Resembled is the right word I think. It did resemble a quickstep but without actually being one. If you thought that was bad wait until you hear what they want him to dance his Paso to.

The thing is you can't make silk purses from sows ears so when the track is chosen to satisfy some production vision rather than what is suitable for the dance style, the dances will never look as they should.

But on the bright side Peter in dreadlocks, guy liner and a bandana will satisfy some producers wet dream no doubt. Who wants to see a paso anyway?

It will probably be more of a gun show poseathon, like his ridiculous opening credits pose.

Hi An Thropologist; crossing over - as requested - from another thread!!

Quickstep should be danced on light feet, using proper heel leads, etc. It should move around the floor, with occasional steps such as Pendulum Points (where the feet are swung outwards and back (ie stand on right foot, kick left foot out to left, stand on left & kick right foot out to right) just like a pendulum on a clock!

Peter's quickstep was very heavy and laboured. Janette tried to fill it with tricks instead of including some decent basic steps which would not only have made it look better, but made it resemble an actual quickstep.

As for the trotting steps: there are "trotting" steps in a quickstep which are normally danced turning a circle, whilst moving down the floor. However, these steps are danced by using the ankles; the feet leaving the floor by about 1 inch. They are not danced by lifting the knees up in that ridiculous fashion. Imagine if they tried to do that when in closed hold instead of promenade - ouch!!!

The problem is Janette. She is a salsa expert; her ballroom is appalling, and her knowledge of the technical side of Latin is also very poor.

Thank you Kaycee. I will give it another go later. I am in fluffy rabbit slippers with ears right now and I don't think they are going to help much. Although as my attempts yesterday all looked like hopping perhaps they are appropriate in their way. Can one do the trotting motion in a grapevine figure?

Thanks for all the input. I that's been helpful. As a teacher (not of dance) I was advised to demonstrate, explain and describe in that order, wherever I could. Of course you can really only do the last two on a forum

Yes I know what you mean. I am also trying to build from what I know and extend into the unknown by adapting what I can already do. I don't know any ballroom at all

But I understand pushing out of the floor/ heels kissing the floor from salsa, cha cha etc. I know the grapevine from AT. Hence the nature of my questions.

Marcus and Karen Hilton demonstrating pendulum points although I'm not sure if Peter did these in his routine. I seem to remember him doing something like them very briefly, but kicking his leg out more and rocking the body from side to side which is specifically what Marcus and Karen are saying you shouldn't do.

Https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XBlEQ1sQsRQ

I can't find a demo (from a reputable ballroom source) of the other charleston like steps they did.

I didn't think Peter's basic (quarter turns and progressive chasses) were too bad for a week 2 dance, and it could have been a lot better if they'd worked more on it and included more steps from the bronze/silver level. The more flashy choreography got a bit weird (both footwork and posture) and detracted from the performance in my view. I think if it had been marked a bit lower, there wouldn't be so much criticism here since things would seem more in perspective.

Oh err. I think a penny may have dropped on this step. I can do this side to side thing two ways two ways (even in fluffy slippers).

I can keep the standing leg under my body, so I am leaving and returning to the same spot with alternate feet while the other swings out. Or I can transfer my weight to the outer foot. So on the first my weight stays central all the time. In the second my weight is transferring a foot or so to the right and then a foot or so to the left. I am guessing the first is right and the second wrong???

Yes, I think so. 1 keeps your vertical access in one place, like a pendulum. You would only transfer your weight if you are moving off into another step.

I have to be honest and say that, although I've danced a lot of ballroom for some time now, I don't dance this particular step and so can't really advise. (Not going to pretend to be expert at something when I'm not.) But you can't get a much more reliable source than Marcus and Karen, although there will always be artistic differences of opinion!

When I mentioned PP, I only did so as an example of steps danced on the spot. As you say, not sure Peter actually did them in his routine, agree there was something like it. Rocking the body from side to side is absolutely a NO NO (& who would argue with the delightful Marcus and Karen). The movement should come from the legs only, not the body.

