Strictly semi finals
Dec. 17th, 2012 11:19 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shallownessSaturday
I only voted for one couple this time, although I forgot to jot down their number when I was watching the dance being replayed because I was so drawn in. I’m drafting this before watching the results show, and I do wonder if we’ll have a four-couple finale or if the show will do a SHOCK TWIST and drop the bottom two. It’s a lingering doubt, although I think that the show likes its reputation as the nice (ratings-conquering) one that Cheryl Cole pops up on and it’ll give the judges power in the dance off.
Format-wise, watching the first dances, I started to be worried that moving to two dances was going to mean a drop off in quality and wished they’d brought them in earlier. Also, I would really like to see all the couples forced to dance the same dance – I know there were a lot of American Smooths this week - for proper comparison.
The good: Denise and Kimberley deserve to be in the final so very much, dancing my favourite dances. I also rated Dani’s Argentine Tango and wanted to see more of Louis doing ballroom. The bad: Lisa. OVERMARKED. The judges avoided giving her the technical grief they’d given Louis for his jive, and hysteria is as good a reason as any BUT STILL. Woman can’t even do jazz hands properly. She hasn’t developed enough/at all - bet she’s done more side by side dancing than anyone else all series. I know she’s fragile, but I thought this show was about LEARNING HOW TO DANCE and if she’s in the final over one of the other four, it’s Chris Hollins levels of wrong without the self-awareness. And I will be boycotting her bits of the final, so let’s hope the voting public isn’t soft enough to spoil the final for me (let alone let her win). I am still aware that she, Louis and Dani have never been in the bottom two.
Suffice it to say that, despite the usual sterling efforts from James, Len and Bruce (really close second. He was especially annoying and redundant during the judges’ comments) I wanted Lisa to shup up the most. In the other competition going on, Denise’s daughter was the cutest little visitor, beating all the nieces and nephews. (This is of the night, Nicky’s troupe are still the series champs.)
TO THE DANCING: I don’t remember much about Dani’s American Smooth, except that she and Vincent seemed nervous (all show, actually) and the lifts – one of them was really good and the other didn’t seem particularly high. The Argentine Tango, however, was great. Dani was standing still a couple of times too many for me to be cross about the marking, but the intensity, the content and the way she coped with it made it the best AT of the series, and while she hasn’t quite ever wowed me, I hope she makes it through.
I don’t remember who came next, so I’ll deal with Louis. Yes, the jive wasn’t great – Darcey made apt points about his suppleness and making some things look too easy, although I spent most of the time the judges were talking him down wondering if they’d be equally forthright with Lisa. (Spoiler: No, they weren’t.) Then came the foxtrot, which I liked, although I think I was paying more attention to the vocal for some of it, and then the little boy lip biting – have I mentioned that Louis comes across as younger than his age to me? – at Craig’s thumb thing. I was glad he got mark redemption, and I’d be shocked if he isn’t voted through by his fans. Flavia felt the need to promise Artem levels of clothing if they did. The whole last man standing thing was overdone, because, frankly, everyone thought as much from the first rounds.
Lisa’s legs were all right in the first dance and I suppose I can see why they put it last. Less so the last one.
Denise’s tango was brilliant. I had assumed it would be an El Tango de Roxanne thing, but the return to the original version, the staccato-ness, the touches of flamenco and the fact they got through it without incident was great. And then the rumba – while I wouldn’t go as far as Bruno – it was really touching and struck a chord with me. (I spared a moment for Cheri Lunghi’s rumba, UNLIKE JAMES). Denise danced it beautifully. I’m glad that they got over their hiccoughs – he white dress was also gorgeous, even if Craig accused it of hiding the hips.
Kimberley and Pasha's American Smooth was smoking. I maybe liked it less than the judges (but more than Len – I was willing to give Pasha his choreographic licence) but there was no doubt that it was quality. Plus these two sizzle more than any other couple have this series. AND THEN the Charleston – I was expecting it to be good, knew it had to be good to match Denise, but all those tricks. It’s the cartwheel that’ll get the attention, but all of them seemed so demanding, yet she didn’t lose a second. I am so pleased that he’s found the way of getting the most out of her and doing his choreographic magic, and I’m so pleased that she got back into it after her bottom two low, broke through last week and MAINTAINED it on a night when there were two dances.
Can you tell who I voted for yet?
One thing I have to mention is that instead of watching or listening to Tess, I kept watching Artem giggle, and given that there seemed to be shenanigans from the Brendan and Anton double act, who can blame him? He was also looking thoughtful, I like to think it was for choreographic reasons.
But finally, I want to rewatch quite a few of those performances, actually.
I then watched the Girls Aloud special – um, Sarah Harding’s face these days???
Sunday's show
I was spoiled about who was going thanks to the radio – I couldn’t watch the show any earlier than this morning.
Tess’s dress would have been ever so much better without the pointless frill around her waist.
I really loved ‘What the Show Needs Now is Snow, Fake Snow’ – gorgeous choreography. Katherine Jenkins’s singing performance was getting awkward – yet another song that doesn’t quite fit her voice and certainly not her persona. The movement was all very placed...thank goodness for Kristina to show how to do sexy. Less snarkily, I loved the ice skating nods in the routine. But I did enjoy the jive.
Thank you, Claudia for picking up on Vincent’s Best Response Ever. The part that I loved was Dani punching him to bring him back to himself. No more Claudia on this year's show, sadly.
Telling that Denise and James were in the bottom two - no way they can expect to win, which will make going into the final weird. But they so deserve to be there, and all they had to do was not forget the steps.
