Strictly Week 6
Oct. 27th, 2024 08:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shallownessAKA the Halloween show
Claudia didn’t dress up for Halloween! But Carlos did dress up as Claudia. Of course, Anton and Craig took the biscuit (I can’t get too wound up at Tess for explicating to us that they were the twin sisters from The Shining, because I wasn’t sure, not having seen it. And it did herald a refreshing dawn of amity between Anton and Craig after a little too much bitchiness in recent weeks.) Fair do’s, the costumes, hair and make-up team went for it with a vengeance.
The producers decided to give Chris the opening slot of doom for a zombified disco samba. And it was fine, a nice choreographic highlight from Dianne. (Could have done without over-enunciating Shirley, who returned intermittently throughout the show. And at the start of the show, I was convinced Motsi had just been talking German or some other language on the phone right before it started, because she wasn't at her most coherent.) Apparently there was too much bounce. 26 for a samba – he’ll need his votes.
Pete was doing a Joker Viennese Waltz (Jowita seemed to have heard that Folie a Deux is a dud, because she looked more like Robbie!Harley), and given the song (That’s Life), I kept expecting it to turn into an American smooth. Anyway, maybe playing a character helped him again, but I could see his improvement. But I thought that some of the content was a bit too menacing given that kids would be watching, although bang on for Joker/Harley. The judges saw improvement too and he was in the 30s. Jowita was distracted because his red make-up had got on her nose.
Montell was performing a mad science cha cha, and I loved her sass and confidence, also Johanne’s wig. The judges were happy to give her a 35, which is only a slight drop-off from the couples choice high water mark (Anton gave it one less than everyone else!)
Punam was doing a ghost pirate tango. It went better than I thought it would. Big eyes, but plenty of intensity, and the female judges were more encouraging. Best non-Couples Choice score for her, but even though she is improving, it feels like she’s well off the pace. I was going to say she’s handicapped by a lack of performance experience, but then I thought of Sam.
Wynne would be performing a salsa as a friendly devil or something. It started with slow, showy-off lifts, switching to a quick (almost frenetic) salsa except nothing like a normal salsa. I didn’t know what to make of it. I think the judges were positive, or maybe just glad he ended it alive.
JB was dancing a scarecrow foxtrot, and I loved the stylisation, and I thought ballroom boy JB had an ease of movement (especially for a man wearing dungarees.) I don’t know what Amy’s story for the dance was meant to be, and I think she was sometimes shouting at him. The male judges’ comments were a little disheartening for someone who was in the dance-off last week.
Tasha would be dancing a samba. Could someone please tell Aljiaz that he was playing Frankenstein’s monster? Is Frankenstein’s monster’s girlfriend canonical in any canon? (Or maybe what I’m asking is have there been comics versions of Frankenstein.) She looked spectacular make-up wise.
Anyway, THAT was brilliant (and my favourite routine up til that point.) I loved the character work and was very impressed with the bit where she was working so hard when Aljiaz…wasn’t. The judges praised the light and shade and different styles. 37 for a samba, (11 higher than Chris, ouch) and it was a relative pick-me-up after last week.
Shayne was a health and safety hazard with that baton before and after his dance. Claudia was obsessed with the fact that he was playing Edvard Grieg. So, the concept was mad conductor paso, and my reaction was that the choreography was outstanding. Stuff purity of the dance, I felt that she was led by the music. He was performing in the moment. Unsurprisingly, everyone was inconsistent, with Shirley complaining that he took too long to take a step, while Craig loved it. I did too!
Jamie would be performing an Addams Family American smooth, with him as Pugsley and Michelle as Wednesday (all show.) It was such a fun number, I laughed out loud twice (yes, one of them was when she had to lift him.) I thought that Michelle was cleverly relying on the performance in the open work to get some proper foxtrot into his body. The lifts weren’t big, didn’t need to be, which (a) worked in the moment and (b) helped build confidence for later. The judges loved it, and urged Jamie not to get in his own way – he seems to prefer the Latin – and promptly gave him 38, putting him top and giving him more 10s than anyone else. (I loved it, but were Motsi and Shirley guilty of overmarking?)
And then he was adorable about his niece (who is clearly too young to appreciate what he’s doing yet, but give her a few years and she’ll adore this routine.)
