s always great to watch and I hope that the public are finally beginning to see sense and rally behind her.   Jamie has gone a lot further than I ever thought he would; I had him pegged for a very quick exit.   I’m on the fence about Ranvir - I sense there’s another level there....

I find myself becoming increasingly irritated by the Strictly format.  My biggest beef is that there’s nothing spontaneous about it.  Tess and Claudia could be reading from cue cards that are now several series old and all of the Judges, the fabu-u-lus darling one included, have become far too predictable.  The one unpredictable judge - Silver tongued Italian Stallion, who is prone to do anything - is missing this time out.   I particularly cringe at the line, “and what would you like to say to your partner,” as if, after months together, they have to be led to such statements.   The main thrust of the show is to make it even more spectacular - this years introduction of CGI (I’m not a fan) proving the point.  The dances have strayed a long way from their origins - the most common thing my wife and I say during the show is “The Love God that is Leonard The Lion Goodman would have hated this,” and I wouldn’t mind betting that line flashes through a lot of other people’s minds, too.   It’s not necessarily a bad thing that the dances have evolved but it does mean that the foundations are not what they were.   I’d love to see them putting some unpredictability back into the show, I think it would give it an important edge that’s missing.

All that said, I’m always tuning in, I’ll always have my favourites and it remains something to look forward to.  The idea that complete novices can turn in dazzling dance routines is a very compelling one.

Well it was a mixed night for me. Mixed because I love the Musicals theme and there were some excellent dances but I was annoyed by the lack of consistency and rhetoric by two judges in particular.

JJ and Amy (Charleston): It was a good piece of music to dance too and he had very good swivel and movement but I agree with CRH that it was a bit stop-start and did not flow throughout. No real mistakes though. Worth a 7 from me.

Ranvir and Giovanni (Viennese Waltz): A bit of faffing at the start but as always she danced it very well without any real mistakes. It wasn't my kind of waltz though for some reason. Perhaps it was the choreography but it still merited an 8. The fawning Shirley claiming the best fleckle she's ever seen from a female in Strictly.....hmmm. I will take that with a pinch of salt.

Maisie and Gorka (Jive): Superb - my dance of the night. She had great characterisation, great stamina, lovely pauses and neat, sharp kicks. Midway through when she got up on the counter though she looked a little ungainly and would take off a mark for that but still worth a 9.

Bill and Oti (Argentine Tango): Again the characterisation was great and had some great moments with neat kicks but for me he wasn't given enough to do. He spent a lot of the time lifting Oto or standing whilst she danced around him. Still worth an 8.

Harvey and Janette (American Smooth): I wasn't sure about the start on the stairs. He had a moment when he stumbled over hat, CRH spotted the error I did when he lost balance coming out of a spin and mistimed going into one later. Ah but what the heck Shirley gushed and for Motsy it was the best Strictly dance ever. Pass the sick bucket...pleeaasee. It was very good but with multiple errors which all of the judges spotted. Only CRH had the sense to mark it down for that. How many times have I heard Shirley say 'I have to subtract a mark' to others yet her darling she overlooks it. Bah humbug the inconsistencies but I suppose if you have the hots for someone it clouds your judgement.

Jaimie and Karen (Jive): Not bad but not at the levels of other dances. I wasn't keen on the pushing around of the tables part and it made the dance bitty and he looked stompy and kicks a little sloppy. Not his best. A 7 from me.

The dance-off tonight should be between JJ and Jaimie in my eyes as their consistency levels are a bit behind the rest and in my eyes they had the weakest dances of the night. We shall see though but its tough as they are so equally matched.

Morning all - another good show and they are so close now that I wouldn't like to call it. I felt (some) of the marks were a bit more tempered last night. I think for me sadly JJ is now the weakest dancer of a good pack but it remains to be seen what GBP think.

Really enjoyed the opening pro n umber (much better than that pinball thing last week!) I think the boys did good and it just reiterated for me that the whole same sex thing really means nothing in dance and the hype around these shows having same sex couples has been overblown IMO.

