Re: Tango's Little Bit of Honesty Thread 2023

[mauveangel09]

I really do have to wonder if the show has a team who gauge the celebrities progress and then decide the course of dances. Those deemed potentially good dancers wrapped in cotton wool and given pick of the dances and music choices whilst those seen as quickly expendable given the rough end of the stick. I say this thinking of the two senior dancers - Angela Rippon and Les Dennis. One can dance and has obviously danced before (Angela) and the other evidently can't or struggles to dance (Les). Angela got two dances that suited her with lovely music while Les got the opposite in two dances that was always going to test a man in his 70s. You decide.

I agree - there's always been that ultimate mystery about what dances are picked for who and how the order of dances pans out over the weeks. I have heard it said that some of the pros like to get a difficult dance over with as less is expected however its the real million dollar question as to how it seems to be planned out for certain couples and not for others.

[B4p]

Week 3 - Musicals

I enjoyed the costumes, hair and make-up. I think Zara & Graz were the only ones with face paints and whiskers this year. At least we didn't get anyone dancing in a padded suit, although Shirl might need time in a padded hotel room for that 10   . I cannot unsee Kai's flowery Lederhosen. It was lovely to see Amy in the Clauditorium and reading out the Ts'& Cs. She's halfway through her chemo and looked well, in that beautiful silvery gown.


Nigel & Katya - Batman (Jive). I enjoyed this, although he looked more like 'Running Man'. Seemed like the VT was leading over the jive. A bit flat footed at times. I wasn’t keen on all the twirls at the end. I thought they could have fitted a little bit more Jive in instead. 6,6,6,7, (6)

Angela R & Kai - Julie Andrews (Quickstep). A small stumble near the beginning. I liked the polka section. I didn’t see some of the classic quickstep moves like pendulums. There seemed to be a fair bit of gapping but that wasn’t mentioned. 6,7,6,7, (6)

Zara & Graziano - Puss in Boots (Paso). I didn’t mind this. I thought her performance was good, although I wasn’t keen on the gritted teeth throughout. Some nice lines. Liked the choreography. She did well. 6,6,6,7, (7)

Layton & Nikita - Greece (V.Waltz). I’m enjoying Nikita’s choreography this year. He’s certainly not giving Layton an easy ride. The judges seem to be really nit-picking with Layton. I think he’s used to dancing solo and is struggling being a follower, rather than being led by Nikita. 7,7,7,7, (7)

Angela S & Carlos - Fosse (Charleston). I loved this. Just my sort of Charleston. I don’t know if Carlos arranged the choreography, or if it was a copy from the film clip, but I’m loving this partnership. Great timing, synchronicity and content. 9,9,8,9, (9)

Amanda & Gio - Bridget Jones (Rumba). I usually go and make a cup of tea when it’s rumba time but I enjoyed this. She’s so elegant and I wasn't expecting the splits! Just enough romance without becoming slushy.  If Shirley says her footwork was impressive, I’m not going to argue. Not sure why Cr aig only gave a 6. 6,8,8,8, (

Nikita & Gorka - Clueless (Jive). Her confidence wasn’t good before being in the Dance off last week. I didn’t see a lot of Jive content, but she did manage to stay in time with Gorka for most of it. Very flat footed. She’s struggling. 4,6,5,6, (5)

Ellie & Vito - Encanto (V.Waltz). I’m hopeful for this partnership and like Vito’s choreography. I think Ellie is one to watch. Really enjoyed this. 8,9,8,8, (

Bobby & Diane - Romeo & Juliet (Samba). The one thing I like about Bobby is his total commitment to whatever dance he’s learning. Mr Rubberman coped really well with a full-on routine. Diane seems to be working wonders with him. 8,8,8,8, (

Jody & Jowita - Up (A.Smooth). I felt so sorry for Jody. For only two day training and no doubt in a lot of pain, I thought he did a great job, particularly from a performance point of view. I’m not sure why Cr aig gave a 4. 4,5,5,6 (6)

Eddie & Karen - Men in Black (C.C). Cr aig said he loves C.C as you can get the celeb to dance to their strength. Why then do so many of Karen’s partners end up dancing ‘Street’ Style? Not my scene I’m afraid. It would have been nice to see Eddie letting his hips loose with his Congo rhythms somehow. Not in Bill Bailey’s or James Laing’s ‘Street’ league, but he did well and stayed in synch for most of the routine. I think Shirl’s meds kicked in with that 10.  8,8,10,8 (

Annabel & Johannes - Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Waltz). After such positive comments from the judges, I was surprised to see such low scores. I’m guessing as it was Shirley and An ton there must have been footwork issues but I didn’t see anything obvious. I noticed a few stop/start sections but thought that was part of the choreography to add some light and shade. I liked it. 8,8,7,7, (

Adam & Luba - Super Mario (Jive). Adam said on ITT that he’d been filming for Waterloo Rd this week and hadn’t had as much time for training. Shirley said he kept control of the lift. I didn’t think lifts were allowed in the Jive?  The costumes were great, but another routine that fitted in with the CGI rather than the dance. Overmarked for me. 5,7,7,7, (5)

Krishnan & Lauren - Caberet (Charleston). I can’t hear ‘Money Money’ now without remembering Katya and Joe’s superb slow Samba. I’m enjoying this partnership and thought the choreography was great fun, right up my alley. I think Lauren is a great addition to the professional team. Krishnan’s got rhythm, musicality, and performance potential. I think he’s doing really well. 8,8,7,7, (


For me, the weakest dancers tonight were Nikita, Nigel, Adam & Jody. It depends as usual on how the votes fall, and whether people think their favourites are safe (which they never are), or whether the public is 'agin' them for some reason. I think I'll need a strong drink to watch tomorrow's result show.

