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shallownessHalfway point – apparently, but it was just an hour and a half long (so maybe this post will be shorter!?)
I kept psychically encouraging Tess to go through her lines and cut out words because her voice was so dodgy – perhaps an approach she could also take in future. Didn't work. Some of the trails seemed to include a point that was relevant to the dance the couples were doing, though, which is an improvement on last week.
Costumes? Kellie and Kevin easily got the worst of it. Apart from when they were dancing, my visceral reaction was SEPERATE THEM. Just because he was wearing blue and pink did not make the patterns stop clashing, plus her skirt looked like someone had sicked up blobs of colour on it. As ever, Carol was well-dressed, Jamelia had a great red gown (but all the redundant pros were in red too), but I think Georgia had the best look, in terms of how it took a theme, Strictlified it and was quite fresh. They owed her one after the green rat tails last week.
We started off with Peter and Janette’s Charleston. I wasn’t convinced this was going to demand he stepped out of his comfort zone style and danced in a different way like they pretended, and it must be said, when he was talking over the judges and to Claudia, I was dishing up supper, because he’s got the most annoying personality left. BUT I loved the choreography, which brought a new twist to the dance. I thought he was really good, it was possibly his best dance, but not ‘I couldn’t tell who is the pro’ good, because you could always tell, and not 38 good.
And then Jamelia, hard-working Jamelia, as the narrative would have it. I thought it was better than her last ballroom, and I was rooting for her so hard, I didn’t notice the incident with the guitar case (ugh, why did she have to be the one doomed by props? I thought that the camera shot selection at the beginning was unfair, they should have done a close-up of Jamelia when Tristan was dumping the guitar after doing bad fake guitar-playing.) I voted for her, anyway. If I hadn’t been planning to, what came next would have pushed me over the edge.
Carol had dance content for only half of the number, for starters. Probably because they were working on the lifts for most of the time (not as secure looking as the lifts have overall this season), but she had the least content of everyone and there were no signs of improvement in her execution. (I refuse to call it dancing.) Bruno went overboard with the comments, thus stoking the pity reflex, while Len gave a masterclass in waffle, although the obvious inference is that he doesn’t think her footwork is up to much.
I have reached the SHE HAS TO GO point with Carol. Never mind how nice she seems and how much she smiles. Come on, now.
Next came Helen’s rumba, which involved her legs being mesmerising, but I think she did dance what she had very well, mostly – I did wonder where the hip action was – and obviously the acting helped. Nice little details from the get-go and she was caressing the floor. Typical Len choreography meltdown, and although Craig used dance terms, I think maybe Len was right about it not technically having enough rumba content. I’d like to hear the pros on ITT on this. Aljiaz said he was happy with 31 because it was the best rumba score (I believe), but it got them in the bottom half of the packed leader board.
With Jay’s Argentine Tango, there’d been big build up for the dance – I still think it’s too early to bring it into the mix – and an useless intro from Len; they should have done a pre-record. Predictably, I loved it. Lines and little details and great partnering. I noticed, like Craig, that there was a lack of ganchos (and suddenly he’s picking over the choreography, which to some extent isn’t the celebs’ call, although the pros obviously choreograph to their partner’s strengths by now) but all criticism was overridden by the fact that he was a climbing frame for Aliona, and that worked for me.
I fear they’re going to get the acting coach out for him next week, even though I don’t think the foxtrot is the dance for it.
Oh, and also I voted for him.
Kate’s quickstep was better than the Latins, obviously. I didn’t notice the mistakes, exactly, but I am convinced the judges have realised they overmarked the Viennese Waltz and are correcting course accordingly. The dress was lovely, but a little too subtle for Strictly, mayhap.
Anita’s jive was energetic, with typical Glebian flourishes. I am really pleased that she broke through and got 9s. I think that Bruno’s point about her always being in control of it was a good one.
I thought Kevin was pushing it a bit with the theme of their waltz. Fair play, for once the judges avoided the obvious ‘you’re going nowhere yet’ lines. I would like them to do a more modern ballroom number in future, though. The waltz itself was lovely. I think Kellie was again disappointed by the marks.
