Highs and Lows 2014

Highs

C.laudia back all is well
Everybody raised their game
Better music choices
Loved Mark and Karen's costume design and colour
Caroline and Sunetra's dress
Man in the hat visible again hurrah
Jakes bottom wobble
Simon's dance

Lows
Hated the American footballer/Cheerleader ensemble
Pixie's charleston
Tess' lame jokes and lots of gushing
Camera angles shoddy
Too much overkill for Jake's Hips before dance

cellar-door wrote:Highs

Lows

- Jake's Samba, I watched it again because it seems it's quite popular here in this forum, but I noticed it even more now it's as if he's doing a caricature of a Samba, like mocking the dance with all the OTT gyrations and badly-executed 'Samba' moves with NO double bounce...

Completely agree CD.  Lots of energy but not a Samba IMO

Highs

C.laudia back, quirky as ever.
Good costumes generally - loved Caroline's, Sunetra's and Karen's dresses in particular.
Generally good standard of dancing - Frankie and Simon's were my favourites
Man in the Hat back
Pasha's choreography - relieved to have a proper AS after Jake's imitation of one last week!

Lows

Tess's drivel - like B4P I was shouting at her to shut up.
Steve's jive - as everyone has said already, flatfooted and heavy.
Caroline's stumble - such a shame  
Tess leading the judges - she kept feeding them lines about the dances.  Only C.raig seems able to disagree with her

cellar-door wrote:Highs


- Jake's Samba, I watched it again because it seems it's quite popular here in this forum, but I noticed it even more now it's as if he's doing a caricature of a Samba, like mocking the dance with all the OTT gyrations and badly-executed 'Samba' moves with NO double bounce...

I'm also with you CD in that the dance did not appeal to me personally - I marked it quite highly in my own critique because I could see that it was clever and entertaining and was almost a holiday camp parody but (I mean with that music what could you do?) I did think there were a lot of samba steps in there and Janette attempted to showcase Jake - however you are bang on for me in that there was no bounce at all and it all seemed a bit forced.

Jake was never going to be Desi Arnaz. He had a task on and everybody here was willing him on. To be given Macarena as music instead of many obvious natural samba tunes just compounded his task. He isn't a natural dancer but I feel he's done really well at what he's been given. Of late he's had the tough ones, American Smooth at Blackpool which he managed four nines, Rumba which he wasn't comfortable with and which pulled him down, Paso to crap Hells Angel music, Jive, which I thought pretty decent, Godfather music for a waltz which could have been a cheery number ( Blue Danube?) music instead, Salsa, which he pulled off pretty decently. In short, not much ballroom except that waltz and a quickstep. His samba wasn't classic but I think he did pretty well on the basis of Janette doing the choreograpy and Jake just doing as he was told, so well done Jake from me.

mauveangel09 wrote:I'm also with you CD in that the dance did not appeal to me personally -  I marked it quite highly in my own critique because I could see that it was clever and entertaining and was almost a holiday camp parody   but (I mean with that music what could you do?)  I did think there were a lot of samba steps in there and Janette attempted to showcase Jake - however you are bang on for me in that there was no bounce at all and it all seemed a bit forced.

Actually, if you listen to Macarena, the beat of the entire song allows for double bounce, which is ironic as the song overall is silly. But at least the tempo and the style of the beat lends itself to creating double bounce for Samba. It's a fun dance, and showcased Jake his fun and funny side really well, but Samba is it NOT.

High,s
The Contestants & their levels

Low,s
Still hate & it,s growing more every time i see it , the escorted down the stairs host,s it was painful when it was You can call me Sir from now on shimmy shuffling to meet a non dancing walk on co-host , but it was a token bit of dance to start a dance show , fair enough . Now it,s 2 people escorted down some stairs eventually presenting 4 people who come twirling , prancing , faffing & stumbling out like it,s all about them . One host appears left the other appears right introduce the judges before they score the first dance & get on with it . Im gonna start tuning in 5 mins late

Tess,s inane twittering

Music

I find it fascinating that C.raig an Silver tongued Italian Stallion both need to show off doing turns etc (C.raig with a barely covered by white shirt belly) I don't know "proving they know something about dance" Darcey, bless her heart, is always very restrained and slightly apologetic.....and she could dance the pants off them.

Highs

Jake's twerking Samba

Caroline at last with a memorable routine (and not just for almost toppling over into the front row).

Good to have Claud back.

Lows

Darcey. She's annoying the tits off me.

oh no Sid your mmmmm t#@s are annoyed Darcey is just being picky because she can be picky now and well she's picky! Im feeling about Darcey this year.

saxonsiren wrote: oh no Sid your mmmmm t#@s are annoyed Darcey is just being picky because she can be picky now and well she's picky! Im feeling about Darcey this year.

She so picky that she picked to save Steve because of his guns or some such nonsense. I think the only thing she's good at picking is her nose!

I don't mind her being picky, do mind her leering at and favouring the guys! Her credibility is shot!

Sid wrote:

I don't mind her being picky, do mind her leering at and favouring the guys! Her credibility is shot!

