Re: 2022 Tango's 'Little bit of Honesty' Discussion Thread

[Mars27]

I certainly wouldn't bet on anything for cert right now. I do expect a shock result though, it's entertainment....innit.  

Evil, lol!
I’m fully in the camp of a shock boot tonight and my money is on Fleur X Molly DO. I personally would save Molly as she’s more talented, has a better pro and still has more to show us. She just needs to let the stage school kid in her go for a walk in the park and let her hair down for real, then we’ll see what’s under the veneer.

[Moova 12]

I think the two Ellies could be in the dance off.

It is getting more serious now. I don’t think Ellie T has had a breakout dance and certainly hasn’t had the best dresses in non theme weeks.
I do wonder if the publicity around Fleur having second go in last week’s do will have impact. If she fell at the start as it says and was flat out I don’t see the issue. We had tha Ramps and Karen microphone issue back in the old days before props and themes and bizarre music. Those were the days

[Mars27]

As far as they’ve explained somewhere (think it was Loose Women), the chair broke and it was Vito who fell before they even started dancing, but unfortunately some people will believe whatever the tabloids say

[TANGOLERO]

So. Where are we? Overall, an enjoyable night. For once there was little to dislike apart from family schmaltz and obviously biased judging, Firstly, I make my notes as they dance and try hard to ignore and not be led by the judges. Who's going to care after all against the might of the G.B.P? I’ve tried to be honest since I started this thread years ago Strictly is a knockout competition, so someone has to go each week,  so let’s do it.....

 

Hamza and Jowita.  Cha-cha. 38 points for first dance and a cha-cha at that? Hmm.  How do the judges follow that? Shirley going overboard and Motsi and A nton giving 10’s. Nah..Sorry. It was good, but Crag’s 8 was nearer the mark.  What if better dances come along?  (They did) 8.10.10.10. ...38.  



Ellie and Johannes Rumba. Danced over an impressive display of clocks , whilst not dazzling, this was likeable and C raig’s 3 was pathetic as was Shirley’s 5. Four sevens would have been nearer the mark, but what’s done is done. Was Shirley on a mission? 3,7,5,7.....20. They were better than that but well and truly in the danger zone..  



Molly and Carlos..Foxtrot.  Shutting my ears to the irritating family schmaltz which is nothing to do with dance and an obvious ploy for sympathy (sorry if this upsets anyone, but which family in the world hasn’t had troubles and loss in their lives?  It’s all irrelevant on a dance floor), Molly’s good Foxtrot  was fine for me, and but for the silly starting marks might have rated dance of the night.   8.9.9.9 ..35 is a great mark.



Elle S and Nikita.  Charleston In comparison was less than impressive for me. The lifts looked ungainly and whilst the dance was fun, it didn’t rate two 9’s.  I think Ellie needs the public to save her 7.9.8.9...33



Tyler and Diane. Viennese Waltz.  It was smooth and flowing and I saw no obvious faults. I disagreed with the judges because 29. at this stage was a bit cruel. Tyler is a good dancer, and certainly better than those marks.  7.7.7.8.  29.



Kim and Graziano. Argentine Tango. At last an undisputed  Dance of the Night for me. Suitable music and a dazzling display of dance by these two. Well done Kim, she was terrific.  Passion and atmosphere combined, great facial expressions and C raig saying “perfect”. Where now Hamza.s Cha-cha and the 10’s.   9.9.9.10. ...37. My winner on the night hands down.  



Will and Nancy. Quickstep. Not sure why this reminded me of “Brigadoon” a favourite musical, but it did. I agreed with C raig it was a bit flat-footed at the back end, but it was lively and decent without being outstanding. 8,8,8,9. 33 was pretty fair.



I’m leaving the last three till morning as time marches on...Hasta la Vista for now...

[CaledonianCraig]

Well here is my take on last night's dances:-

Hamza and Jowita (Cha Cha):- After faffing at the start it was a nice routine. He had good steps and good fluidity and rhythm. This wasn't his best dance though and thought he was way overmarked by three of the four judges as it did not merit three 10's. An 8 from me.

Ellie T and Johannes (Rumba):- It was a dance I thought she'd really struggle with but, in my opinion, it was not that bad. After a slow start it had some good moments later on. I thought the judges were very harsh with the remarks and mean with the scores. A 7 from me.

Molly and Carlos (Foxtrot):- A really nice dance and routine. She danced it very well aside from the odd moments of gapping for me. An 8 from me.