[CaledonianCraig]

Well it was Musicals Week and a few things bothered me amidst a number of very enjoyable dances. Firstly, what was Sh.irley thinking of dishing out a 10 to Eddie? Secondly, costumes such as Nigel's and Adam's are more a hindrance and a tool to convince you its a better dance than it actually is in my opinion - not the celeb's fault. Thirdly, sorry I know same sex couples are now an enforced part of the show and now we go to the next level with Layton in a dress.

Nigel and Katya (Jive): The costume was off-putting and although it was a decent routine I wrote in my notes how his kicks lacked sharpness for me which C.raig later mentioned. It just lacked snap but he does sell his dances very well and it did have good moments. A 6.5 from me.

Angela R and Kai (Quickstep): The first dance to really test her age/fitness levels and she coped pretty well with it. After faffing at the start it was a nice routine and she does carry some lovely lines. Aside from a moment of gapping not a lot to fault here. A 7 from me.

Zara and Graziano (Paso Doble): Not sure about the theme to the dance and use of swords but I felt she danced it pretty well and had some nice shapes but did feel stompy at times. A 6.5 from me.

Layton and Nikita (Viennese Waltz): After faffing at the start another polished dance. Did not like use of a dress (call me old-fashioned) and I thought it was another very good dance. Seems the show producer's are aware of his superior dance abilities from the get-go and have told the judges to be uber-critical to try to cover up his superiority. An 8 from me.

Angela S and Carlos (Charleston): Yes this a great dance. The synchronicity was spot on and she had great swivel. Good lifts if slightly ungainly on one. One of the dances of the night for me. An 8.5 from me.

Amanda and Giovanni (Rumba): She had some great moves and was very slinky. Loved the splits. I did agree with C.raig in that it was a bit stop-start when it is a dance that is supposed to flow so think that is why he marked it down. A 7.5 from me.

Nikita and Gorka (Jive): Clearly, she is struggling and has confidence issues. I again agreed with C.raig in that it was fkat-footed and seemed to lack the style other celebs have got. She got through it without any errors though but will struggle to survive much longer in my opinion. A 5 from me.

Ellie and Vito (Viennese Waltz): A very nice waltz. She showed us some lovely elegant spins and had some lovely lines too. Maybe balance lost at one point but her performance levels are great and they make a great team. Surely a contender. An 8 from me.

Bobby and Diane (Samba): The slide on stage at the start didn't work which had me worried for them. However, no need as once up and dancing there was plenty to like. Great fluidity of movement in the hips. He had great rhythm and timing but needs to work on hand positioning and placement which were wild at times. A 7.5 from me.

Jody and Jowita (American Smooth): Considering his injury this week hitting rehearsals I thought this was a decent effort. One thing that stands out is how well he story tells and sells the dance considering he is not an actor. Noteworthy. His posture needs work and dos seem one who lacks confidence within. A 5.5 from me.

Eddie and Karen (Couples Choice): These dances always feel like a rubber stamp through to the next round as there are no guidelines to mark them by. I did like the dance which showcased his good rhythm and musicality. His best dance yet but definitely not worth the 10 that Sh.irley gave him. An 8 from me.

Annabel and Johannes (Waltz): Ideal music for this dance put to great use. Loved the theme creating a warm atmosphere. It had some lovely moments though did see gapping and a moment of hesitation on her part but she used her arms very well. A great couple. A 7 from me.

Adam and Luba (Jive): I wasn't so sure about the theme of the dance. It had a messy start and I agreed fully with CRH as kicks lacked retraction and looked laboured. I did like the armography section and side kicks at the end were decent. A 6 from me.

Krishnan and Lauren (Charleston): I felt this dance would suit him and it sure did. I liked his swivel and he really acted the part of the dance very well and he showed his good musical timing. His best dance yet. A 7.5 from me.

Well for me it is any two from Nikita, Jody and Adam for the dance-off. Nikita prime candidate for the exit.

[mauveangel09]

Hi everyone
Well this year I really enjoyed the choice of films for 'Movie Night' and the music, costumes and choreography. Shirley's '10' spoilt it a bit and there were a few couples where the gushing comments didn't match the scores given. There was also a niggling feeling that some couples had got dances slightly more tailored to their strengths than others did.

Nigel and Katya - Jive - 6 from me
Found the actual jive bits a bit slow and clunky - hampered by the boots and the pace of the music. The musical arrangement reminded me of 'Batmans Boogaloo' - a Fania and the Allstars track which is classed as a latin n umber. Felt it got better as they went along and was entertaining but fair marks from the j udges I thought.

Angela and Kai -Quick Step - 7 from me
I liked the first part of the dance where her footwork was immaculate. Once it speeded up I did feel there were bits that were a bit loose and too fast for her but overall really enjoyable and I enjoyed singing along!

Zara and Graziano - Paso- 6 from me
Still can't make up my mind about this couple. For the second week running I found her costume distracting - the huge black biker boots didn't do anything to help the steps look anything other than stompy and it is so easy for a non experienced dancer to make the paso look like this. The expression on her face didn't help either. Shame as I much preferred this to the rock pasos of the last few weeks. I thought the music was fantastic along with the swords - but not as good as I thought it was going to be - I'm afraid I was watching Graz most of the time.......

Layton and Nikita - Viennese Waltz - 8 from me
It was too fast and furious although the drama bits were good. Definitely a problem with letting Nikita lead and also to get into the heart of learning ballroom technique. Still don't know what he is doing in this contest.

Angela and Carlos - Charleston - 9 from me
I loved this one - I love Fosse. It was very well executed and really suited her although I couldn't help thinking that it was hand picked to suit her feet and style and it is isn't so well known. Second week she has had dances that really suit her so I'm looking for something different next week.

