Highs & Lows 2016

Highs
The opening number, I like how the celebs have been threaded into some of the Pro He is. And we obey him. this year
The costumes - particularly Katya's piano key fringing, and Louise & Kev's Paso outfits
The two 80's singers
Rinder's Salsa. Might have looked a bit of a Jamie Oliver splogg but still recognisable.
Kev's Paso

Lows
Blatant favouritism, overmarking, scoreboard & DO rigging by the judges
Ore's 'on the spot' VW
Aj's choreography
Shame that there wasn't more ballroom dances in that massive venue
Obtrusive additional dancers
Gorka's assault. What a welcome for him in such an iconic venue. I hope he sues them, but I guess he's too nice a guy to do that.

For me,  the highs:

Danny's Samba. Outstanding and very enjoyable
The Pro 'Sport's Day' Charleston. Fab-U-Lus-dahhhlinnngs! Shame that tune wasn't used by some of the celebs
The Band as always
Claudia's white Christmas tree dress on the result show
Katya & Oti's choreography.


Lows:
Eli Goulding - weak & wishy-washy (sounds like a Panto!)
Cha-Cha challenge. Waste of time
The Musical's week is too similar to Movie week for me. I'd prefer a rolling theme each year on week 11
Ed's time to go. It won't be the same without him whichever way you vote.

The Highs:-

The weakest dancer Ed going
The Pro Dance tonight
The Atmosphere
Claudia finally dancing with feeling
Judge avoiding elimination

The Lows:-

Cha Cha Challenge (ill-thought out)
Admit will miss Ed's enthusiasm
C.raig getting rounded on again for daring to criticize Louise

Lows. What on earth did that singing woman have on her feet? I had to look a few times to convince myself her black drawers hadn't fallen down around her wellies. Good grief..

TANGOLERO wrote:Lows. What on earth did that singing woman have on her feet? I had to look a few times to convince myself her black drawers hadn't fallen down around her wellies. Good grief..

HIGHS
Judge Rinder getting saved in the DO
Danny and Oti's Samba
Ed's great words upon his exit - very dignified and I liked that he gave a shout out to the band
Darcey commenting on the lack of '10's for Claudia and explaining the lack of connection which is about right.

LOWS
Poor music spoiling some of the dances during this weekend
Dull costumes (with the exception of Oti)
Too many '10's and the obsession with the presenters keeping on asking why certain couples are not getting '10's (even Zoe seems to have fallen prey to this)
T ess and C laude's outfits in the Results Show - sorry but it was like the Borg Queen meeting a lace table cloth.

Highs

- THAT Samba and seeing how much it meant to Oti to get 40 points for her favourite dance.

- Ed and Katya's lovely words to each other and to everyone as they said goodbye.


Lows

- Ed's gone but watching his Gangnam Salsa is now a daily routine FOREVER!!!

Highs

Robert still in



Lows

Ed gone

Simples

Oh joy, a major high already before the show even starts. I just discovered our local convenience store has a stock of dark-chocolate Bounty bars. I of course had to support their sales...

Highs

- Pro dances, I've enjoyed more than I haven't this series.

- Louise losing her inhibitions a bit more.



Lows

- Losing the last of the 'personalities'.

- Feeling quite nostalgic for Strictly's golden years.

- Darcey, just not seeing the point of her really. I think I want 4 judges who know Ballroom & Latin. I get that C.raig isn't a specialist either but he seems to at least know the fundamentals and I don't feel Darcey really does (she blags it a lot of the time). Maybe it's unfair of me to single her out but her "I was focused on his top half" to defend Danny's 10 annoyed me. It's clear she hasn't the foggiest about footwork or what the legs should be doing in Tango.

Sid wrote:- Darcey, just not seeing the point of her really.

Agreed Sid. Darcy is a ballet dancer of note and also quite a brilliant dancer in general. What she isn't is a ballroom/Latin judge. I always used to get irritated in the same way with Alesha Dixon who I thought clueless as a judge. Arlene Phillips wasn't ideal, but at least she had some idea when she could get her eyes off male "guns" and stuff. Alesha , to use your term, "blagged it constantly and Darcy, lovely though she is, does the same, rambling on about core strength and top line and wuffle by the bucketfulls. All she needs is a pretty story to imagine instead of dance skills and conformity to at least some degree. Strange as it may seem I don't see her as a natural mover but someone who poses herself into positions. Very obvious when the judges appear or are on L en's L ens. She's always watching what C raig is doing. I really worry about L en leaving because he's the only real ballroom judge.

Hopefully then a fifth judge E.rin or Camilla with A.non or another DWS male judge add a flavour.... Darcy I just gloss over I'm afraid. B.run is a little annoying now.