Ellie S and Nikita (Charleston):- I felt this dance suited her. She had good energy and caught the flavour/mood of the dance. Perhaps would have liked more Charleston swivels and moves but her best dance for a few weeks. A 7.5 from me.

Tyler and Diane (Viennese Waltz):- Sorry but the scoring here was too high. He had balance issues and stumbles and bum sticking out which and all of the judges picked up on these mistakes yet he ends up with a mix of 7's and 8's. A 6.5 from me.

Kym and Graziano (Argentine Tango):- I felt this would be a real testing dance for her but I really enjoyed this. Lots of drama, great gauchos and content from Kym very well performed and you could feel the tension. Dance of the night. An 8.5 from me.

Will and Nancy (Quickstep):- I wasn't sure about his posture when dancing alone at the start but once in hold and underway it was really snappy and a fun routine. A 7.5 from me.

Helen and Gorka (Jive):- Aside from the faffing at the start once the dance got started it flowed really well. Her kicks were sharp and she showed great confidence. An 8.5 from me.

Fleur and Vito (Waltz):- This dance had a lovely feel to it. It had great rise and fall and good connection between them both. One of the best dances of the night. An 8.5 from me.

Tony and Katya (Salsa):- Firstly, wasn't sure about the theme to the dance and felt he'd struggle. To his credit he gave it a real go (as always) and sure there were mistakes but some nice stuff in there too and some really daring lifts that came off. A 6 from me.

My beef was scoring inconsistencies. Tyler's dance was littered with errors (like Tony's) yet scored 8 more points. Ellie T's Rumba too was not littered with errors but scored seven less than Tyler. Also we all know Hamza is a great dancer so why message his ego with three 10's for a dance even he was unsure about? I have no idea who will exit tonight. If it were to be between Ellie T and Tony in the dance-off it would be interesting to see who the judges would save.

[jingle]

An enjoyable evening, although only one dance really caught my eye. There's a lot of 'middling' dancers and only a couple of weaker ones left, so it'll be interesting to see who ends up in the dance off.

Hamza-  Much as I love Hamza, I wasn't keen on this routine and didn't see how it merited the 10s. Big no-no to wardrobe for dressing him in the most unflattering shirt. Also...the lyrics are 'sugar pie honey' and so the prop department conjure up an elaborate bakery shop? I'm a bit 'bah humbug' about all the props this year, finding them quite distracting.

Ellie - Agree with CC, I thought the judges were a bit too harsh in their comments and scores, although it was rather a stiff rumba

Molly -  Nice enough foxtrot, well danced

Ellie S - I thought she was out of synch with Nikita a few times, slightly overmarked imo

Tyler - What I liked about this routine was that it started straight into the dance without any faffing about or storytelling. Tyler is one of my favourites, but he does seem to have posture issues in hold.  

Kym - very proficient argentine tango, but tbh I'm still not sensing a real connection between these two.

Will - distracting props but a nice enough quickstep

Helen - this was by far my favourite dance of the night. Helen is so precise and nimble, and I thought the choreography and theming for this jive was perfect. A 10 from me.

Fleur - nice waltz, not very memorable

Tony - Katya certainly earned her money with those  risky lifts, but they couldn't mask Tony's rather wooden salsa

Overall an enjoyable evening, and it does feel like the mid-way stage now. I imagine Ellie T will be in the dance off and leaving tonight, could be wrong!

[mauveangel09]

Good morning all

We had friends over last night so watching the show was a bit disjointed for me and I didn't jot as much down - but I really enjoyed having a 'theme free' show this week with no 'Couples Choice' either and I thought that the costumes for the girls saw a return to a bit of glitz and glamour.     I can't say the same for T ess and C laudia though.  One of my dinner guests thought that T ess looked like a highlighter pen!    Can't say I was enamoured with C laude's glittery pajamas either..................................

Hamza and Jowita - Cha Cha - 8
What on earth was going on here?????   3 '10s'?    I really feel more and more that I am watching different dances to some of the judges.  CRH giving 8 was about right for me.   I love Hamza, as always there was great rhythm and posture  and there was lots of technique and basic cha cha steps in there - so I hope that this was what they marked him on!   For me the dance lacked fluidity and was too stop and start.    A very decent effort but best Cha Cha ever??    Come on guys..........

