All good finalists, but Jason deserved to be in the final two

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olivej

16-01-2012

Originally Posted by shefair:
“For me it is not so much that the celebs have to be technically perfect in all the dance forms , but I do want to see them learning different dances, or rather dances that are discernibly different from one another, otherwise the show could be 3 weeks long , 1 latin 1 ballroom, one showdance

I also miss seeing half the celebs doing the same dance each week so that you can directly compare ie celebs to one another

and whilst you may like what you like , thats fine for me I like each dance to have elements of each dance

Going back to Jason I liked his Tango as it had plenty of tango in it even though it had that disco bit in the middle

I loathed his AT as it had almost nothing AT in it and it made me cross with Kristina as presumably Jason could have taught to do AT steps but for some reason whether she just didn't know enough about the AT herself or she just had a serious mental block”

totally this!!!!

perdiedumpling

16-01-2012

Originally Posted by shefair:
“For me it is not so much that the celebs have to be technically perfect in all the dance forms , but I do want to see them learning different dances, or rather dances that are discernibly different from one another, otherwise the show could be 3 weeks long , 1 latin 1 ballroom, one showdance

I also miss seeing half the celebs doing the same dance each week so that you can directly compare ie celebs to one another

and whilst you may like what you like , thats fine for me I like each dance to have elements of each dance

Going back to Jason I liked his Tango as it had plenty of tango in it even though it had that disco bit in the middle

I loathed his AT as it had almost nothing AT in it and it made me cross with Kristina as presumably Jason could have taught to do AT steps but for some reason whether she just didn't know enough about the AT herself or she just had a serious mental block”

In previous years the pros have had help from outside AT experts, especially I think when it is the first time they are doing an AT. I don't know if anyone had help this year - if I remember correctly only Pasha and Kristina were doing it for the first time. Kristina choreographed hers with the help of Robin, so either help wasn't on hand or she spurned it thinking she knew better or assumed Robin knew what he was doing.

Pasha showed much more footwork than most of the pros usually choreograph, so I wouldn't be surprised if he had prior knowledge and so choreographed himself - certainly his choreography was much more towards the Flavia and Vincent style.

pasodabble

16-01-2012

Originally Posted by perdiedumpling:
“Pasha showed much more footwork than most of the pros usually choreograph, so I wouldn't be surprised if he had prior knowledge and so choreographed himself - certainly his choreography was much more towards the Flavia and Vincent style.”

He's danced the AT on SYTYCD as an All Star (i.e. a pro dancer in all but name) so I suspect he's had lessons; I don't think they'd let him do the AT on that show if he was just winging it.

Originally Posted by apenny4them:
“I won't bore you by repeating my criticism of the way the judges marked Harry's AT.”

Thanks

shefair

16-01-2012

I dont like to think that was the best Krisitna could do, it must have been a mental abberation

perdiedumpling

16-01-2012

Originally Posted by pasodabble:
“He's danced the AT on SYTYCD as an All Star (i.e. a pro dancer in all but name) so I suspect he's had lessons; I don't think they'd let him do the AT on that show if he was just winging it.
”

Thanks! I'd hazard a guess at it being more than just a few lessons; though I don't know for definite, his choreography was not like that usually offered by the pros. I'd love to know for sure if he choreographed his (and I'll love him all the more if he did, because as a set of choreography it was my favourite AT this year).

shefair

16-01-2012

I also enjoyed Holly's sitting down AT choreography

I felt that was a very different for SCD take on the dance

there is a problem with choreography getting stale if all the dances look too similar

soulmate61

16-01-2012

Originally Posted by Bonnie96:
“I remember Matt Dawson telling of the occasion when he was supposed to dance with Elaine Paige (I think?) at a function and he was at a loss with the different music and the fact that Lilya had led him all the weeks of the competition.
In short he had learned a routine not the dance, but that was ok since it was all that was asked of him.
”

This is the appalling consequence of learning and rehearsing to death a series of limb movements for display to an audience, not for genuine emotional experience in the celeb's mind and body. Celebs who despite months of coaching have a very poor ear for rhythm are easily put off by a different melodic line, and once thrown cannot get back in.

Dancing by numbers when disrupted, collapses like a house of cards.

