Strictly Come Blogging: Monday Musings: Week 6

Here are my thoughts on Week 6 of Strictly Come Dancing.

Week 6 already? I can't believe it. The competition is getting hotter, and things are starting to change around, with the weaker couples finding their feet, and the stronger couples slowing down.

I thought that Ray and Camilla had an odd song choice in I Don't Feel Like Dancing. It lacked the party atmosphere that the samba needs. Their routine was good, but lacked a bit of wow-factor.

Claire and Brendan's American smooth was classy and elegant. Claire now needs to use her face more. She had the most gorgeous smile on her face at the end of the routine. If her face had lit up like that throughout the dance, it would have been even better. Brendan did a great job. The lift was well-executed. I think they have turned a corner.

Darren pitched the samba perfectly for Emma. It showed her abilities well, without being too much. The song choice, Ricky Martin's Maria, was perfect for samba. Emma gave a strong performance, but I do feel that she needs to use her hips a little more. But she worked hard on the routine and it showed.

Mark and Karen did a classy American smooth. The lifts were beautiful, his lines were clean and the routine was enjoyable. Like Claire, Mark should smile more on a routine like that and show the audience how much he is enjoying himself.

In my opinion, Vincent tried to push Louisa just a little too far with the samba. Just because she is physically capable of doing the steps, doesn't mean he should pack them in there. A few less steps would have allowed Louisa to really come alive. Her spins were amazing. Louisa did well with what she was given, but I think if she had been given Emma's routine, she could have been even better.

Matt and Lilia were an absolute pleasure to watch. They are really coming together as a team. Matt had a wonderful smile. I loved Matt's round de jambes at the beginning. The lift was fantastic. Despite being a latin specialist, Lilia has such a flair for this type of choreography. It's was their personal best by a long way.

Peter and Erin's samba was very enjoyable. No-one was expecting much from it, but he gave it performance and attack, and it was fun. His few bits of footwork were actually pretty good. Like Darren's, Erin's choreography was pitched perfectly to her partner's ability, and showed off the things Peter was able to do. I feel a lot better about their latin now.

Because of the fantastic song choice (It's Oh, So Quiet), I was expecting big things from Carol and Matthew. But like the judges, it did leave me a little bit cold. I can't quite put my finger on why. Maybe there wasn't enough light and shade between the two time signatures in the music. Maybe it was something about Carol. I don't know. I loved the lift at the end, though.

I think, based on Saturday's performances, the right couple were at the bottom. But Ray and Camilla could have got further.

The competition is getting much closer, and we might start getting a few shocks in the coming weeks. It's still anybody's game.

Here are the videos. Don't you just love YouTube?

Ray and Camilla