Elley and Johannes - Rumba - 7
So I thought she did a difficult dance quite well.  Not passionate or memorable perhaps but it was elegant I thought.   They were well in sync and I really liked her arms and the lovely lines.  Again, she just doesn't seem to have any 'oomph' which we've been saying for weeks............I agreed with A nton's comments and thought Shirley overly negative.  There were no footwork errors and some basic rumba steps so  nothing in the dance suggested for me that it should be a '3'.   I felt gutted for her.

Molly and Carlos - Foxtrot - 9
First dance that they've done that I've really enjoyed. Pure Foxtrot.   She was out of her comfort zone at last but made it stick and I thought it was a great routine.

Ellie and Nikita- Charleston - 8
Enjoyed the bounce and the energy of this.  Ellie's outfit was lovely. She really does commit herself 100% to every dance that she tackles.  I think she would probably find the swivelling a bit hard but she did include a bit towards the end of the dance.

Tyler and Dianne - Viennese Waltz - 7
Not great for me - although they moved across the floor well I felt that the routine was full of filler 'flim flam' moves that they kept repeating and there wasn't enough done in hold.  His posture for ballroom still needs serious work.   Tyler is a great dancer but I felt he is not breaking through and needs to show that he can do more than the fast side-by-side stuff. That brilliant Charleston in the first few weeks seems a long time ago now.....................   Have to say that I loved Dianne's dress though.

Kym and Graziano - Argentine Tango - 9
Superb!  Brilliant Argentine Tango to brilliant music.   I loved the step patterns, the lifts and the overall authenticity of it.  I can't believe that was Graziano's first Argentine Tango on the show.  I love their partnership and for me Kym has shown over the last few weeks that she can really get to grips with a variety of different dance styles.   I'm with this couple all the way now..................

Will and Nancy - Quickstep - 8
An enjoyable routine but for me personally I don't like the 'run around the floor' sort of QS which this was.   Will was good on the first week and is still good but he is another male celeb who needs to try to improve his posture in ballroom.   I feel he is at a certain point and is not really breaking through, he doesn't really wow me at the moment.

Helen and Gorka - Jive - 9
A great jive delivered with energy and precision but for me the music didn't quite match the dance or the costumes - just a personal thing.

Fleur and Vito - Waltz - 8.5
I loved this - I like to see the trad waltz and I think Fleur did really well with the choreography and with showing a different side of herself this week - it was a slow waltz too which I think was probably harder to do than it looked.   Very enjoyable.

Tony and Katya - Salsa - 5
He tried his best and gave it his all as usual but it didn't quite come off!  Katya couldn't hide her disappointment in the C lauditorium.   I have to give Tony kudos for doing those lifts which must have been so hard.

Like Caledonian the fabu-u-lus darling one - my gripe was with the judges last night spoiling an otherwise enjoyable show with some really unfathomable scoring.   I think it should be like 'Dancing on Ice' where the marks go up first and then the judges have to justify the score they have given.........that would cause some squirming!!  

Dance of the night was easily Kym for me.  I probably would have put both Kym and Helen ahead of Hamza on the leaderboard, although Hamza did well.  I didn't think that Elley T deserved the marks she got.   A few of the men have 'stalled' for me and need to breakthrough or will fade out soon.

[TANGOLERO]

Continuing from last night?

Helen and Gorka, Jive. I'm seeing Helen as a serious contender for the final. Her jive left no faults to find and the black and white outfits they wore went together like notes on a piano. The double cartwheels had to be spot on and were. Motsi's babbling couldn't distract from a really good dance that well deserved the marks. A nton's 10 went down well. 9.9.9.10. 37.

Fleur and Vito. No, no, no to the family stuff and, although C raig "adored it"..I thought it was well done, but not special. I also felt Shirley was showing off a little with the shoe thing and dropping a mark on the rest, but in truth, she was right. We're approaching the cutting edge and it makes Hamza's 3 x 10 look silly especially with Shirley's heel leads" comment.
Fleur and Vito danced a good but not dazzling waltz and it needs to be a bit special. (Housewives choice and Erin apart, as they were professionals , nothing will ever touch Ian Waite and Jodie Kidd's "Regency" waltz on Strictly for me.) 9.9.8.9. 35.

Tony and Katya. Salsa. Tony is a big guy and that's how he appeared here. Salsa is hippy and fluid and Tony looked just a tad heavy. I love the guy for his efforts and he still may get saved, but his race is run for me. 4.6.5.6...21.

That's about if for last night as it happened..

[TANGOLERO]

Mauveangel said "I can't say the same for T ess and C laudia though. One of my dinner guests thought that T ess looked like a highlighter pen! Can't say I was enamoured with C laude's glittery pajamas either.................................."