Did anyone else think how two of the tracks last night have been re-hashed from previous shows - and not so long ago either. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was done a couple of years ago - although it might have been in Blackpool, can't quite remember but I remember the set was the front of the car. Also - Phantom was done as well, but not sure whether it was an Argentine Tango or not.

JJ and Amy - Charleston - 7
I agree this was too sedate but on the other hand to me it was right for the music and theme. I do applaud Amy for her teaching as she had obviously done a lot of Charleston basic with JJ and she always gets the best out of what he can do which I really like. I thought he lost energy half way through. I thought 6 was a bit mean given that he delivered the routine with good timing but unfortunately I did not think that this was at the standard needed to get into the semi-final.

Ranvir and Gio - VW - 9
I really loved this dance (although I'll take the judges gushing with a pinch of salt like the rest of you) I felt that there wasn't too much faffing about and the theme didn't take it over too much. They covered the floor well and I think it is the best VW I have seen for awhile. My problem with Ranvir being a potential semi-finalist is that she just hasn't proved her self an all rounder - (no Charleston, Jive, Samba, Salsa). I think they have done most of the ballroom now so if she does get through it will be interesting to see what they do next week. As Diamonds says - I think she would do a mean rumba - but I want to see more of a variety of skills I'm afraid. Fifty - I sincerely hope she doesn't fall in love with Gio - much as I love him he has got an abysmal track record on 'lurve'...........

Maisie and Gorka - Jive - 9
A great Jive delivered with energy, joy and professionalism - liked the costumes too. If I'm honest though it didn't blow me away for some reason. Probably because the jive was bound to be more her thing and I preferred last week as I knew she really had to learn new skills and dig deep for that one.

Bill and Oti - AT - 8
I thought this was an interesting Argentine Tango. For me it wasn't danced close enough and I agree with all your comments about bits being static - but it is more difficult for the male celeb to sparkle in this one. I agree with you B4P that Mark Ramprakash was one of the few who pulled it off - I liked Simon Webb too. However, what I liked in this dance was some of the lifts which I thought were authentic and which some of the female celebs (Ranvir for example) don't really do. I thought Bill coped well with those and gave it a good stab. I'm not ready for him to go.

HRVY and Janette - AS - 10
Dance of the night for me and finally moved me to giving a 10! But then again it was right up my street with the jazz/tap nods and I love the song! Just makes you want to get up and do some high kicks (in my head!). What I liked was that I found it a good balance (finally from Janette) between the theme and the dance and there was certainly enough ballroom and steps done in hold for me to thoroughly approve. I loved it but what I didn't love were the costumes!!!! Why the mirror costumes???? Sorry those trousers were Andy Pandy like. I loved the colour and style for the tails and would have preferred Janette to have worn shorts/leotard under the tailcoat, in the style of the film and for HRVY to have black trousers.

Jamie and Karen - Jive - 8
It was danced well overall and I thought the choreography was good but like others have said - I just felt it was more of the same from them and they did a lot of what they have done before - including the mirror costumes (again). Although I like Jamie and he has come a long way I am a bit bored of them now I'm afraid.

Hello David Tee - nice to hear from you.

Morning all.

Just to take on a little from last night:(no real change of views, just a bit more explanation.)

Good to read all the comments, and great to see David Tee back and I couldn't agree more with his comment on how L en G would react to all the non dance -relative stuff that goes on. Smarm, mawkish family stuff with kids and grandmas that is a blatant curve ball to curry favour and votes, just the same as relationships between dancers/celebrities. Who's interested and what has any of it to do with dance talent? Oh how I miss The Love God that is Leonard The Lion Goodman (who besides all else was a world class ballroom dancer and a fair judge). The celebrities are still amateurs after all and their progress is brilliant. Actually I'd love to see a separate vote from a panel of impartial professional dance judges ( international if you like) with no axes to grind taken into account in the results and who change weekly during the Strictly season.

