Originally Posted by KorkyTheCat: “birdspotting
Alright! Last rehearsal for BIG at Dance attic finished. It has been an amazing few weeks, in the same way learning to box must be amazing... and you can't help but feel like you might have been punched in the face many many times. Anyway, let's take a deep breath, get ready for round two, and smile that you're in the ring. 💪🏼🤘🏻👍🏼
3,049 likes
4h
*
We had a ringside seat
To see this warrior fight
And it all came together
On the final night.
Pound for honest pound
He rolled with the punches
Took ill words on the chin
As we heard confirmed our hunches.
He withstood many a body blow
But never let down his guard
Was never on the ropes
And never with others sparred.
He danced so sublimely
With millions in his corner
So many true supporters
But the four gave him no quarter.
The gloves were never off
He never took a dive
Or threw in the towel
And each week he survived.
When boxed into a corner
He was never down and out
Always an honest contender
Going into each bout.
Hit by the old one-two
Punched below the belt
He danced against the odds
Playing the hand he was dealt.
Just saved by the bell
Overcoming doubt
This fighter is a winner
In fact... knockout!”
Originally Posted by BionicBard: “Last night as he put his smile in a glass
And set it on the night stand
I wonder if Len dreamt of dances past
In that glittery Strictly land?
Where once there was a Perfect Jive
That had never been seen before
Cool flicks and spins that came alive
And thrilled us to the core
The judges raved and praised with glee
The phenomenon that is Jay
But as it was "only in week three"
They threw the 'tens' away
This year Len's wishing Ore could be
The one to claim Jay's Crown
How difficult can it really be
To knock McGuiness down?
They tried so hard for all last year
To put him in his place
With snide remarks and jibes about
His lack of gurning face
But it didn't work, the viewers' voice
Was loud and clear in the vote
Jay was the victor, the outright choice
And Len's ambitions smote!
So remember this, Len, before you go
To claim your pension plan
Though Ore may have danced quite well
Those 'tens' went to the wrong man….”
Do we actually think ore would be able to do Jays jive...A big fat NO, I don't care what some posters are saying apparently Ore could re create Jays jive for goodness sake he hardly did his jive justice IMO, nowhere near as good as most generic jives that have been on strictly let alone touching Jays. Yeah ore could definitely do those spinning kick ball changes in the beat of the music, have his hands placed at the right moment, have his body movements change with the speed of the music, be in synch with his pro partner yeah Ore would be able to do all of that *says sarcasticslly*
Originally Posted by BionicBard: “Last night as he put his smile in a glass
And set it on the night stand
I wonder if Len dreamt of dances past
In that glittery Strictly land?
Where once there was a Perfect Jive
That had never been seen before
Cool flicks and spins that came alive
And thrilled us to the cor
The judges raved and praised with glee
The phenomenon that is Jay
But as it was "only in week three"
They threw the 'tens' away
This year Len's wishing Ore could be
The one to claim Jay's Crown
How difficult can it really be
To knock McGuiness down?
They tried so hard for all last year
To put him in his place
With snide remarks and jibes about
His lack of gurning face
But it didn't work, the viewers' voice
Was loud and clear in the vote
Jay was the victor, the outright choice
And Len's ambitions smote!
So remember this, Len, before you go
To claim your pension plan
Though Ore may have danced quite well
Those 'tens' went to the wrong man….”
Originally Posted by fatskia: “The dances were a big part of what made Jay and Aliona special, but we also have the It Takes Two appearances - which were also exceptional.
As partnerships on Strictly go, also the best.
I'm picking this one because Aliona looks so beautiful, but what they say and how they interact was a big part of why they were so popular.
Originally Posted by fatskia: “The dances were a big part of what made Jay and Aliona special, but we also have the It Takes Two appearances - which were also exceptional.
As partnerships on Strictly go, also the best.
I'm picking this one because Aliona looks so beautiful, but what they say and how they interact was a big part of why they were so popular.
Oh, they're so perfect together, I do miss them. And that wonderful clip of the AT - I don't care what anybody says, he danced that so incredibly well for the amount of rehearsal time they'd had. He was so fascinated by the dance and was already showing a deep interest in its interpretation. I'd really love to see them do a programme about the AT together, developing the various aspects as they go along. Wouldn't mind betting that they'd both be up for that, and it would make magical viewing.
