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

[TANGOLERO]

Good day all. To finish what I started last night....

Hamza and Jowita, Jive.  

As far as dancing is concerned, Hamza danced and did so with a lot of credit .  A big guy he managed to make weight unimportant against attractive dance. Well done to him (I’ll never be able to cope with that hairstyle, but that’s irrelevant. For Week 2, C raig’s 4 was dopey and even Shirley was being a little over technical for the same thing. It was enjoyable.  4,7,6,7...24.  

Kim and Graziano. Viennese Waltz.

Elegant, but that’s what a Viennese Waltz is; strict ballroom with not too much room for interpretation. Its strengths are in smooth musical flow and balance.  As such, they did it well enough and even C raig’s 6 seemed free from negativity.  6.7.7.7.   27.

I’ve commented fleetingly on Matt Goss and Tony Adams and still feel it’s unfair to mark Week 1 and carry the scores over. Moreso in Tony’s case as he showed good improvement and gave us an enjoyable Charlston. Matt G doesn’t move like a dancer and he and latin are seemingly as natural as Saturday Night Fever and Samba. Neither should be used in the same sentences. I don’t think white pants will save Matt.  Despite C raig liking them, he still gave a 4. ….4,6,6,6. 22.  

Tyler West and Diane. Jive.

A real live Jive full of energy and a “to hell with technicality, let’s dance” sort of feel.  If it makes the body twitch (mine), it works. I like Diane. Well worth the 7,8,8,8 marks..31.  

Jayde Adams and Karen. Tango

It’s obvious Karen is really trying with Jayde, but tango is anything but a fun dance and in Week 2 this just didn’t work in any way. Jayde’s dress was a fashion disaster and she looked knackered at the end. Too much emphasis on facial expression and lacking the passion and togetherness that tango is. 6,7,6,7..26 for me was a bit kind.

Molly and Carlos Quickstep.  

Using umbrellas as props was a bit risky so soon, but they pulled it off in a good dance to end the show. Really classy so soon in the show and C raigs 8 made a point. A worthy board leader and I hope Molly can take it into the rest of her dances. 8.9.9.8.  34.  



So, just a couple of general points I hope won’t bore too much

.:  Please stop messing with Paso Doble. It’s a skilled bullfight term meaning double pass, relating to the matador leading the bull to one side then the other. In Spain, the ballroom Paso Doble is danced partner style progressing round the room and the so-called paso music is played by brass bands at corridas.  As already said, Johannes is a great dancer but the sweat was rolling off him’ not exactly the arrogant sweeps of a matador’s cloak or elegant taunting of a fighting bull. He looked like the bull had been chasing him round Hertfordshire.  (Re the Carmen music. There is no such word as “Toreador” in the Spanish language, it’s “Torero” and the “Matador” kills the bull.  

Same old grouse from me about hard dances too soon and irregular pairings against each other. I know the point as been made many times about Watltz week, Jive week, Latin Week etc, but it’s still relevant as fair, and the present system
is very wrong as a skill indicator.  Some things never change, but a course of strict tempo dance instruction to like music would. I’m sure benefit all the contestants.  They may even remember it a month after leaving the show. Okay, the Sunday rant endeth.  

[Twirlie]

So, just a couple of general points I hope won’t bore too much

.

You NEVER bore us TANGO.... Keep it coming.

[mauveangel09]

.:  Please stop messing with Paso Doble. It’s a skilled bullfight term meaning double pass, relating to the matador leading the bull to one side then the other. In Spain, the ballroom Paso Doble is danced partner style progressing round the room and the so-called paso music is played by brass bands at corridas.  As already said, Johannes is a great dancer but the sweat was rolling off him’ not exactly the arrogant sweeps of a matador’s cloak or elegant taunting of a fighting bull. He looked like the bull had been chasing him round Hertfordshire.  (Re the Carmen music. There is no such word as “Toreador” in the Spanish language, it’s “Torero” and the “Matador” kills the bull.  

:[/quote]

I couldn't agree more Tango - Afternoon all, I'm writing this in between watching the Singapore Grand Prix so hope it all makes sense by the end. I was really disappointed in this Paso, especially as Ellie and Johannes were my top couple of week 1. I was really looking forward to it particularly as the introduction was played - castanets and guitar - 'great' I thought, 'they are giving them a traditional paso' - then what happened? Bizet's Carmen started playing and thus began a somewhat confused paso for me in which I have to say Johannes completely out danced his partner - the cardinal sin for a Strictly pro (and an experienced one to boot). I know that this track has been used for paso on the show before but because of the tempo - I think the challenge of not making it a stomp around the floor was too much for a week 2 dance. Such a shame as I thought Ellie had good arms and the potential of what could have been lingered.

