A Little Bit of Honesty.

TANGOLERO wrote: Okay, Burn the Floor style dance and gymnastics to music may eventually replace ballroom   

I'd never seen Burn the Floor so I found this:
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=burn+the+floor+video&docid=607993861367400947&mid=ECFECAF1B75BF8C9313BECFECAF1B75BF8C9313B&view=detail&FORM=VIRE1#view=detail&mid=ECFECAF1B75BF8C9313BECFECAF1B75BF8C9313B

To my ears and eyes the music for this is SO much more appropriate than so many of the tunes chosen for Strictly dances.  This was all-out Latin music.  It might not be an old classic, but it spoke of carnival in Rio and fitted the dance incredibly which was totally Latin.  Tango will be able to tell me, but even though it was a showdance I thought I saw some Rumba, some Samba and maybe Cha Cha Cha? Very different from trying to make a jive fit Karma Chameleon or a Paso fit whatever it was Caroline had to dance to...

I have to confess to being a bit impressed by Burn the Floor....

diamondsandpearls wrote:  
I have to confess to being a bit impressed by Burn the Floor....

Very understandable D&P, it's impressive, and it's also professional exhibition stuff. I surely wasn't knocking it (although it gets a bit "Tina Sparkle" in places)  but contestants like Scott couldn't even burn the toast to order, never mind burn the floor. And yes, the music is relevant to the dance, unlike  the "all clap hands" nonsense we get served up. Please don't think I dislike all modern music, I surely don't (Two tracks I regularly play just for feel good stuff are Michael Buble's "It had better be tonight" and Tom Jones's "Love Me Tonight"). Lots of Tom Jones driving beat He is. And we obey him. are suitable for dance. It's just that the Top Twenty has been going for sixty plus years and you'd think our errant pop-pickers could man to pull a few decent n umbers out of the hat (and I don't mean 6-7/8"). Rock on Tommy.....

I agree Tango. I like current music very much (though not really much of what gets onto Radio 1 or 2's playlists - more of a Radio 6 girl) and am always keen to hear new bands and new artists. And some of it can work well with a particular dance. But it needs, very much, to be written in the correct tempo for the dance in the first place. I was in a bar earlier and they were playing this (quite an oldy - early 80s?) but it has perfect 3/4 timing and a swirling melody which makes it fit a Waltz, or even better, a Viennese Waltz rather well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWAsI3U2EaE

(the harpsichord doesn't harm as it lends an oldy worldiness to it - pre waltz!)

diamondsandpearls wrote:I agree Tango.  I like current music very much (though not really much of what gets onto Radio 1 or 2's playlists - more of a Radio 6 girl) and am always keen to hear new bands and new artists. And some of it can work well with a particular dance.  But it needs, very much, to be written in the correct tempo for the dance in the first place.  I was in a bar earlier and they were playing this (quite an oldy - early 80s?) but it has perfect 3/4 timing and a swirling melody which makes it fit a Waltz, or even better, a Viennese Waltz rather well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWAsI3U2EaE

(the harpsichord doesn't harm as it lends an oldy worldiness to it - pre waltz!)

I just won myself £5 guessed it was going to be Golden Brown! About 1982 if memory serves me well, would be a very speedy VW - in double waltz time 6/8

Wow Allsewn - you know your stuff! Had NO idea it would be double time or that speedy!

Good job I don't choose the music - the poor couple who got this would be really getting dizzy and sick!

I can't really claim the credit D&P, my son is the musician in the Allsewn household and some of his expertise has rubbed off on me over the years! ( of course he had to get his talent from somewhere! )

Indeed Bill Turnball Waltzed to Golden Brown way back in Series 3 (not that I remember much about the dance itself).

In terms of music, I'm kinda stuck in the 80s and find this song utterly mesmeric with its endless, spell-binding repetition.

I'm usually loathe to music being repeated on Strictly but I'd make an exception for Golden Brown. It's a masterpiece.

