Highs and Lows 2014

Highs

Trixie.

The bits of Suntra's Foxtrot that went right - sublime.

Lows

Jake's slight loss of confidence and form.

More Jordan drama.

Mark Wright's weekly sales pitch  

The bits of Sunetra's Foxtrot that went wrong - arrrrgh!

Highs

Mark's dance
long jackets and proper trousers
Zoe

Lows
Camera shoddy sloppy angles
Judy still in
Alison going before Blackpool
Darcey giving a 10

Finally caught up with both shows...

Highs
The Band and Singers
Lovely outfits and loss of jeans (who forgot to tell Kev?)
Team Trixie

Lows
Increased use of smoke and 'no feet' camera work
Caroline seems to be slipping into boring
Paso music

Highs

Pixie's foxtrot.  My daughter's not a Pixie fan so I was determined not to like her but, I gotta admit, she's fast becoming one of my faves.

Simon putting the work in and showing us he can do it.  I hope he wins the public round because his dancing is good.

Aljaz showing what a true gent he is (and so young!).


Lows

Sunetra getting it wrong on the night

C.raig's insensitivity.  There are ways of saying things mate....

Caroline just too cold and clinical for me (but Pasha's hot this year isn't he?).

Blackpool Week Highs and Lows

Highs

1. Wonderful opening Viennese Waltz number beautifully danced.

2. Simon's Argentine Tango is a shock, in a good way.

3. Music choices, though some notable recycling going on, was by and large spot on, except the Paso Doble and the American Smooths.


Lows

1. Sunetra really struggled, and I am quite sure she'll be in danger of the bottom two with the viewers tonight.

2. Steve looked tensed (all those lifts and pivots are relentless), likewise Jake could have done a marvellous Smooth, but Janette had to put in all those death-defying lifts and made it into some kind of a showdance instead. Disappointed with both the American Smooths.

3. Tess seems to struggle tonight, especially the bits about magic. What's that all about?!

Going to be kind and say, no real lows tonight except perhaps a bit of crackpot music and some oddball scoring.

Highs.
Blackpool. Whole show. Tower Ballroom always a high since I first set foot on it at sweet sixteen.
Jake's comeback dance.
Pixie's whatever it was to War of the Worlds.
Frankie's Quickstep.
Simon's A.T.

Highs

Its Blackpool fab fab fab
Zoe and her dress
Jake back on track
Mark and Simon good dances
A lovely pro dance at the beginning with young girl singing

Lows
Scissor sister high notes think singers struggled with
Sunetra in danger ground
B.runo on heat? Start of show dance
The where is Steve? O.la? During balcony not often tigether

Highs
Blackpool Tower Ballroom!
Opening Pro dance and also the dance which opened the results show
Some great dancing (even though I didn't really enjoy the American Smooths)
Shirley Bassey and 'Goldfinger' - She can still pack a punch - also enjoyed the whole set and the dancing that went with it.

Lows - not really any this week except............
Overmarking

Highs

Judy's dance

Judy's dress

Judy's jump

Judy's everything!

Pixie's Paso

Simon on the up

The Blackpool setting

Sunetra gets another week

Lows

10s galore

This storyline about Mark being a complete dance novice and having zero performance background (he spent 10 years at Sylvia Young's!)

For me, Jake's stuck in a rut.

For me, Jake's stuck in a rut.

Bit of a puzzler Sid. I don't think it's his dance that's stuck, robots can imitate to perfection. I see it as more his personality that seems to stay in one place, on one level if you will He needs to burst out like Tom Chambers did and grab the spotlight. Can he do that? I really don't know, but his performances are all good without putting the hammer down and going for great. A really likeable bloke that I want to do well and I entertain the hope that he's playing a foxy game and staying tucked in the pack till the run-in starts. Stanley Tucci in Shall We Dance is the best example of what I mean and what Jake needs to do.. As L en would say: "Chuck your knickers in the air and go for it". That's what Jake needs to do...

