Switching to British Strictly Time
Sep. 17th, 2023 11:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shallownessOr time for the Strictly 2023 launch show.
It started with a moody, night and city-set routine to ‘Rhythm is a Dancer’ before transferring to the studio. I tried to play ‘spot the pro’, but I wasn’t very good at it. Enter Tess in a metallic pantsuit, Claudia in sparkly black. Anton in a sparklier suit than Craig, Motsi with a flouncy pink top that might have been a bridesmaid’s dress once, while Shirley topped them all with a lemon gown and feathers (it might have been a gown she danced in once.)
Enter the celebs, and broadly speaking, the older they were, the more likely I was to know them (I felt less bad when it turned out the younger ones were off soaps, Love Island or ethnic minority BBC radio stations. And actually, I was vaguely aware of Zara because of her campaigning and impressed by her.) But I note here and now that I saw Nigel Harman in a touring production of Guys and Dolls, although I can’t remember him hoofing much.
A message of good vibes to Amy, who is being treated for cancer, and let’s hope she will be able to return to dance soon. Next came the judges and pros’ black, white and red routine. I was obviously there for the older lady dancing with many male partners energy (although Grazziano deserved a reprimand for making eyes at the camera) and there was one lovely lyrical moment from Shirley. Johannes linked to the Craig section, where the choreo screamed his lack of Latin and ballroom background compared to the others, and if we’re going to afford him the same honesty as he offers everyone, he was the stiffest. Anton had some hatography to do.
First batch of reveals, and it was generally a sunny meaningful place for the pro, so Amanda went to 211b Baker Street etc. The main theme of this group was parents embarrassing their teenage sons, and reigning champ Jowita gets the biggest choreographic challenge in below-the-knee amputee Jody.
The next batch was all about admitting their dance training. With Bobby, (i) I wonder if he is for real and (ii) did he go to a stage school. Layton admitted to having been on the West End, and Nigel to having had musical theatre training (pleading 20 years ago). Angela ‘Come Dancing’ Rippon’s shameless campaign to make it to Blackpool started here with a wholehearted assist from Kai.
Delightful to have Hamza and Jowita reunite and now I can see better, I noticed his increased confidence as a performer reprising a routine he probably did a lot on the tour. But we were all reminded of how lovely he is (including an emosh Jowita.)
Speaking of emosh, I knew Annabel had lost her husband recently, so I am here for Johannes looking after her, while Vito had a Mancunian accent to contend with.
Next came a tribute to Len, and by the end, Craig and Anton were rather touching, but, it may be a dance world thing, that standing ovation was a bit weird, no?
I love Jessie Ware and that was far from the worst live vocal they’ve had on the show, but the sound levels were dodgy. She seemed to have had a whale of a time, and Nadiya’s one-woman eighties tribute look was A LOT on its own.
Final three were paired off, and Angela S amusingly copped to having done Irish dancing. So, Neil and Nadiya (and Michelle?) don’t have partners but Luba does.
I should know better than to read anything into the opening group dance, so take this with a huge mountain of salt, but overall, they looked stiff but willing to be lifted or lift. Nigel and Angela R looked all right, and Eddie was the most pleasant surprise. Layton. Is. A. Ringer. I don’t think that’s the way to go to fix your first same-sex couple champions myself, producers, but we’ll see, shall we?
It started with a moody, night and city-set routine to ‘Rhythm is a Dancer’ before transferring to the studio. I tried to play ‘spot the pro’, but I wasn’t very good at it. Enter Tess in a metallic pantsuit, Claudia in sparkly black. Anton in a sparklier suit than Craig, Motsi with a flouncy pink top that might have been a bridesmaid’s dress once, while Shirley topped them all with a lemon gown and feathers (it might have been a gown she danced in once.)
Enter the celebs, and broadly speaking, the older they were, the more likely I was to know them (I felt less bad when it turned out the younger ones were off soaps, Love Island or ethnic minority BBC radio stations. And actually, I was vaguely aware of Zara because of her campaigning and impressed by her.) But I note here and now that I saw Nigel Harman in a touring production of Guys and Dolls, although I can’t remember him hoofing much.
A message of good vibes to Amy, who is being treated for cancer, and let’s hope she will be able to return to dance soon. Next came the judges and pros’ black, white and red routine. I was obviously there for the older lady dancing with many male partners energy (although Grazziano deserved a reprimand for making eyes at the camera) and there was one lovely lyrical moment from Shirley. Johannes linked to the Craig section, where the choreo screamed his lack of Latin and ballroom background compared to the others, and if we’re going to afford him the same honesty as he offers everyone, he was the stiffest. Anton had some hatography to do.
First batch of reveals, and it was generally a sunny meaningful place for the pro, so Amanda went to 211b Baker Street etc. The main theme of this group was parents embarrassing their teenage sons, and reigning champ Jowita gets the biggest choreographic challenge in below-the-knee amputee Jody.
The next batch was all about admitting their dance training. With Bobby, (i) I wonder if he is for real and (ii) did he go to a stage school. Layton admitted to having been on the West End, and Nigel to having had musical theatre training (pleading 20 years ago). Angela ‘Come Dancing’ Rippon’s shameless campaign to make it to Blackpool started here with a wholehearted assist from Kai.
Delightful to have Hamza and Jowita reunite and now I can see better, I noticed his increased confidence as a performer reprising a routine he probably did a lot on the tour. But we were all reminded of how lovely he is (including an emosh Jowita.)
Speaking of emosh, I knew Annabel had lost her husband recently, so I am here for Johannes looking after her, while Vito had a Mancunian accent to contend with.
Next came a tribute to Len, and by the end, Craig and Anton were rather touching, but, it may be a dance world thing, that standing ovation was a bit weird, no?
I love Jessie Ware and that was far from the worst live vocal they’ve had on the show, but the sound levels were dodgy. She seemed to have had a whale of a time, and Nadiya’s one-woman eighties tribute look was A LOT on its own.
Final three were paired off, and Angela S amusingly copped to having done Irish dancing. So, Neil and Nadiya (and Michelle?) don’t have partners but Luba does.
I should know better than to read anything into the opening group dance, so take this with a huge mountain of salt, but overall, they looked stiff but willing to be lifted or lift. Nigel and Angela R looked all right, and Eddie was the most pleasant surprise. Layton. Is. A. Ringer. I don’t think that’s the way to go to fix your first same-sex couple champions myself, producers, but we’ll see, shall we?
