Strictly week 9
Nov. 17th, 2024 08:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shallownessOr Blackpool Week
The VT was made up of the illuminations and hugs, and you could hear how much bigger the audience was from the applause over the credits. Big opening group number to a Pet Shop Boys medley. The silver cozzies and the bands around the dancers’ eyes worked in the first section, but once Carlos and Lauren came on in luminous green, one tired of silver. And I do think it was unfair to put some of the blokes in mustard! It was pretty epic, though, with so many dance styles, and then the celebs came on, led on by bundle-of-energy Sarah, Chris giving it some welly and Wynne looking the most out of place.
Tess looked nice, in a sparkly red gown that was a pretty classy shape, but was completely overshadowed by Claudia in an oversized golden poncho or kaftan. (I giggled.) Motsi also outshone Shirley with volume in a delicate pink and, as we’d later see, humongous fake nails. And then they had a presenter and judges dance routine that Claudia completely messed up and got in everyone’s way, which she owned, but it made for a hysterical start.
The first competitive routine was Chris’s American smooth to a jazzy cover of ‘Jump’, which oddly enough, worked. Big opening, then a bit of refined, controlled dancing. I thought some bits of it were very good, like the maneuvering and how he hit some accents, but it didn’t quite cohere as a routine for me. Craig aside, the other judges loved it, and with 10s from Shirley and Anton, Chris got his highest score yet. Dianne cried.
Not only was Montell doing a salsa, but it was a disco salsa with a bingo theme (which meant a judges skit and a bit of bingo in the VT. And I imagine this was a night when anyone playing Strictly bingo did well.) It was lots of fun, and she handled dancing with the extra dancers well. What Craig said about a lack of movement in the torso expressed what I’d been feeling – I think the fringing was a bit too much of a hinderance, also.
Sarah would be performing a modern jazz-style number to Kylie (and a Kylie medley, moreover) and it was AMAZINGNESS. The long white gloves were attention grabbing, but Sarah owned all the focus, and I loved the contrast between the smallest of details and the bigger stuff. (They had a supersized table too.) Best score yet, which is all you can ask from a couples choice that’s meant to play to your strengths, with three 10s.
Wynne was doing an operatic Charleston (we’ve had so few this year! Charlestons, that is.) Katya would later say that she was telling Carmen’s story, but it was a weird concept, and the fact that so many other dance styles were referenced didn’t help. At times, Wynne was more focused on the lifts than performing, although, no wonder, given how huge they were. At least the sash wasn’t a problem, but if the judges’ comments had a theme, it was ‘ambitious’, which is not what you want to hear.
Pete would be doing a cha cha to ‘I’m So Sexy’, and so, obviously, he’d be playing a tram conductor. The very opening of the routing was discomfiting, as the other dancers seemed to be pawing at this shy tram conductor to get his coat off. All credit to Pete for going with it, because Jowita and the concept people had decided to push the sexy, and the pink PVC trousers were mighty exposing AND then the ridiculous sunglasses didn’t fit right. But he fully committed whilst dancing. I mean, unless if you’re really good (and though he’s improved, Pete isn’t) you want to get the cha cha over early. Anyway, it succeeded in making Shirley go funny, and Craig giving him a four might add some pity votes to how genuinely popular he is. Still, he got the lowest score.
JB was dancing a quickstep and the Weird Song Choice hit again. I wished they’d been as glued together as they were in some bits. The extra dancers felt superfluous apart from that one linked move, which was a first on this night, they expanded all of the other routines. The judges thought his head position had affected his posture. A slight markdown from the last couple of weeks.
Tasha was dancing a regal paso, and I loved her hair accessories. The music was rather brilliant but so too was her dancing. I think it was her best yet, and I rather suspect Aljiaz will have to find a way for them to do this without the extra dancers in the final. But it turned out that they still haven’t won Craig over, and so it was 39, making them joint top. It did seem as if Craig’s main quibbles with Sarah and Tasha were about interpretation of the styles.
As soon as Jamie and his quiff descended riding a ketchup bottle, it became clear why he’d be closing the night with his jive (to Las Ketchup.) It was a lot of fun – the extra dancers were dressed as condiments here – he danced it with style and exuberance, although from the judges’ comments, he still hasn’t worked out what to do with his standing legs. The score was better than last week, but everyone fit on the one leaderboard tonight, with two ties.
Despite thinking that Tasha and Aljiaz deserved to be joint top with Sarah and Vito, I voted twice for the latter couple (and once for Jamie and Michelle, although I can see he isn’t improving, and it’s been a while since he was very good.) I suspect Wynne and Katya will be in the bottom two (and it’s a gruelling routine!) If the voting public continues to support Pete and Jamie, will the 35ers, who’ve both been in the dance off, be in trouble?
