There most certainly are with Gorka leading the pack. I'm enjoying a girl crush on Katya too; she seems lovely with Ed and was ebullient with a beautiful smile during and post-charleston.

Maggie, did Gorka remind you of Gene Kelly in yesterday's swimming cossie Charleston?? Am I going mad?

Not really but I doubt you are going mad ... It was the combed hairdo that was very Gene Kelly. I think Gorka is a chameleon and as such becomes a foil for projection.

You mean I'm already there!

Yeah, it was probably the hair cut, plus they're both little guys

It might have been the bum too

And the confidence to make that costume work...

1 Marking is totally inconsistent - all depends on whether your face fits or not.
2 Too many 'trained' dancers again this year - no way half these dancers are novices.
3 Never thought I could warm to Ed Balls
4 Not understanding the hate for Naga
5 What the hell is going on with the men's trousers?

Absolutely! He seemed not to care one bit. He seems lovely at the moment if a bit of an unknown quantity.

I thought that set up the story of the dance really well - love watching Danny dance - such a natural.

Enjoyed watching Leslie & Anton - despite the flashy trousers ( what were wardrobe thinking??)

Ed Balls was the star of the show - he wasn't particulary good, his left leg didn't follow through, but such energy & fun.

Craig gives the picky professional view without taking into account the enjoyment factor in his scoring.

Loved Will's jive - full of energy, an 8 from me.
PS
Wanted to say - Claudie & Tess's costumes looked good tonight - rocking the pink & purple vibe.

1. Like others, love how Ed is determined to confound expectations and be the best dancer he can possibly be. When I heard he had the Charleston I really feared the worst, but what a pleasant surprise it turned out to be.

2. Loving Katya. She really is getting the very best out of Ed. Hope she's there for many years to come.

3. Craig's comments to Ed were mean and pathetic. It just seems he's not wiling to give him a chance.

4. Daisy was much better at lain than I thought she'd be and looks like she could be a good all-rounder. Of course she did look absolutely gorgeous. Those legs - Wow!

5. Very much hope that Anastacia can recover from her injury, so that she can give it her best shot. Really liking her and she seems such good fun.

1. Daisy over marked again.
2. I forgive her due to her jeans.
3. Danny too good for the show.
4. Louise - been practicing dear?
5. Can't wait for the FA Cup to start, when we draw Arsenal away, we'll just say we've a lot of injuries and progress to the next round anyway, without having to play them.

I love Ed Balls - where the hell did that come from - well done to Katya for the routine

Nasty Craig is back...

Bruno's doesn't give a Tinker's Cuss about the watershed

I thought Will was going to lose his trousers live on air.

Naga is this year's Rachel Riley

- I knew she put me in mind of somebody - thank you!

My biggest surprise is that everyone seems to be raving about Danny - yet I found his "VW" very ugly. Jerky, stomping up and down. Yes, he was doing all the right steps (at a fast pace), but the VW is supposed to be smooth as silk, gliding around the floor.

Bet he'll be good at the Quickstep though...

I would have loved to see the professionals AT danced to proper AT music. I thought the music took away from it, sadly.

Thoughts on contestants for week 2 (in alphabetical order):

Daisy & Aljaz – it was nice to see Daisy in the safety of Aljaz's hold and thought their week 1 Waltz was both amorous and romantic. It was nice to see her free arm at the top playing alongside with the orchestral strings, and thought for a brief moment that the pivot turns made them look as if they were floating on air. Maybe better body contact and fully stretching her leg and body (when presenting), but enjoyed the performance nevertheless. Thought her runway entrance to Aljaz at the top showed a confident side. Whether by design (Abbey's samba) or not, thought her character came off both believable and real. Maybe her arms were a bit loose (could be sharper) in the walks (after the heated altercation), and that she could shape her body a bit more when opening out in hold. But enjoyed the storytelling (and placating moments by Aljaz) and thought Daisy had a natural charm to her first two dances.

Danny & Oti – it was a fun week 1 cha cha and thought there was plenty of exciting content. Thought Danny performed well and felt Oti had a nice time letting her creative side roam free. Maybe if Danny could continue playing loosely with Oti after the New Yorkers think that would've been even nicer (felt his body slowly getting a bit tense as it went on). Also keeping his head from moving forward in the spins would be nice. However, it was nice to see Danny getting his slight back hunch (in group dance/cha cha) adjusted for the Viennese Waltz with a refreshing posture. Felt that Danny's movements wasn't as stressed this time, but thought in the second half he tensed up again and lost the drive in the 1's. Nonetheless, an enjoyable routine, a nice catch by Tess and thought for a brief second there was a hint of James Bond to his persona.

Laura & Giovanni – her arms felt comfortable in the unique themed cha cha (think she enjoys using them too) and thought she did her best to make them look crisp/controlled. Was a little worried with her leg action in the group dance and thought that it carried through into her cha cha. Though her lock steps felt a bit off and agree that the knees were flexed, it was nice that she gave it her best and look forward to seeing the improvements in her upcoming latin. Enjoyed the Waltz as well and thought the couple had nice chemistry together. Think she's headed in the right direction with her free arm extension and that she could still loosen up and still let go a bit of her body. Think her paso skirtwork as a beautiful gypsy girl will look nice, and that it was good to see the contemplative moment at the top carry through in her dreamy eyes throughout.

Louise & Kevin – it was fun to watch a self-assured Louise in a lively time capsule jive. Nice to see her melting into Kevin's sweetheart hold and thought the finger pointing/jazz hands popped from the routine. Perhaps it was a stylistic choice, but maybe Louise could've winked her left shoulder, and leaned a bit towards Kevin (maybe sneak in a cheeky pointed finger) whenever he pulled her towards him. But it was nice to see an all out choreography juxtaposed by the quiet toe/heel moments. For their Viennese Waltz thought they covered the floor well, and that Louise's free arm had a refinement that caught wind of the music and vocals (esp the end) which resonated through the screen. Thought maybe she could've stayed a hair flat with her feet on the last half of her natural turns, to create a slight even keel look. Though her left feet feels a hair sickle (hoping its not), thought it was an enjoyable routine.

Best of luck to all the celebs and looking forward to their dances.

What a lovely analysis of performances!

Enjoyed the read.

1-Still love Danny and Oti. By far my favorite couple this year
2- favorite dance of the night : Ed Balls . I was pleasantly surprised .
3- I still don't think Danny will win even though he's by far the best dancer this year.
4- Louise, Claudia, Naga, Daisy and Laura all bore me . I'm mostly loving the male line up this year.
5-Love Oksana and Oti choreographies this year. Judge Rinder could win this year if he makes it to the finals

1. Why was Claudia wearing an outfit where she couldn't move her arms?
2. Louise's frock appeared to be a cut 'n' shut of two different garments
3. Craig was right, there was no swivel in Ed's Charleston, but the timing was brilliant
4. LOVING seeing Oti with a decent partner
5. The cutaway angle to Dave Arch has gone back to one where Trevor is out of shot

I've long been in awe of Ed learning the piano as an adult, and he's bringing the same application to his dancing it seems.