The dance off really is a Hobson's choice because of the unpredictable G.B.P, although Jamie and J.J look to be San Fernando candidates, possibly with Ranvir, but who knows? Since I doubt either being a winner in the end, no bets there from me. Best laid plans, etc....

Aside: Why do folk dress up like pantomime characters to appear on T.V.? No disrespect meant,( really, but it is a honest thread) but Motsi, volatile and extravagant as she is and appearing nothing like her home interviews, last night, looked like a badly wrapped parcel with a hairstyle straight out of Last of the Mohicans?

As you were.....

Welcome back Dave Tee. Great to hear from you again

David Tee wrote:Hi all,

It’s years since I’ve posted here although I have popped in from time to time to read some of the excellent summaries you all post after the shows.   As regards last night - HRVY and Jeanette stole it for me, a quite brilliant routine.  At the other end of the scale I actually thought JJ’s dance was his most entertaining yet.  For me, entertainment is so often the thing that swings it.    I struggled more with Bill and Oti this week and think we may have seen the best of those two already.    Maisie’s always great to watch and I hope that the public are finally beginning to see sense and rally behind her.   Jamie has gone a lot further than I ever thought he would; I had him pegged for a very quick exit.   I’m on the fence about Ranvir - I sense there’s another level there....

I find myself becoming increasingly irritated by the Strictly format.  My biggest beef is that there’s nothing spontaneous about it.  Tess and Claudia could be reading from cue cards that are now several series old and all of the Judges, the fabu-u-lus darling one included, have become far too predictable.  The one unpredictable judge - Silver tongued Italian Stallion, who is prone to do anything - is missing this time out.   I particularly cringe at the line, “and what would you like to say to your partner,” as if, after months together, they have to be led to such statements.   The main thrust of the show is to make it even more spectacular - this years introduction of CGI (I’m not a fan) proving the point.  The dances have strayed a long way from their origins - the most common thing my wife and I say during the show is “The Love God that is Leonard The Lion Goodman would have hated this,” and I wouldn’t mind betting that line flashes through a lot of other people’s minds, too.   It’s not necessarily a bad thing that the dances have evolved but it does mean that the foundations are not what they were.   I’d love to see them putting some unpredictability back into the show, I think it would give it an important edge that’s missing.

All that said, I’m always tuning in, I’ll always have my favourites and it remains something to look forward to.  The idea that complete novices can turn in dazzling dance routines is a very compelling one.

Hi Dave Tee,
Great to hear from you. I pretty much agree with everything you've said, especially about the judges. It's nice to see the alternate versions of The Love God that is Leonard The Lion Goodman, the fabu-u-lus darling one and Silver tongued Italian Stallion used again. I think their occasional use helps to remind us of who we are as a group.

Thanks to all for the welcome back.  It's great to see some long-time posters still here ...  

"Smarm, mawkish family stuff with kids and grandmas that is a blatant curve ball to curry favour and votes, just the same as relationships between dancers/celebrities. Who's interested and what has any of it to do with dance talent? Oh how I miss The Love God that is Leonard The Lion Goodman (who besides all else was a world class ballroom dancer and a fair judge). The celebrities are still amateurs after all and their progress is brilliant. Actually I'd love to see a separate vote from a panel of impartial professional dance judges ( international if you like) with no axes to grind taken into account in the results and who change weekly during the Strictly season"

I'd forgotten the family videos....  Couldn't agree more.

It's fair to say that Strictly is an ever evolving show - who knows what turns it will take next?  I remember, a few years ago, a period when it was all just a little bit too competitive and highly charged.   The BBC twigged what was going on and the following season all the competitors were best friends.  It was a smart move and the show was better as a result.   Let's hope the next changes add a different dimension.

Hope you're all well in these weird times.

So lovely to see David Tee again, as well as Missinglila. If there are any other missing exiles out there please please do drop in, even just to make the occasional post.