Sarah would be dancing a ghostly Argentine tango - the first of the series, and I’m going to complain that it was too early, because she did fumble getting into position for the first lift, and I spotted another hitch, which was such a shame, because the rest of it was extraordinary. (But I had flashbacks to and Ellie and Vito’s showdance last year, which was too demanding.) The lifts and legwork were stupendous, though, but the 10s were too generous, Motsi and Anton. Sarah and Vito were super excited by them, and were joint top of the leaderboard.
This left Sam to close the night with a Rocky Horror Show jive. No pressure after she messed up last week, then! They totally chose it for the ending (and possibly because of the adult look.) She went for it, but, like the judges, I noticed the timing and co-ordination weren’t perfect. Still, she got her highest score yet.
And then I was torn about who to vote for, because my favourite routines were Jamie and Michelle’s, and Tasha and Aljiaz’s. Oh, and Nancy’s choreography and Shayne’s fine execution of it. I would have made a case for voting for Sarah because I thought the AT was a little too soon for her, but she was joint top with Jamie, and so I reasoned they both didn’t need my vote. I reminded myself that I have decided never to vote for Tasha. So, I voted for Shayne and Nancy’s paso and JB and Amy’s foxtrot. I considered voting for Pete and Jowita’s Viennese waltz, but I was still miffed about the domestic violence messaging on a family show, so I didn’t, and I didn’t like anyone else’s dance enough to vote for it. (Sorry, Johannes’s wig, but I wasn’t emotionally engaged with your cha cha.)
So, yeah, I only voted twice, and I’m less comfortable with my choices (the paso aside) than I’ve been so far this year.
Other thoughts, Jamie has backed up his breakthrough (and he hasn’t had a gimme dance yet), Tasha has had a boost, so has Sarah, which I thought she needed. Chris’s popularity will really be tested at the other end (I think he and JB would exchange all their remaining Latins with Jamie and he’d be happy to take them, but it doesn’t work like that.) Punam showed improvement, but will it be enough? (The ITT Friday panel had her, Shayne and JB tipped to go, which is completely rational.) Pete has lifted himself into ‘the middle group’. I think Montell is above that group, and some of the judges’ marks were a little too generous.
Claudia didn’t dress up for Halloween! But Carlos did dress up as Claudia. Of course, Anton and Craig took the biscuit (I can’t get too wound up at Tess for explicating to us that they were the twin sisters from The Shining, because I wasn’t sure, not having seen it. And it did herald a refreshing dawn of amity between Anton and Craig after a little too much bitchiness in recent weeks.) Fair do’s, the costumes, hair and make-up team went for it with a vengeance.
The producers decided to give Chris the opening slot of doom for a zombified disco samba. And it was fine, a nice choreographic highlight from Dianne. (Could have done without over-enunciating Shirley, who returned intermittently throughout the show. And at the start of the show, I was convinced Motsi had just been talking German or some other language on the phone right before it started, because she wasn't at her most coherent.) Apparently there was too much bounce. 26 for a samba – he’ll need his votes.
Pete was doing a Joker Viennese Waltz (Jowita seemed to have heard that Folie a Deux is a dud, because she looked more like Robbie!Harley), and given the song (That’s Life), I kept expecting it to turn into an American smooth. Anyway, maybe playing a character helped him again, but I could see his improvement. But I thought that some of the content was a bit too menacing given that kids would be watching, although bang on for Joker/Harley. The judges saw improvement too and he was in the 30s. Jowita was distracted because his red make-up had got on her nose.
Montell was performing a mad science cha cha, and I loved her sass and confidence, also Johanne’s wig. The judges were happy to give her a 35, which is only a slight drop-off from the couples choice high water mark (Anton gave it one less than everyone else!)
Punam was doing a ghost pirate tango. It went better than I thought it would. Big eyes, but plenty of intensity, and the female judges were more encouraging. Best non-Couples Choice score for her, but even though she is improving, it feels like she’s well off the pace. I was going to say she’s handicapped by a lack of performance experience, but then I thought of Sam.
Wynne would be performing a salsa as a friendly devil or something. It started with slow, showy-off lifts, switching to a quick (almost frenetic) salsa except nothing like a normal salsa. I didn’t know what to make of it. I think the judges were positive, or maybe just glad he ended it alive.