Jay and Aliona's jive was streets ahead of Ore and Joannes
if copying bits of J&A's jive into your own makes it "the best jive ever" then ok
slick, precise, fast, dymanic and mind blowing
Ore was doing mainly flicks and kicks and he didn't even do them well, why did no one point out that his toe wasn't pointed, almost flicking into a flat foot
the judges need to go to Specsavers!
Ores jive isn't even the 2nd best jive ever either - that crown belongs to Jill Halfpenny and I would even go as far as to say Louisa Lytton was better than Ore
I get the distinct impression from Ali's twitter that she is unimpressed with last night. She has favourited virtually every tweet that refers to the jive
I had this horrible thought earlier, I hope they haven't asked her to present choreography corner - could be a bit awkward.
Originally Posted by fatskia: “The dances were a big part of what made Jay and Aliona special, but we also have the It Takes Two appearances - which were also exceptional.
As partnerships on Strictly go, also the best.
I'm picking this one because Aliona looks so beautiful, but what they say and how they interact was a big part of why they were so popular.
Originally Posted by jayfan: “There is a lot of support for Danny and Oti on another thread I think but striking how little interest there is overall.
I wonder if more people are using FB or Twitter?”
Yes, for all the "wow, that was amazing" from the judges, the public don't seem to have been inspired much either by Danny or Ore. Just quiet enjoyment of the show.
Rafferty - don't think I said it before when I was fuming about Len, but great review.
Anyway - takes deep breath and plunges in - TT's version of last night (had to take a while to calm down ):
Spoiler
1. Greg & Natalie salsa - still picks up his feet too much, and no hip movement. Was very conscious that his lifts were all one-armed until the last one. And does Natalie think we won't remember that that last lift is the same one she did with Ricky Whittle in her very first year? So much for 'something we've never seen before'. And I think it was reckless to risk exacerbating Greg's injury and risk Natalie herself in that way.
2. Laura & Joe Varney quickstep - the way she held her head without curving back the shoulders and back to hold her position properly gave the effect of her having her shoulders up by her ears sometimes. And her dress was lovely but ruined by having Joe wearing a matching shirt. He should have been dressed in plain black or purple. Horrible music. I'm still seeing potential in these guys, so hope they don't get knocked out before they have a chance.
3. Anastacia & Brendan rumba - lacked fluidity. Brenda looked very ill - lost his balance on one turn at the start which might indicate inner ear problem, common when you're ill. Was constantly trying to hide hacking cough.
4. Claudia & AJ FT - Ghastly theming and music for a FT, or indeed for any dance. Completely impossible to do a memorable or likeable dance to it. Height difference is a real problem - I'm not sure if that was the reason there was some gapping. Also one move where she just appeared to lift one leg up for no particular reason. It wasn't a 'dance' move, more like a gymnast prep move.
5. Ed & Katya Paso - Oh dear. Oh deary, deary me! Katya did her best to help him, but it looked like he just forgot most of the routine. It was never going to be his best dance anyway, but... less said the better, probably!
6. Naga & Pasha Charleston - please someone, put them out of their misery. Naga was beginning to come out of her shell a bit in this dance, but still not all that much. And if you can't do it in a Charleston, when can you? Ed's dancing may be considerably worse, but at least he looks like he's enjoying every second. I still thought the judges could have been a bit more generous, though.
7. Louise & Kevin FT - extremely disappointing. Will I ever be able to listen to Amy Winehouse again? Kevin and his stupid choreography strikes again. She's got to do something about her hands - they are always just so "placed" in a girly, pop star way, it ruins it. Also struck me very forcibly how much easier it is for the women to have swing and sway - they just need to let the men lead and follow their body movements. The men need to initiate it all themselves. Kev gets a lot of flak for lots of different reasons, but it has always looked to me like he is an extremely good leader.
8. Danny & Oti QS - the first time I've liked one of Danny's dances, apart from the Tom Chambers bit at the start. Having said that, Oti's dress was glorious - real old fashioned glamour - and he was in tails. Music couldn't get more appropriate - in fact, he's had appropriate music and theming 4 weeks in a row. Puts others at a disadvantage, so beginning to feel a bit grumpy about that. Don't get me wrong - I don't want Danny's music and costuming to get worse - I want everyone else's to get better. Best dance of the night for me.