Highs
Hard to choose from so many but include

The opening dance was spectacular and fitting for such an iconic venue
Pixie & Trent's novel routine
Iveta's mega dress

Lows
Can't make my mind up about the additional dancers. On the one hand they help fill the massive dance floor. On the other, they're either distracting or making it harder for the celeb to shine when its 4-5 Pros vs 1 celeb.
Over the top scoring
Steve & Sunetra lagging behind

TANGOLERO wrote:

Bit of a puzzler Sid. I don't think it's his dance that's stuck, robots can imitate to perfection. I see it as more his personality that seems to stay in one place, on one level if you will He needs to burst out like Tom Chambers did and grab the spotlight. Can he do that? I really don't know, but his performances are all good without putting the hammer down and going for great. A really likeable bloke that I want to do well and I entertain the hope that he's playing a foxy game and staying tucked in the pack till the run-in starts. Stanley Tucci in Shall We Dance is the best example of what I mean and what Jake needs to do.. As L en would say: "Chuck your knickers in the air and go for it". That's what Jake needs to do...

Well said Mr T - and what you said S id as well.

I know I've said it a few times already but he just needs to show a bit more versatility in terms of mood and the 'light and shade' that has been talked about in relation to other dances and yes I think he does need to 'let go'. I agree Mr T that the performances are all good but just restrained and a bit samey - at the moment he is not looking like a winner to me. The dance at the weekend was very clever and full of thrills and spills but 'Tango-ish' and when I watched it back there didn't seem to be much substance. I would like to see them do something completely different this coming week and then I will believe in the 'come back'

mauve / Mr T,

I felt there was too much 'walking around' in Jake's American Smooth with the odd dramatic moment designed to thrill the audience but which very much revolved around Janette doing something clever. The bits in hold looked stiff and the movements jerky as opposed to smooth. I'm being hyper critical because I too like Jake a lot and soooo want him to improve and go on to WIN but he's got to get better. It doesn't help that he's not given more range in terms of characters and mood. Although that's not really his fault, or Janette's even, because as we've learned the music's given to them.  Whoever's in charge of music seems to have based Jake's choices around Max Branning!

Sid wrote:mauve / Mr T,

I felt there was too much 'walking around' in Jake's American Smooth with the odd dramatic moment designed to thrill the audience but which very much revolved around Janette doing something clever. The bits in hold looked stiff and the movements jerky as opposed to smooth. I'm being hyper critical because I too like Jake a lot and soooo want him to improve and go on to WIN but he's got to get better. It doesn't help that he's not given more range in terms of characters and mood. Although that's not really his fault, or Janette's even, because as we've learned the music's given to them.  Whoever's in charge of music seems to have based Jake's choices around Max Branning!

The producers tried to soften Jake by giving him a sweet romantic rumba and it turned out to be a very awkward and flaccid performance from him...

cellar-door wrote:

The producers tried to soften Jake by giving him a sweet romantic rumba and it turned out to be a very awkward and flaccid performance from him...

I so wish you hadn't said that CD...I have an awful image in my head now...
But in all seriousness... I don't even want sugar, the side I'd like to see is a fun charleston - it's going to be an interesting couple of weeks.

allsewnonbyhand wrote:I so wish you hadn't said that CD...I have an awful image in my head now...
But in all seriousness... I don't even want sugar, the side I'd like to see is a fun charleston - it's going to be an interesting couple of weeks.

The producers might still give him a 'cool' Charleston with swag, whatever that means. I blame the producers by and large for pigeon-hole-ing Jake. But like I said they did try an exception with the rumba, but Jake didn't rise to the occasion unfortunately, alas...