JB was dancing a scarecrow foxtrot, and I loved the stylisation, and I thought ballroom boy JB had an ease of movement (especially for a man wearing dungarees.) I don’t know what Amy’s story for the dance was meant to be, and I think she was sometimes shouting at him. The male judges’ comments were a little disheartening for someone who was in the dance-off last week.
Tasha would be dancing a samba. Could someone please tell Aljiaz that he was playing Frankenstein’s monster? Is Frankenstein’s monster’s girlfriend canonical in any canon? (Or maybe what I’m asking is have there been comics versions of Frankenstein.) She looked spectacular make-up wise.
Anyway, THAT was brilliant (and my favourite routine up til that point.) I loved the character work and was very impressed with the bit where she was working so hard when Aljiaz…wasn’t. The judges praised the light and shade and different styles. 37 for a samba, (11 higher than Chris, ouch) and it was a relative pick-me-up after last week.
Shayne was a health and safety hazard with that baton before and after his dance. Claudia was obsessed with the fact that he was playing Edvard Grieg. So, the concept was mad conductor paso, and my reaction was that the choreography was outstanding. Stuff purity of the dance, I felt that she was led by the music. He was performing in the moment. Unsurprisingly, everyone was inconsistent, with Shirley complaining that he took too long to take a step, while Craig loved it. I did too!
Jamie would be performing an Addams Family American smooth, with him as Pugsley and Michelle as Wednesday (all show.) It was such a fun number, I laughed out loud twice (yes, one of them was when she had to lift him.) I thought that Michelle was cleverly relying on the performance in the open work to get some proper foxtrot into his body. The lifts weren’t big, didn’t need to be, which (a) worked in the moment and (b) helped build confidence for later. The judges loved it, and urged Jamie not to get in his own way – he seems to prefer the Latin – and promptly gave him 38, putting him top and giving him more 10s than anyone else. (I loved it, but were Motsi and Shirley guilty of overmarking?)
And then he was adorable about his niece (who is clearly too young to appreciate what he’s doing yet, but give her a few years and she’ll adore this routine.)
Sarah would be dancing a ghostly Argentine tango - the first of the series, and I’m going to complain that it was too early, because she did fumble getting into position for the first lift, and I spotted another hitch, which was such a shame, because the rest of it was extraordinary. (But I had flashbacks to and Ellie and Vito’s showdance last year, which was too demanding.) The lifts and legwork were stupendous, though, but the 10s were too generous, Motsi and Anton. Sarah and Vito were super excited by them, and were joint top of the leaderboard.
This left Sam to close the night with a Rocky Horror Show jive. No pressure after she messed up last week, then! They totally chose it for the ending (and possibly because of the adult look.) She went for it, but, like the judges, I noticed the timing and co-ordination weren’t perfect. Still, she got her highest score yet.
And then I was torn about who to vote for, because my favourite routines were Jamie and Michelle’s, and Tasha and Aljiaz’s. Oh, and Nancy’s choreography and Shayne’s fine execution of it. I would have made a case for voting for Sarah because I thought the AT was a little too soon for her, but she was joint top with Jamie, and so I reasoned they both didn’t need my vote. I reminded myself that I have decided never to vote for Tasha. So, I voted for Shayne and Nancy’s paso and JB and Amy’s foxtrot. I considered voting for Pete and Jowita’s Viennese waltz, but I was still miffed about the domestic violence messaging on a family show, so I didn’t, and I didn’t like anyone else’s dance enough to vote for it. (Sorry, Johannes’s wig, but I wasn’t emotionally engaged with your cha cha.)
So, yeah, I only voted twice, and I’m less comfortable with my choices (the paso aside) than I’ve been so far this year.
Other thoughts, Jamie has backed up his breakthrough (and he hasn’t had a gimme dance yet), Tasha has had a boost, so has Sarah, which I thought she needed. Chris’s popularity will really be tested at the other end (I think he and JB would exchange all their remaining Latins with Jamie and he’d be happy to take them, but it doesn’t work like that.) Punam showed improvement, but will it be enough? (The ITT Friday panel had her, Shayne and JB tipped to go, which is completely rational.) Pete has lifted himself into ‘the middle group’. I think Montell is above that group, and some of the judges’ marks were a little too generous.