Jeremy’s tango was the campest routine of the night, easily, with the Go West song OBVIOUSLY leading to the cowboy theme. I think some of the dancing was not terrible and, unlike Carol, I think he has improved. I say I think – I was laughing so I wasn’t taking much in.
Georgia deservedly got the final slot after being so good last week. Slow start (I’d love the by-play if this were a different show and didn't eat into dancing time) to set the scene then BAM. I definitely think she’s grown in confidence after last week from the way she approached this, or rather launched herself at it. One or two sticky bits, for me, in the transitions especially, but she has taken a step up.
I sincerely hope Carol is not saved from her rightful place and that Len won’t have to pickle his walnuts (i.e. Jamelia won’t be in the bottom two). But Anton (and Katie) and Jeremy are popular. Ditto Pasha and Carol. But the woman is nowhere near the 20s, so...
Results
I really enjoyed the pros' big number, especially the lampshading of Anton’s rubbishness at Latin, but, come on, Strictly always does Rememberance with an armed forces in the 1940s routine.
As Jeremy and Katie were saved, I both worried for Jamelia and – inspired by Helen’s Bambi eyes – the others near the middle. So, Kevin and Kellie didn’t get enough votes. There’s a part of me that thinks ‘hubris’ for the theme. Really, he just needs to give her something more spectacular. Although has the ability to vote online affected voting patterns also?
Pointed sofa divide in the Clauditorium, with Anita and Peter on the one side, and grateful Jeremy and Katie on the other.
Then Seal wore leather trousers, which was a bad choice. His voice isn’t what it was, and though Giovanni and Joanne’s dance seemed like a random but fast medley, bits of it were lovely.
Back to people who were second and third on the leadeerboard getting saved, and because of Kellie, looking massively relieved. I yelped for Jamelia, but was urging Helen to keep it together, just in case people had saved Carol, because that would have been a more tough dance-off to call. But, as it was, RIGHT CALL, EVERYONE. (I didn’t bother watching the dances, just fast forwarding through for confirmation.) It’s no bad thing for Kevin to have been in a dance-off, I think.
My next post will, I hope, be all about Downton.
I kept psychically encouraging Tess to go through her lines and cut out words because her voice was so dodgy – perhaps an approach she could also take in future. Didn't work. Some of the trails seemed to include a point that was relevant to the dance the couples were doing, though, which is an improvement on last week.
Costumes? Kellie and Kevin easily got the worst of it. Apart from when they were dancing, my visceral reaction was SEPERATE THEM. Just because he was wearing blue and pink did not make the patterns stop clashing, plus her skirt looked like someone had sicked up blobs of colour on it. As ever, Carol was well-dressed, Jamelia had a great red gown (but all the redundant pros were in red too), but I think Georgia had the best look, in terms of how it took a theme, Strictlified it and was quite fresh. They owed her one after the green rat tails last week.
We started off with Peter and Janette’s Charleston. I wasn’t convinced this was going to demand he stepped out of his comfort zone style and danced in a different way like they pretended, and it must be said, when he was talking over the judges and to Claudia, I was dishing up supper, because he’s got the most annoying personality left. BUT I loved the choreography, which brought a new twist to the dance. I thought he was really good, it was possibly his best dance, but not ‘I couldn’t tell who is the pro’ good, because you could always tell, and not 38 good.
And then Jamelia, hard-working Jamelia, as the narrative would have it. I thought it was better than her last ballroom, and I was rooting for her so hard, I didn’t notice the incident with the guitar case (ugh, why did she have to be the one doomed by props? I thought that the camera shot selection at the beginning was unfair, they should have done a close-up of Jamelia when Tristan was dumping the guitar after doing bad fake guitar-playing.) I voted for her, anyway. If I hadn’t been planning to, what came next would have pushed me over the edge.
Carol had dance content for only half of the number, for starters. Probably because they were working on the lifts for most of the time (not as secure looking as the lifts have overall this season), but she had the least content of everyone and there were no signs of improvement in her execution. (I refuse to call it dancing.) Bruno went overboard with the comments, thus stoking the pity reflex, while Len gave a masterclass in waffle, although the obvious inference is that he doesn’t think her footwork is up to much.