So in general I enjoyed the show and I was quite impressed with the improvement that a lot of couples had made - others for me slipped back but that's no bad thing as I think there's a whole bunch of them at about the same standard with good potential so it will be interesting to see how they develop and I think that this year we could have more than a few 'J's.......... Glad so see that they've also got the trousers sorted, except for C laud. Lucky she didn't have to run anywhere!

Last week I have to say that both James and Amy and Tyler and Dianne barely made an impression on me but this week I thought differently. Whilst I wasn't blown away by James and Amy's Tango I did think he did a decent job and whilst there are posture issues I felt that he didn't fall into the trap of stomping round and actually danced it. I liked the choreography and Amy's dress too. Tyler and Dianne produced one of my favourite dances of the night and I totally agreed with whichever judge said that he looked very 'comfortable' with his dancing - I think this will be a couple to watch.

My other top dance from last night was Richie and Gio. I thought Richie might continue to be a bit 'loose' with his dancing after last week, but it was clear that he really wanted to nail this one and get the QS character which I think he did really well and I thoroughly enjoyed the dance - old School Hollywood.

I also liked Kym and Graziano I thought it was a much better VW than the other one that was presented last night. Thought Kym's dress was lovely and good to hear a track from the Corrs which I haven't heard for awhile and which I think was good for a VW.

Least liked for me was Matt and Nadya. Anyone that murders anything from my beloved 'Saturday Night Fever' in that way is never going to be in my good books - and giving them a Samba really????? On the positive side he had learned some quite complicated step sequences and the moves were there but needed 1000% more performance and energy. For me sadly after seeing him over two weeks he is just not a natural dancer and doesn't 'let go', he also seems to need his ego massaged a bit.

Another slight disappointment after last week was Hamza and Jowita, although I think it was the ridiculous concept of the dance and the costumes rather than the dancing itself. Hamza clearly wasn't a fan of the jive but he has a great sense of rhythm and I want to see more.

So to the ones for me that were in between:

Will and Nancy - Found the choreography slightly annoying as it consisted of a series of sequences and then a stop and a start again, and I knew CRH was going to comment on the lack of flow. However, in those sequences I thought Will mastered some of the basic Salsa steps and delivered a good dance. I think he's in for the long haul.

Ellie and Nikita - much better than I expected and a nice waltz. So glad that Nikita stood up straight and avoided looking like a Dad dancing with his daughter. As he said in the VT it is not an easy thing to do but I think it looked good and I enjoyed the dance.

Helen and Gorka - I thought she did more than ok with the Cha Cha and her legs were straight most of the time - thought she got a bit savaged by the judges tbh. She's given good performances of both latin and ballroom over these two weeks.

Tony and Katya - I was dreading this but actually really enjoyed it. Fair play to him and to Katya as a choreographer/teacher. He did his best and improved.

Fleur and Vito - Not my cup of tea. I can see that the dance was delivered well but I couldn't feel it - it just wasn't a VW for me and I'm really not warming to Vito.

Kay and Kai - Felt she worked really hard and had improved, she did the steps well and it is a bit of a hard dance for a tall person. Just needed more energy but well done to her.

Jayde and Karen - Leave me cold but choreography was good.

Molly and Carlos - I appreciate how good the dancing was but for me despite the judges gushing it was not my own top pick. it was all a bit too 'Stage School' for me and I felt that for a QS there simply was not enough done in hold. The bits in hold were so fast that to me they became ragged.

As to who will be exiting - there are many variables and I think it will be the usual random lottery of the first vote and as per every year, not necessarily the worst dancers. who go.................let's see..........

[B4p]

I've only just managed to watch week 2s show, so will have to post after the result show.

Late comments on week 2's main show:

Will & Nancy - Salsa. I quite liked this although it seemed a bit stop/start to me which affected the flow. I wasn’t sure if that was planned as a bit of light and shade. It didn’t have the armography but I didn’t really miss that.

James & Diane - Tango. I thought he look terrified. He didn’t seem to connect with Amy, lost in his concentration marching from A to B. It wasn’t worth An ton’s 7 I thought.

Ellie S & Nikita - Waltz. I enjoyed this a lot. She has neat footwork and a softness and vulnerability about her. I liked Nikita’s choreography and thought they danced well together.

Helen & Gorka - Cha-Cha. I missed most of this as my machine didn’t tape it for some odd reason. I think Helen has potential to do well.

Tony & Katya - Charleston. You have to hand it to Katya, she’ll give her all to help her contestant out. A fun routine and gave Tony a chance to shine. He did well I thought.

Ellie T & Johannes - Paso. A difficult dance to do for week 2. I enjoyed the beginning and thought she had a good stab at it. The music seemed too fast for any drama, and at times it resembled a Formula 1 'follow my leader' march. I thought she might get 2 more marks than Tony though.

