I agree that Susanna isn't the best celeb - Natalie, Patrick and possibly Ashley are all better dancers. I think she, Sophie and Abbey are all on a pretty level playing field, with differing strengths and weaknesses. However, I think Susanna and Kevin are the best performers. Not just the Paso either - last week's waltz was equally effective to my way of thinking. In a way, what Kevin is doing with her is very counter-intuitive to how we think the pros should choreograph for celebs of average ability - hide the weaknesses by any means possible and tone down their own performance. He makes her do quite a lot, often on her own, and doesn't apparently hold back himself and dance 'to her level'. I noticed on ITT after their bonkers Indiana Jones themed samba, he basically said that it was impossible for an untrained celeb to properly learn to perform the technique in a week and so you either decided to adapt a few of steps to their level or you threw everything in, gave it some welly and accepted there would be mistakes but hope people would be carried along by their enjoyment and effort.
It's a fairly high risk strategy and it takes a celeb who is pretty secure and self confident to be prepared to make a fool of themselves (I imagine Fiona or Abbey would have had a nervous breakdown if paired with KFG) but I have to say it has won me over.
I would disagree that Patrick and Ashley are better dances, than say Abbey (at least), but that's just my take. I think she has more potentical to be a technically good dancer than either of the boys and I think it's just her core (and even ovrall strenght) that is letting her down, as she's better tham them in executing the finer details. I think ballet would have actually been something that she might have done well in maybe in a past life time, whereas modern dancing is more what I think Patrick and Ashley could excel in as they technique isn't to the same degree. I still think Patrick and he could do with being more supple so that his moves aren't always so contained. I think Ashley overall needs alot of work, and he lacks the natural ability to dance (as in I still see him stepping through moves rather than dancing through steps/moves. I don't think he oozes a natural talent there which is why he still stuggles to an extent, but I suppose he's still doing rather well because of that as well.
I think as you say, they all have weakness and strengths, so they all swap and hover around each other depending on the particular dance. But in terms of talent, I think Abbey has the most after Natalie, but that's just my opinion. I think her body understands technical dance better than some of them, whereas the others might well be better when they can just dance without the restrictions of technique. This is just my opinon, and as it's opposite of yours, we can hopefuly just agree to disagree.
In ref to the BIB, if you have ever read any of my previous comments, which you easily may not have, then you'd know that one thing I can't stand is if a Pro does not challenge their celeb dancer and dumbs down their routines which effectively keeps the celeb at the same level. I actually think Kristina is doing that with Ben. The dances suit him, but I don't think they're helping him to prgress overall. ANd I think Brendan as opposite is the type of Pro that puts too much content in and could bring it down a notch while still challenging Sophie. So I firmly understand the idea that dumbing down is not the anwer to teaching a celeb. My point about Kevin is not the technique he gives Susanna, but that he over dances her. Which means he is always (or usually) one/two steps ahead of her and his peformance is a notch above her as well, which then looks as if she's not dncing the dance as well because it instead looks like she is udner-doing everything that he is doing by not thereabouts equalling him. She may well be taking his technique on board, but attempting and doing are not the same thing. And if Kevin would resist over-dancing, she would not jst look like she's attempting to dance what he's given her, but actually def look like she is dancing what he's given her (because she's actually been able to keep up and they are more insync). It's not the level of technique with Kevin, it's the way he dances over her that's the problem, imo.They need to be insync, as a couple, one cannoh be seen to be dragging one along, whatever the level of technique on display, as then they are not a couple. And I thought their Samba was average, so, I can't really give him any kudos with his 'throw all in' mentality for that routine. I'd pref a Pro to have a well thought out routine that highlights a celebs strengths while still challenging them and also being enetrtaining on top, as that would not only prove they know their celeb well but also that they have the ability to challenge their celeb accordingly. Being carried through by enjoyment of a dance is all well and good but that is the maximum that'd I'd expect of celebs that can't dance (or are lesser than much better dances), as that is all they have to fall on. Susanna is better than just getting through a dance and enjoying it and hoping it can go well. She can actually dance a dance, if it is thoughtful constructed with her in mind. Again, just my opinion (it's not personal to Kevin or Susanna as individuals, I could be as harsh on other couples too, including Natalie and Artem, he doesn't push her enough for my likeing).
I don't thiink Abbey would have a breakdown if she was with a Pro that really card about getting acros the techncial elements and not just 'getting through a dance' (which is one of the terms I hate hearing on this show). She's a better dancer than Susanna (again in my opinion) and I think as she's got more potential than Susanna to become a fuller dancer given the right training. I don't think her mentality is fixed, and I have former ballet teachers that would have no problem knocking the giggy girl out of her and installing a serious dancer there, whether it breached her comfort levels or not. In a way I think she'd be good with Bendan, come to think of it, as I think he'd push her more and she'd not feel so comfortable to make mistakes with him (as they'd be no prolonged giggling and looking in the mirror with brendan). I'm sure Alijaz is a decent teacher (she seems to like his style) but I think what she likes and what might be more effective for her aren't always the same thing. I don't think Abbey could be with Kevin height wise (or maybe I'm underestimating how short/tall Kevin is). But aside from that Kevin, attitude wise, seems very nice too like Alijaz, and I think a Brendan attitude would help Abbey more. I think Abbey is the type of person that would actually work harder if she didn't have a partner that was too gentle on her and accomodate her lapses of concetration (which I don't think Sussana suffers from to same degree). Alijaz says Abbey always does good (even when she could do better) and Brendan expresses Sophie's faults (amidst a routine that she can't really cope with). I think Abbey is a better dancer than Sophie, so I'd like a couple swap there. Fiona couldn't cope with Kevin's routine becasue she's only at a level where she can just about cope with Anton's level (which at Latin is argubly very low).