Interesting comments as ever from everyone, I feel I'm a little out of kilter with some views, but I guess it'd be a bit weird if we all thought identically.
JJ - this was my favourite routine by him, a very pleasant surprise. It feels like the judges are saying that a good charleston must be full-speed and whacky. But I actually much preferred this less goofy and more controlled choreography, and it still had the character of a charleston. There were a few moves which I've never seen before, and I thought were visually very effective. I do think he and Jamie are the weakest dancers, but I felt this deserved equal marks to Jamie, and not 4 less.
Ranvir -  What am I missing? I see some of you were moved to tears by this, whereas I just found it rather safe and samey (sorry!). As others have said, how has she managed to get this far with so few latin routines. If she's in the semi final next week and has to do two dances then I really hope she throws caution to the wind with a full-on salsa or samba, and not a demure rumba.
Maisie - I honestly thought she had more energy and bounce than Gorka. Great dance but I really disliked the sound and visuals, it struck me that it doesn't matter how excellent the performance is, if the song and costumes are horrible then it never be a 'wow' routine. I gave her all my votes just in case.
Bill - another routine where we seem to have mixed views. I actually really enjoyed this much more than I expected to, and thought he took control of the dance very well. Was lovely to see Michael Crawford afterwards.
Hrvy - I'm glad Mauve has already commented on the costumes, those baggy glittery trousers were so distracting. Great routine, but didn't merit the 10s as he had a few mishaps
Jamie - just as we always seem to see Ranvir in hold, we always seem to see Jamie running around in a side by side routine. Didn't like the moving desk props or (yet again) matching outfits.  

It wasn't an epic musicals night which is a shame. I think some of the song picks were poor (like the Rocky Horror show, which meant the horrible costumes). And surely Phantom has been done so many times on musicals night, there must be alternatives. I expect JJ and Jamie may be in the dance off, just hope it's not Maisie again.

I am surprised there aren't more people here making an issue out of 10's for Harvey's dance despite all the judges detecting errors and even an untrained watcher like myself spotting errors yet Motsi proclaims it the best dancer ever on Strictly and head judge Shirley forgets her old adage of 'I'll have to mark you down for that'. Thank god for C.raig Revel Horwood for some sanity prevailing.

mauveangel09 wrote:

HRVY and Janette - AS - 10
Dance of the night for me and finally moved me to giving a 10!   But then again it was right up my street with the jazz/tap nods and I love the song!  Just makes you want to get up and do some high kicks   (in my head!).  What I liked was that I found it a good balance (finally from Janette) between the theme and the dance and there was certainly enough ballroom and steps done in hold for me to thoroughly approve.  I loved it but what I didn't love were the costumes!!!!   Why the mirror costumes????   Sorry those trousers were Andy Pandy like.  I loved the colour and style for the tails and would have preferred Janette to have worn shorts/leotard under the tailcoat, in the style of the film and for HRVY to have black trousers.  

If it was in the style of the film, HRVY would still have worn an all gold suit. The girl's costume from the film (also gold) would never be allowed on Strictly, who have a fairly strict "coverage" policy these days. There were complaints one year about the costumes being unsuitable for family viewing (mostly O'la's comstumes I suspect.) Anyhow in the movie, the girls are wearing short, waist length jackets and leotards in gold. I don't think a leotard costume would get past the Beeb's censor these days unless it had a skirt or frill of some sort to hide the crotch area which you only get a glimps of these days if skirts are flying.. I like the idea of the shorts though, they might have worked with the tail coats. I do think Janette needed that tail coat to show off the shapes their bodies made together when she was whirled around HRVY, and I suspect that the trousers added to that shaping too. She is tiny after all. I understand that the mirroring of costumes has got a bit much this year. I'd have much rather seen Karen wearing a school kilt under her blazer instead of trousers for the "Jamie" number. (Ahem!   ) Be that as it may, yes, when I first saw Janette in the full suit, I wasn't sure that it was a great idea, but then as the dance progressed I could see the point of the mirroring more and more, and decided that it was a good idea, and I liked it.

