Have they always scored show dances?? I recall judges only giving their opinion on them...

They scored them last year but not before that.

I'm really really peeved by them putting the show dances in the first show. I feel cheated - like when someone tells you the ending of a book before you finish it. What's the finale supposed to be now?

I think it's just the running order. Usually the show dances are last.

Must say, they were all pretty bad.
How can Artem, who is a brilliant choreographer, make such a mistake? Why couldn't he do just a fabulous ballroom dance?

A carve up?

I dislike the showdance scoring. Should be banned and yes, AT THE END!!

Perhaps just showing his inexperience? It was grim, I thought even worse than Matt's.

I think it's worked out well. At least the finale will now be proper dances, and not those awful showdances. Imagine if they had been the finale?

Who in the hell decided on that god awful costume for poor Kara. No wonder she made some mistakes she was clearly mortified at the way the cut of the costume emphasised her who fang dang. When she was in the tessanine she kept putting her hand across herself down there. I was blushing for her poor girl. Contrast that to Mrs. 61 who is happy to shove her's in your face whenever she gets the chance.

They've copied DWTS - putting the showdance on second. Three disappointing showdances - particularly disliked the last Dirty Dancing horror from Pamela and James.

When I first heard they were placing the Showdances on the first show I was stunned, but having seen them now I can understand why. I didn't like any of them: Matt's was a gymnastics class, Kara's was rushed, sloppy and manic and Pamela's was OK, but bored me.

I know! His Tango & American Smooth were absolute highlights - I can't believe that he came up with this. Particularly as Kara's jive was her one of her least successful dances. I don't think speed is her particular strength.

It shouldn't be scored if farcical scores, such as 36 for Kara's, are going to be issued.
Kara's was a bit of a trainwreck to be honest, lacked energy, she seemed a bit fed up throughout, riddled with obvious errors which her face signalled, and the styling was terrible. She's amazing though and hope such a dance doesn't discount her chances of winning.

It wasn't quite as bad as Matt's which was dire, but it wasn't that much better. It was more difficult, but hmm.

It's good that they were all dreadful though - at least no-one was left out.

I thought P & J showdance was boring even though Kara and Matt's had errors atleast they tried to do something different.

P & J show dance was just a rehash of the previous weeks nothing original in it..

They were all bad.

Matt's was the most diverse, inventive and interesting of the three. Kara's looked like it could have been great but she didn't appear to dance it well. Pamela's was a corny horror slyly manipulating affection for Dirty Dancing.

Aliona once again lets Matt down BIG time with her awful choreography. Voted for Kara and Pamela but after the show dances voted for Pamela. James is the only original pro dancer and knew how to choreograph the dance to show off his celeb partner to the best.
I was also a bit surprised to see the show dance in the first half, like getting your pud before the main course!!!!!

Worst three showdances in the history of strictly Bacofoil was crap but at least it was funny, these were just boring

My usual criticism of show dances is that they are all show and no dance. Matt and Kara both did show dances that had bugger all dance in them - Pam and James played to her strengths. My only criticism would be her decision to wear my mother's sandals.

Seeing them all now takes the pressure off them ... I think if either Matt or Kara had performed their show dances last we'd have had a double Colin Jackson situation and neither of them would have ended on a high.

Dx

You may have a point there. It would have been a bit of a let down.

This is probably the first year where I haven't really liked at least one of the show dances. I had such high hopes.

Does anyone think maybe Kara hurt herself during theirs? She kept holding her wrist as though she was in some discomfort and she seemed kind of hesitant over the wisdom of the routine when they were being interviewed in the Tesspit.

There was plenty of dance. Unforunately some of it was of the variety that bourgeois viewers snobbishly do not consider "dance".

<There was plenty of dance. Unforunately some of it was of the variety that bourgeois viewers snobbishly do not consider "dance".>

ah. Silly me.

Oh steady on....Bacofoil has to go down as *the* horror.

I been rooting for Matt and after his showdance I truly thought Aliona had really seen him off. Then I saw Kara's frenzy with obvious mistakes and was gutted for her (cos secretly think she's the best but don't tell anyone ) and then I nearly fell asleep during Pam's.

I'm just glad they got a chance to redeem themselves in part 2.

Thinking scrappy backflips & bad breakdancing a bit rubbish is snobbish is it?

If Carlsberg done show dances ..... these three would be the worst ever.

Think Tom Chambers....Alesha Dixon...etc etc

they were all as bad as each other