Sad of me, but this gave me a good laugh...

[Twirlie]

A little late but here it is anyway.
Strictly week 7

There was a lot to enjoy in this week's show. Kym and Graziano and Helen and Gorka especially.

Hamza and Joweta - Cha Cha
Nice set + costumes. A nice effort but I didn't feel bowled over. Not his best dance by any means. Not one of the best Cha Chas Shirley. Why are the judges so over the top these days. C.raig is right. As usual. This is the first time that I've thought that Hamza's physique works against him. The scores were absolutely ridiculous. An 8 and 3 x 10s? Totally over the top.

Ellie and Johannes - Rumba
A bit lifeless I thought. Smooth yes, but there was no resistance through the movements to give strength to the dance. 3,7,5,7! Cr.aig - get real! The other marks were reasonable. The only unreasonable thing is that so many other contestants should have got similar marks rather than the inflated marks that were given.

Molly and Carlos - Foxtrot
I don't know about toe or hell leads but I thought this was very, very beautiful. Sweet and delicate. Gorgeous costume as well. 8,9,9,9. Good, but I didn't think they were any less good than Hamza and Joweta.

Ellie S, and Nikita - Charleston
Well .. energetic etc, but I didn't think it was exceptional. She made some mistakes I thought, maybe I'm wrong. I thought the lifts were pretty inelegant. She obviously enjoyed it though. 7,9,8,9, Motsi and A.nton are ridiculous.

Tyler and Dianne - Viennese Waltz
Something and nothing. He's a very beautiful dancer but I don't know know if he's advancing as far as some of the others. Like some of the others, I wonder if he's reached a limit. 7,7,7,8. We should see these sort scores more often. Not just for Tyler and Dianne.

Kym and Graziano - Argentine Tango
Absolutely fantastic. The dance of the night for me, if any dance deserved 4x10s, this was it. I had a few looks for the high shoulders but couldn't see them. 9,9,9,10. Well done A.nton. I thought this was definitely better than Hamza. I think this pairing is really gelling at last.

Will and Nancy - Quickstep
Again - something and nothing. Not very exciting. Sorry C.raig I didn't find it entertaining at all. He's a long way away from 4 x 10s Shirley, 8,8,8,9. A bit high from each judge.

Helen and Gorka - Jive
A GREAT jive. Very cool indeed and my second best dance off the night after Kym and Graziano, much better than Hamza and Joweta(whom I love). The mistake - again I searched but could find it. 9,9,9,10. Deserved I thought.

Fleur and Vito - Waltz
Nice frock. Beautiful - well done Fleur. Deserved her high marks. 9,9,8,9.

Tony and Katya - Salsa
Sorry Tony, that was a bit of a hash. He kept forgetting bits then getting it back together then forgetting again. Katya obviously very disappointed. 4,6,5,6. It could be his week for an exit. It certainly should be. As far as marks go, Cr.aig there is no way this deserved a higher mark than Ellie's Rumba. Quite ridiculous!

Leader board
Hamza and Joweta.               38 = 10
Kym and Graziano.                 37 = 9
Helen and Gorka.                    37 = 9
Molly and Carlos.                    35 = 8
Fleur and Vito.                        35 = 8
Ellie S and Nikita.                   33 = 7
Will and Nancy.                       33 = 7
Tyler and Dianne.                    29 = 6
Ellie T and Johannes.             22 = 5
Tony and Katya.                      21 = 4

Who's in the DO? I don't know. With so many on equal points it's a real danger for everyone except perhaps Hamza. Tony should certainly be in the DO. I wouldn't mind if Ellie T was there too. We shall see what we shall see.

[B4p]

Hi everyone. I've just got back from a weekend away and haven't seen the show as yet.
I'll try catching up with the clips but not sure I'll have chance to comment before the result show. Thanks for the leaderboard info Twirlie, I'll put it onto the running scoreboard shortly.

[B4p]

Week 7 Thoughts

I’ve only had chance to see the clips and not the judges remarks or scores from the full show yet. I’ll watch it properly probably tomorrow now. These are my initial thoughts:

Hamza & Jowita - Jive. I liked it but it was quite a slow pace. I thought his leg action looked good. I liked the Cuban break and New Yorkers. He did a clean Cha-Cha but it looked a bit heavier than usual. I think Jowita has been terrific addition this season. An 8 from me.