Amanda and Gio - Rumba - 9 from me
Week 3 rumba amazing!! She used her arms, legs and feet so well and really worked on mastering the rumba walks. Her acting skills helped with the overall feel and atmosphere. Usually you can't expect much from a rumba at this stage but I thought this was top notch. Couldn't understand the 6 from CRH.

Nikita and Gorka -Jive - 5 from me
She is obviously a complete beginner and has had bad luck being thrown in with this lot! She did her very best and it was better than last week with no mistakes - but she is not a natural dancer I think. Gorka seems to be doing his best as a teacher to increase her confidence.

Ellie and Vito - Viennese Waltz - 8 from me
Really enjoyed this one and thoroughly enjoyed the choreography. I'm glad Encanto was included, some time ago I stumbled on the story of the girl who wrote to Disney and asked about including a heroine with glasses. Ellie and Vito are a great partnership.

Bobby and Dianne - Samba - 8 from me
Weird and wonderful for me and nothing to do with Romeo and Juliet (what was with the wings that Dianne was wearing initially?) Or is it a Disney thing that has escaped me? It was however a great samba to Candi Staton and despite looking very 1970s he went for it with those hips!

Jody and Jowita - American Smooth - 6 from me
This could have been really good and it was a lovely story for a Viennese Waltz American Smooth - however for a beginner with only 2 days training I thought he tried really hard - it was a shame. Felt the j udges were quite harsh with him in what was obviously a challenging week.

Karen and Eddy - Couples Choice 7 from me
So another dance tailored especially for the celeb! (and the pro in this case!) It was enjoyable but didn't blow me away and I feel he is not being challenged as others are being challenged with his routines. Couples Choice should not rear its head as early as week 3 as it is more or less a guarantee through to the next round. Why on earth did Shirley feel this was worth a '10' when there were at least 3 more routines that were better than this one.

Annabel and Johannes - Waltz 7 from me
I love it when SCD includes 'Moon River' - one of my all time favourite tracks. Really enjoyed the routine, Annabel is elegant and graceful and this suited her. It was full of content and I'm glad that this week they did get compliments about technique. I would have scored an 8 but I think there were slight balance issues in parts and sometimes she looked a bit hesitant. Love this partnership.

Adam and Luba - Jive Couldn't decide between 5 or 6
This wasn't great for me but couldn't decide whether it was better than Nigel's or not. Didn't really like the theme. I think he's got rhythm and style but there was a lack of basics. Not sure Luba is getting the best out of him.

Krishnan and Lauren - Charleston - 8
Great theme - I always like a bit of Cabaret on SCD. This was the first dance they have done that I have liked and I appreciated his rhythm and style. The dance really suited him and he got the swivel down really well.

Overall I think the standard is off the charts for so early in the contest - let's hope that they don't all peak too early this year! There was some very technical dances and for me Angela Scanlon and Amanda stood out, closely followed by a bunch of them including Ellie, Krishnan, Bobby. Loved Angela Rippon again and love the partnership between Johannes and Annabel.

[B4p]

Personally, I don't usually like Couples Choice. I can count maybe 2 or 3 over the years that I've enjoyed. Most of the time dancers wafting around in nighties recalling their struggles in life, or power couples wearing suits and dark glasses bore me rigid (Bill Bailey's Rapper's Delight was an exception).

I agree that CC does seem to be used as a wild card, and a free pass through to the next round.
Even the term CC irritates me. I don't think it's the couple choosing the style of dance at all. Maybe the celeb might state a preference for the music track that has some meaning for them, but the rest has to be down to the Pro. How can a dance beginner even know what choices are out there? There were several gasps of horror at Amanda's ignorance of Fosse dances.
If they continue with CC (which I hope they don't), I think they should be completed the same week. Call it the CC week and have it much later in the competition a bit like the previous lets-manipulate-the-scoreboard-waste-a-time-athons.

[CaledonianCraig]

Well for the second results show of the series there was no shocks to be had here. Nikita lost out to Zara in the dance-off. It was quite clear that Nikita was the weakest dancer left and it was her time to go. She just seemed to lack grace and style compared to the others. Through time she may have got there but her time ran out.

I am off to Spain this week so will not see next weekend's show and results but hope to leave allcomments next Monday.

[mauveangel09]

Have a great time in Spain CC!

Yes - there was no great surprise last night. It is shame as maybe on some other years without the ferociously high standard she might have had a chance to develop a bit more. However, I think it is also about having the profile and catching Joe Public's eye in the first few weeks - I wasn't sure she would do that and I also felt the same about Zara, who also ended up in the DO last night. I thought the Barbie n umber was fun last night and I really enjoyed watching Nikita and Nadiya dancing - it was very powerful. I also enjoyed the Disney opener on Saturday night.

More to the point - where are the rest of the gang? We seem to be a very small pool all of a sudden - is anybody out there? have been looking forward to 'catching up' virtually

[B4p]

Well. I put a post on before mauve but it's vanished into the ether. Have a great week in Spain CC.

[B4p]

Second try - It wasn't nice to see Nikita so upset as she left the competition but I don't think she could have given much more. Does that mean that Gorka will be in the Christmas special?

The trailing group for me is Zara, Adam, Jody and possibly Eddie.

Zara is doing well as a complete beginner and seems to be giving it a good go. I'm not sure if she'll have time to step up to the next level as some of the others race away.
Adam has heavy filming commitments which will eat into his training time. That showed this week. I think the costumes for their Mario dance had more life in them than their actual jive.
Jody is an athlete and will give it his best, but I hope he doesn't push so hard he injures himself. He's got forthcoming sporting competitions lined up.
Eddie has undeniable talent, but like Nikita is doing with Layton, I think Eddie needs tying down to concentrate on some basics rather than be indulged to freestyle to his natural rhythm. I think he has potential, but it depends on the type of dance and Karen's choreography.

