2022 Weekly Music & Dance Choices

I like the music for Tyler's Paso. I hope he can do it justice. I can see he's talented, but the Paso is such a strong, structured dance, and Tyler's style is so loose and relaxed, I think he'll need to dig deep to move up to the next level, dance and performance wise.

Fleur has a classic track. Lots of different rhythms and speeds. Can she channel that all that power and energy to avoid a manic mess?

For me, they may as well have picked an episode of Top of the Pops. My strict-tempo head keeps looking for rhythms; how old-fashioned does that make me?

TANGOLERO wrote:My strict-tempo head keeps looking for rhythms; how old-fashioned does that make me?

I agree Tango. Most weeks I struggle to see how a particular tune would fit a particular dance. Dave Arch needs a medal for saving the weekly mish-mash cooked up by the work experience elves in Strictly Towers

Week 9 - Music & Dance Choices


Helen & Gorka: Quickstep to Valerie by Mark Ronson ft Amy Winehouse
https://youtu.be/bixuI_GV5I0

Hamza & Jowita: American Smooth to (Theme From) New York, New York by Frank Sinatra
https://youtu.be/le1QF3uoQNg

Ellie T & Johannes: American Smooth to You’re My World by Cilla Black
https://youtu.be/MvEDNqM5STI

Molly & Carlos: Jive to Bandstand by Boogie Barry Manilow
https://youtu.be/FTXWf2_H0FI

Tyler & Dianne: Salsa to KC & The Sunshine Band Megamix by KC & The Sunshine Bandhttps://youtu.be/QbM172MKXH8

Will & Nancy: Samba to I Go To Rio by Hugh Jackman
https://youtu.be/HnhU2egD1nc

Kym & Graziano: Paso Doble to Only Girl (In The World) by Rihanna / We Found Love by Calvin Harris ft Rihanna
https://youtu.be/pa14VNsdSYM
https://youtu.be/tg00YEETFzg

Fleur & Vito: Couple's Choice to Destiny’s Child Megamix by Destiny’s Child
https://youtu.be/HM8WTkDuA9E

I generally like the choice of dances for Blackpool. Glad to see the 'big' dances - American Smooth, Quick Step, Samba etc and no Argentine Tango in sight! Would have liked a Viennese Waltz in there somewhere rather than a Couples Choice but there you go! However, who on earth came up with Rihanna for Kym and Graziano's paso? Diabolical.
Will be interesting to see how they cope with it. Kym did well on the rumba and Argentine Tango, she seems quite good at the 'haughty' type dances but I feel sure this track won't help them. Hope I'm wrong........

I agree mauve. I'd hate to call who'll be in the firing line this week. I think the ballroom bunnies will be safer than those doing latin.

I'm wondering if Fleur's C.Choice will end up a 'powerful' disco mish-mash that may not appeal as much as last weeks Samba.

Kym always seems to walk the fine line with the public vote and her Paso music doesn't inspire.

Tyler may get away with his 'freestyling funk' approach for his Salsa, but for me, it will depend on Diane's routine.

Will's Samba training looks hopeful so far, and no doubt Molly's jive will be lively.

It's a shame that half of the dances for Blackpool week are fairly compact e.g. the Jive, Salsa, and probably the C.choice.  The paso could go either way as a compact or travelling style of dance. It would be a shame not to make use of such a huge dance floor. It will be interesting to see how many extra professional dancers are allocated to the couples, and if they're going to stay more in the background.

Yes you are right B4P - there are a couple of non travelling dances in there and I never think they work as well. Depends on the choreography for the paso doesn't it? Although I think it should be a rotational dance to an extent. I would love to see a VW as I often feel that the dance is constrained in the studio. You mention the backing dancers - I reckon they'll be used more for the compact dances and possibly Fleur's Couples Choice will make much use of them perhaps? I know exactly what you mean about the Couples Choice - I have a vision of Fleur and Vito going bananas on the dance floor!!!

I think Molly and Carlos will possibly come up trumps with the jive and they've got a great track. As for Tyler, I think he might have been thrown a lifeline this week as you are right about the salsa suiting his freestyle moves - and sure there will probably be some big lifts in there, but whether the routine ends up resembling an actual salsa remains to be seen...............

mauveangel09 wrote: but whether the routine ends up resembling an actual salsa remains to be seen...............