Ellie T and Johannes - Rumba. Ellie looked like she was concentrating very hard. She didn’t look comfortable. I think the combination of trying to get a straight leg in order to get the hip action right plus trying to be all swirling and sensuous was too much for her. I felt relieved for her when it finished. A 6 from me.

Molly & Carlos - Foxtrot. Some nice footwork and I noticed she was finishing her arm lines much better this week. Loved her dress. Very nice routine and a lovely Foxtrot. A 9 from me.

Ellie S & Nikita - Charleston. She’s full of grit and determination and I admire her commitment. A few too many lifts and cartwheel spins for me, I was starting to feel a bit dizzy. I think the traditional way of swivelling would be harder for someone with Ellie’s physique but she did better than I thought she would. Loved her dress and attitude. The only thing that I found distracting, was her continual counting throughout the dance. A
7 from me.

Tyler & Diane - V.Waltz. One of my all time favourite tracks, sung by the wonderful Tommy Blaize. I found this a bit patchy. There were parts that I thought were lovely and his footwork was doing well. He pulled the Fleckerle in. Other parts where his posture dropped forward into his usual ‘funky’ position, which unfortunately accentuated his bottom sticking out. In the ballroom dances, he often seems off balance to me as he moves around the room.I think he needs more work on his basic frame. A pleasant enough V.W.  An 8 from me.

Kym & Graziano - A.Tango. My dance of the night. That’s the way I like them - smoky and intense. Lots of content and she stayed in character throughout. Not too many lifts and a few high kicks to accentuate the musical points. Great music helped set the mood too. A 9 from me.

Will & Nancy - Quickstep. I’m getting tired of the ‘Diner’ theme. Maybe we could have a scene set in a soda factory instead for a change! Lots of content. I’m not sure about his frame. I’m never sure how much he’s driving the ballroom dances or how much Nancy is dragging him round. I would have preferred more time in hold which is half the skill, especially in a QS. Another one who could do with more time working on his ballroom frame. Pleasant enough but didn’t blow me away. A 7 or 8 from me.

Helen & Gorka - Jive. My second favourite of the show. Gorka sure creates some great Jive routines. Loved the black & white setting and costumes. Loved the Hollywood Mr Cool vibe. Very good side by side synchronisation. She’s really gone up a notch in the last 2 weeks for me. Lots of variety in the steps and light and dark. Such a shame she went off on the wrong foot twice otherwise I’m sure it could have reached a 10. A 9.5 from me.

Fleur & Vito - Waltz. Another lovely floaty dress. A very nice classy waltz. Is it just me but when she leans away and her head goes back, just as she starts to turn, her chin drops down and pulls in, and her face and neck stiffen up. Her arms looked more relaxed and finished. Some neat footwork. An 8 from me.

Tony & Katya - Salsa. Tony’s got long legs and his steps are too big which makes it harder for him to get back into the next position. He’s certainly useful in the lifts. I think the music was too fast for him. A loaded dice this week I feel. A 5 or 6 from me.

[mauveangel09]

Well to be honest I really felt that tonight should have been the night that Tony took his bow gracefully and with some pride about what he has achieved...........We are now at the half way mark and before long will be at the 'sharp end'.........but that was not to be.

I am not Molly's greatest fan but I felt sorry for her tonight - the irony being that this was the first time for me that she has done a classic and lovely dance with heaps of ballroom technique. Unfortunately she is obviously just not getting the public vote along with some of the other girls this year. In my book she was better than Will or Tyler who still hang on in there despite in my view just 'winging it' now and not really making any discernible improvements- but they are getting the public vote, that's the way it goes. I think Ellie and Nikita have done very well and she has obviously thoroughly enjoyed it but I think she had reached her ceiling so I didn't feel heartbroken that she exited - what a lovely partnership however.

I must say I was surprised, and quite pleased, that Elley T and Johannes swerved the DO. They must have quite a share of the public vote as they've dodged the DO thus far, despite having more than a few dodgy weeks in terms of scores and position on the leaderboard.

[TANGOLERO]

Hat off to Nikita for me. He's done a great job despite the marked difference in height and managed it with great character and personality. He's given Ellie S a great time in learning to dance and her consolation is that next week someone else will go however good they are. . Great job from them both, but Nikita is my man of the week.

Ref tonight, it was always going to be a leaver and a shock; that's the way of the show doyens. They claim "in no particular order" Ha, what a laugh. Hele was never being in the D.O, nor Kim. Tony is living a bit of a charmed life and it's much of a muchness around a few others.. Kim and Helen are this weeks stars, but "La Donna Imobile" (work that one out.. ) so next week is a new chapter and Blackpool looms closer. Prawn cocktails and champagne give way to fish and chips and burgers. Onward and upwards...