I enjoyed the Show but it didn't have many 'Wow' moments for me, this year.
Top of the house was Janette & Harvey (can't be bothered with the missing vwls!)
but was surprised at the 10s as there were errors.
But a real showpiece, with great choreo (I thought) which reflected the song, theme and homage to the original production.
Top marks due to him though, for obviously working so hard to master the various styles and to keeping up with Janette. A definite improvement on his stamina & strength - those lifts!
Biggest disappointment for me was Bill & Oti's Argentine Tango.. so much so, I revised my prediction on who I think may be in the Dance Off (previously Jamie & JJ) and wonder if Bill may be if danger of being in the mix (which I sincerely hope not, though I think he may survive, if pitted against either Jamie or JJ).
I enjoyed JJ & Amy's charleston.. A gentler, less goofy style but plenty in there to charm and, to me, suited the tempo of the tune and the theme.
I've thoroughly enjoyed watching his development, (as with Bill) over the weeks.
I reckon Amy has done a first class job with him.
Not so keen on the overuse of props in Jamie & Karen's jive though have to say he has handled them well. It was an 'okay' dance for me, and I enjoyed the energy he put into it, but it wasn't a memorable jive.
Ranvir & Gio's Viennese Waltz was pleasant and seemed accomplished to me, but whilst her story telling was good, it didn't give me emotional goosebumps.
Hats off to Maisie and Gorka... an explosion of energy and technically very proficient... wasn't keen on the outfits though (but that's not to take away from their achievement in any way). She's certainly a very accomplished dancer and I feel you can see little details being polished as the weeks go on.
Got to say that this series they've all committed and worked damned hard - it's been good having the leader board mixed up a bit and it seems to me that it's that old combination of choice of song , dance and costume which can be the making of a couple one week and their undoing the next... but that's Strictly.. bring it on!

Wow!  I get up in the dark, dark, dismal pre-dawn, haul myself to work, get nine hours done, come home and... the thread has exploded!!!!

I've read a fair few few, but there are a couple of responses to the main comments post that I have yet to read.  ButI can't wait anymore - I am going to have have my two penn'orth!

First up - welcome back Dave Tee It's so nice to have people coming back and touching base after a while in the shadows.

And now too my opinions, as usual heavily coloured by what they wore (but without the full costume run down as that is for the other thread!)

THE GOOD
I was with Motsi on this one. I was very visibly moved by Ranvir's dance - I had tears down my face.  I couldn't tell you what set me off, but something did. It was the dancing - I was fine during the couples choice -style VT.  The dress was proper waltzy and Gio was tender and protective in his interpretation and it was... well, emotional.  As I said, if dance is meant to make you feel, then this was top of the score board.  I agree that her fleckerl almost certainly was NOT the best in strictly history, but this was one dance where I didn't give two hoots for technical ability or accuracy.  And I don't care that not everybody felt the dance as I did and wonder why Motsi was overcome - I felt the raw emotion and it affected me greatly.  So for me, best dance of the night.

The next best was (to my UTTER astonishment) RV.  He wasn't foot-perfect and didn't deserve the tens, but by 'eck that was a fine routine danced with pzazz and panache.  I don't know if I was more surpised by enjoying the dancing of the Alpaca (look at his fringe and long neck and compare - once you have seen it you cannot unsee it...) or by the chorepgraphy by Janette.  She's fine at a frenetic Salsa or a kitchen sink and everything Cha Cha Cha, but I never expected her to come through with a lovely American Smooth.  Thosesparkly suits were sensational, and though I don't like the twinning concept which seems to be a thing now and wish one or other of them had worn the same fabric as a dress, I let my dislike go because they were something else.

The other dance I enjoyed was Maisie.  It was slightly kitchen-sinky in the choreography and the dress distressed a fewof my sensibilities, but Maisie carried it off with aplomb and no mistakes.  I really thought Motsi was going to pull out the 10 paddle and was more disappointed than Maisie and Gorka clearly were when it turned out to be a 9.  If the Alpaca got tens when the judges freely admitted spotting mistakes, then Maisie should have had the same score for that amazingly complex routine.