Repeat I know but 5wo sets of marks please and a 0.5 point allowed...

saxonsiren wrote:Hopefully then a fifth judge E.rin or Camilla with A.non or another DWS male judge add a flavour.... Darcy I just gloss over I'm afraid. B.run is a little annoying now.  

Repeat I know but 5wo sets of marks please and a 0.5 point allowed...

I think two sets of marks may take more time than the fast-moving show will allow Sax. I agree heartily on the 0.5. To lose a full mark for a simple foot error or flat-feet or a thumb that sticks out is too harsh.

TANGOLERO wrote:

Agreed Sid. Darcy is a ballet dancer of note and also quite a brilliant dancer in general. What she isn't is a ballroom/Latin judge. I always used to get irritated in the same way with Alesha Dixon who I thought clueless as a judge. Arlene Phillips wasn't ideal, but at least she had some idea when she could get her eyes off male "guns" and stuff. Alesha , to use your term, "blagged it constantly and Darcy, lovely though she is, does the same, rambling on about core strength and top line and wuffle by the bucketfulls. All she needs is a pretty story to imagine instead of dance skills and conformity to at least some degree. Strange as it may seem I don't see her as a natural mover but someone who poses herself into positions. Very obvious when the judges appear or are on L en's L ens. She's always watching what C raig is doing. I really worry about L en leaving because he's the only real ballroom judge.

Perfectly put Mr T. I'm almost certain they'll replace L.en with a Ballroom specialist otherwise the show will lose all credibility.

PS we must support local businesses

Amongst a whole evening of highs, how great to see Gene Kelly's widow in the audience and know she liked and appreciated Ore and Joanne's tribute dance. Stuff of legend....

Highs
Seeing the whole 2016 group together again
The Pro routines. I think they've gone up another notch this year.
The singers and band. It's easy to forget they're singing live as you watch the dances. I loved Tommy's singing when the Pros did their tribute to Le n.
Mrs Kelly being in the audience
Cr aig admitting he couldn't find fault and 'it's annoying really'.
The costumes this season have been outstanding (although I still think putting the judge in Lederhosen, kissing a cow, was a travesty).
The new Pros have all been great with their celeb partners and in the group dances.
The tribute to L en. I think I must've caught Ore's conjunctivitis or some such ailment
Ore and Jo's night. Loved their show dance.

Lows
Pointless having the judges score tonight. They could have just made their comments. Just leave it to the public vote and enjoy the evening.
The endless VT's. The week when the finalists have 3 dances to polish, and they lose precious time making silly VT's and appearing on TV, radio etc.
The end of an era and uncertain changes for next season. I hope the British Strictly continues to lead the way (as in the early days) and that it doesn't become a follower of some of the other countries formats. Let's hope the changes are for the better

Just by the by - when the clips of the Christmas special were shown, I didn't see Bru ce. I wonder if he took part?

Highs

The quality of all the dances
Seeing all the contestants back for a superb group dance.
Ore winning having learnt the most.
The tributes to L.en and warmth shown to him.
The presence of Gene Kelly's widow.
The atmosphere.

Lows

End of the series.
Why wasn't there an end of show (on the red button) special?
Da.rcey and T.ess drooling again.

Back on an old gripe as a low. Tess and Claudia's Laurel and Hardy routine is rubbish. Sorry to go on, but Tess Daly just isn't the person tp present this show. She comes from my town granted, but she puts my teeth on edge at the very sight of her ME,ME,ME gushing and makes old Brucie look like the best presenter ever. Has to go for me.

High...The L en ballroom tribute was so very special and what ballroom dancing is all about. Not only flawless dancing by the pros, but the sequence and syncopation were just superb. What's better than a tie and tails/party frock centrepiece offering. Brilliant.

I've made this my series Highs and Lows and so as not to end on a grouchy note I'm reversing it and starting off with the Lows first:

Lows
1. A lot of awful/inappropriate music this year - yes there were some good tracks, in fact we heard most of them last night I think! but there was some real dire stuff, the epitome being the awful music given to Claudia and AJ for their Paso - the actual Paso itself was rather good!!! Similarly none of the Argentine Tango music was completely suitable with the exception of that given to Louise and Kevin and boy did it show in the end result!!!! Everyone should have equal chance with their music, not just a few lucky ones each week and it's not as if they don't have excellent singers and musicians because they do!!

2. Some of the judging and marks - judging has been questionable at times, particularly some of the DO decisions and the over use of the '10' paddle.

