Zoe Ball to present "Takes Two"

sorry, Hatlady, getting carried away there a la CRH, the word you used was of course discombobulating (I think?) I just added the fab bit...

loved the word discombobulating!!!

Lucielle wrote: I would have thought it much easier for Natalie to have worn low heels for this. I think those that do will be faster.

Well you might be right after all. Aliona was wearing pumps although she seemed to be on her tiptoes throughout as if in invisible heels.

My initial thoughts on this challenge was that the girls would be faster but I'm not sure now. Certainly one of the more interesting Pro challenges but I see we will have to endure the introduction VT every time again.

Aliona lists herself as skilled in Hip Hop, a "flat shoe" dance.

Forgive me for being for being a dance moron....

Whilst I have picked up a bit of the technical stuff over the years on Strictly I am not really au fait with many of the technical terms. I had heard of Botafogos (years ago when I first saw Strictly Ballroom - and I was convinced they were a made-up term for the film.....) although I only seem to have heard them on SCD this year (plenty of fleckles, kicks and flicks and even ganchos in previous years but no botafogos...).

So, although I have heard the term, saw Natalie getting through a fair few (haven't watched Tues ITT yet for Alion's attempt) I haven't a clue what they actually consist of, footwork-wise. I thought with all the build up ITT were going to show one in slow-mo, or one of the dancers would take us through it slowly, in teaching mode. But no, a lot of faff and then straight into Nat's attempt - which was just a blur of feet as far as I was concerned, even though she reckoned she was quite careful and could have gone faster.

So, anyone up to the job of explaining a botafogo, or able to provide a link to someone teaching it (preferably to someone of moron-level...)??

Your's shamefacedly ignorant on dance steps, D&P

diamondsandpearls wrote:

I thought with all the build up ITT were going to show one in slow-mo, or one of the dancers would take us through it slowly, in teaching mode. But no, a lot of faff and then straight into Nat's attempt - which was just a blur of feet as far as I was concerned, even though she reckoned she was quite careful and could have gone faster.

Thought the same thing!! Maybe Ian will show us tonight - he's pretty good at explaining steps.

I've just finished watching Tuesdat's ITT....

And Celia Birtwell!!! BLESS her......She came armed with knowledge and enthusiasm for the show (well,for Chelsee and Pasha anyway), not just with feeble, lacklustre comments about fabric. Not quite in the same league as our Hilary, but the best yet by a long chalk in my view.

Oooh oooh oooh!! The excitement....

I've just looked up Botafoga's on t'internet and after a false start (it directed me to a Portuguese [or possibly Brazilian] football club) I found a bit on Wiki. And guess, what? Right down there at the bottom, in the reference section, this thread is cited.....I case you don't believe me (I almost don't), here it is:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botafogo_(dance_move)

Gosh D&P! Somebody's having a laugh!

If we're being cited as a reference in Wikipedia now, perhaps we'd better get more factual and less opinionated? Nah.... that'll never happen.

I did find this Samba instruction video, that includes the Bota Fogo demonstrated at more normal pace at around 3:25
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwkZucJKKNA&feature=relmfu
Worth watching the start of the video just for Karen Hardy's haircut.

diamondsandpearls wrote:Oooh oooh oooh!! The excitement....

I've just looked up Botafoga's on t'internet and after a false start (it directed me to a Portuguese [or possibly Brazilian] football club) I found a bit on Wiki. And guess, what? Right down there at the bottom, in the reference section, this thread is cited.....I case you don't believe me (I almost don't), here it is:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botafogo_(dance_move)

AT last - the respect we deserve (bows to our founders) - now, do you think the BBC will take note of anything we say being as their own blog is so monitered it is meaningless. Fat chance methinks, but nice link D&P

kate wrote:I did find this Samba instruction video, that includes the Bota Fogo demonstrated at more normal pace at around 3:25
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwkZucJKKNA&feature=relmfu
Worth watching the start of the video just for Karen Hardy's haircut.

Gosh, Kate - that video is too fantabulous for words!

Firstly for La Hardy's Hair (I reckon it had top billing and a dressing room all to itself)
Secondly for the way "my lovely partner"'s trousers billowed and flowed with bounce (I note La Hardy didn't bother to name the "lovely partner")
Thirdly because I can now see that a Botafogo is in fact (to my mind) very similar to the whisk except the leg crosses to the front instead of the back.

Thank you so much for this. I trawled the internet but searched under "botafogo dance step". I got a few relevant ones but they all went too quickly. They were nearly all foreign as well. But this one is a real gem

Wow, our thread cited on Wikipedia - that is a step up in the world! Are we now famous? Must sign up with an agent forthwith!

Thought Zoe was fab with B.runo on ITT - have to confess as the weeks have gone by I've stopped missing Claud, and wouldn't want her to replace Zoe next year.