I also loved Nikita and Nadiya dancing together. I prefer him with that 1950s quiff rather than his usual curtains! He reminds me of that chap in the adverts that has kept his 1980s hair curtains all of his life.

I also enjoyed Diane and Gorka's dance, they make a lovely partnership. She reminded me a bit of Goldie Hawn in that blonde wig.

[jingle]

Sorry, a bit late with my comments this week, never seem to get any time at the moment. I enjoyed movie week and think the right person left - very glad Jody was spared from the dance off, but I thought he probably would've beaten Nikita anyhow (even though he scored a point less).
Enjoyed reading all your comments, and agree with so much. I won't recap all the dances, just a few thoughts...

Loving Amanda and Angela S so far, my joint favourites. I've actually just finished re-watching all the Sherlock series, so am particularly interested in Amanda (Mary Watson).
Nigel was my initial favourite, but I was really disappointed with the lacklustre and lumbering jive. It was also uncharacteristically poor choreography from Katya I thought, though like many of the routines I guess she was constrained by music and theme.

Kai in lederhosen and a blond wig - yuk!

Loved the staging and lighting of Ellie's vienesse waltz though I'm not familiar the film Encanto

Grumbles to Couples Choice, and how many times do we need to see Karen dancing street. Not my cup of tea at all.

Also grumbles to Layton - the judges may pretend to find fault and mark him down, but he's so obviously a trained dancer and I fail to see the point of him being on Strictly at all

Bobby looked like he was having the time of his life, great to see someone genuinely enjoy themselves. Also I LOVED Krishnan's charleston, fully believed in the character.

Thought the contestant who was best suited to their theme and outfit was Annabel, she looked so elegant in the Breakfast at Tiffanys waltz.

Thinking Zara, Jody and Angela R are likely to go sooner rather than later, but the standard among the rest is very high - going to be an interesting series....

[Twirlie]

Hello, hello, hello – sorry guys – I’m late to the party this year. I don’t have a detailed crit of the programmes so far either.

Week 3

Nigel – I find him a bit boring. Katya usually provides rather wonderful choreography but doesn’t seem to be doing so this year.

Angela and Kai – well, everyone loves her because of who she is, but I don’t expect her to last beyond just after the half way mark. She was OK but unexceptional.

Zara and Graziano – again nothing exceptional. I don’t know if she deserved to be in the DO. She was no worse than Adam.

Layton and Nikita. Well there’s no doubt that the boy can dance. He’s played Billy Elliot after all, I just can’t really take to him. It’s almost as if he’s TOO good.

Angela and Carlos dancing to a Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdons’ turn in Damn Yankees was an absolute wonder I thought. So tight. So impressive. Also those stripes down their trousers could have shown up the slightest disparity in their steps and there was absolutely none. Definitely my dance of the night.

Amanda and Gio. I was looking forward to this so much. Amanda’s one of my favourites and I’d have thought the Rumba was right up Gio’s street. I was a little disappointed with this though. I expected Amanda to be smooth and fluid, butCraig was right. It was a little disjointed. I don’t think it was Amanda’s fault. I think it was down to Gio’s choreography.

Nikita and Gorka. It was Nikita’s time to go. No doubt.

Ellie and Vito. Ellie doesn’t look like she’d be a great dancer. She doesn’t have a dancer’s figure, but she’s absolutely wonderful. A great performer. A pleasure to watch.

Bobby and Dianne. Bobby’s very wiggly and fun to watch, but is he inspiring? I’m not so sure.

Jody and Joweta. Joweta’s got her work cut out for her this year. I don’t think it’s Jody’s disability only that’s in his way. I just don’t think he’s very good.

Eddie and Karen. They seem to be very popular. I know nothing about him so I’m not very invested in his progression through the competition. I wasn’t particularly impressed with the number either.

Annabel and Johannes. These two are surprisingly good together. Not wonderful, but very good.

Adam and Luba. Oh dear. I felt this was total rubbish. I’m glad he’s enjoying the show because he seems like a nice lad, but he won’t be with us for long.

Krishnan and Lauren. I find this an interesting pairing. It’s the first time we’ve seen Lauren with a partner and so far so good I’d say. Krishnan is hilarious. Saturday was definitely his best outing so far. Terrific swivels and lots of comedy. What more will we see?

Scores are pretty reasonable for this early in the competition. Nothing too outrageous except for Shirley’s 10. Ridiculous. What was she thinking?

I’m looking forward to next week already. Who’s next for the chop I wonder. Any ideas?

[B4p]

Angela and Carlos dancing to a Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdons’ turn in Damn Yankees was an absolute wonder I thought. So tight. So impressive. Also those stripes down their trousers could have shown up the slightest disparity in their steps and there was absolutely none. Definitely my dance of the night.

I agree Twirlie. It was the dance of the night for me too, absolutely breathtaking, and well worthy of some 9s. How Shirley could have given a 10 for the other dance is beyond me. Although knowing how the game goes, isn't it usually next week when the honeymoon period ends and the judges start becoming more picky?

[diamondsandpearls]

*Arrives VERY out of breath*

Hello, hello, everyone! I'm three weeks late and I have a lot of posts to catch p with, but I just thought I had better let you know I got here in the end. I got a little bit locked out of my account as I couldn't remember the password, the links to reset the password went who knows where and then I kept just trying loads of passwords they basically banned me for a bit. It was very vexing and frustrating, but I finally made it!

