Monday Musings: Week 12 - The Final

I know it's a cliche and everyone has said it already, but I really do think this was one of the closest finals ever. You really didn't know which way the result was going to go. All of the couples had dances I liked and dances I didn't.

Judges' Pick

It's hard to find things to say about these dances, since we'd seen them before...

Denise & James' reprise of the jive was lively, energetic and flawless. Denise is such a clean dancer. She did a brilliant job once again.

Dani & Vincent's tango had lots of heel leads for Len. Dani's swivels were lovely. I agreed with Bruno that it was a bit wobbly and not as strong as we usually see from her. Perhaps the nerves and the desire to win got the better of her.

Kimberley & Pasha's Viennese waltz was better than last time. It was elegant, and there is no doubt that her topline has improved. She looked as though she might lose it when she was nearly garroted by her dress, but she recovered well.

I liked Louis & Flavia's salsa better this time. There was more armography. Louis' slightly cocky manner totally suited the dance. He went for it a bit more, which was good to see.

Showdances

The showdance is hyped up so much that sometimes they can be a disappointment.

Denise & James' showdance was certainly not a disappointment. It had absolutely phenomenal lifts. The best lift's we've ever seen from a celebrity. I didn't really like the bits in hold, though. Denise looked a bit stiff. Maybe it was just her flat shoes that made it look odd, I don't know.  The routine really showed the trust Denise has in James. A great partnership.

Dani & Vincent's routine was nice, but didn't have the 'wow' factor of Denise & James'. Vinent's show dance with Rachel was also a bit of a let-down - he just doesn't seem to get it quite right. But you have to give credit to Vincent for basing the routine on the two styles Dani had not performed - paso and rumba. The routine was very nice and was well danced. It made me really wish we'd seen Dani do a full paso routine. It seemed to really suit her.

I liked the lifts at the beginning of Kimberley & Pasha's routine. It was a nice routine, but I found it all a bit messy. Kimberley wasn't quite 'sext' enough for me. I feel like she is Beyonce in mind, but not in body. She did go for it and gave it everything, so you have to applaud her for that.

I really liked Louis & Flavia's showdance. It wasn't as flashy as Denise & James', but it had impressive lifts and a good mix of steps. I liked the mix of rumba and Argentine tango. I loved the lift into a fall at the beginning. Very lyrical. It was pitched perfectly.

I was sorry to see Dani in 4th place. I really liked Dani & Vincent, and I really thought that it would be Denise to go first. I guess the public finally gave Denise some credit after the show dance and decided to vote for her.

Favourite Dance

I liked Denise & James' Charleston better on a smaller stage. It was very clean and neat. A top quality performance once again.

Kimberley & Pasha's tango performance was excellent. It was passionate. Kimberley danced for her life. It had such strength and resistance. I loved it. It demonstrated how much Kimberley has blossomed as a dancer.

Louis & Flavia performed their Charleston well. No better or worse than last time. It's not the dance I would have chosen if I were them, but I wasn't too keen on it the first time around.

If I am honest, I would have preferred one of the girls to win. I never really warmed to Louis and found his lack of personality on the floor quite tiresome. I wanted him to stop being so cool and embrace the show. The Charleston was as close as he came, but that felt too forced for me.

That said, I did really enjoy Louis & Flavia's showdance, and Flavia deserves to have a glitterball. She's an excellent choreographer and she and Louis seemed to work efficiently together. It was nice for Louis to end 2012 with a gold.

Here are the videos...

Denise & James - jive



Denise & James - show dance



Denise & James - Charleston



Dani & Vincent - tango



Dani & Vincent - show dance



Kimberley & Pasha - Viennese waltz



Kimberley & Pasha - show dance



Kimberley & Pasha - tango



Louis & Flavia - salsa



Louis & Flavia - show dance



Louis & Flavia - Charleston



The moment of truth...

DVD Review: Strictly Come Dancing - The Showstoppers

Strictly Come Dancing - The Showstoppers is a brand new DVD. It celebrates some of the best dances from the first nine series of Strictly.

For each dance style, Bruno, Len and Craig each suggest their favourite routine and then try to reach agreement on which one is the best. For some styles, it's obvious. I don't think I'd be giving anything away by stating that the salsa and jive are a foregone conclusion. There are also some categories where I am surprised that there are some routines which are absent (Zoe & Ian's tango is my completely biased example). And some winning choices (such as the tango they did select) made me want to eject the DVD and send it across the room like a frisbee. But that's the beauty of Strictly. We all like different couples and different routines, and that's what makes the show so special.