[B4p]

Looking at the weekly scoreboard, I can't understand why Kym is so low down the listings. For me, she is a better dancer than Fleur, and sometimes even Molly.

I see poor Tony has yet another fast and furious dance next week with the Jive. When is he going to get the chance to show off a classic waltz or slow Foxtrot?

I think Nikita has done well with Ellie S. He seems a genuine chap, and has settled well into the team. I saw him a few months ago in a 'Here Come the Boys' concert with Graziano, Pasha, Karim and Nadiya. It was a fun show.

[Twirlie]

Looking at the weekly scoreboard, I can't understand why Kym is so low down the listings

I don't think 2nd top of the leaderboard is so very low down on the listings.

[jingle]

I was surprised that it was Ellie S rather than Ellie T in the dance off, although I do think Ellie S had reached her plateau so it wasn't a shock exit.

I'm wondering to what extent the status of the pro dancer impacts the vote. Johannes is familiar, popular and no doubt has a fanbase in his own right on top of Ellie T's,  whereas Carlos and Vito are both unknown quantities for most viewers. Has that impeded Molly and Fleur I wonder? I'll admit that I always voted for AJ's partner when he was a pro dancer, regardless of their ability (aww I miss AJ )

On the other hand, Jowita is also an unknown quantity and that doesn't seem to have impeded the vote for Hamza, so maybe it doesn't have that much impact

[CaledonianCraig]

Yes I said the other day that I felt Ellie S had plateaued. As soon as it was Molly she was going to face the writing was on the wall.

I wonder if it has ever been worked out by the judges that if they are overly unfair with remarks and scores for a couple invariably that couple will get countless votes from the public to counter-balance it. As a result of this you get their favoured dancers in the dance-off much to their chagrin.

[Twirlie]

I wasn't sure how the group dance would turn out - Bollywood has a fairly mediocre reputation in the West - but I thought this was one of the most entertaining and well thought out group dances that we've seen in recent years. I loved Michelle as the star, and her costumes as well as some of those that the men wore were not just exotic but very beautiful as well. All in all, a terrific number.

[B4p]

I don't think 2nd top of the leaderboard is so very low down on the listings.

Sorry Twirlie, I meant the rolling weekly scoreboard on our other thread, not the TV 'on the night' scoreboard.

[diamondsandpearls]

I am SO behind!

It's really hard for me to post on a Sat night or Sun night, as I have to be up at 6am for work on Sun and Mon mornings. So I am always aware of the need to get in bed at a reasonable time (and given the amount I can spew out, I need until the early hours) and I spend some time on the family WhatsApp group comparing notes and then chatting about family stuff (we comment as the show airs, also).  

And so, on a Monday, here I am. I'm on the early shift again tomorrow, but I have no show to watch, so I have more time.

I will start by saying that the relief of having a normal, non-themed week cannot be overstated.  Halloween was as hellish as it always is, but without the benefit of Giovianno who usually manages to somehow choreograph a decent dance to the weird tune they have been given.  But even Halloween seemed festive fun in comparison to the ridiculous nonense of the week before. I felt so jaded by those two weeks, I nearly didn't bother watching this one.

But I did.  And it was a pretty good one.

I appreciate everyone will be going gaga over Kym's AT, and I absolutely appreciate that it was the best music and choreography combo for an AT we've had all series.  And she did it very well. But i still don't like her.  And you can't make me...

The under-appreciated Foxtrot was one of my joint favourites of the night. I adore a nice Foxtrot, and I thought Molly executed it beautifully. Judging by my famiy and friends, she's not that popular, due to the CBeebies vibe.  But I am a thwarted children's TV presenter (by thwarted, I mean that's what I should have been but I never ever did anything about it, so...) and that energy is right up my street.  I think Molly is a lovely dancer with a lot of potential and I like her a gazillion times more than the Blessed Saint Kym of Being Overworked. (I'm really not keen on Carlos though- handsy and creepy). As you all know by now, I never give actual marks myself, but given the comments by the judges, I feel that Foxtrot was undermarked. I loved the bottom half of her dress but the top half didn't match and wasn't very nice at all.

My other favourite dance of the night was Helen's jive. It was an actual jive for a start. The choreography was great. And Gorka in that hat....*swoon*. I didn't see a mistake, but even if there was one, Helen had the technique and the character of the dance down pat. I really, really enjoyed it.