I have NO idea what you are all thinking, but as ever I expect my agins are your favourites and my favourites are your agins. So I might as well get that bit over with before I read your posts:

Agins

Annabel
Amanda
Angela R

It really isn't about their names beginning with A, it isn't that I have just irrationally taken agin them (as I normally do) but that in addition to the irrational dislike there are real reasons that I find them difficult to take to. And Angela R and Amanda are a little bit smug.

The annoying thing is that Amanda is pretty good. If I separate out the person from the dancer I can see she is a real contender. And she has Gio for a teacher, who is basically the best.

Angela is not as good as the judges say she is. I know she's 108, but she's done ballroom before (released a video with the lovely Ian Waite), and there are a lot of older people these days who are limber and not doddery. The judges bang on about her frame but there are as many faults with it as those some of the others picked on by the judges and given lesser marks. The gapping on Saturday was shocking (tbf she pointed it out herself).

Annabel looks lovely and must be a dream to dress (her frock was hands down the best on Saturday) and she is with the lovely, beautiful person that is Johannes. And she's a bereaved widow. But.... nope, I'm agin and you can't change my mind

Afors

Angela S
Layton
Nigel
Ellie
Krishnan

Angela S is everything I want in a Strictly contestant - a bit of dance background somewhere (for her it's the Irish dancing) so they start with a basis, are funny and sparky, but want to train and improve. It wasn't really a Charleston, but the Fosse dance on Saturday was a delight and a wonderful homage to Fosse and Verdun.

Layton appears not to be everybody's cup of tea because he has done stage dancing. Several of the others have (eg Nigel, who has an Olivier award for one of his singing and dancing performances) and, as mentioned above, Angela R has actually done ballroom before, but for some reason people have decide he's the ringiest of ringers. Basically he has innate talent for dance, he picks things up fairly quickly and trains very hard. I think Nikita is the also the correct teacher for him as I think they work in a similar way - another reason for him to get to grips with stuff quickly. He won't win, but Layton is a beautiful dancer. I'm sure there's some technique that he needs to watch, but for me he is the best dancer there is this season. Not since Danny Mac (who was robbed) have I felt that there is such dance talent on Strictly. Layton is also getting an awful lot of online abuse about his sexuality and dress and to carry on and learn and perform to such a high level with that cloud over you takes some doing.

Nigel is basically lovely and we all have a crush on him. I'm sad he has Katya, because as you know, I am agin her (ever since Gangnam Style). He didn't do well in the jive, but I put that down to the shocking music choiece (which was a TV theme, not actually a movie theme) and Katya not being the best teacher (not the worst - that's Luba who is basically shocking, followed closely on her heels by Karen, who is just hopeless.) He danced bee-yooo-tiffly last week though (swoon).

Ellie is an unsung hero. She's lovely and just gets on with it. Despite being in a drama she is anything but a drama queen. She is a beautiful dancer and she just seems to be steadily but surely getting better and better. I'm not a huge fan of Vito (adores himself a little bit too much) and I just hope he gives Ellie the right amount of attention and teaching. I would have been happier if Ellie and Amanda had swapped partners and I think Gio would have already got sublime from her.

Krishnan is just a lovely man. No dance experience, really not the best dancer by any stretch, but he is embracing the whole experience with every fibre of his being and is really trying. I'm still agin Lauren's hair (too dark and top heavy for her delicate features) but she seems to be a good teacher and I'm warming to her as a person.

The rest.

I liked Les and was sad he went so early. He was awful, but he TRIED. Not sure he had the best partner, but hey ho.

I was agin Nikita from the off. Irritating. And she has all the core stability of a rag doll and no musicality whatsoever. Gorka had to choreograph such basic, simple routines it was impossible to tell what dance they were mean tot be doing. I would have had her out first.

Adam - he's sweet, but his laugh is beginning to grate. I worked with someone who had the same laugh - it's pure nervousness and he was actually a really sound and lovely guy. But the laugh... It really does get on your nerves. Sadly Adam has Luba, who when asked by Adam how he was going to remember something basically said "with your head"... Which I thought was shockingly dismissive and not actually doing her job of teaching. Most of the other pros - the ones that are good teachers anyway - would have some sort of method or solution up their sleeve whether its a Joanne Clifton " Imagine you are pickle in a jar" type tip, or a working out the steps as "turkey, turkey, flick, wobble, turkey, kick" sort of solution. You need to find how your partner learns and adapt to their mindset. Luba just... doesn't bother. So poor Adam.

Jody. Well Jody has Jowita. I think he is struggling because of the actual impact on his stump, but he has a lot of grit. I feel people who really give it their all shouldn't be eliminated (oh yes, we're back to my annual "it shouldn't be an elimiantion contest" argument! It doesn't take me long...). It's hard to tell at the moment how much musicality who danceriness he actually has at the moment.

Zara is a bit meh. Another joy to dress though. Graziano is like a puppy with a very lovely toy. Both of them are trying very hard.

Bobby is a sweetie, but he looks too gangly next to Dianne and feel he should have got Nadiya. (I'm very sad that Nadiya didn't get a partner but horrible Luba did)

Eddie hasn't really made it onto my radar. I had to go to the loo when his street dance was on and I didn't bother going back and watching it later after Sid (remember Sid, lovely Sid) said it was very similar to Bill and Oti's but less slick. Also he's with Karen, who I am agin.

If I've forgotten anyone it speaks volumes about their impact.

My five afors are enough to keep me engaged and even excited about this year's Strictly. I'm sad Gorks has gone though

So that's a quick run down of my impressions after three weeks! I'm now off to read how much you all disagree with me...

[B4p]

*Arrives VERY out of breath*

Hello, hello, everyone!  I'm three weeks late and I have a lot of posts to catch p with, but I just thought I had better let you know I got here in the end.  I got a little bit locked out of my account as I couldn't remember the password, the links to reset the password went who knows where and then I kept just trying loads of passwords they basically banned me for a bit.  It was very vexing and frustrating, but I finally made it.