Richie & Gio - Quickstep. Clever choreography from Gio bringing out another good performance in Richie. I’m liking this partnership. Richie plays the goofy character but he’s obviously following Gio’s instructions well.

Fleur & Vito - V.Waltz. I wasn’t keen on this. Undoubtedly she has talent but for me this seemed very fragmented and not in the normal flow of a V.Waltz. I don’t like all the breaks in hold, and adding bits that aren’t really in the nature of the dance. I didn’t think it warranted Motsi’s 8.

Kaye & Kai - Charleston. A shame she couldn’t let herself go a bit more. She still seemed like a headmistress trying to act jolly and failing miserably. Off time and out of synch with Kai. A wooden Charleston doesn’t really work.

Hamza & Jowita - Jive. Considering he’s had his knee strapped all week, I think his energy levels stayed fairly constant. He was a bit flat footed with toes turned in but a jive can’t be easy for a well built man. Looking forward to his next ballroom. I didn’t like the concept of the routine.

Kymn & Graziano - V.Waltz. I enjoyed this. Despite her problems with vertigo, she managed to spin well. I prefer this more traditional V.Waltz, with clockwise/anti clockwise spins linked by a fleckerl. I enjoyed her performance in the dance too.

Matt & Nadiya - Samba. I’ve noticed that Nadiya has chosen a disco theme in the past when her partners are struggling. I didn’t like this too much. It didn’t have a lot of Samba steps in there. It was a bit of a disco mush. I didn’t really understand his comment that when he is singing it’s to one direction whereas dancing was multi directional. Note to self - don’t buy tickets for side seats at his gigs.

Tyler & Diane - Jive. This was the dance I enjoyed the most. I loved Diane’s choreography. Despite being a beginner, he can relax enough to give a good performance. He has rhythm and is another one to watch.

Jayde & Karen - Tango. I didn't like this much. A second week of stomping left and right with a strange expression throughout. Didn't like the concept. I'm bored with aggressive breakups. I want a bit of sizzle for a change.

Molly & Carlos - Quickstep. Another difficult routine but recogniseable Quickstep. Love how Shirley has resurrected her 'fundamentals' plea. Unfair, as it's only week 2, but I'm starting to get the feeling that Vito is showcasing his choreography more than his partner's burgeoning skills

[B4p]

A belated birthday greeting to CC. I hope you're feeling better soon. Covid is the pits.

Nice to see you back Diamondsand pearls. Looking forward to your costume reviews

[B4p]

I was surprised that most of the choices for Movie Week were revealed tonight. I wish they'd either have Musicals or Movie week. To me, they seem to merge into one and have become stale and predictable. If I hear Flashdance, Fame or Footloose again, I think I'll scream. Let's have a new theme week please, there's plenty of choices available.

[Twirlie]

On the Dance Off, I, like Shirley, would have chosen the other couple to go out. The dancing was terrible. I suspect the other judges often keep a couple in because "they might do better in future", despite what's said about judging it on the dance off alone. (I've worded this fairly carefully in an attempt to avoid spoilers for those who haven't watched the results show yet.)

[CaledonianCraig]

To be honest I wasn't too fussed which of them left and was glad Tony Adams dodged the bullet. Why I hear you ask?

Well it was really clear to me that both Kaye and Matt would rather be somewhere else. They really looked painfully uncomfortable and not looking to be enjoying the experience at all. I could almost see and hear Kaye and Matt issuing each other to the exit 'No after you' as they go. Tony, on the other hand, looks uncomfortable but he's trying his best and enjoying it. Good on him. He'll probably be gone very soon but sooner have celebs who actually want to be there.

As to the actual dance-off I'd have just saved Matt as there was a moment of half-decentness (just a moment) whilst Kaye clearly fluffed the lift section and lacked that key ingredient - swivel.

[fiftynotout]

Good morning gang ((()))

So, we’ve had our first elimination which means this year’s competition is officially up and running.  I find I haven’t yet taken against anybody this year so it was hard to see anybody go.   Matt, Tony and Kaye were clearly the weakest.  Matt, I think, is a little too earnest which is hampering his natural ability.  Tony is clearly “avin a go” and, I think, enjoying himself.  For me, I’d rather watch those two “go on a jou.rney” than Kaye; I fear she had already peaked so probably the right choice.

Of the rest, there is a lot to commend and a lot of potential.  I’m looking forward to seeing how it unfolds.  Just two comments from Saturday night. First, I think Richie is displaying just the right mix of humility, self-deprecation and hard work and it’s paying off.  Secondly, I really enjoyed Ellie T’s paso and felt she was undermarked.

The only other thing to mention is my huge respect for the pro dancers.  They are given heavier s.lebs, shorter s.lebs, older s.lebs, same sex couples and they accommodate and adapt admirably.  Hats off to them.