The DVD has two extras. There is a Best Of The Rest feature, where all of the routines the judges debated but didn't choose as a winner can be viewed. The other feature is a Day In The Life Of A Judge. This feature felt like padding to me. I didn't really feel as if I saw anything that I hadn't seen on It Takes Two or on the results show backstage footage.

If you need a last-minute Christmas present, you could do a lot worse than this DVD. It's a nice trip down memory lane. It's especially good for anyone who doesn't spend much time on YouTube.

Strictly Come Dancing - The Showstoppers was released on DVD on 26th November 2012 (big thanks to the nice folks at BBC Worldwide).

Sunday Service: Week 11

This year's crop of celebrities are so close that it's going to be a fantastic final. Last night's semi-final produced some great performances.

I got quite annoyed with Len complaining about Craig and Darcey's nitpicking. This is the semi-final. Now is the time to be ultra critical, not to turn a blind eye. With the competition being so close, the judges should be looking for the things which separate the couples.

I liked Dani & Vincent's American smooth. Dani's heel turns were very nice, and she turned her toes up on the backward steps well. Her running promenades were also very nice. It was perhaps lacking a bit of 'wow' factor. I was surprised that it got two 8s and two 9s. I thought it would be 9s from all four judges.

Dani & Vincent's Argentine tango had the 'wow' factor which the foxtrot was missing. I loved the silent opening. The choreography was, of course, brilliant. Dani performed with wonderful technique and intensity. It could have been a little bit 'hotter' perhaps, but a very good performance.

Louis & Flavia's jive went pretty much how we all expected. Louis is not into the happy clappy dances and it shows. His jive was lacking in technique. It was flat footed, and he needs to point his toes on the flicks. I really liked the 'through the legs' move. However, I found it all a bit uncomfortable. The judges praised the performance side, which has improved without a doubt, but it still feels really forced.

The foxtrot was a bit better, but again Louis was gifted with 'moody' music. There wasn't really anything Hollywood about the routine. It was nicely danced and they covered the floor really well. I loved the ending of the routine. It was elegant, but Louis doesn't excite me.

Denise & James' tango was clean, staccato and sharp. The routine was very full of content. It had lots of drive and intensity. I agree with Darcey that her legs could have been straighter on the kicks.

James always seems to come up with gorgeous rumba routines (Cherie and Pamela both performed beautiful routines with James), and Denise's was no exception. I thought it was stunning. It had such a wonderful, romantic feeling. Such yearning. Denise's extensions are just beautiful. I especially loved the contemporary spin on the floor - straight out of a modern lyrical routine. 

I agreed with Len about Kimberley & Pasha's American smooth - there just wasn't quite enough time in hold. I wanted more foxtrot. It felt like a show dance routine. That said, it was a brilliant performance. I may sound a bit like Craig here, but the only thing I didn't like was Kimberley's free arm on the kicky lift. It was just left dangling.

Their Charleston was fantastic. Kimberley had just the right amount of goofy. It was fun, and it did fly. The cartwheel section was amazing, and so neat. Kimberley performed with such abandon - just as a Charleston should be. It had lovely transitions. Loved it.

Lisa & Robin's salsa lacked intensity for me. It was fun, but it needed more control. I actually found it a bit embarrassing. I didn't think it was final worthy. It was quite brave to go for the floor spin, but it didn't come off. I'm glad the judges had fun watching it, because I didn't really.

I liked Robin's American smooth choreography, which had lovely Chicago notes. I especially liked the ending. However, for me it only had some of that jazz, rather than All That Jazz. As always, Lisa gave it loads of personality, but she doesn't have strong enough technique for a finalist.

I think I was in agreement with the order of the judges' leaderboard this week. Lisa and Louis were the bottom two for me. If Lisa ends up in the bottom two, there is no doubt in my mind that she will go home. If the public have saved Lisa, then it will get more interesting. If Louis comes up against Dani, Denise or Kimberley, then I think he will go home with silver once again. But what if there is any combination of Dani, Denise or Kimberley in the bottom two? They are so keen on Denise, but can they put her through if she's up against Kimberley who topped the board? I cannot wait to see the results show tonight! Bring it on!

