Felt quite disappointed in J tonight, for several reasons, but it's his life and his carrear his choices. Not for me to judge.

Well my night hasn't gone to plan at all...missed the lot and have spent the last hour or so multi tasking, watching recorded Strictly, reading and responding to Facebook/Twitter/texts/thread etc.

The long and the short of it.. we were never, ever going to get a rerun of Week 3.

Some were worried, understandably, that this Jive might be a disaster...IT ABSOLUTELY WAS NOT!

We've watched it to death on YT and know every nuance...back to front. No surprise then that we see every difference and might see anything veering from the orginal as a bad thing.

My first thoughts were...Jeez Jay looks incredibly nervous seated at that table. Then, yep, signs there that he's been enjoying his 6 months off...but...hang on, by Week 3 he'd been in training with Aliona for 6 weeks and more before they were paired...so no surprise he's not at the same performance level.

Then, I got a text from my daughter who had persuaded her partner to watch...just for J&A...he loved it...thought they were great. So, I looked elsewhere for other responses...yes a tiny smattering were negative...but I'd bet they would be, regardless. Other than that, everyone loved it...again.

I agree that camera angles, atmosphere etc etc were not the same...and I was hugely disappointed we didn't get the full effect of the spins...but that is exactly why they were right not to choose the Jive for the final.

I watched again, just...it really is fantastic!


That chemistry is still there...it's just not in the Strictly bubble anymore.

[quote=BMLisa;83831915]
Stig answered that question a bit later - something to do with the audience obscuring view with their standing ovations and wanting to shoot from angles

I too knew about post 464 by Stig.

But I am sure someone asked why there were multiple takes of the jive. (Thinking there may have been errors)

Stig said they did it 3 times (if I remember correctly) for the technicalities of varying camera angles etc.

But they still danced well each time.

Only thing is I can't remember the thread or the post number. I have tried to search Stig's posts but it took me back to 2010😨

ETA Sorry Polly you beat me to it

Ahhhh you said all my thoughts. S I did earlier any week what we saw tonight would get 10s

Aliona is a professional dancer who has clearly kept up her levels of fitness, and she could barely speak at the end either. I've no doubt several takes took the sharpness off it a bit

Stigs online. Have asked

https://twitter.com/StaceySolomon/st...17720053809152

Does anyone know where one can watch Jay on "Fusion TV?

I agree with everyone in their response to tonight's performance, the positive and negative. I think that as many have said we are the few that will pick up of every nuance of the dance, whereas the neutral viewer will not.

I received a text from my friend tonight. She's a strictly fan and wanted Jaliona to win last year but is by no means the fanatic I am. She said, and I quote:
'Just watched Jay and Aliona on strictly: still hot😍'
Now why would she text me that if she didn't mean it?

It was good, we just hold them to an incredibly high standard!

And they were!

I'll continue muttering about his unflattering trousers and the malevolent cameramen though...

Sorry you didn't get to see programme in full - I just thought the camera work did them no favours as it didn't show the highlights of their Jive to its full effect. Jays trousers looked too long...must have lost those safety pins
Felt Aliona was emotional and am sure Jay a bit too -

As for negative vibes on other threads - those negative posts were there last year when they were wowing us every week...there will always be detractors.
Am sure Aliona will have Jay well ready and prepared for KD where we will see their dances to full effect without camera moving our views of their performance(s)

I think you may have to download their app. I haven't bothered hoping it will all appear on You Tube before too long.

Ok found it Stig answered the multiple takes question on post no. 499 same Spoiler thread - I think page 20 or 21.
I exaggerated - think they did it twice (not 5)- tho mentioned multiple takes which may explain all the camera angle shots

I'm back! Been watching Burghley Horse Trials on catch up. You'll be glad to hear none were found guilty.......ba boom tish!

To add to my earlier comments for clarity, I was happy it was danced as well but clearly Jay isn't as fit as he was in Feb (when let's face it he was HAWT) plus the two takes (presumably back to back?) had taken the edge off them perhaps?
I really, really, REALLY want them to be awesome in KD, not least because watching it 6 times will be awful if they're not!

I'm just wibbling/being paranoid now but....he will take BIG seriously, won't he? Nowhere to hide live on a theatre stage.....😨😮

Don't worry Jnb, he'll be fine. He'll have been in the thick of training and rehearsals for a couple of months by the time Big starts. And Jay has proved he's awesome once he's in the groove!

Yes, you're being paranoid

Yes, he will take BIG seriously, it's something he actively chose to do.

In the interview on the Saturday Show I rather got the impression that BIG is the focus. As it should be.

I've told you a million times not to exaggerate Polly😜

But it's no wonder they were pooped. Such a high energy dance as the jive. Which I loved watching again.

Plus, after the dance that Tess woman grabbed Aliona and sort of left Jay hanging. During the competition Jay always stood between Tess and Ali (with his arm round Ali).
So it looked strange and added to that weird feeling at the end of the dance. (Well that is my thought anyway)

Just watched the jive again on iplayer, with the sound off, so no distractions. Mighty fine indeed, even with the odd angles and not being able to see those great spins to full effect.
And I caught a few looks between them too....

All good.

Well I hope he and Aliona have time to rehearse next week. I am seeing seeing them on Tuesday (6 September) in Milton Keynes. Big might be the focus but people are spending money and time on KD too.

I knew there was something wrong with that picture Hannah. Thanks for highlighting it. Usually they were so close in that situation and they couldn't seem further apart tonight, now I know why. Feeling better about that now.

Even if they're not quite on it then, you've got plenty of other performances to see and chart their progression!

ETA: Sorry Jayfan, thought that was Jnb again. But you are going to more than one show still aren't you? I'm sure he appreciates that many are spending money to see him and will produce the goods anyway.

I agree, I think Jay and Aliona's heads were very much elsewhere...it must be very strange returning but not being a part of the new set up, especially for Aliona. I had a taste of that when I returned to work after a long absence to find my team substantially changed...talk about fish out of water.
Found two comments from the newbies to be quite touching though...Laura tweeted Aliona to say how she was star struck backstage and that she and Jay were 'awesome', plus Ore seemed intimidated by the Jive having seen J&A do it 'how it's supposed to be'
I do agree, the camera didn't do them any justice this time and I also thought the trousers just looked too full around the bottom.

Rule number one...avoid the hatahs

Spree there are a couple of very short clips of Jay at Fusion on their Twitter time line @fusionfest ...but he's not doing much. I've tweeted them to ask how we can see more. Let's see if they respond

ETA ahouch They may put some footage on YT but if it's the same quality / quantity as in previous years...don't hold your breath V Festival, they are not.

Why should it be? People will have paid perfectly good money to see KD. They deserve his commitment every bit as much as those who go to see BIG. This isn't a performance he is putting on for his mates. J took 3 months to get into the kind of shape he was in at the end of SCD. If he wants to dance and sing professionally now he needs to give exactly that level of commitment, and there certainly isn't enough time before the beginning of KD.

I'm looking forward to seeing them on Friday and I think they'll be just fine.

The returning champ getting his extensions done...
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/9...b/p046nbz8.jpg

Jay and Ali
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/9...b/p046nd1k.jpg

Oh for goodness sake. I'm sure they'll be fine.