I got in late last night so had to watch a recording of the show, so I was a bit sleepy and have to watch it again properly today but....

It seemed to me that Austin's dance benefitted hugely from some very dramatic lighting and special effects on the set. Never noticed that anyone else has had that done for them.

Certainly helped create a great atmosphere for the dance. Just as choosing the right or wrong music can help or hinder the overall appearance of a dance, lighting like that must have a huge effect.

Still thought is was a brave 'show dance' from Erin though. Dancing in shadow like that would show up every error that the partner would make.

It was an entertaining performance, albeit not very paso.
Erin was very clever - but then she always is. She brings out the best in her celebs (usually, I know there was one big error a few years ago but never mind that now).
Austin is very good of course but remember Julian Clary's paso, it was such a performance!

They have done it before (e.g. Alesha, Emma and I think with Peter Schmeichel and James Martin).

On the contrary - quite the best and by far the most authentic Paso Doble ever seen on strictly. I've seen it danced many times during my 15 years residence in Spain and I'll see it many more times when I go back there next year, but I'll never see an amateur with a week to learn the dance do as well as Austin did last night.

Len, you should have gone to Specsavers!

I'm quite sure any of them can have whatever lighting etc. they want! I suppose Rachel might have seemed a bit odd shouting "ha" every so often during her paso, but those issues aside...Austin and Erin have done the two dances that have had the most impact on me as a viewer this series (their tango and their paso).

Thankyou!! I have been bewildered by the ill thought out comments about content. That was an authentic Spanish paso as far as I was concerned. Like you I saw many when I lived there ( for not nearly as long as you!)

Oh, no!
Another dream shattered...

You mean they choose costumes to enhance the dance?
And select music that would be popular or suitable to the steps?

Bl00dy cheats!

And now lighting and sound-effects.
I do wish they'd play fair and all use the same music, same costumes, same lighting.
What about the same choreography and have the same pro partner?

That'd soon sort out this crowd-appeal nonsense.

The Letitia and Darren Paso was also very dramatically lit. It is one of the dances where the lighting chaps have something they can do. Don't take away his achievement - it was an amazing dance!

Oh I so agree with you, and they should all dance at the beginning, not in the middle or at the end, because that clearly gives some of them an unfair advantage. However how they are going to achieve this, mmmmm maybe they could all dance with the same pro-partner dressed half as woman and half as man in the first dance.

Don't go giving Erin any ideas ...

I think everyone should have paper bags on their heads with pictures of Gordon Brown on them. Then no-one could have an unfair advantage!

Paper bags. Yay!

Alesha had such an unfair advantage.

Looking like that. Beautiful and smiling all the time. SO unfair. See how far she'd get with a paper bag on her head!