So glad to see you back Diamonds. It seems we are a little thin on the ground this season. I hope some of the team aren't ill. Hopefully they're just sunning themselves on a beach or something.

Hoping you'll be keeping an eye on the frocks and shocks. I see can't unsee Kai in his flowery Laderhosen, long white songs and that blond wig

[diamondsandpearls]

Apparently Kai was Von Trapp in an earlier series and thus supposedly more handsome. But Kai in curtains or Kai as a Count makes no difference to me - I just see a thick-set wrong'un who hung about with the Kray's in a former life. Don't like him. Agin.

[B4p]

I just see a thick-set wrong'un who hung about with the Kray's in a former life. Don't like him. Agin.

Oh Diamond's you are funny

[Moova 12]

Hello All.
I have been reading your comments with interest. I had a silly accident and my recovery is slow. So reading your comments has been a tonic.

Poor Gorka had his work cut out. Nikita was poor.

I am not sure I have a favourite this year which is unusual. I think Ellie has potential. Bobby is too tall for Diane and I find them odd to watch.
I wanted Nigel to be as good as week 1 but ……..
Adam, Zara, Eddie are not floating my boat at all.
Angela R game but something slightly odd about her.
Amanda just odd and I cannot warm to her despite her good dances.

Annabelle looked beautiful last week but so fragile even with Johannes.
Angela S is with Carlos who is not my fave.
Layton well.
Krishnan did well and is enjoying it.

There are some odd dances this week too.
Eddie has an American Smooth and I can’t remember if he has done a ballroom yet.
Angela R has rumba- just hoping Kai is not wearing those shorts from last weekend
Annabelle jive .

We will see.

Thank you again for cheering me up!

[B4p]

Hello All.
I have been reading your comments with interest. I had a silly accident and my recovery is slow. So reading your comments has been a tonic.
Thank you again for cheering me up!

Oh Moova. I hope you're well on the way to recovery now. I seem to have spent most of this year 'sofa surfing' following two elective surgeries but I'm finally feeling more like my old self and have recently got my energy back. Take things easy. It's great that you're still watching.

Can't wait to see how Dave Arch will mould 'Sex Bomb' to Karen & Eddie's A.Smooth Foxtrot. I'm guessing there'll be large sections out of hold to show off Eddie's hips rather than his foxtrotting feet.

[diamondsandpearls]

I don't think it's the couple choosing the style of dance at all. Maybe the celeb might state a preference for the music track that has some meaning for them, but the rest has to be down to the Pro. How can a dance beginner even know what choices are out there? There were several gasps of horror at Amanda's ignorance of Fosse dances.
If they continue with CC (which I hope they don't), I think they should be completed the same week. Call it the CC week and have it much later in the competition a bit like the previous lets-manipulate-the-scoreboard-waste-a-time-athons.

It's the producers who choose couples choice. They choose EVERYTHING. There maybe a bit of discussion with the pros, and even maybe the celeb for the meaningful tune (but they have to give a list of ten, so it's not necessarily their top choice), but other than that, it's their call. As is the order of dances each couple get and the tunes they dance too. The pro and celebs have incredibly little say in any of it.

And yes, if they ate going to have the lets-manipulate-the-scoreboard-waste-a-time-athons (excellent name B4p!) then have then all in a special week. I will still hate it, but at least I could give that show a miss.

[diamondsandpearls]

Eddie has undeniable talent, but like Nikita is doing with Layton, I think Eddie needs tying down to concentrate on some basics rather than be indulged to freestyle to his natural rhythm. I think he has potential, but it depends on the type of dance and Karen's choreography.

I also loved Nikita and Nadiya dancing together. I prefer him with that 1950s quiff rather than his usual curtains! He reminds me of that chap in the adverts that has kept his 1980s hair curtains all of his life.

I She reminded me a bit of Goldie Hawn in that blonde wig.

Karen is just a hopeless teacher who NEVER bothers with the basics.

I also ADORE Nadiya and Nikita as a dance partnership. Nikita has fast tracked to be a favourite pro. As you pointed out B4p, Nikita IS concentrating on basics and seems to be shaping up to be a really excellent teacher. I like his choreography as well.

I loved his quiff too, but don't really care what his hair looks like as he's just good at what he does and is funny too.

On the other hand, I have ALWAYS cared about Dianne's hair and never liked that stupid shade of red. She looked GREAT as blonde. I wouldn't go as far as saying she looks like Goldie Hawn, but she looks like a damn fine blonde Dianne.

[diamondsandpearls]

More to the point - where are the rest of the gang?    We seem to be a very small pool all of a sudden -  is anybody out there?   have been looking forward to 'catching up' virtually

Got delayed in cyberspace Mauve. But I'm here now, with plenty of words at the ready, some relevant. most of them not. Buckle up for this year's War and Peace chapters...

[diamondsandpearls]

I had a silly accident and my recovery is slow.

I'm so sorry to hear that Moova. I hope you have had lots of fuss made of you and that your spirits are being kept up. Glad Strictly and these posts are helping. Take it easy and look after yourself x

[B4p]

Week 4

I found myself agreeing a lot with Cr aig this week. The scores didn’t always reflect the comments which I always find a bit odd.

Ellie & Vito (Samba) - Fast and furious. A complex routine that she managed to complete. I wasn’t keen on some of the facial expressions which seemed a bit taut, almost aggressive. Some of the reaching-up arm movements looked rushed too. Usually one of my favourite dances but she looked so stressed I didn’t enjoy this as much. Vito looked worn out! 7,7,7,7, (7).