9. Daisy & Aljaz rumba - a bit disappointing. Looked better in rehearsal - I think she was nervous. However, Aljaz is teaching her a lot of technique and if she gets through to the later stages, that will stand her in good stead.
10. Rinder & Oksana VW - I'm not sure whether he can't dance or Oksana can't teach him because he seems to be getting worse week by week. They faffed for about 29s, spent 11s in hold, then broke hold for to faff, then went into hold for 17s then faffed around to the end. That's a total of 1m faffing. The second set in hold was worse than the first as he lost the top line as well and his elbows started to go saggy. His footwork is horrible and ploddy. He needs Aliona, not Oksana.
11. Lesley & Anton Charleston - delightful. He looks to be having more fun with her than he ever did with Katie. I commented last year about how people can bring out the worst in each other - last year, Katie became more and more like Anton. This year, Lesley seems to be making Anton more like herself, which can only be an improvement.
12. Ore & Joanne and the overrated Jive - great Jive. Really great. Really athletic. Extremely enjoyable (none of that's sarcastic). Two people dancing separately on the floor without any seeming partnership between them. There were no other 'dance' moves (and I don't count funny walks) to make it a complete and memorable routine, just full-on face forward jive. That's why I won't be drawn to re-watch. Ore was sometimes a bit flat footed and at his best, didn't have Jay's sharp flicking quality. Could be a bit clumsy, particularly in the latter part of the routine (must have been a bit knackered, but looked to me as though he got slightly lost with the arms once or twice). Looks to me as though he's yet to learn how to spin (not seen it in any of his routines thus far that I can remember). Should have scored the same as Danny - all 9s, or perhaps they both could have had one 10. Still, the marks wouldn't have bothered me very much (everyone knows J should have got 4 10s) if it hadn't been for Len's totally unnecessary "move over J" comment. I know that each year they want to indicate that the competition is better than ever, and it certainly is ringier than ever this year. But dissing one of the most iconic routines Strictly has ever had is just stupid and insulting.
... and breathe
ETA: I didn't think the barber shop quartet were toe curling at all. Loved them! Then again, I love singing and a capella is extremely demanding.
Jay and Aliona's jive was streets ahead of Ore and Joannes
if copying bits of J&A's jive into your own makes it "the best jive ever" then ok
slick, precise, fast, dymanic and mind blowing
Ore was doing mainly flicks and kicks and he didn't even do them well, why did no one point out that his toe wasn't pointed, almost flicking into a flat foot
the judges need to go to Specsavers!
Ores jive isn't even the 2nd best jive ever either - that crown belongs to Jill Halfpenny and I would even go as far as to say Louisa Lytton was better than Ore”
Originally Posted by Lola the cat: “I get the distinct impression from Ali's twitter that she is unimpressed with last night. She has favourited virtually every tweet that refers to the jive
I had this horrible thought earlier, I hope they haven't asked her to present choreography corner - could be a bit awkward.
Don't worry Ali, we got your back on this one ”
I think we can conclude that Jay and Aliona are personal non grata with the SCD powers that be. Will be very surprised if they ever appear on SCD or ITT.
Jay and Aliona's jive was streets ahead of Ore and Joannes
if copying bits of J&A's jive into your own makes it "the best jive ever" then ok
slick, precise, fast, dymanic and mind blowing
Ore was doing mainly flicks and kicks and he didn't even do them well, why did no one point out that his toe wasn't pointed, almost flicking into a flat foot
the judges need to go to Specsavers!
Ores jive isn't even the 2nd best jive ever either - that crown belongs to Jill Halfpenny and I would even go as far as to say Louisa Lytton was better than Ore”
I'm borrowing a phrase from a post by Frank Mag on the Jay v Ore thread on the MF:
Jay's jive - Like trying to catch lightning in a bottle
Jill's jive - Seeing a triple rainbow
Ore's jive - Watching the raindrops hit the puddles.
Jay and Aliona's jive was streets ahead of Ore and Joannes
if copying bits of J&A's jive into your own makes it "the best jive ever" then ok
slick, precise, fast, dymanic and mind blowing
Ore was doing mainly flicks and kicks and he didn't even do them well, why did no one point out that his toe wasn't pointed, almost flicking into a flat foot
the judges need to go to Specsavers!