THE BAD
Actually, no-one was that bad, though Jamie nearly got a spot in this sectin for Karen's very boring and unimaginative choreography.

THE UGLY
Again, no-one was really ugly, though again a near miss for Jamie and Karen for the stupid desk-ography and for Karen dancing in front of Jamie so we couldn't see his kicks and flicks (we see you Karen...)

THE REST
Bill looked a little hunched and not as straight and sharp and angled as I would have hoped him to be.  I am sure it is difficult for the male sleb to lead the pro (though I read somewhere the female pros are more than capable of 'back-leading' so they don't really have to), but this lacked something for me.  It was too much of Oti dancing around him like he was a pole (very much like Kristina or put a vest on you strumpet were wont to do and which Oti never usually bothers with). Oh, oh, I nearly forgot!!  The THEME!!!!  I am absolutely not alone in thinking that of all the musicals to choose to do an Argentine Tango to they chose.... this.  Which has so much more to do with Argentinian passionate gaucho dancing than say... Evita...  Huh!  To the tower with whoever thought that was a great idea.  The theme really overshadowed the feeling and nuance of the dance.  Tempted to put this in 'Ugly' on reflection but I can't be arsed to mess about cutting and pasting.  Also, Oti looked q-white (see what I did there?!) nice, though there was at least one ruffle too many.

JJ gave it his all.  I thought his swivels were particularly swivelly.  I accept he has limitations, but I think both the judges and the p ublic have to decide whether to judge him by exactly the same criteria as everyone, despite his non-working bits of body, or whether to factor it in and level up the playing field by giving him some sort of handicap (in the golfing sense).  I am not going to dictate to anybody else, but my decision for myself is, if you are going to have someone with disabilties on the show there is a tacit acknowledgement that they just won't be able to do certain things because that part of the body is out of action. And therefore you can't possibly have the expectation that they can perform in EXACTLY the same manner as the the people who have the relevant parts of their body in full working order. So you (when I say you - I mean I...) have to bypass the fact they can't stick their free arm out and shape their fingers and that they can't contort their torso in the exact way desired, or do a party latin.  So, I guess I am giving him a kind of (golfing-type) handicap by accepting those disabilities and judging him not against the others, or by the professional criteria (but very few Tabloid love fodder are judged by those, let's face it...) but whether he brought the essence of the dance and wore a nice outfit (which as we all know, is 50% of my marks in any case).  So, how did JJ Charleston, given this decision for myself? (JUST myself - I don't expect anyone to agree with my decision).

Well, as I said, I thought his swivels were incredibly swivelly and score quite highly.  The choreography was quite basic, but effectively spelt out Charleston enough for my liking. What let him down a bit for me was the lack of Charleston goofball gurning (which admittedly can be over done) and really getting into the spirit of things.  He looked good though (he is actually a great clothes horse), and Amy, as ever, looked Truly Scrumptious.  I don't give scores, but on the criteria of the relevant danciness of the particular dance I would rank him a little above Jamie and below Bill.

So there you go.  I agree with some things some of you have said and disagree with other things others of you said...

In terms of who stays or goes, RV is WAY more popularity than Maisie. He has the Mum's votes and half the Nans and most of the very young. He is safe, will be in the final and will probably win. And I shall have one of sulks and quite possibly full blown tantrum (both involving lots of sparkle-hurling).

Bill is more popular than Ranvir and will also get to the semi final at least, and quite likely the final.

Jamie appears to be marmite - he can be quite funny and entertaining and engaging, but others find him annoying and arrogant. And though people are liking Karen a bit more than in previous series, there ae still a lot of people Agin her. I think he will find himself in the dance off tonight and depending on who he is up against, could well go home.

Maisie has a lot of people Agin her for, as far as I can ascertain, being young, attractive, a natural perfomer and not shy. Which could be said about RV too - but those Mums, Nans and young girls are more forgiving of those traits in a male. In fact they see them as positives... Yes, it's 2020 and we still have double standards. Yay. I think she will get to the semi final but I think it is by no means certain that she will get to the finals, despite being, in my eyes, the best dancer of them all.