I have reached the SHE HAS TO GO point with Carol. Never mind how nice she seems and how much she smiles. Come on, now.
Next came Helen’s rumba, which involved her legs being mesmerising, but I think she did dance what she had very well, mostly – I did wonder where the hip action was – and obviously the acting helped. Nice little details from the get-go and she was caressing the floor. Typical Len choreography meltdown, and although Craig used dance terms, I think maybe Len was right about it not technically having enough rumba content. I’d like to hear the pros on ITT on this. Aljiaz said he was happy with 31 because it was the best rumba score (I believe), but it got them in the bottom half of the packed leader board.
With Jay’s Argentine Tango, there’d been big build up for the dance – I still think it’s too early to bring it into the mix – and an useless intro from Len; they should have done a pre-record. Predictably, I loved it. Lines and little details and great partnering. I noticed, like Craig, that there was a lack of ganchos (and suddenly he’s picking over the choreography, which to some extent isn’t the celebs’ call, although the pros obviously choreograph to their partner’s strengths by now) but all criticism was overridden by the fact that he was a climbing frame for Aliona, and that worked for me.
I fear they’re going to get the acting coach out for him next week, even though I don’t think the foxtrot is the dance for it.
Oh, and also I voted for him.
Kate’s quickstep was better than the Latins, obviously. I didn’t notice the mistakes, exactly, but I am convinced the judges have realised they overmarked the Viennese Waltz and are correcting course accordingly. The dress was lovely, but a little too subtle for Strictly, mayhap.
Anita’s jive was energetic, with typical Glebian flourishes. I am really pleased that she broke through and got 9s. I think that Bruno’s point about her always being in control of it was a good one.
I thought Kevin was pushing it a bit with the theme of their waltz. Fair play, for once the judges avoided the obvious ‘you’re going nowhere yet’ lines. I would like them to do a more modern ballroom number in future, though. The waltz itself was lovely. I think Kellie was again disappointed by the marks.
Jeremy’s tango was the campest routine of the night, easily, with the Go West song OBVIOUSLY leading to the cowboy theme. I think some of the dancing was not terrible and, unlike Carol, I think he has improved. I say I think – I was laughing so I wasn’t taking much in.
Georgia deservedly got the final slot after being so good last week. Slow start (I’d love the by-play if this were a different show and didn't eat into dancing time) to set the scene then BAM. I definitely think she’s grown in confidence after last week from the way she approached this, or rather launched herself at it. One or two sticky bits, for me, in the transitions especially, but she has taken a step up.
I sincerely hope Carol is not saved from her rightful place and that Len won’t have to pickle his walnuts (i.e. Jamelia won’t be in the bottom two). But Anton (and Katie) and Jeremy are popular. Ditto Pasha and Carol. But the woman is nowhere near the 20s, so...
Results
I really enjoyed the pros' big number, especially the lampshading of Anton’s rubbishness at Latin, but, come on, Strictly always does Rememberance with an armed forces in the 1940s routine.
As Jeremy and Katie were saved, I both worried for Jamelia and – inspired by Helen’s Bambi eyes – the others near the middle. So, Kevin and Kellie didn’t get enough votes. There’s a part of me that thinks ‘hubris’ for the theme. Really, he just needs to give her something more spectacular. Although has the ability to vote online affected voting patterns also?
Pointed sofa divide in the Clauditorium, with Anita and Peter on the one side, and grateful Jeremy and Katie on the other.
Then Seal wore leather trousers, which was a bad choice. His voice isn’t what it was, and though Giovanni and Joanne’s dance seemed like a random but fast medley, bits of it were lovely.
Back to people who were second and third on the leadeerboard getting saved, and because of Kellie, looking massively relieved. I yelped for Jamelia, but was urging Helen to keep it together, just in case people had saved Carol, because that would have been a more tough dance-off to call. But, as it was, RIGHT CALL, EVERYONE. (I didn’t bother watching the dances, just fast forwarding through for confirmation.) It’s no bad thing for Kevin to have been in a dance-off, I think.
My next post will, I hope, be all about Downton.