Ores jive isn't even the 2nd best jive ever either - that crown belongs to Jill Halfpenny and I would even go as far as to say Louisa Lytton was better than Ore”
Agree, especially Len. Sorry but totally unimpressed with him this year. And even last. He loses his thought halfway through the sentence almost every time he's about to say anything. And some of his observations are questionable. Nobody said anything about closing your heels in Viennese Waltz this year, and you could see not anyone closed them properly.
Anyway...
Glad it's his last year.
Originally Posted by Amaluna: “Agree, especially Len. Sorry but totally unimpressed with him this year. And even last. He loses his thought halfway through the sentence almost every time he's about to say anything. And some of his observations are questionable. Nobody said anything about closing your heels in Viennese Waltz this year, and you could see not anyone closed them properly.
Anyway...
Glad it's his last year.”
I'm enjoying the way he really wants to be booed this year. He's written it into his script "react to boos here", so if there aren't any, he stops and goes "no, don't boo me" to encourage people to start!!
Originally Posted by Toasted Toad: “It was a bit of a lacklustre evening tbh. The only dances worth watching were Danny's and Ore's.”
I don't think the frontrunners are really showing much improvement week on week at the mo. Some of them, of course, don't have very far to go ... (rolleyes emoji needed)
Have just watched Dannimac's QS for the first time and not as impressed as I expected to be. Thought some of the footwork was scruffy and he's another one who is dancing to and not with the music.
As for Kevin and Louise. STOP ruddy gurning, Kevin. And why do we have to have all the arsing about in a non-theme week foxtrot?
Originally Posted by fatskia: “I'm picking this one because Aliona looks so beautiful, but what they say and how they interact was a big part of why they were so popular.
Thank you for posting this Fatskia their partnership really was and is something special. By the end of the series I only watched their appearances on ITT
Originally Posted by Toasted Toad: “Yes, for all the "wow, that was amazing" from the judges, the public don't seem to have been inspired much either by Danny or Ore. Just quiet enjoyment of the show.
Rafferty - don't think I said it before when I was fuming about Len, but great review.
Anyway - takes deep breath and plunges in - TT's version of last night (had to take a while to calm down ):
Spoiler
1. Greg & Natalie salsa - still picks up his feet too much, and no hip movement. Was very conscious that his lifts were all one-armed until the last one. And does Natalie think we won't remember that that last lift is the same one she did with Ricky Whittle in her very first year? So much for 'something we've never seen before'. And I think it was reckless to risk exacerbating Greg's injury and risk Natalie herself in that way.
2. Laura & Joe Varney quickstep - the way she held her head without curving back the shoulders and back to hold her position properly gave the effect of her having her shoulders up by her ears sometimes. And her dress was lovely but ruined by having Joe wearing a matching shirt. He should have been dressed in plain black or purple. Horrible music. I'm still seeing potential in these guys, so hope they don't get knocked out before they have a chance.
3. Anastacia & Brendan rumba - lacked fluidity. Brenda looked very ill - lost his balance on one turn at the start which might indicate inner ear problem, common when you're ill. Was constantly trying to hide hacking cough.
4. Claudia & AJ FT - Ghastly theming and music for a FT, or indeed for any dance. Completely impossible to do a memorable or likeable dance to it. Height difference is a real problem - I'm not sure if that was the reason there was some gapping. Also one move where she just appeared to lift one leg up for no particular reason. It wasn't a 'dance' move, more like a gymnast prep move.
5. Ed & Katya Paso - Oh dear. Oh deary, deary me! Katya did her best to help him, but it looked like he just forgot most of the routine. It was never going to be his best dance anyway, but... less said the better, probably!
6. Naga & Pasha Charleston - please someone, put them out of their misery. Naga was beginning to come out of her shell a bit in this dance, but still not all that much. And if you can't do it in a Charleston, when can you? Ed's dancing may be considerably worse, but at least he looks like he's enjoying every second. I still thought the judges could have been a bit more generous, though.
7. Louise & Kevin FT - extremely disappointing. Will I ever be able to listen to Amy Winehouse again? Kevin and his stupid choreography strikes again. She's got to do something about her hands - they are always just so "placed" in a girly, pop star way, it ruins it. Also struck me very forcibly how much easier it is for the women to have swing and sway - they just need to let the men lead and follow their body movements. The men need to initiate it all themselves. Kev gets a lot of flak for lots of different reasons, but it has always looked to me like he is an extremely good leader.