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Sssshhhhhh!! People will hear you, and I'll get beaten up. :eek::(
I would disagree that Patrick and Ashley are better dances, than say Abbey (at least), but that's just my take. I think she has more potentical to be a technically good dancer than either of the boys and I think it's just her core (and even ovrall strenght) that is letting her down, as she's better tham them in executing the finer details. I think ballet would have actually been something that she might have done well in maybe in a past life time, whereas modern dancing is more what I think Patrick and Ashley could excel in as they technique isn't to the same degree. I still think Patrick and he could do with being more supple so that his moves aren't always so contained. I think Ashley overall needs alot of work, and he lacks the natural ability to dance (as in I still see him stepping through moves rather than dancing through steps/moves. I don't think he oozes a natural talent there which is why he still stuggles to an extent, but I suppose he's still doing rather well because of that as well.
I think as you say, they all have weakness and strengths, so they all swap and hover around each other depending on the particular dance. But in terms of talent, I think Abbey has the most after Natalie, but that's just my opinion. I think her body understands technical dance better than some of them, whereas the others might well be better when they can just dance without the restrictions of technique. This is just my opinon, and as it's opposite of yours, we can hopefuly just agree to disagree.
In ref to the BIB, if you have ever read any of my previous comments, which you easily may not have, then you'd know that one thing I can't stand is if a Pro does not challenge their celeb dancer and dumbs down their routines which effectively keeps the celeb at the same level. I actually think Kristina is doing that with Ben. The dances suit him, but I don't think they're helping him to prgress overall. ANd I think Brendan as opposite is the type of Pro that puts too much content in and could bring it down a notch while still challenging Sophie. So I firmly understand the idea that dumbing down is not the anwer to teaching a celeb. My point about Kevin is not the technique he gives Susanna, but that he over dances her. Which means he is always (or usually) one/two steps ahead of her and his peformance is a notch above her as well, which then looks as if she's not dncing the dance as well because it instead looks like she is udner-doing everything that he is doing by not thereabouts equalling him. She may well be taking his technique on board, but attempting and doing are not the same thing. And if Kevin would resist over-dancing, she would not jst look like she's attempting to dance what he's given her, but actually def look like she is dancing what he's given her (because she's actually been able to keep up and they are more insync). It's not the level of technique with Kevin, it's the way he dances over her that's the problem, imo.They need to be insync, as a couple, one cannoh be seen to be dragging one along, whatever the level of technique on display, as then they are not a couple. And I thought their Samba was average, so, I can't really give him any kudos with his 'throw all in' mentality for that routine. I'd pref a Pro to have a well thought out routine that highlights a celebs strengths while still challenging them and also being enetrtaining on top, as that would not only prove they know their celeb well but also that they have the ability to challenge their celeb accordingly. Being carried through by enjoyment of a dance is all well and good but that is the maximum that'd I'd expect of celebs that can't dance (or are lesser than much better dances), as that is all they have to fall on. Susanna is better than just getting through a dance and enjoying it and hoping it can go well. She can actually dance a dance, if it is thoughtful constructed with her in mind. Again, just my opinion (it's not personal to Kevin or Susanna as individuals, I could be as harsh on other couples too, including Natalie and Artem, he doesn't push her enough for my likeing).
I don't thiink Abbey would have a breakdown if she was with a Pro that really card about getting acros the techncial elements and not just 'getting through a dance' (which is one of the terms I hate hearing on this show). She's a better dancer than Susanna (again in my opinion) and I think as she's got more potential than Susanna to become a fuller dancer given the right training. I don't think her mentality is fixed, and I have former ballet teachers that would have no problem knocking the giggy girl out of her and installing a serious dancer there, whether it breached her comfort levels or not. In a way I think she'd be good with Bendan, come to think of it, as I think he'd push her more and she'd not feel so comfortable to make mistakes with him (as they'd be no prolonged giggling and looking in the mirror with brendan). I'm sure Alijaz is a decent teacher (she seems to like his style) but I think what she likes and what might be more effective for her aren't always the same thing. I don't think Abbey could be with Kevin height wise (or maybe I'm underestimating how short/tall Kevin is). But aside from that Kevin, attitude wise, seems very nice too like Alijaz, and I think a Brendan attitude would help Abbey more. I think Abbey is the type of person that would actually work harder if she didn't have a partner that was too gentle on her and accomodate her lapses of concetration (which I don't think Sussana suffers from to same degree). Alijaz says Abbey always does good (even when she could do better) and Brendan expresses Sophie's faults (amidst a routine that she can't really cope with). I think Abbey is a better dancer than Sophie, so I'd like a couple swap there. Fiona couldn't cope with Kevin's routine becasue she's only at a level where she can just about cope with Anton's level (which at Latin is argubly very low).