Jim Kowalski

16-01-2012

Originally Posted by perdiedumpling:
“. I take this from this review who does know what he's talking about.”

Interesting link- thanks

Jim Kowalski

17-01-2012

The videos of samples of beginner's steps on the 'Dance at 8' website interestingly show three styles under the general heading of "Argentine Tango",at the bottom of this page:
http://www.danceat8.com/danceat8_youtube.html

Bonnie96

18-01-2012

Originally Posted by soulmate61:
“This is the appalling consequence of learning and rehearsing to death a series of limb movements for display to an audience, not for genuine emotional experience in the celeb's mind and body. Celebs who despite months of coaching have a very poor ear for rhythm are easily put off by a different melodic line, and once thrown cannot get back in.

Dancing by numbers when disrupted, collapses like a house of cards.”

"Appalling" is perhaps a bit strong since despite training for 3 months in total, each celeb has to learn 14 routines in that time.
Each pro will coach in whatever manner it takes for the celeb to be able to give a different performance each week and if that method is 'dancing by numbers' well so be it.
Whether or not the celeb continues after the series to learn to dance is another matter and that is when they will learn a discipline as opposed to a routine - all in my ever so humble

tangoqueen

19-01-2012

Originally Posted by Bonnie96:
“"Appalling" is perhaps a bit strong since despite training for 3 months in total, each celeb has to learn 14 routines in that time.
Each pro will coach in whatever manner it takes for the celeb to be able to give a different performance each week and if that method is 'dancing by numbers' well so be it.
Whether or not the celeb continues after the series to learn to dance is another matter and that is when they will learn a discipline as opposed to a routine - all in my ever so humble ”

Hi T and Bonnie!

I do agree with what you say T, but in terms of SCD - that is not "real" dancing where the celeb really learns to dance (as I know you know!) - rather, as Bonnie says, learning a series of routines - some very very well, obviously - but it is an inevitable consequence of the structure of the show - in the time they have, there is no other way, really.

Like you I would be really interested to see who, after the show, has pursued this beautiful art and has learned to dance inherently - the one person strangely I am delighted to see carrying on dancing is Mark Foster (one of the nicest celebs to go on the show imo) - since he was one of the "stiffest" (sorry!) celebs on SCD and yet has carried on - lovely!

Love the "house of cards" imagery as well! x

soulmate61

19-01-2012

Originally Posted by Bonnie96:
“.... training for 3 months in total, each celeb has to learn 14 routines in that time.”

This is indeed a demanding schedule especially for those carrying on a fulltime job. Scott Maslen was physically and mentally exhausted, as was Jason, Holly, and the incomparable Kara. Jade Johnson an olympic athlete was injured. If a professional dancer was suddenly asked to act in 14 different plays in 12 weeks he too would be exhausted.

A competitive celeb wants to survive to next week, as would a competitve pro dancer with an eye on TV exposure. Strictly's syllabus is like a weekly exam where the question is known beforehand. Not surprising that pro dancers fall in with the technique used by crammers, concentrating on one question, one answer, even when not understood.

Subsequent to Strictly, if in social dancing a celeb (some, not all) facing a different tune and partner finds himself unable to reprise dancing-by-numbers, he too would be appalled (sorry Bonnie). Possibly not as appalled as his partner.

It would be hard to fault Strictly teachers for taking a shortcut because a large pot of gold is at stake, but in the long term gold on the dance floor would depend on substance more than facade.

mindyann

20-01-2012

It's one of the reasons I like the 'instant dance' in Dancing with the Stars.

Getting the music only half an hour or so before a dance is performed highlights the celebs who have just been taught a routine which is overlayed onto any music choice or the celeb who has been taught steps and how to link them so the pro can knock up a routine that fits the music.

Interesting stuff.

Bonnie96

20-01-2012

Originally Posted by mindyann:
“It's one of the reasons I like the 'instant dance' in Dancing with the Stars.

Getting the music only half an hour or so before a dance is performed highlights the celebs who have just been taught a routine which is overlayed onto any music choice or the celeb who has been taught steps and how to link them so the pro can knock up a routine that fits the music.

Interesting stuff.”

Didn't know they did that - must give next series a look

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