Totally agree - as a non-dancer /expert it is hard to spot what is especially good about a dance unless you have something to compare it to. I think that several have gone out this year because they have had the wrong dance in the wrong week.

Surely they are not doing the two together? It's an odd thing if they are.

I wish they would go back to as many doing one dance per week as possible.

I think Lisa's going home on Saturday - she'll do a great foxtrot but I've yet to be convinced she can handle fast latin and the last two weeks have shown she doesn't have the public support. Christine I think will do a good salsa and struggle with the tango - the paso didn't bode well for her being dramatic - but then again I was expecting her AS and CCC to be good and her jive to be a disaster so with her you can never tell and that makes her interesting. If she doesn't do well then we'll get to see if her public support is enough to give her another free pass or not.

The boys will both be fine (I'm have particularly high expectations of Austin's Paso) and it depends on what Rachel gets as how well she does. I think being tagged judges's pet will kick her in the bum at the some stage though.

If Rachel or Lisa both don't get top then they'll be in the dance off together.

Each are clearing now either coming bottom or 2nd bottom.

Top place was saving Rachel; but if she doesn't get it this week then she'll be in the dance off again IMO

Christine should be safe (I hope)

No one is safe now even at the top, Emma was in bottom two every week once it got down to the final five.

Rachel is dancing Waltz and Paso according to BBC site

http://www.bbc.co.uk/strictlycomedan...e_251108.shtml

That's how I would have matched them up as well..... I'm sort of glad that she's got the waltz- I think the paso and the tango are going to be her two weakest dances out of the ones they have left, so it's good they aren't doing it them in the same week. I see her in the dance-off this week, and I think a waltz is more likely to get her saved than paso/tango.

xx

Interesting, will be able to compare their Paso to Austin's Paso, and their Waltz to Tom's Waltz.

Yes, will be quite interesting to see. Although on previous ballroom dances that they have done the same week- VW I think, Rachel's come off worst so that may not be a good thing!! Personally, I think Tom's going to top the leaderboard this week, with Austin not far behind.

Should I be glad they won't be able to compare her Tango to Christine's?

Technically maybe- but, and I say this as a Rachel fan- I'm not sure how Rachel's going to fare with the 'mood' of the dance- I think her paso will be a good indicator!

It's interesting that she hasn't had Paso or Tango yet but fingers crossed.

Christine's Paso was quite early on and she has come on loads since so I'm sure her Tango will be much better than her Paso was.

Yes, I think she'll be better too. Plus it is ballroom, so perhaps with the confidence of being in hold with Matthew, Christine will be able to bring out her more fiery side...
The only thing that makes me feel a bit better re Rachel's paso is that Vincent will have enough fire for the both of them!!

I only have slight reservations about the Cha Cha Cha. Rachel has had two stonking good weeks, her confidence will be high and she has shown (as much to herself as the audience) that she is easily a match for Austin and Tom in both ballroom and latin.

Again music is the key - if Vincent gets it right their Waltz will knock Len's socks of again, and be a match for anything either Tom or Austin can come up with in their respective ballroom dances.

And I am really looking forward to their Paso - Vincent will probably come up with a corker of a routine, confident that Rachel will be able to dance it.

Keep talking Sports Fan!! You're making me feel much better! Were you an Alesha fan last year? I seem to remember you coming into the thread with motivational posts like this when we were all in meltdown after she was in the dance off!!

The cha cha- I think Rachel will nail that technically- I think I've seen it mentioned somewhere (might be talking utter rubbish!) that it is a bit like a rumba on speed, so it'll just be the cheeky side she needs to bring out!! This is all depending of course on whether she makes it past this week- and I'm not 100% sure she will.....

Yep, Alesha and Matt last year, and Ramps and Karen the year before.

I genuinely believe that Rachel can outdance the two blokes. Given the right music, she'll blow the others out of the water.

As for her popularity amongst viewers, my reading is that she will have received a significant boost - not enough to dislodge the blokes, but a real recognition that she's definitely their equal or better dancewise. This can only help.