[B4p]

The only other thing to mention is my huge respect for the pro dancers.  They are given heavier s.lebs, shorter s.lebs, older s.lebs, same sex couples and they accommodate and adapt admirably.  Hats off to them.

Well said 50. I agree with you

[diamondsandpearls]

I wrote the following straight after Saturdays show but posted it in the wrong place! Inadvertantly filed under Strictly Partnerships 2022 (I did wonder why there were so few posts...).

I'm sure some of you have already found it, but for the sake of tidy files, I'm posting it here, in its rightful place:

Sorry, sorry, I know I'm late. By a whole week.

I'm blaming the trains.

So....where are we? Second week, that's where. They've been partnered up, wildly overmarked (for the most part) for their first week's offerings, and an impostor stood in for C raig. Everyone super-happy and gushing like a burst water pipe about the experience and their amazing partner.

But now we've reached the business end. Grumpy C raig is back (I suspect his other hip is giving him gyp) and everyone is feeling emotional and overwrought. Because someone is going to GO.

Before I give my impressions, I just need to do a bit of housekeeping... I feel I should disclose my Afors and Agins in case they have any bearing on proceedings.

AGINS: to be honest, In the first week I only had one s leb,and that is Kym. Borderline were Ritchie and Matt. Pros were Kai (as last year), Karen and Katya (as ever) and Carlos (for the creepy exchange about the Rumba with Claudia). But now I find Jayde has stepped right up to the border and has one foot over it. And Molly went from bordeline Afor to borderline Agin in the space of a week

AFORS: Helen, Hamza, Ellie S, Ellie T, Tyler (who I am sad for, because he has SO much potential but Dianne isn't the teacher to unlock and unleash it) for the S lebs. Will is borderline with one foot firmly over and the other foot almost in. And Jowita, Johannes, Giovanni and Nikita for the pros. Oh, go on then, Graziano too, as he's such a sweetheart. Nadiya is borderline, but sady she has Matt bringing her down.

And so to tonight's impressions..

Ritchie and Kaye not as awful as I thought, but Ritchie was overmarked and Kaye undermarked.

The routine Katya did for poor Tony was an aberration (also overmarked).

Love Hamza and Jowita - wonderful partnership - but he lacked retraction and bounce.

Ellie S - just gorgeous. I know there were technical thingies like a lack of heel leads, but I basically tweeted the nice bits that C raig said before he said it, which was beautiful hands and arms and she has a wonderful flow

Ellie T and Will were both disappointing for me. Ellie was too soft and Will was too.... I dunno. It just wasn't right.

Fleur and the contempo waft VW was meh.

Matt was SHOCKING! I had to cover my eyes (some people actually hid behind the sofa). And for all the thrusting in the horrible tighty whities he seems really reticent and unsure of himself on the dancefloor. But Nadiya rocking the Studio 54 vibe was a GODDESS.

Helen... well, I'll be honest, I didn't really see Helen. Someone was dancing with Gorka though, and I assume it was her. What I did see, when I momentariy glanced away from Gorka, was that she didn't have a straight cha cha cha leg.

Tyler can dance. He has natural ability. But Dianne needs to focus more on teaching him technique (there was little retraction in his kicks n flicks) and less on the bazillion stupid props.

Molly - I didn't like it. It was the song. It was a stupid song for a quickstep.

Jayde - no, no and no. If she cotinues to channel her inner Adele then she is all the way over the border into Agin Land. But even though I am agin Karen I thought she looked fantastic.

James -I like James. He has Afor potential. But I forgot his dances, both this week and last week, the instant they finished. Very, very meh.

If that isn't all of them, it jolly well should be.

Tess looked nice (shock) and Claud's pink trousers were horrible. But her joke about the pound made up for them.

I shall leave it there (I know! Quite brief for me) as I have work in the morning and I got back from Norfolk minutes before Strictly, after a six hour drive (and an unnannounced road closure just three miles before I need to turn off, and with no diversion signs in place until about a third of the way along the diversion; fortunately I am a genius with a road map and had worked out the route without any help from signs. It added 30 mins to the short trip to Dusseldorf Sad ) I am therefore shattered.

Lovely to be back - I'll catch with all your posts and comment tomorrow.

Meanwhile.... keeeeep posting! x

[diamondsandpearls]

SO, SO many comments to read through! I'm afraid I've speed read a fair few and skimmed the rest.

My main takeaway is that some of you have beef with Hamza's hair. Its incredible! And far from getting in the way in dances it acts as one of the much-missed (by me anyway) arm/shoulder wafts when performing ballroom. And for the latin, it's just a long pony tail that the girls get extensions to create when they are dancing. I love Hamza's hair and I love Hamza.

Another observation that I came across is Matt's earnestness when speaking (and the metaphors which are rambling and go nowhere), which remind some of us of Jason Donavan. The main difference is that Jason had musicality and could dance.