Do any of the dances remotely remain "actual" Mauve? I mean, will any of the dancers learn a cha-cha, rumba,(which doesn't have to be a Romeo and Juliet love scene)  Samba  or even waltz, quickstep or foxtrot, or will they just retain memory scraps of routines learn from pros whims? I mean if uncle Charley leaps up at a wedding reception and says " Ah, a quickstep, Cha-cha, foxtrot" etc come on xxxxx let's do it and he'll be capable of doing a decent social dance class number...but will his favourite niece who spent three months or so learning to dance "actually" be able to follow him in the discipline?  My money is on "no" unless they've actually learned the basics.

There never has been much "Strictly" in the Beeb versions.  Imagine Victor Sylvester's face if somebody did a cartwheel on the dance floor? More chance of him doing a Rap foxtrot....innit?

Oh. almost forgot...Barry Manilow...Come on, he only ever made one record worth hearing "Copacabana"....they're really scraping the barrel there.

Yes you are right of course Mr T !

But it's funny looking back over the last few years that a lot of the high score/favourite dances have been quite true to form and prop free versions which maybe shows that GBP are more knowledgeable about dance than Strictly Towers give them credit for...................

Week 10 Music and Dance Choices


Molly & Carlos: Tango to Bad Guy by Billie Eilish
https://youtu.be/OqwIloa3DVk

Fleur & Vito: Rumba to Too Lost In You Sugababes
https://youtu.be/wo07t6XjNO4

Ellie T & Johannes: Jive to Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison
https://youtu.be/UfmkgQRmmeE

Helen & Gorka: Samba to Eso Beso by Emma Bunton
https://youtu.be/WuY5N0GbWgQ

Hamza & Jowita: Argentine Tango to Libertango by Bond
https://youtu.be/61wTJhg7N5o
Astor Piazzolla’s Libertango
https://youtu.be/QCwvnyh03Ss

Will & Nancy - Charleston to Hush by Kula Shaker
https://youtu.be/gsdjZi0CIjU

Kym & Graziano - C.Choice
Not dancing due to illness

Well, it looks we're back to a mostly Latin week again.

Molly's Tango music seems fast in places, almost like a quickstep with a few tango-esque phrases in there.

Fleur's Rumba music should be ok. It will be interesting to see how she manages at a slower pace where every movement is magnified.

Ellie T's Jive music sounds a bit pedestrian but no doubt the band can speed it up a bit.

Helen's Samba music is a classic track, although why the YTS Clueless of Classics chose this weak Emma Bunton version, heaven only knows!

Hamza strikes lucky again with another classic Tango track. I don't mind Bond but for me, I always like the Piazolla version best

Will's Charleston music is modern, and might reflect a completely different modern style of Charleston. A strange time for rocking the boat. It could be outstanding, or a huge flop. I hope he's not been stitched up.

I hope Kym is feeling better soon and none of the other dancers start suffering from the lurgy.

Vin cent & Flavia watched this film at the beginning of their interest in A.Tango

The brilliant Pablo Veron in the end sequence of 'The Tango Lesson'. A group dance to Libertango

https://youtu.be/7sGTPTZY5yM

B4p wrote:Vin cent & Flavia watched this film at the beginning of their interest in A.Tango

The brilliant Pablo Veron in the end sequence of 'The Tango Lesson'. A group dance to Libertango

https://youtu.be/7sGTPTZY5yM

Ah, just so superb. Thanks B4p.

Week 11 Music and Dances


Fleur & Vito: Quickstep to I Got Rhythm from An American In Paris
https://youtu.be/CYmiq3UlUco

Will & Nancy: Foxtrot to Sun And Moon from Miss Saigon
https://youtu.be/F3gUyn-bgRc

Kym & Graziano: Cha Cha to Fame from Fame
https://youtu.be/o2jh7N7Fldk

Hamza & Jowita: Samba to They Live In You from The Lion King
https://youtu.be/DChx_95_AmM

Molly & Carlos: Charleston to Hot Honey Rag from Chicago
https://youtu.be/HaoDElHUIqw

Helen & Gorka: Couple's Choice to Mein Herr from Cabaret
https://youtu.be/lxmz3RcNNBE

Not sure Helen'e ready enough for Couple's Choice yet? They're playing right into Hamza's hands with a Samba and Kym has a good chance to bounce right back in there with "Fame". Fleur and Vito should nail "I got rhythm".

I saw Miss Saigon live at Manchester's Apollo theater about ten years/fifteen  years ago, superb show. They landed a mocked up helicopter on stage complete with a great sound track. Brilliant.

