The Strictly post
Dec. 5th, 2016 09:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shallownessMusicals night/quarter-finals
Setting the scene, then, Anton (filling the Brucie role) sang a ditty about how anything could happen on Strictly and pretty much everyone left turned up to represent all the rest of the musicals.
Ore got the opening slot, and I note that ‘I loved Willy Wonka as a child’ has become ‘it was my favourite musical/character/booth’. I thought they just aboutwon in terms of costuming, although when he danced, I decided I’d have preferred that the trousers had also been purple. I also thought the backing dancers were too much in this routine, but, for me, this was much more of a return to form. As they said, he was in control and it was stylish (and Craig bumped him back up to a 9.)
Cue more pro dancer singing – I’m not sure I approve of this departure in general, because about the best you can say is that they sang in tune, but Brendan gave the terrible scanning his all, and the clutching of the giant sheep, the whole lot in the Clauditorium joining in made Claudia’s line about how it wasn’t a dream make this one of the better Ts&Cs, and there was no question that it was just going to be that kind of show.
Judge Rinder has been brought back into the VT fold. It was a mistake to start him off on the stage with the pros, because the first impression of him was one where he was shown up. There were what I’ll call sticky bits and the routine did nothing to change the convicton that he was the weakest dancer left and should be in the dance-off so the rest of them could go through to the semis.
Louise was rather endearing in putting up with Kevin playing cowboy in the VT. That was my favourite routine of theirs for a while. I loved the choreography, especially that it was all about making her, as Calam, the star, and Calamity Jane seemed to suit Louise’s wholesome niceness er, nicely. I wasn’t so sure about the timing on the bit on the table, mind.
I smiled throughout Claudia’s salsa, I have to say. It was so exuberant! The grass on the skirt didn’t do her any favours, but she wasn’t phased by it. I think it was the lifts – the dismount Craig noted and the last one – that were the problems, which was such a shame, because I thought her dancing and confidence in performing and the improvement thereof were showcased well. There were wow moments too. Fortunately, it didn’t matter that it wasn’t entirely clean, Bruno was in a good mood, so they got their ten, and given the way tens can be bestowed by the judges, I’m not going to quibble, especially because I don’t see these two making it through to the final.
That meant Danny got the glory slot (in as much as that order worked tonight with the group dances) which was obviously fair enough after THAT samba. His tango was my favourite. He did indeed manage to be the leading man, he certainly wasn’t overshadowed by the pros – and that bit where they were all dancing together was so clever from Oti. It was fast, but it always felt like he was in control and they have the underlying chemistry. Bless him for not translating Darcy’s admission that she hadn’t seen the bad footwork or Bruno’s chirpiness into the 10s that he got.
I ended up voting for Danny and Claudia for what it’s worth.
And finally…the West Side Story three-part tribute. OH YEAH. Excellent, in giving a flavour of the styles and the contrast of the three sections they’d chosen. Brendan and Giovanni seemed well matched in attitudes, there was a gorgeous section of lifts by Janette and Aljiaz, and Karen was brilliant as Anita. More of that sort of thing, please!
Results
A real ‘I imagine they all warmed up for this one’ opening number, although Katya as Valma thrashed Natalie as Roxy. Great chairwork and legwork.
The interesting thing about the recap was that they’d fashioned it as a triumph for Claudia, even though she got the same score as Louise (so it was a triumph!) and Danny beat them both, although, for him, it was a mere two tens.
Cue both ladies being told they were safe, while Ore wasn’t. Danny looked petrified, but after that tango he was definitely going to get the few votes he needed at the top of the leaderboard.
I’d clocked that Claudia hadn’t done the rumba yet.
Let’s talk about the dresses, because Elaine Page’s was a bit what Ellie Goulding might wear were she her age (not a compliment). Tess’s was one of those that seemed like a better idea than reality, though her hair was great; Darcey would have looked better in the gold minidress that was hiding underneath the sheerness, though her hair and earrings were fab; and Claudia W wore colour – shame about the shape and how the skirt looked as she sits down for most of this.
Oh, and ‘Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina’ was very dramatically performed and danced and I rather enjoyed watching Aljiaz dance with a tall pro while feeling it was inappropriate that Natalie was pawing his face, so I was confused.
Judge Rinder was informed of the inevitable i.e. that he was in the dance-off and then that he was going. Poor Oksana, but she’s surely done enough to stay and I look forward to her choreography next year.
