Thanks for getting my name so wrong !!!!

I am entitled to be critical on an open forum this is not an appreciation thread. I was just pointing out that an interview AFTER the Salsa might have been more enlightening as to what their current feelings are.

I am not a fan of Aliona's coregraphy and that applies to whoever she dances it with.....I also didnt like the dance she coregraphed for the pro girls to Alice Cooper....its just too raunchy for my taste.

The reason that I find Matt and Aliona uncomfortable to watch sometimes is because Aliona is quirky and unconvential...which is fine.....but Matt isnt.....in his manners, looks and personality he is very traditional and I just find him trying to be quirky and unconvential and sometimes sexy uncomfortable. Aliona needs to learn that less is more.......I know that Matt is very popular is getting lots of votes and may even win but I think some of that will be despite Aliona rather than because of her.

Artem has risky coreography but not 'quirky' and not in every dance and not for ALL of the dance its just small highlights and he does things that make Kara look amazing and she has no strain on her face performing.

James is being quite safe in his coreography with Pamela but they are obviously popular aswell with very traditional coreography.

Oh and just so you dont think its just Aliona I dont like anything too modern in my ballroom.....I absolutely hated that Tango thing that Flavia did with the boys......thats cirque du soliel not ballroom.....sorry Dilly !!!!!!!

In a nutshell, exactly the problem. Chalk & cheese.

That bit I highlighted was how I thought of Matt at the start. I'd only seen him on Countryfile and thought that was all there was to him.
Then I found out he had trained as a stuntman and passed the tests to become a paratrooper.
He surprised me by embracing what Aliona wanted to do and seems to have a very open mind. I see him as a much more multi-dimensional person now.

Artem has been very clever. In a few of his dances which dont have a lot of the intended dance in them, his filler always looks good and blends in with the dance. He has also pushed Kara to take risks and to express herself, which she needs to do.

Kara also has the advantage of having more time to train to get her head round the difficult routines - multi-talented Matt is having to multitask, which as we all know is very difficult for the best of men

When Kara did not train so much after Artem's injury there was a distinct drop in quality. As Gavin said on ITT the men have all been working as well as doing SCD

Exactly bloggingbelle, hopefully we will see a more relaxed Matt as he is committing totally to Strictly for the week. Personally I would still rather watch him tense than either of the others.

Kara is ill apparently, not sure if this is true and I'm sure it will make no difference to the quality of her performances.

The snippet I liked was she too is desperate to win. I am sure they all are...here's the link

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukp...1292489698349A

I would add Matt & Aliona seem to be the only couple who have escaped illness. This was Scott's downfall when coupled with his hours.

Any woman who has a problem with Aliona is clearly jealous of her - she is stunning to look at , has a great sense of humour and seems like a lovely girl.

Exactly the same could be said for anyone who doesn't like Kara. So there we go.

I have no issues with Aliona as a person.

Please Maisie tell me you are ripping the **** out of a previous thread?

I adore Aliona, she's my top female but just because she isn't someone else's doesn't mean they are jealous, in the way people not liking Kara are not green eyed.

Obviously I think they are blind and deaf to not love the legend that is Aliona though!

My tongue was firmly in my cheek

However I agree with you she is a legend - I just love her

You can never be sure at the moment....

How old is she? If she wins... is that make her the youngest professional winner?

Bear in mind that this interview is done BEFORE the semi-final. It was before the salsa fiasco. Of course she would be in good mood.

But she was much more subdued when the judges came down like a ton of bricks on Matt immediately after salsa, and she was also very muted on Saturday after their Tango, although you can tell she was relieved, and did I see a little guilt across her face when Matt was crying backstage after the tango. Or maybe she's just sorry that she might have given Matt a fright for choreographing THAT salsa.

Lots of salient points in this thread, IMHO (and I mean that)
but the above first para has spoiled the whole series for me in spite of the truth of the second para.

Matt's opening words in OP's video link had me cringing: "We just go out and dance as hard as we can". That's the problem, Matt, can't you see it? And if you can't, won't anyone tell you? He's like a lamb being led to the slaughter. He is so loyal to Aliona (she's the expert, after all) and doesn't question her.

I adore this young man - he is so simple and genuine and nice in the best sense of the word, and (I've said this before) imprisoned inside him is a beautiful dancer whom we are being forbidden to see. I could cry!

I'm just hoping that the freedom from other commitments this week will give us a Matt whose routines are second nature so that they won't look so laboured, and whose routines have been choreographed to incorporate the rules of the dances and to bring out the best in him. Then we'd be in for a treat.

I don't feel involvement with Pamela or Kara - they will probably sail through elegant routines that suit their strengths, and though they will have worked hard they won't have had the hurdles and handicaps that Matt has.

However, what a great final it should be, there's not a lemon or filler among them

I don't know James, I'll try to find out

She's 26 at the moment

Aliona started dancing ballet when she was five years old and started ballroom dancing at age 11. In 1997, aged 13, she moved to the United States and joined the Kaiser Dance Academy in Brooklyn, New York, and in 2001 she was part of the US Ballroom team for the National Dance Congress that won the Amateur Ballroom category. She then turned professional and remains the youngest dancer in the US to have done so.

I am a man, I am straight, and I have problems with Aliona's 'edgy' choreography in general. She is sexy, but her hair is a complete turn off, and dare I say, I don't think it suits her, esp. when she has the fake tan applied on herself.

Going to have to disagree

I think she looks like she has been dipped in caramel. (I am straight also btw), I love the way she looks because it is so different from the stereotypical blonde, boobs in your face look.

She's red devil, sassy, boobs in your face instead.

Is this Pamela's forced smile and disingenuine hilarity? With that too blonde hair and rictus grin she is gradually morphing into Tina Sparkle from Strictly Ballroom. She is a good dancer but her way of performing is very old-fashioned. I prefer dancers who put a little bit of their own personality and true emotions into their performances.

Love Matt and Aliona in this clip. There seems to be a real connection and real sense of fun between them.

Oh, I don't like Kristina too. To porny, if you get the drift! I don't mind Natalie, but her teeth, oww, my eyes.

I just want a more 'normal' look like Flavia. Hmm, my kind of girl. As for Aliona, her greatest mistake is her hair, ten years down the line she will look back at those pics and sob.

I feel really mean now SCD Observer!

Yes I agree about Kristina's look, although I think she's lovely as a person. I think Ola has that look also.

Totally agree about Flavia, she ticks all the boxes.

I'm never going to persuade you to raspberry hair am I? Didn't think so.

I put a red dye in my hair once ( I'm fair to blonde)
Took me about 3 years to grow it out!
We still laugh at the pics..

But Aliona would suit anything.
I saw some pictures of her as fairhaired, and the red is definitely much more noticeable and memorable.

If they are doing the tour, I hope they do the Samba and the Foxtrot (without the Paso ending).

The Samba because Matt seems to love doing it, and the Foxtrot because Aliona looks gorgeous in that outfit and Matt would do it very well on the tour

I know some people on here don't like her choreography, which is fine as everyone is entitled to their opinion, but she is such a sweetie
Her and Matt are adorable together.

But the majority of the people who dislike her choreo have not said anything bad about HER as a person anyway so some people are getting a bit sensitive.

I am glad she has a great partner this year, Rav was pretty wooden. I hope he didn't blame her for his bad performances

Also, as a bonus, she is rather gorgeous. My grandad is smitten with her which is a bit worrying

If you read her bio she has obviously got something about her and is a high achiever - don't know whether this is part of the reason why she enjoys tweaking the judges noses.

I would like Matt to win and hope she is not tempted to play safe because I am sure Kara and Artem will do a storming showdance