Back from 'no computer land' -  boy did I wish I had my keyboard last night

Obviously I'm coming late to the party but I can't say I was surprised at the shock exit - it was going to happen and in many of the series we have had a shock exit at this time - (Jimi Mistry, Gabby Logan, Spoony (that's going back a bit!) even Deborah didn't deserve to go last year) so I don't know why we are surprised - it's  'that' time of year and for better or worse it's how SCD works.

As you know - I wasn't personally convinced by the ThomDoll right from the start - but he was getting better as are all of the little clutch of hunks that we have this year, I also thought he had a bigger fan base  - I was worried more about Steve and was convinced that it would be him in the DO this week but I was pleasantly surprised that he wasn't there, as he quietly goes on improving and turning out very enjoyable performances each week.    I did think that the cha cha routine was not Thom and Iveta's finest hour, particularly the forgettable music, but equally it wasn't bad at all and none of that should have put them in the DO, likewise the same with Simon and the VW routine.  As a DO  It was so very close and I watched it intently but I think I too would have saved Simon - which I know is not what everyone thought.

Until Scott, Judy and/or Alison land in the DO we will have more shock exits-  Simon has now been in the DO twice - not a good place to be so his days are numbered I would think - but unless something changes, the midfield will soon start being picked off. Not good - and I will be giving all my votes to Sunetra and Steve from now on.   Every year we seem to have a few people who are not on the very bottom rung but just above it and you know that if they go out on a DO they would have only lasted one or two more weeks anyway - however, IMO I don't feel we have that category this year -  there are the bottom ones and then a big group in the middle who all have potential and that is what is making it interesting for me this year, but it could mean some difficult dance offs.

Some have said that we might eventually have a DO between several of the top players - yes very probably this year.    Just as I thought that there would not be room for both Jennifer and Judy in the contest, I don't think there is room for all the 'hunks'  (indeed one has now gone) or possibly for both Frankie and Pixie -  who knows????

On the subject of Scott and the voters - yes definitely agree they are just voting like mad online regardless and given the demographics of his listeners and the nature of the radio show -   there might be more than a dose of 'ironic voting' going on

Lastly - 'Golden Brown- - yes a masterpiece, as is anything by the Stranglers..............

Sid wrote:Indeed Bill Turnball Waltzed to Golden Brown way back in Series 3 (not that I remember much about the dance itself).

In terms of music, I'm kinda stuck in the 80s and find this song utterly mesmeric with its endless, spell-binding repetition.

I'm usually loathe to music being repeated on Strictly but I'd make an exception for Golden Brown. It's a masterpiece.

Thanks Sid, it was nagging in the back of my mind that someone had danced to it. I went to see the Stranglers earlier this year, they were amazing, still got what it takes.

Fab!

Was playing "Always The Sun" earlier

I forgot the shock of Jimi Misti! Welccome back Mauve

Thanx Sax - seems funny to be without computer access now - even for a short time.

CaledonianCraig wrote:

Tonight's Show Opinion:

Joanne was clever with her choreography because the character Scott was playing was stiff like a board. I think Steve and Sunetra might be in trouble this evening. I have given two votes to Sunetra and one for Steve.

Worried for Steve & Jake this evening. I hope they both get through.
Thought Mark did a brilliant job. Karen's face when they got the scores was a picture
I watched the Tango's with the music off. They both looked good but I think Frankie was just ahead on that match but I enjoyed Pixie's performance more. Hated Frankie's music.
Kristina seemed to be shouting instructions to Simon all the way through their dance which was distracting. Could have just got the insect spray out and not bothered with all the Paso Palava
I've already forgotten most of the performances.

B4p wrote:Worried for Steve & Jake this evening. I hope they both get through.
Thought Mark did a brilliant job. Karen's face when they got the scores was a picture
I watched the Tnago's with the music off. They both looked good but I think Frankie was just ahead on that match but I enjoyed Pixie's performance more. Hated Frankie's music.
I've already forgotten most of the performances.