Setting the scene, then, Anton (filling the Brucie role) sang a ditty about how anything could happen on Strictly and pretty much everyone left turned up to represent all the rest of the musicals.
Ore got the opening slot, and I note that ‘I loved Willy Wonka as a child’ has become ‘it was my favourite musical/character/booth’. I thought they just aboutwon in terms of costuming, although when he danced, I decided I’d have preferred that the trousers had also been purple. I also thought the backing dancers were too much in this routine, but, for me, this was much more of a return to form. As they said, he was in control and it was stylish (and Craig bumped him back up to a 9.)
Cue more pro dancer singing – I’m not sure I approve of this departure in general, because about the best you can say is that they sang in tune, but Brendan gave the terrible scanning his all, and the clutching of the giant sheep, the whole lot in the Clauditorium joining in made Claudia’s line about how it wasn’t a dream make this one of the better Ts&Cs, and there was no question that it was just going to be that kind of show.
Judge Rinder has been brought back into the VT fold. It was a mistake to start him off on the stage with the pros, because the first impression of him was one where he was shown up. There were what I’ll call sticky bits and the routine did nothing to change the convicton that he was the weakest dancer left and should be in the dance-off so the rest of them could go through to the semis.
Louise was rather endearing in putting up with Kevin playing cowboy in the VT. That was my favourite routine of theirs for a while. I loved the choreography, especially that it was all about making her, as Calam, the star, and Calamity Jane seemed to suit Louise’s wholesome niceness er, nicely. I wasn’t so sure about the timing on the bit on the table, mind.
I smiled throughout Claudia’s salsa, I have to say. It was so exuberant! The grass on the skirt didn’t do her any favours, but she wasn’t phased by it. I think it was the lifts – the dismount Craig noted and the last one – that were the problems, which was such a shame, because I thought her dancing and confidence in performing and the improvement thereof were showcased well. There were wow moments too. Fortunately, it didn’t matter that it wasn’t entirely clean, Bruno was in a good mood, so they got their ten, and given the way tens can be bestowed by the judges, I’m not going to quibble, especially because I don’t see these two making it through to the final.
That meant Danny got the glory slot (in as much as that order worked tonight with the group dances) which was obviously fair enough after THAT samba. His tango was my favourite. He did indeed manage to be the leading man, he certainly wasn’t overshadowed by the pros – and that bit where they were all dancing together was so clever from Oti. It was fast, but it always felt like he was in control and they have the underlying chemistry. Bless him for not translating Darcy’s admission that she hadn’t seen the bad footwork or Bruno’s chirpiness into the 10s that he got.
I ended up voting for Danny and Claudia for what it’s worth.
And finally…the West Side Story three-part tribute. OH YEAH. Excellent, in giving a flavour of the styles and the contrast of the three sections they’d chosen. Brendan and Giovanni seemed well matched in attitudes, there was a gorgeous section of lifts by Janette and Aljiaz, and Karen was brilliant as Anita. More of that sort of thing, please!
Results
A real ‘I imagine they all warmed up for this one’ opening number, although Katya as Valma thrashed Natalie as Roxy. Great chairwork and legwork.
The interesting thing about the recap was that they’d fashioned it as a triumph for Claudia, even though she got the same score as Louise (so it was a triumph!) and Danny beat them both, although, for him, it was a mere two tens.
Cue both ladies being told they were safe, while Ore wasn’t. Danny looked petrified, but after that tango he was definitely going to get the few votes he needed at the top of the leaderboard.
I’d clocked that Claudia hadn’t done the rumba yet.
Let’s talk about the dresses, because Elaine Page’s was a bit what Ellie Goulding might wear were she her age (not a compliment). Tess’s was one of those that seemed like a better idea than reality, though her hair was great; Darcey would have looked better in the gold minidress that was hiding underneath the sheerness, though her hair and earrings were fab; and Claudia W wore colour – shame about the shape and how the skirt looked as she sits down for most of this.
Oh, and ‘Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina’ was very dramatically performed and danced and I rather enjoyed watching Aljiaz dance with a tall pro while feeling it was inappropriate that Natalie was pawing his face, so I was confused.
Judge Rinder was informed of the inevitable i.e. that he was in the dance-off and then that he was going. Poor Oksana, but she’s surely done enough to stay and I look forward to her choreography next year.
