I agree with all your points. I did not enjoy the dance, to me it was a bad ballroom inspired AT. Bad frame - I know you don't all it that - but it was more Ballroom hold than AT, all the better to push Katie around I suspect

Very well observed Jennifer It was uncomfortable to watch and Katie looked beautiful but so unsteady!

I just wanted it to be over. Poor Anton!

Looked a bit of a nightmare to dance, if I'm honest, rather Katie than me.!

Thanks. I only just catch it.

Thanks for the reply sofakat. Beginning to understand contra body movement, I think ...

Yes it happens quite quickly, especially in QS, but you can see the way he throws her backwards into it. He has not got the correct posture or technique himself so how can he expect her to dance it well. There is no preparation for it. In all dance groups you need to spend time,( even if its a nano second) to prepare for the next step. Glebs lack of very basic ballroom knowledge again.

Actually I wouldn't have noticed that he throws her into it, so thanks. But the bib, I quite agree. Much though I've taken a fancy to him I'm not keen on his choreography and question his skill as I do Janette's. I wish they would involve dancers from the ballroom world and no one else however pretty.

It requires a great deal of control to dance this well to speed, but of course, in a Waltz you have more time to think about what you are doing, and to spend time extending your shape.
I

Thanks for the comments on head position Jennifer. Probably one of my weakest points.


Yes, good example. Just to add that in the textbook CBM is described as the turning of the opposite side of the body towards the stepping foot, usually to initiate turn.

CBMP is described as the placement of the stepping foot across the standing foot (e.g when stepping outside) or in line with the standing foot (e.g. Pivot).

Sorry, swallowed the textbook recently as learning all this for exams.


You may not agree with this sofakat but for me the saving grace was that Anton did not try to do anything cheap or flashy in the AT and so although it was not that well executed, I think he sort of respected the dance. Although, that said, he could have respected it more and started learning it before now given there was a good chance he'd have to dance it.

Not sure who choreographed the AT for them, if it was the usual person, but I also thought Anton looked uncomfortable and it even showed in his face, so Katie seemed to do well to keep up with his struggles as well as her own steps. Bless them.

Bit baffled by the QSathon too because of the camera angles, didn't agree with the judges but it was so difficult to see much of the couples for enough time.

Thank you for analysis of the VW and Tango, Helen suddenly seems to have broken through last night.

I believe that Anton did enlist the help of experts in AT but I don't know their names - hopefully someone will let you know at some point.

Yes he did. Someone on the NAT named them but I can't recall the names.

Giraldo and Mina, just found it on the NAT!

They commented on the dance and how it was danced on their fb page.

Thanks Elan. Here's their page for anyone interested: https://www.facebook.com/CorrientesTangoArgentino/

They say nice things about Katie. Wish I could have seen her dress rehearsal.

I've been missing this thread!

I'd love to know what all you lovely knowledgeable people thought about each of the dances last night?

Best dance of the night for me was Kellie and Kevins AS. I thought it was fantastic. Brilliant choreography just the right amount of show with a good amount of Foxtrot. It was danced really very well and I can see that Kellie has worked on her technique. One of Kellies major assets in Ballroom is that she is really grounded, balanced and into her knees - none of the other ladies match her here. Her topline becomes a little tense at times and it affects her poise but what a super job. They made it look effortless. Lovely, real class.

Anita - what can I say. She does the very best with the instruction she has, but her footwork is really awful. However, she does perform well and very much looks the part. It was quite nice choreography but not danced particularly well. Gleb was as bad as Anita - shocking footwork. He is lucky that Anita knows no better, as I would have had words with him after him being so back weighted in the runs backwards, with heels down!

Georgia - lovely little dancer, rough week of illness for her. Very simple VW routine mostly full of standing spins/fleckerls/pivots - crowd pleasers. Nice topline but needs to be more settled into the floor, and needs to use the floor to drive from in VW when coming forward. Needs to be into knees far more - too high out of floor.