[quote=Ann_Dancer;79918435]Marcus and Karen Hilton demonstrating pendulum points although I'm not sure if Peter did these in his routine. I seem to remember him doing something like them very briefly, but kicking his leg out more and rocking the body from side to side which is specifically what Marcus and Karen are saying you shouldn't do.

Of course Marcus and Karen know what they are talking about. The body should not move. Think of the pendulum in a Grandfather clock, the head of the dancer is the top of the pendulum, held quite still, whist the legs swing from side to side to side. You can dance these on quicks and slows.

[quote=Jennifer_F;79925244]
So good to see you back on the forum jennifer.

[quote=Jennifer_F;79925244]
It was actually Karen Hardy's attempt to explain why Peter's trotting was a bit 'Knees up Mother Brown' that started this I tried to reproduce what I thought she was describing but all I go was something that resembled hopping. Trouble is I can't even remember what she said now.

Thank you Ellie. I have been really busy with a project I am working on at the moment so have not had the time to visit this forum, but will be able to after this weekend. "Speak later" !

To be fair to Andre, he is dancing with the worst professional dancer, so he's disadvantaged from the start.

Oops, sorry. I didn't see Karen and so lost the thread of the discussion. Here are Luca and Lorraine dancing different types of runs, for anyone who wants to see what they should look like. Www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTxF5vO4_kY

Sadly you may be right. I think Peter may go down as my greatest disappointment ever on SCD. I am really quite neutral about the Peter A persona. I can see why people find him annoying and I can see why others love him. Personally I don't give two hoots one way or another.

But I did see him as prime raw material; the proverbial diamond in the rough, Before we saw the pairings I had really high hopes that someone would take this ham hock and mould him into a swan; if you will forgive the ridiculous mixed metaphor.

Nothing gives me more enjoyment in SCD than to see someone transformed from whatever they are in every day life into something elegant, classy and sassy (if men can be sassy). That for me is the magic in this show. I honestly felt Peter had the basic aptitude and work ethic to leave as something different and if you like better than he was when he arrived. I fear what we will get is a sense of an opportunity wasted. I so wish he had had a more disciplined old school type pro to learn from.

I actually agree with a lot of what you say, An Thropologist. I'm also fairly neutral about Peter and I also think Janette is the wrong teacher for him and he would have benefited from a more traditional teacher (Lilia style).

I actually don't agree with those who say it was really bad though. I thought he started off well with the intro and the simpler steps, and generally there were a lot of things I really liked about his dancing. I think some male celebs just shuffle across the floor, so that you would think ballroom is a very namby pamby dance style, whereas I think he has quite nice drive (getting into his legs) and musicality. Also the routine was full of QS from start to finish and so not much faffing around. However he was let down in two areas: a difficult routine for week 2 and failure to point out some obvious, unattractive faults which made his dancing look odd at times. Even so, I still would have marked him well, but not as high as the judges.

I would agree

I was looking forward to watching Peter but I have to admit, I was disappointed he got paired with Janette - I have been distinctly underwhelmed by both their dances and I dont think Janette can choreography for toffee (or dance ballroom)

I am not sure if the worst worst, but certainly one of the weakest ones. I dont think Karen is much better and Ola just about (not so bad at the beginning but now is "tired").


Which makes me think, actually the BBC or the PTB are quite smart at playing the game too. They obviously dont want him to win, otherwise they would have given him a better pro (though by his height I think only Kristina, Ola and Aliona are appropriate and its obvious why he wasnt given Kristina), all these favouring him through pimp slot and overscoring (based on technical) is creating the illusion of favouring him when in fact they have handed him the biggest handicap they could have given him.
If he overcomes that, then hats off to him. He has got something I cant see myself but others must!

Men can be sassy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNa9gYlKq6s

Peter is used to "freestyling" but his technique needs serious work. I think he's a t*at but he definitely has potential.

To be fair, and I'm no fan of Janette's choreography, she matched the dance to his intellect, so slow and plodding was accurate.

...If only she could have got insincere and desperate in there as well!

oh lol. how hilarious!!!!1111!!! if you'd got orange and famewhore in there, you'd have won you full house in the strictly bingo stakes.

i struggle to find him anything more than average so far, with potential that may or may not be realised.

Thanks! . I'll try harder next time!