3. Dance planning - I get frustrated with the sequence in which we see the dances and the way this 'stitches up' some couples. Can't think for the life of me why this year we saw practically every couple do a Charleston in the early part of the series? I like the Charleston and there were some great ones this year but they are all blurring into one for me because it was overload. Similarly - why give a couple something like the American Smooth in the first few weeks??? Much better for them (as the chances are they've already done the core dance) and for us in terms of entertainment to see this later on with dances like the Argentine Tangos.

4. It wasn't really a ballroom year - the Foxtrots were largely forgettable and I felt that in a lot of the ballroom n umbers there was far too much faffing and out of hold - not enough attention paid to technique - sorry but it felt like a general dumbing down. The Salsa and Rumba seem to have been turned into some sort of freestyle dancing - they do have their own distinctive characters.....(don't want to set off the rumba debate again!)

5. Drop the slapstick for Claude - she is a naturally witty woman.

and so to the Highs............

1. The Final
2. The tribute to L en in the final.
3. The Blackpool Show
4. The celeb cast of 2016 - particularly Ed Balls, Greg Rutherford and Judge Rinder - also people like Lesley Joseph - all interesting people and didn't seem bitchy, all celebs genuinely seemed to get on with each other this year and love their experience.
5. The new female pros - I loved Katya and Oksana (can't say I really missed Janette and Karen going out early ) The jury is out on the new male pros - didn't see enough of Gorka and not sure about AJ.
6 ITT - best series ever this year

and....................
This Forum!!!!! Thank you to Creature of beauty and wonderment for keeping the forum going - I know our n umbers have dwindled a bit but my 'Strictly Experience' would not be the same without this forum and all of you on here

I'll start backwards on the lows

Erratic scores and tactical high votes by judges for favourites
Awful music
Dances too early AT,Tango,Jive,Paso
No ITT after Final again. Listen bbc please


Highs

Ed
Robert
Greg
Katya
Orksanna

The bans each year a fab job... Wish they would have their own section on ITT

Love love this forum. Thank you to Creature of beauty and wonderment who created and maintains this site.

To all fellow members a wonderful Christmas and New Year I wish you.....

Hoping see you all next year possibly popping in and out too

Thanks from me too to our site M oderator/s for running a very decent forum. No lows around the site or members, they're all highs.

A last 2016 mini-rant:

Lows all see to be in organisation and music choices. Life has to move on and we will be forced to accept the glittering "carreer" wailings of seventeen year old strip artists and mid-life crisis "I've found the person I really am" Auntie Mabel rappers spewing verbal nonesense.? Factor wannabees passing xxxx as music (although it never will be in my lifetime). Thankfully, there's still a whole world of real music around, it's just that the show organisers can't recognise it till someone points it out. And what of the future of some dances?

Tango....the dance of meat-packers, abbatoir workers, corned-beef supplying gauchos (who probably now chase cattle around on quadbikes wearing back-to-front baseball caps) and ladies of the night from Argentina's docklands, doesn't need any help from Dave Clark Five coffee bar music, thanks. It's a dance based on unfulfilled longing, sort of a rumba with attitude, not a vodka-fuelled row between an underdressed football wag and her cheating spouse. Worth noting?

Paso Doble...what future the dance of the bull and matador? Will we see an Ereinesque rubber bull strapped onto the dancing pumps of a glittering pantomime bullfighter while his partner flings her skirt angrily around to the strains of Mick Jagger's "Cant get no Satisfaction"?......or will the whole format move away from the arenas of Spain and cape swinging El Cordobes heroes be replaced by ballet dancing synchronised tape twirlers whilst the band plays Robbie Williams doing "Let me entertain you" ? Who knows or. que sera....

The rumba...that Songs for Swinging Lovers gone wrong, time-wasting embarrasment of a dance that only pros have any chance of pulling off satisfactorily? Get rid and bring the mambo in.

Okay, I think that's it....at least for now....have fun

Love your reply as always Mr D!

TANGOLERO wrote:
The rumba...that Songs for Swinging Lovers gone wrong, time-wasting embarrasment of a dance that only pros have any chance of pulling off satisfactorily? Get rid and bring the mambo in.

Agree 100% with your idea Tango

On the 'highs' I 'd like to add Neil and Chloe, who came across as bubbly, witty characters on ITT. I thought they were great fun in the studio and also learning the world dance steps. Would love to see them as pros, maybe in place of Kevin and Joanne.

Jingle I agree Neil and Chloe a fabulous addition to ITT and as extra dancers on SCD. Love to see them on as a professional guiding a celeb next year. I think thou Joanne won't go possibly one of the others not sure who.. Kevin might be replaced by Neil thou I feel A.non will be the male going possibly as new Judge or presenter
and