The Dance Machine Challenge last year gave us so much hilarity (who will ever forget Lilia's reaction to getting a zero...? ) so I thought this new challenge deserves its own thread. It looks like it could be good fun!

First 'victim' = Katya, a previous student of the Conservatoire (!) Seemed very bewildered by the whole concept and just stood staring at the screen for some time ('I'll just stand here and press the C' - and yet didn't even manage that ) I love Katya.

Leaderboard:
Katya - 42

James did well

Three hundred and something!

I think they should be allowed to practice first (for a few mins) or at least look at where the keys are!

I wish they were doing the dance machine again! Or maybe the wii-fit step-aerobics. Or...something. Just not that keen on the piano for some reason.

I've mentioned elsewhere that as the tune is Hoagy Carmichael's "Heart and Soul" that it would have been more entertaining if pro couples had each to play the "left and right hands" as is...well these days....was, the usual practice when two kids play this tune on a piano.

I think she had difficulty in understanding that the long bars were notes they had to hold, until the short ones reached the bottom of their screen.

I imagine that it could be fun to do but I just don't think that it works on TV. I find it confusing trying to follow what they're doing and therefore boring to watch. Sorry fans of it . I've never watched ITT before this year so maybe that has a bearing on it, but I'd rather see them try something else.

It is a bit harsh not to tell them what they have to do!

I can't wait for Erin to have a try!

How do you know they don't have a practice? Looking at it as if it is "something they've never seen before" is probably all part of the act!

Entertaining, definitely!

Have you any idea how difficult it would be to play the left hand of that tune on a keyboard of that size?! The poor victim/professional dancer would be leaping all over the place trying to cope with the repeated arpeggios that make up the accompaniment.

The virtue of the melody is that the notes are pretty much next to each other almost all the way through.

(I'd love to see them try, though! )

I think we might see Erin's attempt later today... and looking at the filming before it starts - she just ran amock and literally run up and down the keyboard...

Totally bewildering...

That's what makes me want to see her turn! She's not even facing the screen at the end!

I wouldn't expect them to play chords, but as some kids can play the bass line with one finger with little difficulty, I'm sure an adult could attempt it with a foot. I don't care if they make a hash of it, but it would be amusing, which I thought was all that was intended.

I'd give 'em a key with four flats.

There are no chords in the accompaniment. Think about how it goes in your mind. On the piano it can be played with one finger, but on that keyboard you'd need to be Zebedee!

I agree, though - highly entertaining.

I play the piano. With my actual hands. And I didn't get it at all. Lame.

In my experience, having any kind of previous musical knowledge at all when it comes to things like this is a definite hindrance.

(That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it! )

Not wishing to appear picky, but there are chords in the sheet music, but you can get away with just the bass line.

Claudia hates 'the machine', I hate the grand piano - it's rubbish, boring to watch.

This is an "early evening show." The BBC always try to "engage" a wider audience than those just interested in specific topics.

If it were all analysis, criticisms and training footage, they think some people would change channels.

It's a "one size fits all" policy and if the ratings hold up then they think they're doing the right thing.

Have the pros never watched Big?

Link

I think one of them recognised the tune! I did (eventually) and figured that's where the producers got the idea. Nice, clean, simple fun, I'm enjoying it- and Natalie, how good was she! 1091! In yer face James Gordon ...

Natalie Lowe is a legend!!

Here we are:

Heart and Soul

And here it is "ballroom style" as intended by the songwriter Hoagy Carmichael.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8CSjDC18b0

Leaderboard:

Natalie - 1091
Erin - 400
James - 338
Katya - 42

Missed James' but I'm sure it was full of alpha-male grunting and the like

Natalie came across as simultaneously sweet and a little cocky (sorry don't shoot me Natalie-fans that's just how she came across to me!) but she definitely did well!

Erin is such a mental! I loved her running up and down at the end, and her going 'F' 'F' every time there was a G

Poor Katya! Natalie was superb though and picked up what she had to do straight away.

Can't say it's the most entertaining thing to watch though.