After last night's show I don't think Darcey is suitable to remain as the judge. L.en wasn't good as well. They are supposed to judge on techniques, we the viewers reserve the right to vote for guns, tits or whatever we fancy. If they want to vote for guns and tits as well, at least be consistent to all the contestants, not be 'picky' with some not others...

Highs
Frankie's Viennese Waltz
Simon surprising me with his Salsa
Caroline's dress and the routine
Karen's dress
Twerking on SCD
Steve being a gentleman

Lows (not many this week)
Whilst I'm glad the judges weren't too tough - there were a tad too many '10s' for me - after all we still have 4 weeks to go!
D arcey - scowling at CRH all the time, drooling over S teve and Jake etc etc

wasn't really a 'high' but I quite enjoyed the Barry Manilow 'Copacabana' routine - (despite his cheeks barely moving!) Enjoyed Karen and Kevin and the whole energy of the thing

cellar-door wrote:

After last night's show I don't think Darcey is suitable to remain as the judge. L.en wasn't good as well. They are supposed to judge on techniques, we the viewers reserve the right to vote for guns, tits or whatever we fancy. If they want to vote for guns and tits as well, at least be consistent to all the contestants, not be 'picky' with some not others...

Absolutely!

Apart from D arcey and her antics, L en really seems to have lost it this year with nothing constructive to say - he used to be my favourite judge I'm really not sure what has happened to him this year? I usually agree with CRH these days although he has his favourites.

mauveangel09 wrote:
wasn't really a 'high' but I quite enjoyed the Barry Manilow 'Copacabana' routine -  (despite his cheeks barely moving!)   Enjoyed Karen and Kevin and the whole energy of the thing

Never been a fan of B.M and his Tupperware face, but I've always liked Copacabana as a number.

highs
Claude's return
Caroline's dance and dress
Jakes twerking
Copacobana- Mr plastic Botox can still belt them out even if his face doesn't move and the dancing was fab

Lows
Some rubbish camera work
Too many 10s

I am finding that the judge who echoes a lot of what I am thinking this year is Br.uno - when he is making sensible comments either good or bad. Never thought I'd say that!



MrT re Tupperware face!!

highs

Thumbs up to the costime department; loved Karen's tango dress in particular

Blackpool level of dance maintained by all

Steve showing what a true gent he is

Claud

Lows

Barry Manilow showing us how to slaughter a Louis Armstrong classic

Darcey. Pull yourself together woman!

cellar-door wrote:Highs

- Claudia's back, but sounding like she may have a cold (or was she just a little chocked because of the 'love fest' they were showing to her?)...

- Generally standards are still kept high, dancing wise, pleasant surprises include Simon and Pixie.

- Dancers joshing around at the Clauditorium.


Lows

- Jake's Samba, I watched it again because it seems it's quite popular here in this forum, but I noticed it even more now it's as if he's doing a caricature of a Samba, like mocking the dance with all the OTT gyrations and badly-executed 'Samba' moves with NO double bounce...

- Steve looking so out of his depths, and him saying he's running out of steam, poor guy...

- Silly tens flying around after Blackpool, especially shocked when L.en said Jake's Samba lacked proper techniques but still a ten?!

I couldn't agree more CD. I really disliked Jake's Samba face - quite sinister actually (something of the Childcatcher about it....) And there was no evidence of Samba bounce - it was just hip wiggling and twerking. For me, even Sunetra's Samba of last week had more of the feel and flavour of the Samba, she just lacked the technique. As you say why give it a ten if you have criticised it for lacking technique? Grrr (L.en is making me VERY grumpy this series.... )

saxonsiren wrote: oh no Sid your mmmmm t#@s are annoyed Darcey is just being picky because she can be picky now and well she's picky! Im feeling about Darcey this year.

Obviously in need of a 'picky-me-up' sax - ba-bum

TANGOLERO wrote:Never been a fan of B.M and his Tupperware face, but I've always liked Copacabana as a number.

Priceless!

fiftynotout wrote:
Lows Barry Manilow showing us how to slaughter a Louis Armstrong classic

Don't mind Barry but that particular Louis Armstrong track is one of my all time favourites and NOT to be messed with in any shape or form

Love the dog in the hat avatar fifty

B4p wrote:
Don't mind Barry but that particular Louis Armstrong track is one of my all time favourites and NOT to be messed with in any shape or form

Love the dog in the hat avatar fifty

Thanks B4p.  Can't believe the C word is only a month away...

I know! & today I named Tenacious Tuesday as I brought three christmas gifts on a whim shop!

Around The World Week Highs and Lows

Highs

1. Standards remain high generally (exceptions see the Lows).

2. Pixie and Caroline trying to out-cute each other, and they draw! I like BOTH of their dances.

3. Simon's techniques shown in his waltz was stunning!


Lows

1. Sunetra is probably going home this week, difficult dance in a graveyard shift slot. *sniff*

2. Jake's pants of the AT, with equally pants of the music, what were the producers thinking picking this music for a moody dance?

3. There is no need to be so aggressive towards C.raig, L.en! Nasty piece of work, you!