I adore Hamza and was very pleasantly surprised with his competence in the Cha Cha Cha (especially given the fact that Grumpy Hamza raised his head above the parapet and Miss Whiplash Jowita raised hers), but I felt the judges were excessively glowing in both their comments and marks.

At the bottom end, I felt we were being manipulated by Ellie T's low score into voting for her at the expense of someone they wanted rid of. I very much felt Ellie S was in danger, given her position on the leader board just above Tony and then Ellie T.  Tony has an arsenal of fans (see what I did there...?) who vote for him every week, even though they never have, and never will, watch the show  So he was aways safe - it was the one or two above him who were in the danger zone. I also feel there is not a lot of backing or support (so far) for the more talented of the females, specifically Fleur, Molly and Kym. All of them have been in the dance off, even though their dances haven't deserved it (well, maybe that hot mess of a salsa from Fleur last week). I think Gorks has massive support, otherwise I think Helen would also be in danger of the dance off, even though she does well.  

Anyway, it came to pass and it was bye bye Ellie S. I was very sad to see her go - she has such upbeat energy and liveliness and her and Nikita are such a lovely partnership. Her red sparkly dress was a (now rare) triumph by Vicky and her frock fairies and Ellie looked absolutely gorgeous.  The speeches were very moving (I found it very dusty here at Diamonds Manor last night - eyes very watery). I know she was unlikely to be final material, but I think she would have really savoured Blackpool and I'm just sorry she didn't make it to that stage.

The bunch in the middle were just that. The bunch on the middle. Meh. Will and Tyler are stagnating now and need to up their game. They were more deserving of going into the dance off than Molly, but...  housewive's choice, the pair of them.

I shall try and catch up with the three pages of posts I've missed (yes, three pages!). I have no doubt I shall discover you all adore Kym, can't abide Molly, thought Ellie S had reached the end of the road, hated Helen's jive (none of you are Janelle Monae fans I don't think!) and thought that Will was woefully undermarked...

I shall find out!

[fiftynotout]

My views on the nine couples still in the competition (in no particular order):-

Kim & Graziano - thumbs up, he’s a good partner and she’s turning out some very competent routines

Ellie T & Johannes - thumbs up, I see some nice dances and a gentle improvement, I don’t know why the judges are so mean to her

Molly & Carlos- thumbs up but not all the way. She makes some lovely moves but is still a little too stage schooly

Fleur & Vito - thumbs up, agree with the judges that she needs to rein it in but she’s lovely to watch

Helen & Gorka - thumbs up and higher since that fantastic jive

Hamza and Jowita - thumbs up, what’s not to like

Will & Nancy - meh, he tries too hard to be perfect which means he loses the heart and soul of it

Tony & Katya - thumbs up and respect for him going for it but think he’s reached the end of his j.ourney

Tyler & Dianne - meh, one trick pony who has peaked and gone back down again

Business end here we come…..

[Twirlie]

I appreciate everyone will be going gaga over Kym's AT, and I absolutely appreciate that it was the best music and choreography combo for an AT we've had all series.  And she did it very well. But i still don't like her.  And you can't make me...

[TANGOLERO]

Right, mobile phones, bags of Dolly mixtures and packs of Kleenex ready kiddies. Tess and Claud enter stage right. Pink frock and black knee boots must be this week's "look" as they look like a couple of liqorice allsorts, and begin the oratories.

To the dance: Ellie and Johannes open the proceedings with a Flapperish Charlston that C raig gives a seven so it must be okay. As Charlstons go, it felt a bit basic and safe, but it it rated  a cautious 7.8.8.8....for a 31 opening. Decent marks.

Enter Tyler and Dianne in Flash Gordon style bull-baiting bondage outfits (I've never actually seen one but certainly not on a Matador) to perform the The Paso Doble. A decent routine, well danced if not in strictly Spanish style. the fabu-u-lus darling one lowered the tone a little whilst Shirley bombed in a few heel leads (which she seems to have on the brain) comments. 6.8.8.9.....31. The crowd shouted "Ole"

Kim and Graziano, A Rumba-ish American Smooth which I didn't find special and a little irritating using family crocodiles. Sorry, but there's  a time and place. Motsi was the low mark with a 7. After last week this was a bit flat from Kim. 8.7.8.8....31

Helen and Gorka Salsa. Whilst Helen is obviously loving the experience, and the dance was well done, athletic cartwheels are but a faction of the dance, not all of it. I like Helen but this was solid without being dazzling. 8.8.8.8....32.