The only two dances I could remember this week was Mark and Frankie. But I agree the music choice, generally pants on this week, was particularly rank for Frankie. No Tango beat to it AT ALL. I really want to do some harm to the producers for this...

cellar-door wrote: No Tango beat to it AT ALL. I really want to do some harm to the producers for this...

You'll have to join a long line! Maybe they can be sacrificed on tomorrows result show? - mwah-ha-ha

B4p wrote:
You'll have to join a long line! Maybe they can be sacrificed on tomorrows result show? - mwah-ha-ha

Brilliant plan. I shall drive to the Stonehenge and invoke the moon god for this...

Using my three votes to protect Sunetra,Steve and Jake this week

I also voted for the first time and split it between Jake, Steve & Mark.

Forgot to say, I loved the opening dance involving all the Celebs and Pros. I think Graphics and lighting did a great job.

I could prove a tad unpopular ( well, maybe more than a tad, for this, but, since I called the thread " A little bit of Honesty"....:

Woooooooh. Come on.....A decent night’s collection of some good dances spoiled by entertainment fit for eight-year-olds. All that daft screeching and woooooing and the need for pantomime props and amateur video clips, and don’t even let me get started about the music. Half-a-dozen dances that, with the right music would have been dazzling were made to look way less than they deserved..

Sunetra and Brendan..Jive.

Decent, nothing earth-moving. Silly bed props. Brendan’s choreography is always good, but I thought they spent too much time way apart and it took off the decent dance. Should be safe enough.
6.7.7.7…27

Ali and Aljaz…Wobbling Tights, American Smooth. Imagine it, Yorkshire Moors, Kate (Katherine Ali Earnshaw) flitting about in some sort of a ghost-buster outfit made from a memory foam duvet and chiffon scarves whilst Aljaz struts around in knee breeches and Dave Arch desperately tries to instil some strict tempo into it all. Thought the marks a bit kind…5,7,7,7…26.

Simon and Kristina do some sort of Spider a Doble . The music was so confusing I found it hard to make sensible comment. I defer to the judges. 6.8.7.8….29.

Steve and put a vest on you strumpet. Charlston to a negro spiritual then? put a vest on you strumpet usually comes up with something decent, but this was a touch slow-paced, jerky and lack-lustre. Fun in parts, but all the cartwheels and handstands are getting very repetitive and strengthening my point that Alison is way losing out on the physical side. These two need to come back from this.
5,7,7,7,,,,26.

The T.T’S and some sort of Blue Tango (Peter, I think). Pixie’s a real contender, and even with the quirky music that tried hard to ruin another good dance, she still managed to shine. The other twin seems to be doing a good job so far. Probably a great dance with music for tango and not Rambo.
8.8.8.9…..333.


Judy and Housewives choice doing some sort of a dancing mannequin parade the only highlighted Judy’s inability to be fluid and relaxed. I “want” them to do well, but two unruly dalmatians and “You came down in that car, yah” from Darcy can’t do much for what wasn’t a bad dance (for Judy), but certainly no show-stopper. 3,6,6,5…..20.

Jake and Jannette. Bat a Doble. Absolutely daft music, that more indicated a Harlety Davidson and a Hell’s Angel than a matador and the bull. That said, C raig’s comments were way off the mark. Jake’s good and needs to come back from an assault of point-proving lunacy by the backroom know-alls. Nothing amiss with his dance, a good effort just wasted by the music.
6,7,8,8….29.

Caroline and Pasha. Samba….? Mute the sound and the mind says you’re watching an episode of John Travolta goes to a disco with a Tardis jukebox that confuses time and does an imitation of “America” from West Side Story”. Confused? I was. Samba is Brazil is it not, not Happy Days? Ah well, the judges were happy, C raig loved it Dahling…but only gave it 7.
7,8,8,9…. 32.

