I think you and I were looking at different dances.

I thought Laila and Anton did a great job with the dance but I noticed something last night which I hadn't before. Laila's feet were turned in. Not as bad as Ricky's pidgeon-toes but turned in all the same.

I was surprised that I hadn't noticed that earlier in the series because I find it really annoying when I watch Ricky dance. In the section of the dance when she's on her own, it's very obvious.

I know how subjective is this appreciating dance malarky

Seriously Ali often leaves me unmoved by her performance , I can appreciate that she dances really well but I just dont feel any wow with performance form her

Also often her performanaces are really balletic and I wonder whether Darcy Bussell will appreciate this or unappreciate this

Sorry not meaning to bash Ali here so back on topic, Leila and Antons dance last night was really fun!

I can understand how people were unimpressed with Ali's 'performance' in past Latin dances but I really thought she sold the dance last night. But as you say, it's subjective.

I thought all three Charlestons were great (despite dreading them earlier in the week) and fun to watch.

Natalie C and Ricky were at a disadvantage doing the R 'n R. The dance didn't come across as well to the audience.

Yes, it was good, Ilike it very much and it shows that Laila is capable of more given the right support from her professional.

However, although I like Laila I'm finding hers and Mr Beake's false "closeness", following public outrage over his behaviour, somewhat pukey.

How do we/you know it's false 'closeness'. For all we know they could be getting on just fine. It might be bettter for themif we stopped going on about the 'incident'.
Vincy, sorry I'm not bossing you about but just thinking about Laila and Anton's concentration this week

Not an Anton fan but thought his Charleston was amazing.

So much so that I hardly looked at Laila.

I loved it! And I thought it was undermarked. Would love to see Anton get a 10.

Is this the furthest Anton's got in SCD?? He really deserves to get to the final.. would love to see their showdance! Would also be interesting.

Anton would do a gorgeous Ballroom show dance like Tom had, ah it would be fabulous!

Great Charleston choreography from Anton - and good to see Laila loosen up.

Anton came 3rd in series 1 with Lesley Garrett (robbed of a final place by the truly awful Chris Parker) - but the first series had a lesser number of couples, so I suppose you can look at it from two points of view. You can either consider he's made more progress than previous series because with Laila he's beaten off more competition, or might think he need to make the final three before he can claim to have equalled his best result.

For those who missed series 1 - here is Chris Parker's Paso, in which he ran around the dance floor like a child playing Batman.

I loved it - it was fun, varied and Anton and Laila looked like they were having a ball. Laila looked liked gorgeous too - like a 20s movie star.

I thought Anton was amazing - really enjoyed watching him. In fact, I forgot to look at Laila!

Anton was absolutely fantastic. Very entertaining to watch. I didn't however think that Laila was all that good. I always felt she was slightly behind Anton in terms of timing. I think Anton carried the dance for them both but it certainly was one of their better dances.

I have to agree entirely - Anton danced amazingly and outshone Leila - I think Craig marked on her technically but she acted the dance and storyline very well

You gotta love this forum, if Anton dances weakly he is critisized and when he does brilliantly he is showing Laila up! I wonder if he found a happy medium he would no doubt be critisized for being mediocre or bland.
Nevermind, I am just so glad they have made it to the quarter finals! Yippee.

Yup! He's between a rock and a hard place. I think Anton was just genuinely enjoying the dance last night, must be cool to do something new every now and then.

Laila and Anton's Charleston was far superior to Chris and Ola's both in content, timing and dance steps and was unfairly undermarked.

I've watched all the dances three times and Alesha and Bruno giving 9's to Chris and Ola was a joke when for 95% of the time all he did was walk around and do a few stamps totally flat footed.

I hope Laila can put in the training hours necessary this week.

It was pure entertainment and such a great surprise to see Laila do a Charleston so well, especially as she has been in Morocco for part of the training week. I loved it!

Wonder why Craig didn't? Talk about raining on someone's parade. Wet bl**dy blanket! A Veri-table killjoy

The point is that Ola, after some years of getting it wrong, and Brian, because he listens to the judges, have toned down the choreography and their own performance to better suit their partner. Anton didn't manage this on Saturday, giving a virtuoso display instead of showing Laila to best advantage.
Natalie Lowe also failed the choreography test, because she didn't realise that she's just too big for Ricky to handle in lift after lift, and she herself can barely control her dismounts.
Vincent had the same problem, and realised it so hardly did any lifts. But this couldn't prevent their car crash because of the acrobatic nature of the rock n roll.

poor Antonn is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't as the saying goes. At the moment what ever he does is wrong in someones eyes:yawn:

I take your point but as Anton himself said at the beginning of the series 'I have had lots of partners who have all been a bit rubbish, so I have been saving up all this dance in me for a number of years, and Laila's gunna get it all!'
or words to that effect!
He's been toning it down for years to suit his partners, I guess he just thought its now or never.

I've never seen Anton dance like that, he was stunningly good.

The whole thing was brilliant, I'm not sure which one I preferred out of theirs and COla's.

Must be this one, I keep watching it - to see Anton bouncing around like that is a revelation .

Yes it was great to see. When you enjoy a dance it really shines through, I guess that's why his Latin sometimes suffers, he just doesn't enjoy it.

I have to say im not the biggest Anton fan, but i do think he did a great job with the Charleston.

Laila was terrific, as the dance was very much character and performance orientated. She was brilliant and very funny and entertaining to watch.

I have to say i think there dance was more about the character rather than actual technique.

I'm hoping next week Laila will make a true comeback with a great performance, and be technically very good. I think she is in real need for a great dance routine, otherwise i'm sure she'll be in the bottom two, which i so wish she's not in.

Laila captured the character of the dance and acted it well but it did lack swivel action from the ankle basically the only difference between her routine and Chris's