Thank you, fellow Strictly viewing public for not ruining the final for me.
I only voted for one couple this time, although I forgot to jot down their number when I was watching the dance being replayed because I was so drawn in. I’m drafting this before watching the results show, and I do wonder if we’ll have a four-couple finale or if the show will do a SHOCK TWIST and drop the bottom two. It’s a lingering doubt, although I think that the show likes its reputation as the nice (ratings-conquering) one that Cheryl Cole pops up on and it’ll give the judges power in the dance off.
Format-wise, watching the first dances, I started to be worried that moving to two dances was going to mean a drop off in quality and wished they’d brought them in earlier. Also, I would really like to see all the couples forced to dance the same dance – I know there were a lot of American Smooths this week - for proper comparison.
The good: Denise and Kimberley deserve to be in the final so very much, dancing my favourite dances. I also rated Dani’s Argentine Tango and wanted to see more of Louis doing ballroom. The bad: Lisa. OVERMARKED. The judges avoided giving her the technical grief they’d given Louis for his jive, and hysteria is as good a reason as any BUT STILL. Woman can’t even do jazz hands properly. She hasn’t developed enough/at all - bet she’s done more side by side dancing than anyone else all series. I know she’s fragile, but I thought this show was about LEARNING HOW TO DANCE and if she’s in the final over one of the other four, it’s Chris Hollins levels of wrong without the self-awareness. And I will be boycotting her bits of the final, so let’s hope the voting public isn’t soft enough to spoil the final for me (let alone let her win). I am still aware that she, Louis and Dani have never been in the bottom two.
Suffice it to say that, despite the usual sterling efforts from James, Len and Bruce (really close second. He was especially annoying and redundant during the judges’ comments) I wanted Lisa to shup up the most. In the other competition going on, Denise’s daughter was the cutest little visitor, beating all the nieces and nephews. (This is of the night, Nicky’s troupe are still the series champs.)
TO THE DANCING: I don’t remember much about Dani’s American Smooth, except that she and Vincent seemed nervous (all show, actually) and the lifts – one of them was really good and the other didn’t seem particularly high. The Argentine Tango, however, was great. Dani was standing still a couple of times too many for me to be cross about the marking, but the intensity, the content and the way she coped with it made it the best AT of the series, and while she hasn’t quite ever wowed me, I hope she makes it through.
I don’t remember who came next, so I’ll deal with Louis. Yes, the jive wasn’t great – Darcey made apt points about his suppleness and making some things look too easy, although I spent most of the time the judges were talking him down wondering if they’d be equally forthright with Lisa. (Spoiler: No, they weren’t.) Then came the foxtrot, which I liked, although I think I was paying more attention to the vocal for some of it, and then the little boy lip biting – have I mentioned that Louis comes across as younger than his age to me? – at Craig’s thumb thing. I was glad he got mark redemption, and I’d be shocked if he isn’t voted through by his fans. Flavia felt the need to promise Artem levels of clothing if they did. The whole last man standing thing was overdone, because, frankly, everyone thought as much from the first rounds.
Lisa’s legs were all right in the first dance and I suppose I can see why they put it last. Less so the last one.
Denise’s tango was brilliant. I had assumed it would be an El Tango de Roxanne thing, but the return to the original version, the staccato-ness, the touches of flamenco and the fact they got through it without incident was great. And then the rumba – while I wouldn’t go as far as Bruno – it was really touching and struck a chord with me. (I spared a moment for Cheri Lunghi’s rumba, UNLIKE JAMES). Denise danced it beautifully. I’m glad that they got over their hiccoughs – he white dress was also gorgeous, even if Craig accused it of hiding the hips.
Kimberley and Pasha's American Smooth was smoking. I maybe liked it less than the judges (but more than Len – I was willing to give Pasha his choreographic licence) but there was no doubt that it was quality. Plus these two sizzle more than any other couple have this series. AND THEN the Charleston – I was expecting it to be good, knew it had to be good to match Denise, but all those tricks. It’s the cartwheel that’ll get the attention, but all of them seemed so demanding, yet she didn’t lose a second. I am so pleased that he’s found the way of getting the most out of her and doing his choreographic magic, and I’m so pleased that she got back into it after her bottom two low, broke through last week and MAINTAINED it on a night when there were two dances.
Can you tell who I voted for yet?
One thing I have to mention is that instead of watching or listening to Tess, I kept watching Artem giggle, and given that there seemed to be shenanigans from the Brendan and Anton double act, who can blame him? He was also looking thoughtful, I like to think it was for choreographic reasons.
But finally, I want to rewatch quite a few of those performances, actually.
I then watched the Girls Aloud special – um, Sarah Harding’s face these days???
Sunday's show
I was spoiled about who was going thanks to the radio – I couldn’t watch the show any earlier than this morning.
Tess’s dress would have been ever so much better without the pointless frill around her waist.
I really loved ‘What the Show Needs Now is Snow, Fake Snow’ – gorgeous choreography. Katherine Jenkins’s singing performance was getting awkward – yet another song that doesn’t quite fit her voice and certainly not her persona. The movement was all very placed...thank goodness for Kristina to show how to do sexy. Less snarkily, I loved the ice skating nods in the routine. But I did enjoy the jive.
Thank you, Claudia for picking up on Vincent’s Best Response Ever. The part that I loved was Dani punching him to bring him back to himself. No more Claudia on this year's show, sadly.
Telling that Denise and James were in the bottom two - no way they can expect to win, which will make going into the final weird. But they so deserve to be there, and all they had to do was not forget the steps.
Thank you, fellow Strictly viewing public for not ruining the final for me.