Which brigns us nicely to the dance off.

I disagreed strongly with the judges (apart from Shirley) since Matt had no Samba bounce whatsoever, and moreover couldn;t even manage the disco, finger-pointing bit. It was all very half-hearted and unfinished - his arms were level with his shoulder (at best) instead of pointing up and out and he didn;t even point his finger. My Gran has more enthusiasm and sharpness in that simple movement than Matt displayed.

By contrast, Kaye had plenty of mistakes (but no more than Matt) and was undeniably lacking technique (although contrary to what someone posted, I did see a bit of swivel here and there) but she DID look like she was actually dancing, rather than the stilted, mechanical thrusting (oh my eyes!) that we had to suffer from Matt. I aso disagree that she looked likedshe didn't want to be there. I think she very much did (if you watch her on ITT you will see her enthusiasm).

Matt also wants this very much indeed. I think he has lost a lot of self esteem and confidence and needs this. Its why he is so earnest (and metaphorical...)

I don't like either of them much, for different reasons, but I'm not actually agin either of them. But for me, Kaye is the better dancer, whereas Matt, bizarrely for a musician, has no musicality whatsoever.

I think we should have had Luke...

Also, though I sort of like Tony (not as much as the rest of the nation) I also think he lacks musicality and doesn't actually dance. I feel it should have been him and Matt in the dance off and it would have been a rizzla paper to choose between them.

Also, spare me from Katya's awful 'comedy' routines. I thought we'd all grown up now and don't resort to cop-out comedy choreography for the dancing-challenged, but actually try and teach them to dance.

Another week, another dance...

[mauveangel09]

 The main difference is that Jason had musicality and could dance.
.

Yes I would very much agree with that - also I suspect that Matt could be somewhat 'high maintenance' as a celeb whereas having seen Jason on SCD and DOI I don't think that he is .

Mr Mauve and I were also discussing Matts strange lack of musicality as most of the musicians that come on the show do at least have this.

I think the DO was very close. Although personally I would have liked Matt to go as the routine barely resembled a samba , I wanted Kaye to do well as for me she had a more difficult dance in terms of content, however for some celebs it is clearly 'Hammer Time' in the dance off (F1 fans will know what I mean) and others go to pieces. You could see that Kaye went to pieces a bit and didn't dance it as well as the first time round. Matt went for it more, if you could call 'going for it' gyrating the hips with a little more enthusiasm the second time round.

Anyway, we've had our first exit..........on with the dance!

[B4p]

I think the DO was very close.   Although personally I would have liked Matt to go as the routine barely resembled a samba , I wanted Kaye to do well as for me she had a more difficult dance in terms of content, however for some celebs it is clearly 'Hammer Time' in the dance off   (F1 fans will know what I mean) and others go to pieces.  You could see that Kaye went to pieces a bit and didn't dance it as well as the first time round.

I think there was a picture of Kaye in one of the red tops with strapping around her right ribs. Maybe an injury during training was also slowing her down.

[Moova 12]

Unfortunately I saw a comment about Matt’s hair looking like Action Man and now my fever dreams are an endless run of Matt dancing but it is the Action Man doll. Does not improve the dance at all. Be gone cold!

On another note Hamza Rumba and Jurassic Park!  

[mauveangel09]

Unfortunately I saw a comment about Matt’s hair looking like Action Man and now my fever dreams are an endless run of Matt dancing but it is the Action Man doll. Does not improve the dance at all. Be gone cold!

:

I sympathise Moova - I've got the cold from hell this week - really savage. It's not COVID for sure but something going round...........hope you improve soon

[B4p]

Get well soon moova and mauve. This wet weather is tripping viral season. There's some horrible bugs flying around. Hot Toddy anyone?

[Twirlie]

I see Betfair are suggesting that there's no chemistry between Ellie Taylor and Johannes and they'll either be knocked out soon or drop out by choice. I can't see either of those things being true. I think these "body language experts" that the papers tout about are just so much bo****ks! I think Ellie and Johannes are having a great time and getting on fine. Long may they do so. They're not my absolute favourites (don't know who are yet), but I'm quite content for them to go a lot further in the competition.

[Moova 12]

There are comments about Gorka and Helen having no chemistry either. Goodness knows how they judge chemistry between Matt and Nadyia!
Not biggest fan of theme nights but we had some good dances last year so bring it on!

[B4p]

I see Betfair are suggesting that there's no chemistry between Ellie Taylor and Johannes and they'll either be knocked out soon or drop out by choice. I think Ellie and Johannes are having a great time and getting on fine. Long may they do so.

I agree Twirlie. I think someone in an office somewhere is a bit bored and is just stirring the pot.

I've got my fingers crossed for Ellie S having the quickstep to do. With their difference in heights, it will be difficult to appear co-ordinated and stay in synch. particularly in such a fast dance.