Adam & Luba (Waltz) - I really liked this. I thought they both looked elegant and smooth. I liked Luba’s choreography and thought she mixed his hold up throughout the dance which Adam seemed to adapt to smoothly. If only he’d shut up now about his busy work schedule! 8,8,8,8, (8

Jody & Jowita (Salsa) - Stitched up like a kipper. Why, after having problems getting his prosthetic on last week, and less time training, was Jody given a Salsa this week? The only thing that seemed to move was the hairs off his chest after his waxing. You know someone’s in trouble when the shirt gets ripped open. He basically stood still whilst she danced around him until it was time for the 3 lifts. What is it with Salsa’s and lifts? They usually add nothing but break the rhythm up when they're done in the middle of the dance. It just ends up being a lifting competition. If he doesn’t get some votes, I fear he’s toast this week. 3,5,5,6, (4)

Amanda & Gio (Foxtrot) - Gio has become a bit of the king of Foxtrot over the last few years for me. I don’t know why, but this one didn’t connect with me at all. It just didn’t seem to be the usual long glides and sweeps around the floor. I wasn’t sure what the story was. 7,8,8,8, (7)

Krishnan & Lauren (Paso) - I liked the opening, and the parts in hold. He kept in time with her and had rhythm, but he wasn’t leading. I thought Lauren was dragging him around a bit. I didn’t see any Spanish lines or shaping. A bit blocky. Blooming awful music that did nothing for the atmosphere or dance. 6,7,7,8, (6)

Zara & Graz (V.Waltz) - I thought this was lovely. I loved the choreography. I think they both looked gorgeous and it was her best dance yet. Her performance skills grow each week and I loved those contra-checks. Couldn’t see the fleckerle as the camera man was having an off. Why it only scored 7s I don’t know, I thought she deserved a bit more. 7,7,7,7, (8

Annabel & Johannes (Jive) - Great cheeky little number with a 60s vibe. Loved the nod in the clothing to the 60s and her boots. Neat and contained. I liked the choreography with its mixture of light and shade. She’s graceful, rhythmic, and light on her feet. I agree with Shirley that it would be nice to see her pushed up to the next level. Thought it was slightly undermarked. 7,7,7,8 (8

Eddie & Karen (A.Smooth Foxtrot) - ‘Karen lets me be myself’, then the judges comment about magnificent freestyling, but a dance disah-star in hold. Nice chap. Lots of potential, but needs to focus on the specialities of the dance at hand. Pedestrian. Hopeless music. 4,7,6,7, (4)

Layton & Nikita (Cha-Cha) - Loved this. I admire the way Nikita is handling Layton and designing his choreography. I thought this was very good. They danced much more as a pair this week, without Layton trying to lead. His upper body movement has always seemed active, whereas his feet have just followed on behind. He seemed to be mostly striking poses in the first few weeks. Now with Nikita’s teaching, his footwork seems to be improving, although his feet still turn in. 9,10,9,9, (9)

Nigel & Katya (Salsa) - My kind of Salsa. Two lifts one at either end of the dance, where they didn’t detract from the dancing. Great to see Katya back on form. Loved the synchronicity, the rhythms, the side-by-sides, the slow and fast parts. Just loved it full stop. Nigel’s back - Hooray. 8,9,8,8, (9)

Angela S & Carlos (V.Waltz) - I think I must have a thing about arms at the moment but I wasn’t keen on Angela’s chicken wing arms in contrast to Carlos’ wide sweeping arm moves. It felt like she wasn’t finishing her lines off to me. Was it me, or was there a lot of time out of hold? Maybe it was the music, but this didn’t do anything for me. Couldn’t tell what the story was, or feel any emotion from them. 7,7,7,7, (6)

Angela R & Kai (Rumba) - Still waiting. Saw some spins, splits, drops, promenading around. Couldn’t see any hip action, cucharachas, basic rumba walks. Good performance. Grossly overmarked imo. Seems like she’s already got her ticket for Blackpool. That song would make a great Bond theme I reckon. 8,7,8,8, (6)

Bobby & Diane (Tango) - Why was the music so fast? Maybe if it was a bit slower, he would have had a bit more time to add more performance. He was so busy concentrating and counting, it was like speed walking. He did actually look like he was leading the dance, and considering their height differences, I thought he did well to keep his bent knee posture. I liked the staccato head movements. 7,7,8,8, (7)


Well, the thing that struck me over the last few weeks is the celebs are getting told to step out with a longer stride in ballroom, but shorten their steps and stride for Latin. Good to see Shirley mentioning footwork.

[Twirlie]

I'm off having a little holiday in Southwold for rest and recuperation. (I had a knee replacement in May which went very well then a fall three weeks ago which put me in rehab!) I'm making progress but doing these notes on my phone. Short and sweet.

Ellie & Vito's samba - I liked this and was far more impressed than the judges were.

Adam & Luba' waltz - I thought this was a great performance. Easily his best.

Jody & Jowita's salsa - Oh dear. Poor man he can't last much longer surely. I know he has a disability, but that can't excuse his lack of rhythm forever.

Amanda & Giovanni - I'm really becoming disappointed with this couple. I had high hopes for Amanda especially with Giovanni but she seems to be on a plateau and isn't improving at all.

Krishnan and Lauren's paso doble - I enjoyed it. Obviously it wasn't brilliant but I still enjoyed it. I'm getting to like Lauren too.

Zara & Graziano's Viennese Waltz - A definite improvement over the last two weeks. She can stay now as far as I'm concerned.

Annabel & Johannes's jive - nice, slick fun.

Eddie and Karen's American Smooth - less than wonderful. Karen did her best to distract from his lack of substance.

Layton and Nikita's Cha Cha Cha - Brilliant but I just can't take to him. He'll never get my vote. He's too good and shouldn't be in the competition in my view.