Scott and Joanne. The one we’d all been waiting for….well, hadn’t we? Here it was, the Adams family pair doing some sort of a Vienese fox-trot that should have been titled “Obituary, the last waltz” . What can I really say? Scott shuffled through it in some sort of a Quasimodo crouch and C raig’s mark left no doubt where his sentiments lay.
3,6,6,6. 21.

Mark and Karen. Jive.
High energy stuff from Mark and somehow, jives always get the better marks. That said, his were deserving of four eights for me, not nines. It was very decent. Best for last?
8,9,9,935

Frankie and Kevin from Grimsby. Tango.

“The judges said:
Fab u lous…C raig
Spectacular…L en
Thank You….D arcey
Tingles and almost tears….B runo.”

My own comments were in advance of theirs and included a couple of four-letter words and a lot of borax about music that made them dance a tango at two-hundred miles an hour and took away all the nuances and attitude that tango is about. Sorry about that.
Frankie and Kevin really were spectacular in their togetherness and execution and Frankie has the most delightful feet I’ve seen on a dancer for a long time. That really was best till last and oh how I longed for Gotan Project to be playing their music.
9,9,9,10……37.


That’s it….

Well said with most of it Mr T.

Have to say I was underwhelmed with the music (not the playing, mainly the choices) and just couldn't work out how they fitted in with the dances. I think that is the worst strictly Hallowe'en week ever!

No-one dazzled me tonight although there were some good performances and I couldn't help thinking that they were hampered by the music in many cases. The Hallowe'en thing has really run its course on SCD unless the producers realize that like Christmas music the music choice is not endless and they need to recycle some of the tracks used in previous Hallowe'en shows rather than go on scraping the barrel. Tonight was some Hallowe'en stuff mixed with Gothic mixed with pantomime/show stuff - a weird mish mash that didn't work. I found it very difficult to mark the dances and my marks are very tied for various reasons.

The real stars of the show tonight were the band and singers, who to me did an incredible job with some songs and music tracks that were difficult to reproduce - they have a diverse range of skills - all credit to them.

B rendan and Sunetra - 7
Enjoyed it overall. Thought the judges were overly lukewarm and the '6' from CRH ridiculous. B rendan as always choreographed an interesting routine fully utilising Sunetra's acting skills and it was in keeping with the theme - although the bed was a challenge! Full of energy but agreed with the judges that it could have been sharper. As the show went on I thought it held up well to most of the other performances so perhaps I should have scored '8' - I voted for them anyway.

Alison and Alijaz - 6
Thought this would be a disaster so was pleasantly surprised at how graceful she was. A 'smoke and mirrors' routine in which Alijaz had choreographed a nice simple routine that Alison could cope with, so they were able to exploit the performance aspect with the arms and the wafting etc - but stilted when they got into hold.

K ristina and Simon - 7
Hated the music - I think K ristina choregraphed an ok routine and was dancing her heart out again but I agreed with L en that although the dance had the attack of the paso it lacked any kind of finesse and Simon did not look natural with his performance. Not sure this will be enough to get the bounce back vote.

Steve and O la - 6 (sorry Steve would have been an '8')
I've deducted marks for the mistakes - I so wanted to score this higher as it had loads of charleston steps in it and was a hard routine which required a higher level of skill than some of the other dances tonight. Unfortunately it did not flow - not sure whether this was because of the beat of the music and it didn't quite work - it almost seemed as though Steve was overwhelmed by the make-up and costume and lost the focus of the dance. I hope they are not toast because of this because it would be such a shame - he did parts of it well.

Pixie and Trent - 8
Love this track! Enjoyed it - great feet - made a good job of it although a bit loose in places. Definitely not seeing the brother and sister thing any more!

Judy and A nton - 5
'Whatever happened to Baby Jane' - Waste of good music. I thought Judy had turned a bit of a corner on the performance front last week, but this was disappointing as although there was loads of american smooth foxtrot content it seemed as though she was just walking it a lot of the time. Still marginally better than Scott.