I also feel for Matt who has to drive Nadiya around the floor in a swirling V Waltz. Spins, body contact, a fleckerle and some acting. He's going to need a bit of luck to hide any mistakes tonight.

[TANGOLERO]

Week Three. I'll be back to try and talk some sense as soon as I've got my thoughts and notes in order. Meanwhile, is that French poodle that jumped on Motsi's head okay? it must have gone to sleep and nobody wanted to wake it. Okay, Might as well get the fringe comments out of the way before talking dance. 1. Claudia's pants? Couldn't make my mind up if her bloomers had slid down to ground level ,or The Little Mermaid look is now back vogue? 2. The costume department need a word. 3 D and P will probably slay me for this, but black and sequins don't look right together. Shirley, by comparison, looked the height of elegance tonight.

The show opening number was bright and beautiful, Colourful, Spanish / Mexicali musical theme and women in skirts leave the bikini brigade standing when it comes to attraction. Loved it.........To be continued...

[mauveangel09]

Week Three. I'll be back to try and talk some sense as soon as I've got my thoughts and notes in order. Meanwhile, is that French poodle that jumped on Motsi's head okay? it must have gone to sleep and nobody wanted to wake it. Okay, Might as well get the fringe comments out of the way before talking dance. 1. Claudia's pants? Couldn't make my mind up if her bloomers had slid down  to ground level ,or The Little Mermaid look is now back vogue? 2. The costume department need a word. 3 D and P will probably slay me for this, but black and sequins don't look right together. Shirley, by comparison, looked the height of elegance tonight.

The show opening number was bright and beautiful, Colourful, Spanish / Mexicali musical theme and women in skirts leave the bikini brigade standing when it comes to attraction. Loved it.........To be continued...  

My thoughts exactly.

Who on earth is making these trousers??? Not a good look.
Enjoyed the opening n umber too - at least I really liked the dancing. I haven't seen Encanto so I didn't really know what was going on but the dancing said it all...........

I really enjoyed the show tonight - I thought there has been massive improvement from most couples. As always with theme nights, some couples lucked out with the music in comparison to others. I thought CRH gave some ridiculously low marks whilst the critiques from the remainder of the judges were better tonight I thought. My problem is that i think a lot of them are likeable this year and I don't want to see them go just yet.....................

I'm going to go away and get my comments together too...................

[TANGOLERO]

You must be used to me swimming against the tide by now, but I’m too old to change, so....



After the great pro opener, out came the pantomime. How can anyone’s dancing moves be judged when dressed like Mr Blobby’s jungle cousins? Richie and Gio in what was supposedly a Samba that might have looked okay done by Balloo the bear in The Jungle Book, but was less than impressive as an entrant in a dance show. It was untidy, out of sync and a sad choice. I think Shirley was being kind with an 8 for this. 5.7.8.7....27

Molly and Carlos, Waltz . A much better affair altogether, this romantic mood waltz to the music from West Side Story. Intended to be so, it was beautifully danced by Molly and Carlos and fully deserved its high marks. C raig rated it “Gorgeous” 8.9.9.8. …..34.

Kim Marsh and Graziano. Charlston. A flapping okay lively affair with bags of life and energy with Kim making full use of her dazzling legs. Again, deserved its marks. 7.9.8.9....33

Hamza and Jowita. Rumba. Personally, I thought this a daft idea to Jurassic Park music. Romba, the dance of love done with a somewhat idiotic grin by Hamza, and convinceed me not at all. What on earth is a “side cougar racha. A nton? . Maybe I should know, but I don’t unless it’s a baby Brontasaurus. 5.7.6.7 ...25.. reflects the drop in skill. Hamza is better than this.

Ellie Taylor and Johannes. CHA-CHA. 4.6.5.6. leaves not much to say about a disappointing effort from a top pro. 21. Dangerously low mark.

Matt Goss and Nadia. A distinct touch of John Sargent’s bag of coal in this stomp about, jerky and unnatural looking affair. Not quite sure what it was, but didn’t impress. Another low marker...3.6.5.7 ...21.

Tyler and Diane. Charlston. And then suddenly, the standard rocketed upwards as Tyler and Diane performed the dance of the night to Flash, Bang, Wallop and that’s what exactly what it was as they shot to the top of the leaderboard. . . Great choreography and syncopation and top dancing. C raig said..”Fabulous” 9.10.10.9. 38. ….

Rest will have to be tomorow as I'm yawning.

[B4p]

Movie Night

Richie & Gio - Samba. I couldn’t see a lot of body action due to those suits although Richie’s was less bulky than Gios. He gave it a good go and I applaud his effort. Not a total disaster, and I think he should be safe for another week. I loved his ‘ I was there like a pigeon on a chip!’ quip.