Nigel and Katya's salsa - an excellent performance, he's back on track. Wasn't the penultimate lift the same as the one she did with Ed Balls where he nearly dropped her? Hasn't she got great legs!

Angela S and Carlos' Viennese Waltz - very nice but nothing special.

Angela R and Kai's Rumba - Not bad at all but if it wasn't for her age, would everyone be ooh-ing and aah-ing over her performances? I'm not so sure.

Bobby Brazier & Dianne's tango - I didn't agree with C.raig and Motsi.I thought they were good.

Off to read your opinions now.

[mauveangel09]

Morning all
So nice to see that there are more people turning up with some great comments and laughs.

What struck me about last night was that it seemed to be the night of '7's !! At least L en would have loved that. But so many bunched scores. It also felt like it was a bit of a 'leveller' night from the j udges and they were making a point of being nicer to those they crucified over the last two shows but panning those who did well last week. I suppose the two eliminations have been too predictable so far and it is harder to predict with all those tied scores. That said, some couples did make a marked improvement I thought. Again, I enjoyed the balance of ballroom to latin dances and I thought there were some lovely costumes for both celebs and pros. Apart from Shirley looking like a Vulcan from Star Trek I didn't think anyone had drawn the short straw last night.

Ellie and Vito - Samba - Thought the marks were fair at 7 for this one. She got the bounce just right and coped well with the Samba steps but felt she was a bit ahead of the music at some points and the whole thing could have been danced more 'into the floor' - particularly from Vito I thought. It all felt a bit 'up tight' for a latin nu mber and for the first time they didn't seem to be dancing 'together' so much. Still a good job though.

Adam and Luba - Waltz - Great improvement and I loved this one - 8 from me. The good posture struck me, which seems to mainly be a difficulty for most male celebs at this point in the series. Their height matches perfectly. Really enjoyed it but agree with yo u B4P - he needs to shut up about the work thing

Jody and Jowita - Salsa - 5 from me. What a shame. For a start I thought it was the wrong track to give him and was just too fast. He was rooted to the spot most of the time and it became all lifts and no steps. However i thought the '3' was a bit rough from CRH and might engender some more votes for him.

Amanda and Gio - Foxtrot 8 from me. Loved the way that this was all in hold with no faffing about. I thought she did a good job with some good footwork. I like her style of dance .

Krishnan and Lauren - Paso 8 from me. Wow! Krishnan has improved so much and has sustained the improvement made last week. He is growing on me. However, I don't approve of these rock Pasos - despite loving the Chili Peppers it's so not right

Zara and Graziano - Viennese Waltz - 6 from me. This wasn't really for me despite the beautiful costumes and the briliant 'styling' of the routine. It was good storytelling and she does get some lovely lines which could be seen this week but for me it was very placed and there was about 10 seconds of Viennese Waltz content which was a shame as the music was lovely. Felt it was overmarked and the j udges didn't choose to get technical with her, although I understand she would have needed a confidence boost. Nevertheless I don't really like the road that this couple seem to have been placed on with their routines so far.

Annabel and Johannes - Jive 8 from me. Really enjoyable overall with a great vibe. Like CRH I thought this was going to be a struggle for her due to her height and being a ballroom girl, however I felt I was proved wrong. He had given her some classic steps and I thought the timing was great too. She could have let go more and I agreed with the j udges comments that she needs to start aiming for the next level now but I'm wllling her on.

Eddie and Karen - American Smooth 6 to 7 hard to decide. Gosh I would metaphorically like to shake Karen. She has a partner who has so much potential which she is not harnessing. The bits out of hold were very good and I really liked the Fred and Ginger vibe but then they did a pathetic bit of Foxtrot and she could have at least taught him some better ballroom for the in-hold bits. That would have resulted I'm sure in high scores for this routine instead of another dressing down. I don't blame Eddie, he is only dancing what he has been given and giving them another freestyle dance this week hasn't helped his cause. Waste of good music. However, I think 4 was a bit low from CRH! The j udges chose to get technical with these two when they didn't with some of the other couples - Zara and Graz for instance. Usual inconsistency.

Layton and Nikita - Cha Cha 9 from me. Not my dance of the night but can't fault how impressive it was on all fronts. I felt he had listened to the j udges comments and they were dancing together more tonight but he was still in his comfort zone. No comment on the inevitable 10.

Nigel and Katya - Salsa - 8 from me - Great music for a Salsa and he was much better than last week. A natural mover who has been partnered well.

Angela S and Carlos - Viennese Waltz 7 from me. Although there was plenty of content and they were dancing all round all the floor, it seemed a bit frenetic for a Viennese Waltz. Motsi seemed to want it to be gentler but impossible with the music that was given. I wasn't blown away with it but I like the fact that Angela has now done several different styles of dance and has coped well. She has said herself that she dances on her toes too much - with the Irish dancing background, so hope she can start to master the ballroom and latin feet. I do like her.

Angela R and Kai - 8 - I'm trying not to indulge in the 'isn't she great for her age' - I just really enjoyed the routine and the way she was able show incredible balance and agility which is half of the rumba. The addition of some rumba walks and more rumba steps would have pushed this to a 9 for me and perhaps going forward they need to move away from the 'look what she can do' type routines. However I thought she looked gorgeous in the dress and hair style.

Bobby and Dianne - 7 - For me the height difference really showed in this dance unfortunately and it just looked a bit wrong although nothing can be done. On the other hand, it was all done in hold and he danced the content well. I can see why he has been partnered with Dianne but I feel she would have been equally well partnered with Adam (instead of Luba) and leaving Nadiya for Bobby. I think Diamonds said the same.

I didn't really have a dance of the night but Adam, Amanda, Angela R and Annabel stood out for me. Krishnan and Nigel have both improved a lot.

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