Two hurrahs from me .......

1) The guys outfits - those who were wearing tails were actually wearing them properly, instead of that ridiculous previous look of tails worn with coloured shirt and a tie tucked into the cummerbund, like a babies bib.

2) There was actually some real dancing. Real authentic steps : Frankie's foxtrot, Jake's quickstep, Sunetra's Viennese, Caroline's paso, Steve's waltz, even the 2 sambas, all looked like the real thing.

Thank you - for me the best show of the series!

I really enjoyed the show too. I agree with you about the dances and the costumes.

For once I only had one music quibble which was Simon's VW. There was something odd about that VW for me and I am concluding it was the music. Perhaps it lacked the lyrical, ethereal, soft focus quality I expect from the VW. Although I feel something else was odd even Kristina didn't seem right.

However I loved the Bond Paso. I want to do an AT to that now.

I don't think Somebody to Love was too bad for a VW but, perhaps, would have been better for a waltz-based American Smooth. The trouble is the Queen version is full of light and shade but the Dave Arch version was just full-on shouty and OTT.

The men's outfits were 100% improved this week. Overall I think the choreography has been better this year, especially with the pro routines which are more recognisable as ballroom and latin dances. I wonder if this is the influence of Anya (who was the best choreographer last year)?

I must say the Dave Arch singer made a much better job of "Cilla's" Anyone who ever had a heart than Cilla.

I knew from the list of dances I would enjoy the show more this week, but it was even better because of beautiful ballroom gowns and the guys wore tails.

That said, I miss the days when couples did not break hold dancing the VW. The VWs we see now are like the DWTS version (American v International?) and that's a disappointment for me. I know the various reasons why it happens, but it sort of defeats the object.

As for the VW to Somebody to love I am not sure if it was the music but something just seemed odd. I am waiting for it to come up on U tube to see if I can work out why I feel like that about it.

Completely agree. DD (not yet into her second decade) said "That was a really lovely song!" once the dance ended.

"Yes", quoth I, "I never really noticed that when I heard Cilla's version!".

A goose being repeatedly slammed into a bacon slicer would make a much better job of Anyone Who Had A Heart than Cilla.

Sheridan Smith playing Cilla recently sang it much better too.

Indeed. Agree with all the above. I am no fan of Cilla's voice, I always think she had a rather ugly tone and screeched rather than belted. I love the song by everyone who isn't Cilla and almost everyone has done it; Luther Vandross, Linda Ronstadt, Shirley Basey, Dionne Warwick obviously. Personally I like Dusty Springfield's rendition.

Sheridan Smith did a brilliant job too. I would love to see her do SCD.

Agree Kaycee but not so keen on Jake's quickstep routine or Mark's samba but the rest I enjoyed even my dad who is a stickler over ballroom enjoyed ballroom this week telling me on the phone proper and I have known him in the past to ask judges did they need his glasses when at a comp and he didnt agree with the markng

I enjoyed the show (the dancing - I skip thru the in-between bits) more this week. I'm not the most observant Spy on the forum, but wasn't the camera work better? I could see their whole bodies more than usual, there was far less dizzy swirling too.

It does make you wonder if the Strictly bosses read these threads,
Better music, lovely Ballroom dresses and tailsuits too. Better camera work. Much better show for it.

The music for VW should be soft, dreamy and lilting. The timing was OK but musical choice very poor, I would not have liked to dance to that.

I'd be very surprised if they didn't?

In cilla's defence she's a better singer than victoria beckham.

Rumour has it that after weeks of complaining by the sweet lady that runs costumes that 90 per cent of her material budget was going on Alison's outfit they've bolstered the kitty - can't make a silk purse from a sows ear

You had to be around in the sixties to appreciate why Cilla got to number one in the charts with 'Anyone Who Had a Heart'. It burst out of nowhere, after all the rock n roll, it was wonderful. I still get nostalgic when I hear her version.

I have two Cilla songs in my collection, Anyone Who Had A Heart and You're My World and both give me goosebumps when she sings them. There are better versions out there, but having just watched the mini-series Cilla, I do get what Lucypher means.

completely agree, that would be the utterly fabulous Hayley Sanderson

Not just the VW, they seem to break hold in most of the ballroom dances now, which means they are dancing American Smooth. So when they come to do so-called American Smooth all they do is add a few lifts - which are not part of American Smooth!!!

Apart from the music, what was odd were the jumpy skippy steps, Kristina throwing her head about and Kristina's poor footwork. If a 'teacher' can't do a dance then she certainly can't teach it!

I know kaycee and it's a sign of how much the show has changed when a non-dancer like me does know these things simply because I've watched SCD & ITT from the very start.

think Kristina was trying to do the head thing Jo used to do with Paolo in their vw

Think you are right, and wasn't it Natalie Gumede (apologies for spelling) who made such a wonderful job of the head rolls last year? But Kristina couldn't master it. I often wonder if some of the pros bother to record their whole routines and play it back to see what it actually looks like, because that is the only way to really judge their own performance.

You're not alone, Buddy!