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Praise where it's due....Aliona's Choreography!


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Old 12-12-2011, 13:45
trunkster
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She's taken alot of stick since she joined Strictly, but finally the penny seems to have dropped, and I felt a thread was in order to give Aliona some credit.

Her two routines last night in the semis were both absolutely fantastic!

The Charleston was my fave Charleston of this series, it had swivel footwork AND Lindy Hop/Swing steps and Lifts, and was very entertaining.

The VW was sublime, choreographed almost all in hold as a partnership, without her twirling round Harry and hogging the attention. It had Len drooling and finally Len and Aliona see eye to eye!

The girl done good. More Ambrosia custard for Aliona!
I couldn't agree more, and she's got fantastic legs
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Old 12-12-2011, 13:46
fatskia
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I think Kristina and Pasha are fantastic examples of how you can get to the final by sticking to the dancing brief. It is only this series and the last series (although to a lesser extent), that pros have been allowed to get away without sticking to the dance brief. I hope it won't be allowed next year.


BTW I'm not a dancer or a dance purist - just a viewer from the very first episode.
Yeah but...
The AS is supposed to be 40% in hold, which is around 36 seconds?
Have a look at Kristina or Pasha's AS time in hold.
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Old 12-12-2011, 13:50
La Rhumba
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But Kristina's AT was a show dance as well, there was barley any AT in it. It's a bit unfair that Len wouldn't stop going on about the lack on content in Harry & Aliona's tango and then gave a ten to Jason which probably had even less content.
From memory, Len complained about a lack of intensity and passion, not lack of content, in Harry & Aliona's AT....but I could be wrong.
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Old 12-12-2011, 13:51
Heavenly
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From memory, Len complained about a lack of intensity and passion, not lack of conten, in Harry & Aliona's AT....but I could be wrong.
That is right.
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Old 12-12-2011, 13:56
CityofRoses
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I meant their Ballroom Tango, Len was still moaning about doing a proper Tango weeks later.
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Old 12-12-2011, 14:15
BuddyBontheNet
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Yeah but...
The AS is supposed to be 40% in hold, which is around 36 seconds?
Have a look at Kristina or Pasha's AS time in hold.
One dance out of 10 and we are talking about Aliona on this thread. Almost every pro broke the rules at least once this series, but if a score was being kept Aliona would be at the top of the league - by a good margin too.
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Old 12-12-2011, 14:38
SCD-Observer
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Yeah but...
The AS is supposed to be 40% in hold, which is around 36 seconds?
Have a look at Kristina or Pasha's AS time in hold.
But they were in hold. Pasha's AS was done in four bars, admittedly, but at least those were done exquisitely, when they were in hold. And since AS allowed couples to break hold, I think it's alright he didn't stick to exactly 36 seconds of it.

Whereas, when you are only allowed to break hold (only introduced this year) for around 10 seconds in your main ballroom dances such as the proper ballroom tango, Aliona only did four bars of them in hold. Now if Aliona choreographed that Psycho Killer tango routine as an AS routine, Len would easily have given them a ten for that routine as well.
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Old 12-12-2011, 14:45
teeswolf
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One dance out of 10 and we are talking about Aliona on this thread. Almost every pro broke the rules at least once this series, but if a score was being kept Aliona would be at the top of the league - by a good margin too.
I seem to recall Len warning one couple about the use of lifts about 4 weeks ago.

Trying to recall who it was. It certainly wasn't Harry and Aliona though.
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Old 12-12-2011, 14:51
BuddyBontheNet
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I seem to recall Len warning one couple about the use of lifts about 4 weeks ago.

Trying to recall who it was. It certainly wasn't Harry and Aliona though.
He didn't warn one couple. At Wembley, after he had given his comments to Jason & Kristina's on their Jive (they were last to dance and their Jive included an illegal lift), he said he'd noticed illegal lifts creeping in and gave a warning to all the couples that in future points would be deducted.
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Old 12-12-2011, 15:08
olivej
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From memory, Len complained about a lack of intensity and passion, not lack of content, in Harry & Aliona's AT....but I could be wrong.
you are completely correct
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Old 12-12-2011, 15:47
Mystical123
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I disagree I think it's worse now than it used to be. She choreographs SOME good dances, but overall I find it far too gimmicky and it's one of the main reasons I don't enjoy watching Harry.
Please point out what the gimmicks were in the Quickstep and the Viennese Waltz, as I don't remember seeing any at all....

