I think whatever Louise got the poster would have a problem with it to be honest!

I'm worried for Claudia and the judge this week 😭

I agree with some of your feelings about the dances and, for me, song choices this week. I read it Claudia and Robert being lined up for the DO. The only thing I'll say is that Rob with a Latin party number is better than a nondescript waltz.

So Claudia v Rinder.

Sarah's not a fan of Kevin or Louise but given the increasing production manipulation of the show, I think it's valid to question who 'gets' what dances and when, along with choice of music that supports the dance, or is antagonistic. I think Louise has had a fantastic draw on the music choice front and I think salsa and samba would be more of a challenge for her than a QS. But we'll wait and see.

It would seem that this is the 'order' of things ..

But it's not just a luxury Louise has. Claudia gets to do a salsa (lots of lifts where she excels) this week, and gets to hide her rumba (that requires the connection with her partner the judges don't think she has) next week. Ore gets to do a foxtrot (one of the safer dances, having won plaudits for his foxtrot based American Smooth) and hide his samba or Argentine Tango (the hardest latin dance or a dance his partner doesn't do) next week. Danny doesn't really have any obvious weaknesses (maybe slower dances where he can't rely on speed to hide the rough edges of his technique?) so it's a moot point for him.

I think Rinder's the one with a tough draw, but as other people have said he's drawing dead at this point in terms of what will win a dance-off and what won't. He'd lose to anyone remaining so in terms of a dance-off it doesn't matter what he has when.

It's not the dances I have the problem with, it's the dance off

Hi guys!

Long time lurker here but have finally got an account! Have loved reading all the different threads and comments this season!

I actually don't think a salsa is too bad a dance for Claudia. It's quite a crowd-pleasing dance with lifts (which she should excel in given her gymnastic qualities) and if she can get the technique right I think it might be good!

You'd think on paper it would be Rinder's time to go but I reckon anyone barring Danny could go from now on.

Personally I think Louise has the oddest choice of music, given how often the words whip-crack-away feature. Any sign of a whip in the props and she's likely to crochet it into a doily.

We are talking about week 11 here. Louise has struggled in isolation, so it's not a coincidence that she is not dancing a Salsa/ Samba this week. Next week, she will protected by Tango and that will surely be the DO dance, if required. I would rather Louise danced a Salsa/Samba this week and danced 2 ballroom next week. I wanted to her to dance Salsa/Samba and survive on that dance alone, not to hide behind a ballroom.

BIB - Not really, I predicted long time ago that it's not a coincidence that Louise and a few others hadn't danced a Salsa or a Samba. Louise will surely struggle with both.

I agree with you here, but it was never likely to happen as she'd be far too vulnerable. Salsa & Samba have seen a few people unravel this series and I suspect Louise will struggle with either. The judges could probably justify saving her over Rob in a DO, but had she done a crap dance this week and ended up in the bottom 2 alongside Claudia or Ore, she'd have been done for.

I hate being so cynical about this programme but here we are.

I wasn't aware that Latin was a bad choice for Judge Rinder? Surely his best dances have been Latin? I still think his Cha Cha Cha was the best he's danced and performed so far. He enjoyed the Salsa so can't see why he wouldn't love a Samba. That music is great too. Love that song and it's got a nice bounce to it.
Claudia can do lots of tricks and there'll be lifts in the Salsa so I imagine she's happy enough with that. Little people usually do well with Salsas and she will have a cute lioness's face painted on I expect so will prob look adorable and it's a very recognisable theme .. along with Ore's and Louise's.
I can't see One Night Only working for a Tango and can't see there being any recognisable theming .. do people know Dreamgirls that well? Surely the theming will be mainly for Oti?

Welcome, Stella

Thanks Maggie. I wanted Louise to do a Salsa/Samba this week and survive on that dance alone. All the others had survived, so why not Louise??

I have just listened to Beyonce's version and Jennifer Hudson's version of One Night Only. I think Danny and Oti's tango will be between the two as far as the tempo goes.

Jennifer Hudson

I don't know. I reckon Ore may just bump Louise down to third on the leaderboard this week, which could put her in danger votes wise

I agree. I think the QS will be a really good dance for her and Kevin's creative with his QS. In fact I think his QS choreography with his previous partners has been amazing. I think Louise would suffer with the expressive and sensual/sexual nature of both dances. I'm thinking of Kellie's bravura in that samba last year. I'm missing her dynamic partnership with Kevin this year as Louise is ... limp. (You don't have to agree with me on Kellie )

It doesn't grate so much that Louise and Kevin haven't got the Salsa or Samba this week with me, more than she hasn't had to tackle one of them before. If she'd already danced, say, the Salsa and had it lined up to skip the Samba then so be it. But the fact she's avoided both up to now, allowing her to no doubt skip one and can hide behind the other with a ballroom number, does annoy me. Everyone else left has had to put their Strictly future on the line dancing at least either a Salsa or Samba without having anything else to hide behind.

BIB -

Truth be told, I liked Kellie. With all her long hours with EE, she put in the hours and danced very well. I also loved her enthusiasm.

Totally agree. Really unfair.

The crying in this thread is hilarious.

Dance and music choices are discussed every week. There's nothing new there.

Yes, it's interesting to see what everyone's going to be doing... but it doesn't bother me one jot who gets what.

By this stage I think they're all perfectly capable of making a pretty good stab at virtually anything they're given now.

Doris Day’s version of The Deadwood Stage is a bit too fast for Louise & Kevin’s Quickstep IMO; I found this slightly slower version on YouTube, which I think might fit the dance:
Yeehar!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHPJFVeKx2g

Ore & Joanne’s music sounds a bit slow to me for their Foxtrot.

I think that the rest of the songs don’t fit their chosen dances.