Jake and Janette - 8
If I was Janette I would want to shoot whoever chose the music for this one. I happen to really like 'Black Betty' but never as a paso track! Yes the dance did appear stilted but that was because of the music - it would have been more suitable for a Tango I felt. They did their very best with it and CRH giving it a '6' was ridiculous but it was not very memorable. IMO most of Jake and Janette's dances have been quite 'dark' I want to see them do something more lighthearted and bouncy.

Caroline and Pasha - 8
For the first time I wasn't completed wowed by Caroline - this was a competent but not dazzling performance. She did some good work with her hips and the shaking etc there was also plenty of samba content but I agreed with the judges that she appeared stiff in parts, it didn't compare to what Pixie and Mark did last week and again I think 'Le Freak' was the wrong music - although I thought it would work, it didn't and would have been far better for a salsa than a samba.

Soctt and Joanne - 4
Good music - could have been a nice foxtrot - shame - I liked the way it changed tempo in the middle. I suppose he did get into character but the best thing was Joanne's costume. The judges seemed to be talking him up. Reverse Psychology perhaps?? (wishful thinking)

Mark and Karen - 8
Liked the music and choreography - bouncy, energetic and sharp. I enjoyed the routine. The 'cheeky chappy' routines seem to suit him, I would like to see him do another serious routine or a ballroom dance - he is the 'light' to Jake's 'dark' for me.

Frankie and Kevin - 8
I know that this was full of technique and was in many ways the dance of the night but it just didn't work for me and the music was awful. What they did with it was very skillful and resulted in a fast well performed dance, so I do understand the '9' scores but it was very 'stage show' to me and I wasn't moved - I don't know where the '10' came from - not sure it was warranted and still too early in the series IMO - I hope this doesn't open the floodgates..........

Copy and paste from the other thread:

My one-sentence review.

Firstly, I hated theme week. Halloween, all pomp and no substance. Many, many mediocre, forgettable dances, atrocious music choices on the whole, with perhaps the saving graces in the last two dances (Mark's jive and Frankie's Tango).

Anyway these are the comments and scores (I scored the dance before the judges revealed theirs)

1. Sunetra and Brendan's Jive - A little too 'polite' and soft feet, but good rhythm. 6

2. Alison & Alijaz's American Smooth - Okay out of hold, but bad posture in-hold. 6

3. Simon & Kristina's Paso Doble - Odd transitions, erratic moments of good shapes. 6.5

4. Steve & O.la's Charleston - Messed up a lot of steps, lifts looked laboured. 5.5

5. Pixie & Trent's Tango - Sharp but slight gapping in-hold. 7.5

6. Judy & A.nton's American - Smooth it certainly is NOT. 5

7. Jake & Janette's Paso Doble - Lacks shaping and a little skippy and stompy. 6.5

8. Caroline & Pasha's Samba - Too much disco in the mix. 7

9. Scott & Joanne's Foxtrot - Played to his 'strengths', which is stiff. 5

10. Mark & Karen's Jive - Sharp, pointed  kicks and flicks with high energy. 8

11. Frankie & Kevin's Tango - Topline much improved, very sharp, terrible music. 8.5

cellar-door wrote:

Joanne was clever with her choreography because the character Scott was playing was stiff like a board. I think Steve and Sunetra might be in trouble this evening. I have given two votes to Sunetra and one for Steve.

Yes, I am worried about Steve and Sunetra. I voted for Sunetra twice and gave my other to Jake, but wish I had given it to Steve once I had really thought about the bottom two possibilities - that's the problem with the voting only open for such a short time.. I have never managed to be IN time before - this is my first time voting since I tried phone voting for Zoe Ball back in the day (and that never worked either!)

Anyway, hope these two are ok, but I fear we have Scott, Judy and Alison with us all the way to Blackpool...