Here are the videos...

Dani & Vincent - American smooth



Dani & Vincent - Argentine tango



Louis & Flavia - Jive



Louis & Flavia - Foxtrot



Denise & James - Tango



Denise & James - Rumba



Kimberley & Pasha - American smooth



Kimberley & Pasha - Charleston



Lisa & Robin - Salsa



Lisa & Robin - American smooth

Saturday Service: Week 10

The quarter-finals. Dance fusion week.

I think the pressure is starting to get to the couples. They are so close to the end, and so keen to get there. But a few things just weren't quite right.

Denise & James' jive/quickstep was going so very well until her little slip. For me, she never seemed to quite recover the performance after that. She coped very well though, and carried on. What is it about jive dresses on Strictly? The choreography was brilliant. It was fast but very controlled. Denise's timing was very good. Denise had the advantage that she had already done a brilliant jive, so in some respects half the work had already been done.

Lisa & Robin's cha cha/tango looked very under rehearsed. Lisa didn't seem to master either of the styles, despite having performed both of them before. She got very lost in the middle, which most of the failed to mention. She plodded around the floor in the tango section. There was no flair. And the cha cha wasn't that great either. I'm afraid that I didn't like it at all. I wasn't keen on the choreography this week.

Poor Nicky. He didn't stand a chance this week. He was dished up samba - dance of death - and American smooth. Neither of which he had attempted before (unless you count foxtrot), which really doesn't seem very fair. The two styles fit together about as well as Sarah & Brendan. Nicky tried hard, but I really didn't like Karen's routine at all. I found it a bit untidy and frantic. The music was too slow for the foxtrot sections.

Dani & Vincent were a totally different story. They were blessed with Charleston and quickstep, which are natural bedfellows. Dani did a brilliant job with the quickstep at Wembley, so like Denise, this was a nice fit for her. And the Charleston wasn't really a stretch after her performance on Let's Dance For Sport Relief earlier this year. For those reasons, Dani & Vincent did a brilliant job with their fusion. It was amazing. Clean, fast, cheeky and brilliant. I loved it, and I was surprised it only got two 10s.

Louis & Flavia did very well. Louis was given two styles which suit his 'moody' persona - rumba and tango. Louis was strong on both sides of the dance. He leads Flavia and presents her beautifully. I really liked the routine. I'm sure Arlene would complain about his hands, which he still waves in a really odd way. But it was a nice performance.

Kimberley switched between smiley cha cha and moody tango really well. She transitioned between styles really well. I didn't like it as much as the judges. It was good, but it didn't move me as much as Dani & Vincent. What I did like about the routine was that despite dancing to It's Raining Men, there was nothing camp about the routine. Pasha kept it all completely straight. It would have been a different story had Lisa & Robin danced to it.

So who should be in the bottom two? Probably the executive producers for allowing this dodgy fusion week to happen... I think there's no doubt that Nicky should be in the bottom two, and I'm sure he should be going home. I think I would put Lisa in the bottom two with him. Lisa wasn't that great this week, while the others were all pretty strong. Next week will be a battle royal.

Here are the videos...

Denise & James



Lisa & Robin



Nicky & Karen



Dani & Vincent



Louis & Flavia



Kimberley & Pasha

Book Review: Strictly Annual 2013

If you're like me, you'll have a shelf full of Strictly Come Dancing annuals. I love them. And this year's installment is very good.

The book is based around this series, so first and foremost it has biographies of all this year's participants. The most striking thing here are the pictures of Lisa Riley - her weight loss is really appearent when looking at these pre-series photos.

One of the best articles is an interview with the show's new executive producers - Andrea Hamilton and Glenn Coomber. They explain why the final is not in Blackpool (logistics), how they have tweaked the show without overhauling (return of the dance-off, more Claudia backstage) and the addition of Karen Hauer. It is heartening that the producers realise how much we love the show, and all they want to do is improve it.

There's also a look back at the 2011 series, an interview with Darcey and an interesting feature on how the Strictly trophy is made!

Win a copy of Strictly Come Dancing: The Official Annual 2013

To celebrate the publication of the annual , I have three copies to give away to lucky Strictly Come Blogging readers, courtesy of Ebury Publishing.

To be in with a chance of winning, please answer the following question:

What is the name of Strictly Come Dancing's head of costume design?