Considering Hamza keeps saying how much he enjoys the ballroom dances, it's a shame he hasn't got one this week. A bouncy Samba won't be kind to his dodgy knees. I just hope they don't dress him up in one of those awful animal onesie outfits left over from Richie and Gio

B4p wrote:Considering Hamza keeps saying how much he enjoys the ballroom dances, it's a shame he hasn't got one this week. A bouncy Samba won't be kind to his dodgy knees. I just hope they don't dress him up in one of those awful animal onesie outfits left over from Richie and Gio

Considering Lion King is all about animals, you can almost bet on it, B4p. Then again, they may just shock us and dress him up as Carmen Miranda.

Week 12 Music and Dance Choices

Fleur & Vito:
Charleston to Tu Vuo' Fa L'Americano by Fiorello
https://youtu.be/MXtxR1gHZIk

and Paso Doble to The Time Is Now by Moloko
https://youtu.be/-GY9DWIfpwc



Helen & Gorka:
Argentine Tango to Here Comes The Rain Again by Eurythmics
https://youtu.be/TzFnYcIqj6I

and Waltz to Only One Road by Céline Dion 
https://youtu.be/przJ8xNAJ1Y




Molly & Carlos:
Paso Doble to Survivor by 2WEI ft Edda Hayes
https://youtu.be/0iC10hKsi20

and American Smooth to Easy On Me by Adele
https://youtu.be/U3ASj1L6_sY




Hamza & Jowita:
Charleston to Pencil Full Of Lead by Paolo Nutini
https://youtu.be/I9hmQPVDTmA

and Waltz to What The World Needs Now by Burt Bacharach
https://youtu.be/lSBrn6wTZSA




Will & Nancy:
Couple's Choice to Know How / Fools Gold /
Step On Young MC / The Stone Roses / Happy Mondays
https://youtu.be/k4H4ztXsPrc
https://youtu.be/mFBQ0PH5rM4

and Paso Doble to Uccen – DWTS Remix by Taalbi Brothers, DWTS
https://youtu.be/_Dmz2vqbCVI

Thanks B4p.

This selection doesn't get any juices flowing for me, but I've long ago given up trying to be modernised, and I accept time has moved on. My head hears a thousand familiars for every ballroom discipline but they're all "yesterday". I know I'm not alone here in this, but a yesterday man is what I am. My dancing days are done now I'll just watch and listen and try and make sense of it all. Jane Austen would maybe have heard of a waltz or polka, but would probably be aghast at a rumba or Salsa in costume...such an insult to propriety.... and how many of us would know what to do with a Gavotte, Galliard or Quadrille? In contradiction, but hardly a rival, there is actually a Jane Austen Dance Society..."Strictly Come Darcying"?

https://en-gb.facebook.com/groups/JaneAustenDancersBath/ ......I doubt Mr Darcy has much to worry about (-:


Meanwhile, back in the land of reality I think Will may be fine with a Paso, but couples choice is a coin-toss right now. Of the rest I'm still seeing Hellen emerging to challenge Hamza for the glitter ball, but que sera ...

I'm really disappointed that there's only 3 'proper' ballroom dances here, out of 10 (I consider paso doble and AT to be latin - and the thought of watching a triplet of stompy paso dobles doesn't appeal). Got to say Tango, you're not alone in yearning for yesterday dances. I'm SO not looking forward to Will's couples choice  Bah humbug!

Yes, I'm feeling the two main contenders are Helen and Hamza  - predicting a semi-final dance off between Will and Molly

I'm left wondering how many times has that Paolo Nutini song been used for a charleston, at least twice before, and maybe three times.

I haven't been on the forum all week and have only just seen the music and dance choices for tonight.  I'm also in agreement - these combinations don't get me going at all.   I don't think there should be a need to have two of the same dances on the programme at this stage in the contest -   it all seems a bit of a rag bag to me to be honest.

Why are the current production team so obsessed with the Charleston and making sure that every couple has to do it??  It's funny how certain dances get more prominent billing in some series than others,  it might be my imagination but we don't seem to have seen so many Viennese Waltzes this year whereas some years they've been all over the place.   Definitely not enough 'pure' ballroom in the mix tonight - I agree with Jingle.

As to the music - I'm disappointed as there have been some good selections this year, last week's show being a case in point  but it has been up and down through the season and must be somebody's vanity project as it can't exactly be rocket science to match dances to suitable music, so who on earth thought it would be a good idea to use the Eurythmics for an Argentine Tango???    As for the Paolo Nutini track - I do really like it but as you say Jingle, it has been used so many times.   I think Hamza has probably got the best 'crowd pleasing' music.

Lasttly - the thought of Will's Couples Choice makes me wince -  don't get me wrong I love that era of music greatly and will probably enjoy it because of that,  but it was hardly known for its dance skills.    Howe can an Argentine Tango or waltz be put up against the equivalent of Bez cavorting around..............................