Monday Musings: Week 7

I elected not to write a Sunday Service this week, saving it for Monday Musings instead, as I had the privilege of being in the studio on Saturday night. I decided not to write my thoughts when I knew the result, as I didn't want to give anything away.

I can't get enough of Pamela & James. I think the judges were perhaps a little harsh on her. I think she does give the routines everything. She's very precise, but I think she lets go. The routine totally suited Pamela. It had a nice mix of basic cha cha, and wasn't flashy. I loved the Bucks Fizz moment, and I now want my own sparkly laptop! The only dodgy part was the ending. It looked as though Pamela fell into the end post. Perhaps she does need to raise her game a little.

Michelle's interpretation of the paso doble was a bit stampy. There didn't seem to be any connection between her and Brendan. I found her performance a bit detached. But she has improved lots. I loved Brendan's choreography. It had heaps of musicality. And I loved the section of turns where he took Michelle by the skirt instead of turning her with a hand. Brilliant.

I loved Patsy & Robin's Viennese waltz. Admittedly, the purist in me would have liked a bit more of the dance in hold, but that aside I loved it. The storytelling was first rate. Patsy managed to really use her acting skills. I think it was Patsy's best dance. I still think Patsy struggles in hold. She always seems to flourish when she's left on her own, or is at least out of hold.

Matt & Aliona gave the rumba a good go. It was one of the better rumbas we've seen from a male celebrity. Matt did funny things with his arms now and then, but aside from that it was pretty good. I'm not sure about the chemistry between them, though. They're good, but I don't buy them as a partnership as much as some of the other couples. I always feel slightly uncomfortable when Matt is going for 'sexy'. I liked the routine, and thankfully for once there were no tricks.

Gavin is trying really hard to show some personality on the dancefloor, and I think Katya did a good job in pitching their quickstep as fun. It seemed to bring Gavin out of his shell a bit. He still has a few timing issues, and his footwork is hit and miss - he missed a few heel leads. It was an improvement on some of his other routines, but I'm afraid that Gavin still leaves me cold. He's never given me the impression that he really loves dancing.

How much longer so we have to endure Ann & Anton? Every dance is the same. Ann walks around the floor, and every so often hangs on to Anton for dear life to get through a few pivots. This foxtrot was no different. There is no style, no passion, no personality during the dance. Does anyone genuinely enjoy watching their routines? Several times, Anton looked as though it was all going wrong, but he's such a strong lead they got away with it. Would Ann even realise if it was all wrong? I'm bored now.

Kara & Artem were phenomenal on Saturday night. Their Argentine tango was stunning and very hot. Kara is so naturally gifted, but even she has improved as the weeks have gone on. She reminds me of Rachel Stevens, who took a while to get going, but when she hit her stride was fantastic. Kara has certainly hit he stride in the last couple of weeks. This was one of the best Argentine tangos we've seen in a long time. Her lunges are stunning. Her basic steps are precise.
Kara & Artem are pure class.

Felicity seemed to really struggle with the salsa. It was a bit of a mess, and Felicity & Vincent are lucky to still be in the competition. The slow sections lacked fluidity. There were errors all over the place. At least they kept going. I can't help feeling that Felicity is now slightly out of her depth in the competition. But she works really hard, and she displays an enjoyment of dancing (except when she looked a bit panic-stricken), but she needs to raise her game if she wants to say.

Scott & Natalie's jive totally brought the house down. Once again, Natalie's choreography was just brilliant. Leaving Scott to show what a strong dancer he is by having him jive by himself outside the closed door was brave and inspired. The storytelling was fabulous. On top of that, technically Scott is sound. His technique is solid, and it's certainly not a case of style over substance. It was the best jive since 'that jive'. Yes, I'm going to say it. Halfpenny. Hillary Alexander summed it up best on Twitter: "Three 10s for Scott! Put that in your pipe and smoke it Gavin!!".

There is no doubt that Scott was top dog this week, followed by Kara. The bottom two should have been Ann and Felicity, with Ann going home. Felicity was lucky to get through this week, and needs to up her game if she wants to stay.

Here are the videos...

Pamela & James



Michelle & Brendan



Patsy & Robin



Gavin & Katya



Ann & Anton



Kara & Artem



Felicity & Vincent



Matt & Aliona



Scott & Natalie