She is a smart cookie, but I don't think Aliona played fair during this series.
Played fair by whose standards? She hasn't broken rules any more than any other pro has broken rules. If she's going to be slated for 'show dance' choreography, then surely we should have a thread similarly slating every other pro? Pasha's jive with Chelsee was apparently genius, but I'd pretty much call it a showdance as they spent the first 30 seconds faffing around in a stupid tower and with a donkey! So I don't see how Aliona doing exactly the same as all the other pros in terms of their application of the rules is her not playing fairly...
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Old 12-12-2011, 16:21
ewoodie
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I think Kristina and Pasha are fantastic examples of how you can get to the final by sticking to the dancing brief. It is only this series and the last series (although to a lesser extent), that pros have been allowed to get away without sticking to the dance brief. I hope it won't be allowed next year.

BTW I'm not a dancer or a dance purist - just a viewer from the very first episode.
Me too Buddy.

Mutual friends.......
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Old 12-12-2011, 16:24
ewoodie
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Clearly a matter of opinion. I didn't think it was the best AT on Saturday night.
Clearly! It always is Tees.
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Old 12-12-2011, 16:31
teeswolf
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Please point out what the gimmicks were in the Quickstep and the Viennese Waltz, as I don't remember seeing any at all....



Played fair by whose standards? She hasn't broken rules any more than any other pro has broken rules. If she's going to be slated for 'show dance' choreography, then surely we should have a thread similarly slating every other pro? Pasha's jive with Chelsee was apparently genius, but I'd pretty much call it a showdance as they spent the first 30 seconds faffing around in a stupid tower and with a donkey! So I don't see how Aliona doing exactly the same as all the other pros in terms of their application of the rules is her not playing fairly...
Totally agree with you Mystical
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Old 12-12-2011, 16:36
BuddyBontheNet
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...
Played fair by whose standards? She hasn't broken rules any more than any other pro has broken rules. If she's going to be slated for 'show dance' choreography, then surely we should have a thread similarly slating every other pro? Pasha's jive with Chelsee was apparently genius, but I'd pretty much call it a showdance as they spent the first 30 seconds faffing around in a stupid tower and with a donkey! So I don't see how Aliona doing exactly the same as all the other pros in terms of their application of the rules is her not playing fairly...
Plays fair by the rules of each dance just like in the last 8 series i.e. include a decent amount of relevant content and stay in hold for the right length of time. We can argue to the cows come home, but as I've said almost every pro broke the rules at least once this series, but if a score was being kept Aliona would be at the top of the league - by a good margin too. I'd put money on it.

Me too Buddy.

Mutual friends.......
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Old 12-12-2011, 16:39
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Old 12-12-2011, 16:41
olivej
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Please point out what the gimmicks were in the Quickstep and the Viennese Waltz, as I don't remember seeing any at all....

Played fair by whose standards? She hasn't broken rules any more than any other pro has broken rules. If she's going to be slated for 'show dance' choreography, then surely we should have a thread similarly slating every other pro? Pasha's jive with Chelsee was apparently genius, but I'd pretty much call it a showdance as they spent the first 30 seconds faffing around in a stupid tower and with a donkey! So I don't see how Aliona doing exactly the same as all the other pros in terms of their application of the rules is her not playing fairly...
agree with you - the "rules" on this forum seem to change depending on which pro is being talked about! Aliona can do nothing right as far as Digital Spy is concerned
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Old 12-12-2011, 16:42
Mystical123
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Plays fair by the rules of each dance just like in the last 8 series i.e. include a decent amount of relevant content and stay in hold for the right length of time. We can argue to the cows come home, but as I've said almost every pro broke the rules at least once this series, but if a score was being kept Aliona would be at the top of the league - by a good margin too. I'd put money on it.
I don't think there's anywhere near as big a gap as you think, but that's something we'll have to agree to disagree on. I can't accept that Pasha is a shining example of sticking to the dancing brief though, and Kristina's had similarly dodgy moments - her AS choreography springs to mind as predominantly faffing.