Tony and Katya. Jive. A basically poor routine with the guitar as prop that couldn't disguise the fact that the lovable Tony is dancing near the exit. Even his 1950 sky blue suit looked uncomfortable. He's done well but if he gets saved again it will be at the expense of  a better dancer.  More Brighton than Blackpool. Sorry mate. Seems C raig wants him gone. 4.6.7.7...24.

Molly and Carlos.Rumba..."Walk like a cat" Carlos said, and Molly did. Just a trifle posey for me given my aversion to the Rumba, but undeniably a very good dance. A 9 from C raig needed her to walk on water, so she must have.9.9.10.9.  37, hoisted Molly up the leader board.

Fleur and Vito Samba. Emulating the late Carmen Miranda (who was actually more singer than dance7)  Fleur sashayed right in there for me the dance of the night. I spotted one small example of aeroplane arms, but 9 and three tens was fair and highly enjoyable as sambas usually are.  9, 10.10.10...39 went right to top spot. Well done Fleur.

Will and Nancy Waltz. Elegant tie and tails waltz with just a trace of Will's police actor face. 9.10.10.9...38. Nuff said.

And so to the last gladiator. Hamza and Jowita doing amazing lifts in psychadelic pyjamas in a dance I know not but was apparently couple's choice. It seemed a bit of Highland Fling mixed with Riverdance but as the tearful Hamza can do no wrong so the marks surprise not. 8.10.10.10.

And that's my take on this episode.

[B4p]

Well, as Vincent used to say ‘time to turn the frittata’. I think nerves got the better of a lot of the contestants this week as we start to approach Blackpool, and the sharp end of the competition. My thoughts on tonight's show:


Ellie T - Charleston. I liked it. Pleasant enough, and looked like they were having fun but it didn’t blow me away.

Tyler - Paso Doble. He did better than I thought he would. I liked the atmosphere, but the story was a bit sparse and nothing new. I felt Diane was dancing for the two of them. He struck some nice shapes, but I agree with Cr aig it seemed a bit like one static pose after another. Towards the end his posture was softening into his usual ‘here’s my head, my body’s following’ funky posture. I thought he was overmarked, especially with An tons 9.

Kym - A.Smooth. Started well, then she made the error. It affected her confidence and the atmosphere seemed to dissolve away. A shame.

Helen - Salsa. She didn’t look as relaxed this week. Concentrating hard. I don't think they needed all those lifts, they didn't seem to match the dance. She has fabulous hip isolations. I wonder if she was trying to keep her top half stiller in comparison to the bottom half, which might have contributed to Cr aig’s comment about looking like she was wearing a neck brace (bit harsh!)

Tony - Jive. I actually enjoyed this. Considering how nervous he was in the early weeks, I thought he looked like he was having ball. I loved the concept of him being a pop star coming through Katya’s poster. He kept time, he remembered his routine. Quite frankly I was a bit worried that he wouldn’t be able to keep the energy levels up throughout during this week, but he managed it. I wasn’t so keen on the roly-poly roll. It reminded me of a P.E. teacher at school who loved using that move. Yes, technically it was a bit rough, but I thought Cr aigs 4 was mean. I thought he deserved a 7.

Molly - Rumba. I must have been watching something different from the judges. I saw some forward Rumba walks. She got the straight leg action, but I didn’t see any hip rotation at all. I can’t remember seeing any cucarachas with their classic figure of 8 moves. I saw a lot of static poses. I wasn’t that keen on the routine.  I think she was overmarked yet again. An 8 from me.

Fleur - Samba. My dance of the night. I love a good Samba, and Fleur did a great job. Not an easy dance with it’s 7 different rhythm patterns. I wasn’t sure she could focus all that energy, but she did, and I think she did a great job. A lovely routine by Vito with lots of recognisable steps, light and shade, fast and slow. Loved the costumes and music. I’m not sure she could have given any more. A 10 from me.

Will - Waltz. He looked the part. I thought it was his best dance so far. Lovely to see a simple waltz done well without all the razzamatazz. I thought it was very watchable and well worth a 9.

Hamza - C.Choice. Jowita was dancing her socks off. For me, Hamza seemed a bit heavier on his feet this week and having a bit of trouble keeping up. I agreed with Cr aig that they were out of synch a few times, particularly towards the end. His lifting and chucking ability is amazing. I found the colours of his pyjamas outfit a bit distracting. I love Hamza, but I thought this time he was overmarked. I would have given him an 8 or 9.

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