Any predictions for the boto fogo challenge? I think Vincent will win, with 75.

Thanks for the botofogo clip a la Dame Hardy, Kate! Great entertainment value as well as instructional.

Jingle - agree with you Zoe has really settled well into the role and I think she has great rapport with her guests and the fact that she has been through the Strictly Celeb experience means she has great empathy with them. She's great at eliciting dance related info on technique, for the layperson, as well.

I still love our kooky Claud, but would be equally happy to see either of them present the show next series...I'm more worried about my daily fix of Strictly disappearing for so many months, after the series finishes. I DO wish, though, that they would have an ITT Special where Zoe interviews the winners and recaps all that was great about the Final.

The Pro-Dance Challenge. Vincent? mmmm.... well, he's got short legs and should be pretty nimble on his feet but I can't help but think competitive James, who is a Latin boy at heart, will have been practising in the dark hours of the night, every night......

Well, I always said that Zoe would pass muster, even if she is significantly different to kooky cl aud, for the very reasons stated. No-one could have been another La Winkelman - she is truly unique - but Zoe had the previous experience of both hosting live TV with guest interviews and of having been a contestant which made a better bet in my iew than many of the other names bandied around. Anyway, glad she seems to have won a few of you over - I like a a happy world!

Pro-dance challenge? I agree James is uber competitive, but so is Artem, and Artem is not so bulky, so lighter/quicker on his feet perhaps? For my money it is between Vinthent and Artem. The dark horse is Kristina - we all know how competitive SHE is......... (By the way, I haen't seen Monday's ITT, so any of the aboe could have been on already and proved me terribly wrong...Off to i-player to find out!)

Edit: my key for the letter after u in the alphabet is currently stuck, so apologies for all the missing ones in words like ha e! (Although somehow it managed a capital one for Vinthent - there, see! Did it again. Most curious.) Anyway, apologies for the missing ones..

From what Zoe said on ITT tonight, it sounds like there's just Artem, Brendan and James left to go on the Bota Fogo challenge. That's odd. Did I mishear her?
What about A.nton (surely good for a laugh at this one), Katya, Kristina, Robin and Vincent? I wonder if it's a coincidence that A.nton, Katya and Vincent competed in the Xmas special? But Erin did the challenge and she's in the Xmas special, so that doesn't let them off the hook.
Anyway, I'm backing Artem, of the 3 that Zoe mentioned.

Vincent has tweeted that the reason he couldn't do the pro challenge was because he was training with Charlie Brooks for the Xmas Special. His schedule would have had to fit around hers because she'd have been filming scenes for Eastenders (and maybe the limited training time clashed with when the pro challenge was being held).

Sid wrote:Vincent has tweeted that the reason he couldn't do the pro challenge was because he was training with Charlie Brooks for the Xmas Special. His schedule would have had to fit around hers because she'd have been filming scenes for Eastenders (and maybe the limited training time clashed with when the pro challenge was being held).

That's a shame cos I would hae had money on him.....

It all rests on Artem now.

Wow as i had said before i always wondered if our forum had been
read by anyone from the SCD programme! How fab it is to have our
forum on wiki reference! Well done to our creator thank you

Sax

Ooh Brendan said he loved this year got to dance with Holly & Anita
didn't mention Lulu until Zoe said & Lulu!
A faux paux or his feelings regarding Lulu & her post SCDcomments
re choice of partner

A not very subtle dig at Lulu, I think Sax!

When is Jason going to wake up? They've resorted to making T-shirts out of his droning platitudes for something to do. Whatever next?!

kate wrote:A not very subtle dig at Lulu, I think Sax!

When is Jason going to wake up? They've resorted to making T-shirts out of his droning platitudes for something to do. Whatever next?!

MMMM. They may torpedo Jason with that lot.....BORING!!!!!!

He's gone beyond boring on ITT for me now, Hatlady, to the point where I want to slap him round the face with a wet haddock to vent my irritation. Twirlie had a magnificent rant about Jason in the Lounge the other day. Did you see?

Yes, I did. One does wonder though how much the producers push for a specific outcome: editing the VTs. Bringing Russell back with all his kooky charm made Jason look even more drab.

The only time he got excitable last night was when Zoe told him Alesha had been in the bottom two! Don't worry Jase, it's never gonna happen!

On that note I couldn't remember Alesha in the bottom 2, was it in the semis? Cos I thought there was only 3 in the semis that year so it wasn't really a bottom 2. I'm not sure though, perhaps Kate could have a look in that bubbling cauldron of facts and figures of hers?

And wasn't Brendan impressive on the botafogo challenge and I was inclined to agree with him on the disqualifications! But he'll still be hard to beat.