The VT was made up of the illuminations and hugs, and you could hear how much bigger the audience was from the applause over the credits. Big opening group number to a Pet Shop Boys medley. The silver cozzies and the bands around the dancers’ eyes worked in the first section, but once Carlos and Lauren came on in luminous green, one tired of silver. And I do think it was unfair to put some of the blokes in mustard! It was pretty epic, though, with so many dance styles, and then the celebs came on, led on by bundle-of-energy Sarah, Chris giving it some welly and Wynne looking the most out of place.
Tess looked nice, in a sparkly red gown that was a pretty classy shape, but was completely overshadowed by Claudia in an oversized golden poncho or kaftan. (I giggled.) Motsi also outshone Shirley with volume in a delicate pink and, as we’d later see, humongous fake nails. And then they had a presenter and judges dance routine that Claudia completely messed up and got in everyone’s way, which she owned, but it made for a hysterical start.
The first competitive routine was Chris’s American smooth to a jazzy cover of ‘Jump’, which oddly enough, worked. Big opening, then a bit of refined, controlled dancing. I thought some bits of it were very good, like the maneuvering and how he hit some accents, but it didn’t quite cohere as a routine for me. Craig aside, the other judges loved it, and with 10s from Shirley and Anton, Chris got his highest score yet. Dianne cried.
Not only was Montell doing a salsa, but it was a disco salsa with a bingo theme (which meant a judges skit and a bit of bingo in the VT. And I imagine this was a night when anyone playing Strictly bingo did well.) It was lots of fun, and she handled dancing with the extra dancers well. What Craig said about a lack of movement in the torso expressed what I’d been feeling – I think the fringing was a bit too much of a hinderance, also.
Sarah would be performing a modern jazz-style number to Kylie (and a Kylie medley, moreover) and it was AMAZINGNESS. The long white gloves were attention grabbing, but Sarah owned all the focus, and I loved the contrast between the smallest of details and the bigger stuff. (They had a supersized table too.) Best score yet, which is all you can ask from a couples choice that’s meant to play to your strengths, with three 10s.
Wynne was doing an operatic Charleston (we’ve had so few this year! Charlestons, that is.) Katya would later say that she was telling Carmen’s story, but it was a weird concept, and the fact that so many other dance styles were referenced didn’t help. At times, Wynne was more focused on the lifts than performing, although, no wonder, given how huge they were. At least the sash wasn’t a problem, but if the judges’ comments had a theme, it was ‘ambitious’, which is not what you want to hear.
Pete would be doing a cha cha to ‘I’m So Sexy’, and so, obviously, he’d be playing a tram conductor. The very opening of the routing was discomfiting, as the other dancers seemed to be pawing at this shy tram conductor to get his coat off. All credit to Pete for going with it, because Jowita and the concept people had decided to push the sexy, and the pink PVC trousers were mighty exposing AND then the ridiculous sunglasses didn’t fit right. But he fully committed whilst dancing. I mean, unless if you’re really good (and though he’s improved, Pete isn’t) you want to get the cha cha over early. Anyway, it succeeded in making Shirley go funny, and Craig giving him a four might add some pity votes to how genuinely popular he is. Still, he got the lowest score.
JB was dancing a quickstep and the Weird Song Choice hit again. I wished they’d been as glued together as they were in some bits. The extra dancers felt superfluous apart from that one linked move, which was a first on this night, they expanded all of the other routines. The judges thought his head position had affected his posture. A slight markdown from the last couple of weeks.
Tasha was dancing a regal paso, and I loved her hair accessories. The music was rather brilliant but so too was her dancing. I think it was her best yet, and I rather suspect Aljiaz will have to find a way for them to do this without the extra dancers in the final. But it turned out that they still haven’t won Craig over, and so it was 39, making them joint top. It did seem as if Craig’s main quibbles with Sarah and Tasha were about interpretation of the styles.
As soon as Jamie and his quiff descended riding a ketchup bottle, it became clear why he’d be closing the night with his jive (to Las Ketchup.) It was a lot of fun – the extra dancers were dressed as condiments here – he danced it with style and exuberance, although from the judges’ comments, he still hasn’t worked out what to do with his standing legs. The score was better than last week, but everyone fit on the one leaderboard tonight, with two ties.
Despite thinking that Tasha and Aljiaz deserved to be joint top with Sarah and Vito, I voted twice for the latter couple (and once for Jamie and Michelle, although I can see he isn’t improving, and it’s been a while since he was very good.) I suspect Wynne and Katya will be in the bottom two (and it’s a gruelling routine!) If the voting public continues to support Pete and Jamie, will the 35ers, who’ve both been in the dance off, be in trouble?
