Hiya everyone,

I thought I'd do my usual goodie bag pick of people favourite dances and since Danny's marks both the first 40 scoring dance (however underdeserved it deserved to be top of the leaderboard at Blackpool) and more relevantly with Greg's elimination the last one on Strictly this year.

I've got a feeling that I'll know the usual suspects here but I thought I'd put this one in there as a starter as it tends to get over-looked because it was over-shadowed by the Cola one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGlscgwu0LA

Also loved Kara's (really don't know why the judges thought it was under-performed) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7G32q4V4qfA apart from possibly it followed Matt B and Ailona which was also cracking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lHwuP0kB_E

Danny & Oti's 40/40 was FULLY DESERVED as, for me, it was the best EVAH!!!

And, in case you didn't already know, I predicted that their Charleston would score the FIRST perfect score of this series THREE WEEKS PRIOR - so I knew they would deliver the goods...and they did so in spades! Excellent work!!!

My other favourite Charlestons: (in this order) :

Peter & Janette
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajpRNaHVFrE

Georgia & Giovanni
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaoDElHUIqw

Kellie & Kevin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RllN0klmBro

Kimberley & Pasha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGXhp-WKigE

Claudia & AJ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40ekZq7P1KQ

Tameka & Gorka
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaWLGqxGMx4

Nicky & Karen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SSZV_AwRZ4

Sophie & Brendan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRsan_COiD0

I don't agree, I thought IT WAS DESERVED.

My Top 6 Charlestons on Strictly in THIS ORDER:

Caroline and Pasha
Georgia and Giovanni
Denise and James
Natalie and Artem
Kimberley and Pasha
Chris and Ola

Kara's is my favourite Strictly Charleston ever and it was criminally undermarked. Her timing, her bounce, her swivel etc was just flawless.

Though Kara danced it well, I found the whole routine ultimately boring.

I much prefer Peter & Janette's even though it may not have been technically perfect. That routine was fast, furious, packed in everything and then some.

for me,
danny & oti
kimberly & pasha https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5ueCT9p8gM
caroline & pasha https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmlzSAW_ToI
sophie ellis-bextor & brendan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRsan_COiD0

Didn't think 40 was deserved, one section where there were obvious timing issues, even my 11 year old spotted it - still one of the best dances of the night though.

For me, best charlestons were (in no particular order)

Sophie and Brendan
Holly and Artem (loved this modern twist)
Claudia and AJ
Caroline and Pasha (even didn't mind the backing dancers on this one)
Kimberley and Pasha

Me too and I was a big fan of Kara's. Peter and Janette's was my favourite of the last series but my ultimate all time favourite is Brendon and Sophie's - absolutely brilliant and unforgettable.

The curse of trying to fire of a post quickly is that sometimes you sort of lose the nuance of what you're trying to say. I'm not sure if it was or wasn't over-marked I'll have to watch it back to tell but it was definately very good and deserved pole position on the leaderboard when you look at what the judges do and don't give 40s to it kinda of becomes irrevelvant just as long as he position on the leaderboard's right that's what matters or except when it doesn't (aka Ed).

Anyway links to Cola as the others mentioned have come with links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrCfqbTy3W8 except Holly and Artem; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWE5wSssn9Q - which I have to admit I hated at the time but on second viewing is actually not that bad.

Sophie and Brendan was the best, followed by the Star Wars themed one last year.

I enjoyed Holly and Artem's charleston at the time ...... and the video is worth watching just for Artem playing about at the end

I'll mention one of Strictly's oft forgotten couples, Patrick and Anya. Not the best, not the worst.

My favourite Charleston is Sophie & Brendan's even though she was a bit gangly in some of the lifts, because she was way too cool (in the laid back sense of the word) to be OTT slapstick and making silly faces.

My second favourite is Natalie & Artem's because it's very Josephine Baker -- just with clothes on!

There have been some other good ones, but those two are the standouts for me.

I remember that one fondly chitty chitty bang bang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P26tZ0v-kOs - my daughter was dancing along to that one so I ended up watching it a bit through her but it was great. I really liked Patrick that year - for a guy his age he was great it's just a shame the paso was a bit beyond his ken.

Even though she wasn't my favourite competitor, I loved Natalie Gumede's Charleston with Artem. This is probably my all time top favourite. Very Josephine Baker.

Jamelia & Tristan's was very Josephine Baker-esque as well so I loved it, same as I did Ali Bastian's with Brian Fortuna, hers also had that Baker style.

Also rather fond of Patrick Robinson & Anya's.

Caroline Flack & Pasha's to Istanbul.

Louis Smith & Flavia's final version of their Charleston.

Jay & Aliona's Doctor Who themed one was ace too.

Sophie Ellis Bextor's with Brendan was ridiculously cool.

And Georgia May Foote's with Giovanni really brought the Fosse style to life.

Plus obviously Danny Mac & Oti's which, while frantic at times, had some fabulous performance values and really neat tricks.

As with the Paso Doble, they've got to really screw it up for me to not like a Charleston

I wasn't wowed by Natalie's at the time but I appreciate it much more now after repeated rewatching, especially her solo dancing at the beginning on the podium.

I didn't think 40 was deserved. I truly believe I spotted two mistakes and I thought Louise deserved to be above on the leaderboard.

My favourite Charlestons are:
Sophie Ellis-Bextor & Brendan
Pixie Lott & Trent
Kellie Bright & Kevin
Georgia May Foote & Giovanni
Ed Balls & Katya

Favourites: Sophie, Jay and Chelsea.

can I add Lesley and Antons Charleston to the list please? good choices above BTW

I forgot about Sophie's.

I'd replace Chris's with hers.

I still don't quite get the fuss about Kimberley and Pasha's. However noticeable the mistakes in Danny's were, hers were more evident. Liked the rest of the dance though.

the only Charleston I like is DVO & James'

I liked that one too despite not been that keen on that partnership - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN8g5hM3RZM

I think the one James did the Pamela was a tad over-marked but still fun:

Pixie and Trent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd58OeBlWvw - I forgetten this don't know why astonding.

For me, Kimberley's, closely followed by Sophie's, and then Georgia's.

Kimberley's was pure slapstick, loved all the unexpected lifts and comedy moments. Sophie's was the opposite - cool and collected but with plenty of exciting lifts and tricks. I loved Georgia's because it was just like a Broadway show number, very professional looking.

Nat&Artem's is my fave too- even with the ending which I feel's a bit awkward; I just love the cool vibe and lack of clowning around- it also verges on Lindyhop at times which I just love.

For similar reasons I loved Abbey & Aljaz's too- all long leggedy loucheness...


Although I don't like gurning, I do like to see kookiness in a charleston, and I think that's why -despite the technical virtuosity of it- Danny's charleston didn't click for me: no kookiness.