8. Danny & Oti QS - the first time I've liked one of Danny's dances, apart from the Tom Chambers bit at the start. Having said that, Oti's dress was glorious - real old fashioned glamour - and he was in tails. Music couldn't get more appropriate - in fact, he's had appropriate music and theming 4 weeks in a row. Puts others at a disadvantage, so beginning to feel a bit grumpy about that. Don't get me wrong - I don't want Danny's music and costuming to get worse - I want everyone else's to get better. Best dance of the night for me.
9. Daisy & Aljaz rumba - a bit disappointing. Looked better in rehearsal - I think she was nervous. However, Aljaz is teaching her a lot of technique and if she gets through to the later stages, that will stand her in good stead.
10. Rinder & Oksana VW - I'm not sure whether he can't dance or Oksana can't teach him because he seems to be getting worse week by week. They faffed for about 29s, spent 11s in hold, then broke hold for to faff, then went into hold for 17s then faffed around to the end. That's a total of 1m faffing. The second set in hold was worse than the first as he lost the top line as well and his elbows started to go saggy. His footwork is horrible and ploddy. He needs Aliona, not Oksana.
11. Lesley & Anton Charleston - delightful. He looks to be having more fun with her than he ever did with Katie. I commented last year about how people can bring out the worst in each other - last year, Katie became more and more like Anton. This year, Lesley seems to be making Anton more like herself, which can only be an improvement.
12. Ore & Joanne and the overrated Jive - great Jive. Really great. Really athletic. Extremely enjoyable (none of that's sarcastic). Two people dancing separately on the floor without any seeming partnership between them. There were no other 'dance' moves (and I don't count funny walks) to make it a complete and memorable routine, just full-on face forward jive. That's why I won't be drawn to re-watch. Ore was sometimes a bit flat footed and at his best, didn't have Jay's sharp flicking quality. Could be a bit clumsy, particularly in the latter part of the routine (must have been a bit knackered, but looked to me as though he got slightly lost with the arms once or twice). Looks to me as though he's yet to learn how to spin (not seen it in any of his routines thus far that I can remember). Should have scored the same as Danny - all 9s, or perhaps they both could have had one 10. Still, the marks wouldn't have bothered me very much (everyone knows J should have got 4 10s) if it hadn't been for Len's totally unnecessary "move over J" comment. I know that each year they want to indicate that the competition is better than ever, and it certainly is ringier than ever this year. But dissing one of the most iconic routines Strictly has ever had is just stupid and insulting.
... and breathe
ETA: I didn't think the barber shop quartet were toe curling at all. Loved them! Then again, I love singing and a capella is extremely demanding.”
Brilliant review Toad. Loving Anton with Lesley too - she is just so delightful with her enjoyment at being able to dance & that's rubbing off on Anton.
Loved your review too RaffertyCat
Originally Posted by katt: “best jive ever?
oh give me a break!
Jay and Aliona's jive was streets ahead of Ore and Joannes
if copying bits of J&A's jive into your own makes it "the best jive ever" then ok
slick, precise, fast, dymanic and mind blowing
Ore was doing mainly flicks and kicks and he didn't even do them well, why did no one point out that his toe wasn't pointed, almost flicking into a flat foot
the judges need to go to Specsavers!
Ores jive isn't even the 2nd best jive ever either - that crown belongs to Jill Halfpenny and I would even go as far as to say Louisa Lytton was better than Ore”
IIRC it was even more amazing as Vincent was injured & they had minimal rehersals
Originally Posted by Whiffle_09: “Loving Anton with Lesley too - she is just so delightful with her enjoyment at being able to dance & that's rubbing off on Anton.”
I got the impression that at first, he was totally faking being pleased to be partnered with her and was just thinking "oh my gawd". But she's got loads of energy (probably collapses at the end of every day!), and is dying to learn what Anton has to teach - it must be very gratifying for a teacher to have a pupil so eager to learn from you but also have their own distinct personality without ever thinking she knows better.
Originally Posted by BionicBard: “HoHoHo! I think that's an exercise in damage limitation, Len having very neatly shot himself and Joanne and Ore in all six feet, and then run back over them with a steamroller, and doused the remains in acid.