Regardless, Aliona gets brownie points from me for being one of the few pros to choreograph multiple dances without any gimmicks at all, props or faffing about. That's 3 she's done now, which is a decent haul given the lack of proper rules this series...
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Old 12-12-2011, 16:45
ewoodie
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Let's not forget stairs-gate. If that's not faffing......
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Old 12-12-2011, 16:50
olivej
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Let's not forget stairs-gate. If that's not faffing......
that was one dance!!!! they went up 2 maybe 3 steps, at least the didnt run right up to the top and down again - twice - a la Rent-a-Pro!

Geez, some people need to give this girl a break

This is a thread praising her choreography which was amazing on saturday night - both dances
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Old 12-12-2011, 16:51
BuddyBontheNet
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agree with you - the "rules" on this forum seem to change depending on which pro is being talked about! Aliona can do nothing right as far as Digital Spy is concerned
In terms of the number of new threads, I think you are right about this, but my guess is that's because Aliona's earlier choreography was the hot topic and she's got tarred with that brush. Personally I think Artem is almost as bad tbh, but I think every pro has taken risks with 'illegal' choreography at some point - some more than others though.

I don't think there's anywhere near as big a gap as you think, but that's something we'll have to agree to disagree on. I can't accept that Pasha is a shining example of sticking to the dancing brief though, and Kristina's had similarly dodgy moments - her AS choreography springs to mind as predominantly faffing.

Regardless, Aliona gets brownie points from me for being one of the few pros to choreograph multiple dances without any gimmicks at all, props or faffing about. That's 3 she's done now, which is a decent haul given the lack of proper rules this series...
Let's agree to disagree then.

Playing devil's advocate about your last point, that could be down to the dances Harry and Aliona were dancing. Either way, based on the last three weeks, I'm hoping she'll choreography a fantastic showdance and make it a stonking final.
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Old 12-12-2011, 16:52
Cadiva
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She's taken alot of stick since she joined Strictly, but finally the penny seems to have dropped, and I felt a thread was in order to give Aliona some credit.
I agree, I find that when she does away with gimmicks and actually choreographs the dance they're supposed to be doing then she is generally very good. That's why I get so irritated when she doesn't do that!
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Old 12-12-2011, 16:59
ewoodie
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that was one dance!!!! they went up 2 maybe 3 steps, at least the didnt run right up to the top and down again - twice - a la Rent-a-Pro!

Geez, some people need to give this girl a break

This is a thread praising her choreography which was amazing on saturday night - both dances

Everyone gets criticised on the SCD forum. Aliona has her good and bad points. So Aliona gets her share of both.


Stop being so over-protective! Geez
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Old 12-12-2011, 17:03
ESPIONdansant
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I think Aliona took plenty of stick early on. Not least from me. But she's elicited some excellent performances from Harry since Wembley. She deserves to have the record set straight. Call it a 'correction'.

Artem's the one I've now got in my sights. Can't wait for him to have a less competent celebrity next time. Let's see how he copes.
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Old 12-12-2011, 17:03
fatskia
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One dance out of 10 and we are talking about Aliona on this thread. Almost every pro broke the rules at least once this series, but if a score was being kept Aliona would be at the top of the league - by a good margin too.
I loved Pasha's AS and its my favourite dance of Chelsee's ( and I like all her dances).

It just seems to me that 'rules' get noticed more when its Aliona.

Last year she had low content in one dance - the Jive - yet somehow it gets said that her dances were low in content last year.

There seems to be no rule on how long the introduction before getting into hold can be, or how long the finish can be when you come out of hold for the last time - there should be but AFAIK there isn't?
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