Certainly compared to some (many) of the quicksteps we have seen in the past. I think he was well overpraised and overmarked, and if there is an evident disparity between how the judges seem to favour him and his actual dancing, it will react against him in the end, if it continues.

I thought it was very slow for a quickstep

If he had done it any faster it wouldn't have been on time with the music and that would be just silly. Nothing worse than trying to follow a lead who is dancing off time. Its like schizophrenia. Do you follow the guy or the music? In practice you are constantly flip flopping between following the leads and then the music and back to the leads. The whole experience is most unpleasant. .

I've found Peter's dances quite underwhelming so far. For me his performances have been overshadowed by Jay, Anita, Katie and even Ainsley. I'm not saying they are all technically better - I've just found their dances more enjoyable.

I don't think it was slow, per se (he was on time with the music); it just didn't travel like it should have. He needed to drive a bit more with his standing leg, and I think the choreography from Janette could've had a better balance of slows vs. quicks. It was good for week 1, but definitely not worthy of 8s (Jay, Katie, Helen, and Anita were all better I thought).

I didn't like the knees-up-Mother-Brown-i-ness of the running promenades (I think they're called?)

I watched Alesha's QS straight after Saturday's show, danced to the same song. I appreciate they were probably at different stages (I didn't check which week she danced her QS) so she had probably had more training by the time she did hers, but it was light years above Peter's - it had flow, sway, elegance and speed.

However it seems to be a general Strictly trend over recent years...the quicksteps are more like slowsteps (and less and less of the waltz and foxtrot is danced in hold).

The fact that he was almost kneeing himself in the chin was more worrying.

And janette can't dance for shit.

That was bizarre! I can't decide if it was meant to be like that, or if he got it cartoonishly wrong.

Any of the more dance knowledgeable forumites care to give their view on the oddness of that particular section? Error on Peter's part, or bat-shit choreography from Janette?

Or possibly a bit of each? This is why I was dismayed that Peter was paired with Janette. I don't care who he married, or how hammy he is or any of the back story stuff. I just want all the contestants on SCD to work hard and dance well. Peter has what it takes. He is clearly a hard worker, clearly a showman and in my opinion I think he has innate talent.

But there is something about him that is somewhat coarse or crude. He really is a diamond in the rough and needs a teacher/partner to refine and polish him. Someone like Natalie would have taken him up market and given him some finesse and sophistication.

He could have been superb but with Janette I don't think he will reach the potential I think he has.

Natalie would've dwarfed him (he's 5' 8.5'', she's 5' 10'' without heels), but I agree Kristina, Aliona, or even Joanne would've gotten more from him. At the moment, he seems very very Mark Wright, and I can see a similar journey for him unless Janette bucks her choreography and teaching up (although I can see 10s for a Salsa).

This is exactly what I think.
The judges seem to be saying - in their summing up and their scores - that they know he has some technical issues but the spectacle and the entertainment value of the dances are swaying their scoring.
I don't see it. I really don't.
Compared to quite a few of the other dances ( Katie, Ainsley, Kellie ) the showbizzy entertainment quality was woeful in both those dances.
All I can see ( or, rather, not see ) are the Emperor's New Clothes.

" The King Is In The Altogether"...

Yes that is a snaggette. I had no idea he was so wee. He looks quite tall on telly! I would have liked to have seen him with Flavia. But then I would be happy to see Flavia on the show with anyone on any terms.

I know exactly what you mean about the Mark Wright comparison. Its like history repeating.

Peter has potential and could be really good with the exception of salsa think all his dances will be technically lacking especially ballroom as he will be limited by Janette

I thought he just jumped about, I actually didn't recognise the dance

I honestly dont know how great he could be with another pro, I dont think Ola or Karen or joanne would have been any better.
I think he is like Jason Donovan. And even Kristina's much better choreo didn't make Jason technically that good.

I believe Pete is going to sell any dance, and that Janette is going to help him that way but not improve technically.

For week two, he was brilliant.

Jannette's choreo by numbers, ooh they do a little of this here, then we sachay a bit there, kick around a little here, throw in a bit of my little pony, and gurn to save our lives, and there you have it the Snowden Memorial Slowstep.

The judges never learn every year they pick someone to be their favourite and laud them to the skies, while we are all WTF over in viewerland.

For week two parts of it were really bad, especially the trotting,
which shouldn't have been in the dance on any week

I don't know, that was an brilliant attempt at 'trying to knee yourself in the head whilst simultaneously doing an impression of Shergar galloping away to win the Derby.' Not a dance I've ever heard of previously, but it looked a great attempt to me.

Its not really the choreography I am getting at in my post. That is a factor I agree but its more.

I feel like the pro ladies in the past were more capable of taking waddley ugly ducklings and transforming them into sedate swans. I am thinking of Lilia, Erin, Camilla, Katya. The female pro's now seem a bit more wham, bam thank you mam. Or better to say style over substance perhaps.

comes down to training really some of the females on the show (karen/janette especially) dont have a ballroom background and therefore do BTF ballroom all show no substance

BTF?

I am going to kick myself when you clarify aren't I?

Definitely slow and ploddy...

and the galloping bit was just hilariously bad.

It wasn't that bad, it's early days yet, but it wasn't as good as the judges made out. Although I was impressed by his ability to find the camera throughout his number...