To lose one favourite to ill-judged remarks is one thing, but to lose another favourite to ill-judged remarks looks like carelessness........
(with apologies to Monkseal and Mr Wilde)”
Brilliant interpretation of these 2 masters, BB!
Originally Posted by Ano: “Just sitting here with a big old grin on my face the good old times when everything felt right and Jay looks unbelievably handsome.”
those were the days eh.
Originally Posted by BionicBard: “Oh, they're so perfect together, I do miss them. And that wonderful clip of the AT - I don't care what anybody says, he danced that so incredibly well for the amount of rehearsal time they'd had. He was so fascinated by the dance and was already showing a deep interest in its interpretation. I'd really love to see them do a programme about the AT together, developing the various aspects as they go along. Wouldn't mind betting that they'd both be up for that, and it would make magical viewing.
I think I'll go and have a nice lie down now....”
I love that interview, they talk so seriously about the dance itself, unlike the ego-tripping or humble-bragging we're getting now.
Originally Posted by katt: “best jive ever?
oh give me a break!
Jay and Aliona's jive was streets ahead of Ore and Joannes
if copying bits of J&A's jive into your own makes it "the best jive ever" then ok
slick, precise, fast, dymanic and mind blowing
Ore was doing mainly flicks and kicks and he didn't even do them well, why did no one point out that his toe wasn't pointed, almost flicking into a flat foot
the judges need to go to Specsavers!
Ores jive isn't even the 2nd best jive ever either - that crown belongs to Jill Halfpenny and I would even go as far as to say Louisa Lytton was better than Ore”
Not my preferred destination for them! But OK...
Originally Posted by Lola the cat: “I get the distinct impression from Ali's twitter that she is unimpressed with last night. She has favourited virtually every tweet that refers to the jive
I had this horrible thought earlier, I hope they haven't asked her to present choreography corner - could be a bit awkward.
Don't worry Ali, we got your back on this one ”
I would so love to see Ali's critique of Ore's jive. I suspect they wouldn't allow her!
Originally Posted by KorkyTheCat: “So in tune... 😍”
Originally Posted by Toasted Toad: “Yes, for all the "wow, that was amazing" from the judges, the public don't seem to have been inspired much either by Danny or Ore. Just quiet enjoyment of the show.
Rafferty - don't think I said it before when I was fuming about Len, but great review.
Anyway - takes deep breath and plunges in - TT's version of last night (had to take a while to calm down ):
Spoiler
1. Greg & Natalie salsa - still picks up his feet too much, and no hip movement. Was very conscious that his lifts were all one-armed until the last one. And does Natalie think we won't remember that that last lift is the same one she did with Ricky Whittle in her very first year? So much for 'something we've never seen before'. And I think it was reckless to risk exacerbating Greg's injury and risk Natalie herself in that way.
2. Laura & Joe Varney quickstep - the way she held her head without curving back the shoulders and back to hold her position properly gave the effect of her having her shoulders up by her ears sometimes. And her dress was lovely but ruined by having Joe wearing a matching shirt. He should have been dressed in plain black or purple. Horrible music. I'm still seeing potential in these guys, so hope they don't get knocked out before they have a chance.
3. Anastacia & Brendan rumba - lacked fluidity. Brenda looked very ill - lost his balance on one turn at the start which might indicate inner ear problem, common when you're ill. Was constantly trying to hide hacking cough.
4. Claudia & AJ FT - Ghastly theming and music for a FT, or indeed for any dance. Completely impossible to do a memorable or likeable dance to it. Height difference is a real problem - I'm not sure if that was the reason there was some gapping. Also one move where she just appeared to lift one leg up for no particular reason. It wasn't a 'dance' move, more like a gymnast prep move.
5. Ed & Katya Paso - Oh dear. Oh deary, deary me! Katya did her best to help him, but it looked like he just forgot most of the routine. It was never going to be his best dance anyway, but... less said the better, probably!
6. Naga & Pasha Charleston - please someone, put them out of their misery. Naga was beginning to come out of her shell a bit in this dance, but still not all that much. And if you can't do it in a Charleston, when can you? Ed's dancing may be considerably worse, but at least he looks like he's enjoying every second. I still thought the judges could have been a bit more generous, though.