Katie - Such a shame, should have been her dance. Just too many stumbles, too many mistakes. Think a lot was down to nerves. When she was in promenade position, I could almost see her thinking " which foot do I come out on.." she looked very unsure.
Nice basic choreo, she did a couple of nice lines, same foot lunge into devellope line - one of the best I have seen on the show. Most ladies just pick the whole leg up - but you ,must pick up the knee, then extend from there.

I'll let someone else comment on the others,although I did enjoy Jays charleston and thought Kellie had a great Rumba. I would have liked it a little more feminine - a la Kara Tointon - but great job overall. One of the better Rumbas

Agree mostly but for circa opening dozen bars of Kellie rumba which showed little of the required romance in character or expression in arms hips head etc

I agree with most of Jennifer's comments, especially regarding Kellie's groundedness in ballroom which is not that often seen on Strictly but is a sign of really good technique. I really enjoyed her AS; my favourite dance of the evening. Good content but still wow!

Georgia's topline in VW was also particularly lovely, but her cha cha showed she hadn't had long to learn it. Much better though than most would have managed in a short time.

I was very disappointed with Katie. Apart from being a bit stumbly, I think she still needs quite a lot of work on her posture (which looks a bit too 'held') and I didn't think the changing of hold from relaxed to formal every now and then (Anton's choreography) helped her much. I think it made it look a bit messy and disjointed. In fact generally I was not keen on some of the choreography (pivots yet again)!

I agree about the Lunge into the Developpe. Very good balance and technique. I have one in a Quickstep routine I am doing and it is not easy. (I'm struggling - Help!)

I agree to some extent with pabird about Kellie's rumba. I think she rushed some of the lines a bit to start with, especially the arms, but I still think it was a good attempt.

I know nothing about Charleston technique but I enjoyed Jay's routine.

Interesting to read your comments about K&K's AS. I thought it was fantastic up to the side-by-side section and then I thought it lost all it's grace, but that's purely from an observers pov, I don't have any technical knowledge.

I really enjoy reading all the info in this thread, thanks for having the patience to share your knowledge with us.

Jennifer and Ann, thanks for the comments. So pleased that Kellie's AS was technically and content-wise as wowee as it appeared.

I hope that Kellie & Kevin have made it through, they deserve it, not just because of yesterdays dancing, but they have been consistently good right from the off. The last few couples all seem to have good fan bases so I hate to think who is on the DO this week.
Going back to Kellie through, it is important to keep grounded and balanced in ballroom, this is one of the things that Kellie does so very well. All the other ladies are too high in the legs so there is no power in any of their movements. Kellie is only learning of course but for improvement she needs to drive from her standing leg, particularly when she is dancing forwards. I thought the side by side choreo was fantastic too. One of the few routines I have ever bothered watching again on iplayer.
I like Georgias dancing too, but she is too light across the floor and needs to lower the centre of gravity, keep in the knees more. Hope she is through too.

General dancing question. Putting aside the music and the choreography, was Anita also hindered in her Salsa by her footwear? She couldn't get up on her toes in those shoes. Aren't platform shoes all wrong for dancing? They made Anita look very flatfooted in that dance.

I don't know too much about salsa, but it is not a dance I like on SCD. Down to personal taste of course, but I thought the whole routine very strange for a salsa, from the theme, the outfits and routine. I daresay it would have worked for a showdance though.
No, I like dancers to wear proper dance shoes as a rule. I understand that they don't for charleston, but for the other dances, I prefer proper shoes. Of course we have to bear in mind that they, the dancers, may not have freedom of choice in the matter

Thanks, Jennifer. Somehow, I get the impression that Gleb has had a lot of say in Anita's costumes. While I agree with you about proper dance shoes, watching her feet made me think that even flat plimsolls would surely have been better than those platforms. They really were dreadful. At least flat plimsolls would have let her get up on and point her toes.

Dear ballroom specialists, a final round of questions. Re-Kellie and Kevin's tango in the final: was this danced in a proper ballroom hold? According to some Kellie was not in a proper ballroom hold so your opinions are welcome.