I played the video of Jake's dance back for my friend Darcy and asked his opinion. He said:

"Damned obvious what the problem is, no flexibility. Chap's moving about like he's put his breeches on inside
out and left his sword inside instead of out. One of those music-hall types is he, strolling player or something? Yes, I thought so. No real class or elegance like one finds at court or amongst my many aquaintances at balls. I'm not for over doing the jollity bit myself, but that man could lead a funeral procession with dignity. Dance, my dear fellow, though I don't over indulge in it myself, has at least a smack of romance, more of a gay Lothario after a lady's heart than a back-alley footpad after her purse. Does he not own a decent wig? That might help although, on second thoughts, we don't want him looking like one of those Frenchy fellows, all make up and powder, dear, dear no! Get him to look at his partner as if he wants to bed her, not challenge her to a duel. It's only a dance, dammit man, and it only lasts a couple of minutes! Put some life in it instead of standing there in that stupid manner! At least give the appearance of a gentleman and not some East End ruffian.......Dammit..... ".

allsewnonbyhand wrote:

I don't even want sugar, the side I'd like to see is a fun charleston - it's going to be an interesting couple of weeks.

It's not sugar I want for him - it's a sensitivity and softness and smoothness (and very probably other words beginning with 's'. But not sugar...). The AS could have been smooth and sophisticated (I'm not after sacherine and romantic) but it had that dark mood again. He's an actor for goodness sakes - I am absolutely positive he could channel a bit of Cary Grant, not to mention Fred Astaire. I don't care who is giving him the music - he needs to rebel and insist on something mellower when appropriate. That Rumba was awkward because the whole concept was awkward and embarrassing - all that sailor stuff (and not in a manly sailor way, it was all a bit wet).... I'm sure he could have done a sensitive rumba - keeping his rough edges and being manly but showing a softer, gentler side. I'm afraid I DO blame Janette a bit - she's all about the spectacular (keepy uppy with her head in Salsa and being dropped from a great height into his arms on Saturday) rather than keeping to the mood of the dance and concentrating on the actual dance content. The Godfather Waltz was novel, but the dark, moody, Mafioso type character has gone stale now. I reckon their Charleston will be a mob-based prohibition era car chase with loads of lifts and tricks and very little Charleston-ing... (much as Mark's was)

TANGOLERO wrote:I played the video of Jake's dance back for my friend Darcy and asked his opinion.]

Darcy has a video player? And he can time travel?

Impressive...

TANGOLERO wrote:I played the video of Jake's dance back for my friend Darcy and asked his opinion. He said:

"Damned obvious what the problem is, no flexibility. Chap's moving about like he's put his breeches on inside
out and left his sword inside instead of out.  One of those music-hall types is he, strolling player or something? Yes, I thought so. No real class or elegance like one finds at court or amongst my many aquaintances at balls. I'm not for over doing the jollity bit myself, but that man could lead a funeral procession with dignity. Dance, my dear fellow, though I don't over indulge in it myself, has at least a smack of romance, more of a gay Lothario after a lady's heart than a back-alley footpad after her purse. Does he not own a decent wig? That might help although, on second thoughts, we don't want him looking like one of those Frenchy fellows, all make up and powder, dear, dear no! Get him to look at his partner as if he wants to bed her, not challenge her to a duel. It's only a dance, dammit man, and it only lasts a couple of minutes! Put some life in it instead of standing there in that stupid manner! At least give the appearance of a gentleman and not some East End ruffian.......Dammit..... ".

"Every savage can dance..."

[quote="cellar-door]

"Every savage can dance..."[/quote]

But not Scott Mills...

diamondsandpearls wrote:But not Scott Mills...

But he's a lobster.

Not a flacid moment please

cellar-door wrote: "Every savage can dance..."

Hah, exactly. Darcy used that one last week. Can't have him repeating himself.

cellar-door wrote:
The producers tried to soften Jake by giving him a sweet romantic rumba and it turned out to be a very awkward and flaccid performance from him...

cellar-door wrote: But like I said they did try an exception with the rumba, but Jake didn't rise to the occasion unfortunately

To be honest, not many male celebs manage to 'rise to the occasion' with a Rhumba. I don't think it's a very good test of whether they can show a more gentle, romantic side to them because the whole thing is so awkward to dance and to watch. Something like a Waltz is different though. Steve did a beautifully tender Waltz - so unlike any of his other dances. Jake doesn't necessarily have to do schmaltz, we could have had a suave Smooth - instead we got another dark, intense, brooding performance. Bored!