Molly & Carlos - Waltz. I liked the choreography and the shadow steps at the beginning. A lot of time seemed out of hold acting to the theme. Molly didn’t seem as comfortable this week. I can't put my finger on any particular reason, but these two just don’t move me as yet.

Kymm & Graziano - Charleston. I loved this. I thought the choreography was great, without being chaotic. It was slick, had lots of content. I liked her personality coming through, and the acting. I didn’t understand Cr aigs 7.

Hamza & Jowita - Rumba. I thought he did well. For a larger man, he had some noticeable hip action. He struck some nice arm lines. His feet looked straight, not turned in. He moved well and was light on his feet. He smiled throughout, and seemed to connect well with Jowita. I thought he did well considering the ridiculous tune and theme. Born Free or Indiana Jones would have suited him better. I thought Cr aig’s 5 was a bit mean.

Ellie T & Johannes - Cha-Cha. Every time I look at her, she reminds me of the actress who plays Doc Martin’s wife! I thought it was a reasonable slow Cha-Cha. There were several recognisable classic steps. I think she has more potential than she gives herself credit for. I hope she can start to relax and start to enjoy the dancing a bit more. Her tenseness makes me tense watching.

Matt & Nadiya - V.Waltz. I think this is the first week he’s softened into a character. He managed to drive, and pivot Nadiya around. He completed his fleckerle. There were some stop/start moments, but again they were fitting the dance to the theme. His lower body seemed better this week, but his upper body still looks very funky and doing it’s own thing. Cr aig’s 3? Really?

Tyler & Diane - Charleston. I enjoyed this. He’s a natural mover. I was surprised that Diane had outside choreography help, she’s been in the show a few years now. He’s obviously the judges favourite, and although I like Tyler, that may grate on me after a while. A good Charleston, but for me maybe 8-9 not a 10. I'm getting a bit fed up already of the pros saying 'he/she has had such a busy week'. They knew what they were committing too, and no doubt get paid well for the priveledge of private daily dance lessons and for some, the chance of West End work at the end of it all.

Fleur & Vito - A.Smooth. I didn’t like the ugly lift halfway through. If the pros are determined to stick them in at every possible opportunity, at least make them look aesthetically pleasing. A quieter, more graceful toned down Fleur this week. It was nice, but it didn’t blow me away.

James & Amy - Cha-Cha. A good track for a slow Cha-Cha. I don’t like how Shirley speaks to him like he’s a 5yr old. Not a great Cha-Cha, but he still scored one more point than Ellie T. He has rhythm and potential, but looks permanently petrified and under rehearsed. I get the impression his Eastenders role is taking precedence over his training time. There wasn’t much Cha-cha to see, and he spent a lot of time either standing still or walking around. I don’t think he’s fully committed, and will soon fall behind if he doesn’t put the time in. Disappointing.

Ellie S & Nikita - Quickstep. I thought Nikita’s choreography was great. She’s nimble and has a lovely the devils work personality. Despite the mistakes, it was better than I thought it might be, particularly with their height differences. She totally commits which I love. I’m glad Shirley has mentioned the fundamentals of heels and toes this week. By week 3 they all should know the difference between a heel and toe lead. As An ton said, it’s needed for future dances.

Will & Nancy - A.Smooth. I loved this, it was refreshingly different. I liked Nancy’s choreography and the way she showcased him. I loved his extra little performance moves like the back heel kick. I think they dance well together and he’s got natural rhythm. I thought he was a bit under scored and would have given him a 9.

Tony & Katya - Samba. I never realised that he was mentioned by name in that ‘Hot Stuff’ sequence in the Dole Office in the Full Monty film. Katya filled that dance with content: Voltas, botafogas, samba whisks and walks and an attempt at Bachiacardas. Some bits went better than others, but he couldn’t have tried any harder. I loved the sparkly red shorts. Entertainment and a massive effort. Was Cr aig’s 2 a ploy for the sympathy vote, or just an insult? I hope the public keep him in another week.

Helen & Gorka - V.Waltz. Loved this. Gorka’s choreography was beautiful and Helen rose well to the challenge. It was an old fashioned VW with all the twirling which was lovely. I enjoyed Helen’s story telling. I think the female’s posture in the ballroom dances is so bizarre and unnatural to beginners, it’s not surprising they need a lot more time to adjust. I liked An ton’s advice regarding the ballroom positioning. I thought they were worth more than
Cr aig’s 7.

Jayde & Karen - Cha-Cha. I really don’t understand why Jayde hasn’t be given any constructive criticism as yet. This week, Karen had flat shoes on too, but you could still see Karen rising up on her toes. For me, Jayde is flat-footed, and just stomps, walks, or rolls on the floor from A-B. I didn’t see any hip or leg action, and except for two sets of New Yorkers, I didn’t see a lot of Cha-Cha. Jayde still managed to score 8 more points than Ellie T?  Really? For me she was over marked.