7. Louise & Kevin FT - extremely disappointing. Will I ever be able to listen to Amy Winehouse again? Kevin and his stupid choreography strikes again. She's got to do something about her hands - they are always just so "placed" in a girly, pop star way, it ruins it. Also struck me very forcibly how much easier it is for the women to have swing and sway - they just need to let the men lead and follow their body movements. The men need to initiate it all themselves. Kev gets a lot of flak for lots of different reasons, but it has always looked to me like he is an extremely good leader.
8. Danny & Oti QS - the first time I've liked one of Danny's dances, apart from the Tom Chambers bit at the start. Having said that, Oti's dress was glorious - real old fashioned glamour - and he was in tails. Music couldn't get more appropriate - in fact, he's had appropriate music and theming 4 weeks in a row. Puts others at a disadvantage, so beginning to feel a bit grumpy about that. Don't get me wrong - I don't want Danny's music and costuming to get worse - I want everyone else's to get better. Best dance of the night for me.
9. Daisy & Aljaz rumba - a bit disappointing. Looked better in rehearsal - I think she was nervous. However, Aljaz is teaching her a lot of technique and if she gets through to the later stages, that will stand her in good stead.
10. Rinder & Oksana VW - I'm not sure whether he can't dance or Oksana can't teach him because he seems to be getting worse week by week. They faffed for about 29s, spent 11s in hold, then broke hold for to faff, then went into hold for 17s then faffed around to the end. That's a total of 1m faffing. The second set in hold was worse than the first as he lost the top line as well and his elbows started to go saggy. His footwork is horrible and ploddy. He needs Aliona, not Oksana.
11. Lesley & Anton Charleston - delightful. He looks to be having more fun with her than he ever did with Katie. I commented last year about how people can bring out the worst in each other - last year, Katie became more and more like Anton. This year, Lesley seems to be making Anton more like herself, which can only be an improvement.
12. Ore & Joanne and the overrated Jive - great Jive. Really great. Really athletic. Extremely enjoyable (none of that's sarcastic). Two people dancing separately on the floor without any seeming partnership between them. There were no other 'dance' moves (and I don't count funny walks) to make it a complete and memorable routine, just full-on face forward jive. That's why I won't be drawn to re-watch. Ore was sometimes a bit flat footed and at his best, didn't have Jay's sharp flicking quality. Could be a bit clumsy, particularly in the latter part of the routine (must have been a bit knackered, but looked to me as though he got slightly lost with the arms once or twice). Looks to me as though he's yet to learn how to spin (not seen it in any of his routines thus far that I can remember). Should have scored the same as Danny - all 9s, or perhaps they both could have had one 10. Still, the marks wouldn't have bothered me very much (everyone knows J should have got 4 10s) if it hadn't been for Len's totally unnecessary "move over J" comment. I know that each year they want to indicate that the competition is better than ever, and it certainly is ringier than ever this year. But dissing one of the most iconic routines Strictly has ever had is just stupid and insulting.
... and breathe
ETA: I didn't think the barber shop quartet were toe curling at all. Loved them! Then again, I love singing and a capella is extremely demanding.”
Great review TT. Agree entirely with comments in last paragraph.
Originally Posted by jayfan: “I think we can conclude that Jay and Aliona are personal non grata with the SCD powers that be. Will be very surprised if they ever appear on SCD or ITT.”
Dunno Jayfan. I suspect their audience numbers zoom off the scale when Jaliona make an appearance. Can only hope, eh.
(Sorry for the long multi-quote, getting a bit carried away here)
Originally Posted by Toasted Toad: “I got the impression that at first, he was totally faking being pleased to be partnered with her and was just thinking "oh my gawd". But she's got loads of energy (probably collapses at the end of every day!), and is dying to learn what Anton has to teach - it must be very gratifying for a teacher to have a pupil so eager to learn from you but also have their own distinct personality without ever thinking she knows better.”
I'm really astonished and pleased at how well Lesley's doing given her age and work schedule. Was she a dancer in her younger days, does anyone know?
Originally Posted by Sine_M: “...I would so love to see Ali's critique of Ore's jive. I suspect they wouldn't allow her!”
This is something I always ponder when a sleb is transparently over-praised with mistakes ignored and poor technique overlooked. Jo must know that the dance wasn't worth 10s, as does Aliona. Conversely, Ore thinks he's worth 11s.