Ranvir is in trouble with everyone for the producers giving her too much ballroom and not enough Latin (hardly anybody is complaining that Jamie has had too many fast and furious dances, and to a certian extent, so has Maisie. Only the Alpaca and Bill have had anything like approaching a spectrum of speed and mood). I think she may get through to the semi final, unless she is in the dance off and then it very much depends if it is against Maisie or not.

JJ also getting stick for the samey dance choices (but there is no way he can manage party latin, so there is no point making him), but he has the patriotic Nans vote so, though he may be in trouble this week, I wouldn't raise my eyebrows particularly highly if he was put through without being in the dance off.

So I think the final with be Alpaca, Bill and one of Ranvir, Maisie or possibly JJ.

I'm always wrong.

Great to hear from you David Tee.
Lovely to see forum members popping back in again.

diamondsandpearls wrote:
Ranvir is in trouble with everyone for the producers giving her too much ballroom and not enough Latin (hardly anybody is complaining that Jamie has had too many fast and furious dances, and to a certian extent, so has Maisie. Only the Alpaca and Bill have had anything like approaching a spectrum of speed and mood). I think she may get through to the semi final, unless she is in the dance off and then it very much depends if it is against Maisie or not.  

I've been complaining about Jamie and all of them who have had 'samey' dances week after week but I've decided to give it a rest as it is what it is and I acknowledge that with the shorter series it is easier to dodge certain dances, but in my book anyone (no matter who they are) who gets as far as the semi-final must be an all rounder. I know every year we have the ballroom boys and girls and those who do better in latin but I want to see potential in both genres to justify a top spot, usually it works out that way but I don't think I've had the opportunity to see some of them demonstrate how good they might be.

diamondsandpearls wrote:Wow!  I get up in the dark, dark, dismal pre-dawn, haul myself to work, get nine hours done, come home and... the thread has exploded!!!!.

Splendid attack and riposte D&P, and who's to say right or wrong to any of it? It might get a little tame if we all agreed on absolutely everything and most of your post isn't far off anyone else's. It actually makes sense to be uncertain about anything in Strictly against a few million judges. We'll soon know anyway. Dance on....

As a total aside, has anyone (contestants) ever danced to Peter Sarstedt's "Where do yo go to my Lovely"?It's in my head today.

Well we haven't had a Kiss of death Rhumba this year ,Yet! Im not sure if Ive missed this dance or not
I do feel some couples have had an easier short trip to Dusseldorf with more ballroom than Latin dances.
Ive noticed Ranvir more and felt she has stepped out of the shadows and possibly blooming for the Final.
Bill had an indifferent dance this week thou I still feel he will make the final.
Hrvy might be a faller in the semi final.
Its been taxing this year re energy levels watching SCD and not having my faithful notebook & pen making comments as I watch.
Ill most definately try and focus the brain fog better for the final

TANGOLERO wrote:

Splendid attack and riposte D&P, and who's to say right or wrong to any of it? It might get a little tame if we all agreed on absolutely everything and most of your post isn't far off anyone else's. It actually makes sense to be uncertain about anything in Strictly against a few million judges. We'll soon know anyway. Dance on....

As a total aside, has anyone (contestants) ever danced to Peter Sarstedt's "Where do yo go to my Lovely"?It's in my head today.

"Wow!  I get up in the dark, dark, dismal pre-dawn, haul myself to work, get nine hours done, come home and... the thread has exploded!!!!".

I wasn't attacking as such... I merely meant, I go away and leave this forum for several hours and I come back and tons and tons of posts are waiting for me to read and catch up with!

No contestants that I know of Tango, but I have just changed into a forget-me-not blue waltzy dress (big tulle just below the knee skirt, masses of petticoats in a slightly darker blue and a chiffon over-layer in a slightly paler shade, bodic decorated in in lavender, lapis and sapphire crystals) and I am going to be a-waltzing with Donald O'Connor as soon as I have sent this post... Song very firmly in my head now!