[Twirlie]

Quite a colourful opening number though it's storyline rather escaped me.

Motsi's hair reminded me of that hat that Princess Beatrice wore for Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding. And that's not a compliment. I agree, Shirley looked lovely tonight but I disagree about Claudia's outfit. I thought she looked fantastic. I loved her long slender legs.

Richie & Giovanni - Samba
It seemed a little messy and there seemed to be quite a few mistakes. I know they were hampered by the costumes but even so I would have expected better from Ritchie and Giovanni. One of his best dances ? Really?

Molly & Carlos - Waltz
This is another couple that is fast becoming favourites for the glitterball. You can see why. She's a smooth dancer and seems to pick up the choreography very quickly and easily, and Carlos seems to be giving her beautiful choreography to dance to. This was absolutely delightful. Good scores and well deserved.

Kym and Graziano - Charleston
I thought it had loads of energy. It was loads of fun. A super "performance" with a little touch of "Fosse"in it. I really liked this Charleston. An absolutely great effort from Kym and worth the points

Hamza & Joweta - Rumba
Rumbas are always so impossibly difficult for the man to dance. Hamza didn't seem to be making too much of a hash of it however. It was beautiful to watch I thought, although of course probably not a proper Rumba. Middling scores which were probably right.

Ellie T and Johannes - Cha Cha Cha
This disappointed me. I don't know why she doesn't perform better. I expected her to be quite good but it doesn't seem to be happening. She was rather dull to watch and the scores reflected that.

Matt and Nadya - Viennese waltz?
Dull as ditchwater. I'm ready for him to go now. I even went to the extent of voting for Tony Adams in an attempt to stop him from being in the dance off with Matt. I think most of the others have an excellent chance of winning against Matt. As to the scores, C.raig was right. What on earth is A.nton on?

Tyler and Diane - Charleston
At the moment, and especially after this dance, Tyler's my favourite to win the series. There's a lot of water to flow under the bridge obviously before that happens, but I'll bet the bookies are raking in the cash paid on him. This was one of the best Charlestons I can remember other than Danny Mac's. Fast and furious too - I'm not surprised Diane was it of breath at the end of it. It deserved the 10s.

Fleur & Vito - American Smooth
A delightful performance, though not inspiring I don't think. I did love the cartwheel into the lift. Very clever. I thought the scores of 8 were a bit over the top.

James & Amy - Cha Cha Cha
First thing's first, green is definitely Amy's colour. I don't know what James was dancing but it didn't look like a cha-cha-cha. I think he felt that as well. Scores were pretty fair.

Ellie S & Nikita - Quickstep
Is there anything this lassie can't do? Who decided that Nikita should be her partner? It was inspired casting. She may have made a few mistakes but I didn't spot them and I really enjoy the number. Fair scores I suppose. I might have hoped for a little higher.

Will & Nancy - American Smooth
Will gives such a fluidly strong and romantic performance. It's wonderful to watch. It's the acting skills that really add to the whole number. Another good partnership that's going to go far. A decent score and well deserved.

Tony & Katya - Samba
What to say? Hilarious? Well Danny and Oti it wasn't. It was a fairly rubbish samba but I can't help liking Tony.  Katya of course is a terrific and imaginative choreographer and always manages to create a dance that will suit her celebrity and bring a smile to the audiences' faces which of course will make them like him even more. They couldn't expect a better score from the judges but the public will love him.

Helen & Gorka - Viennese Waltz
Coming after Tony and Katya it would have been hard for anyone to make an impact. It was ok I suppose but I didn't find it very inspiring. Beautiful but a little dull if those two descriptions aren't incompatible. I wouldn't have scored her as highest the judges did.

Jayde Adams & Karen Hauer - Cha cha cha
I can't help it - I really like this partnership. It helps that I'm a Karen fan anyway I suppose. But I thought that this was hugely brave of Jayde and great that Karen encouraged this. You'd think that in those costumes Karen would completely outshine and rather embarrass Jayde, but no. Karen did look fantastic but Jayde was by no means an embarrassment in comparison. Probably because of her size and the fact that she seems to lead. They danced and reacted well together. Reasonable scores.


Is there any reason why they've started introducing Dave Arch and the band at the end of the show instead of the beginning?  Their introduction is completely covered over by the noise of applause from the dance that's just taken place. It seems a little mean and unnecessary. What was wrong with introducing them at the beginning?

I have no idea who will go this week but there's quite a few in danger I think. By the way do they still convert the judges' scores depending the number of dancers 14, and the number of tied scores. If so, Tyler and Diane would get 14 and Tony and Katya 5. Am I right? Has that changed? Thereby don't mention it anymore when they show the scoreboard at the end of the night.

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