Send your answer to loulabelle44@outlook.com, marking your email ANNUAL COMP. The competition closes at midnight on Friday 15th December 2012.

GOOD LUCK!

Competition is open to residents of the United Kingdom only. There are three prizes, each consisting of one copy of Strictly Come Dancing: The Official Annual 2013. The prizes have been provided by Ebury Publishing. By entering, you give consent to have your name published on Strictly Come Blogging. Only one entry will be accepted per email address. Duplicate entries will be removed. The competition opens at the time indicated on this blog post, and will close at midnight on Friday 15th December 2012. No entries will be accepted after this time. The winner will be chosen at random from all correct entries and will be notified by email no later than Tuesday 18th December 2012. The winner will have 5 working days to respond and confirm their postal address. If no response is received in the time, the editor reserves the right to re-draw. Contact details will not be used for any purpose other than competition entry. The editor's decision is final.

Review: Strictly Perfume

It's hard to review a perfume, but I am going to try...

I'll start with the packaging. The fragrance (eau du toilette) - Latin Sensation - comes in a box which depicts a lady in a latin dress - very similar to the images used on the make-up range.

The 50ml bottle is shaped like a mirrorball and is coloured pink. It would look very nice on a dressing table.

I'm pleased to say that the fragrance is not one of fear, sweat and fake tan. The smell is actually quite sweet and woody. According to the box it is a mix of cardamom spice, osmanthus and sandalwood.

It's quite long lasting - I sprayed it on myself in the morning and could still smell it at lunchtime.

Also in the range is another fragrance - Ballroom Beauty. Both come as a single 50ml eau de toilette, and also in a gift pack which includes a body mist and a purse spray in addition to the EDT.

Both are available now priced at £12.99, exclusively at Avon, which is pretty good value, and would make a nice stocking filler for any Strictly fan. The fact that I already have it has probably ruined Christmas present buying for my mum!

Big thanks to the nice people at BBC Worldwide.

Ballroom Dancer Preview

Last week, I mentioned the upcoming documentary film Ballroom Dancer, which will be released in January.

If you fancy seeing it ahead of the crowd, The Ritzy cinema in Brixton, London, has an advance preview of the film on Monday 10th December.

Not only that, but there will be a Q&A session after the screening with choreographer Kele Baker. Even if her name doesn't ring a bell, you'll be familiar with her work, as she is the choreographer for the Argentine tango routines on Strictly Come Dancing.

Tickets cost £6.50, and can be purchased here.

Sunday Service: Week 9

We're now getting to the business of the competition and everyone has improved so much. It's starting to heat up. Yet surprisingly most of the couples just weren't quite on it this week.

Take Kimberley & Pasha's jive for instance. It was perfectly pleasant, but it didn't set my heart alight like Dani's or Denise's did. It was light, pretty clean and has plenty of energy, but it just didn't move me. I agreed with Len that the bit through the legs was a bit ungainly.

Dani & Vincent's Viennese waltz was dreamy. It was as clean and precise as always, and very sweet. The underarm turns toward the end were lovely. Another solid performance. Will Dani ever have a bad week?

I was glad, although perhaps disappointed, that Michael & Natalie's samba wasn't quite as car crashy as I'd expected. It wasn't pretty, but it could have been worse. It was better than their jive. I thought Natalie's choreography was very cleaver. And she didn't really resort to Ola's trick of keeping the man stock still while she dances around. Michael was moving his feet most of the time. There was a nice turn sequence at the end.

I thought Nicky & Karen's Argentine tango was pretty good. It had a nice atmosphere. It was a little messy in places, but I think he should have done enough to stay in the competition.

Lisa & Robin's quickstep was a bit untidy. Lisa still has 'lazy' legs - she never picks them up when she's supposed to. It was really noticeable on the Charleston sections and on the 'Eric & Ernie' bit at the end. Lisa also needs to bring her feet together more. I didn't enjoy it as much as some of their other dances.

The salsa was not a classic Denise & James routine. It was obvious that James did not get on with it, even before he admitted his mistake. I agree with Len that Denise managed well when James went to bits - but you wouldn't expect anything less. Denise does turn brilliantly, and it's clear that the salsa choreographer had noticed. There were so many in the routine.

Louis & Flavia's Charleston was pleasant. I felt that the faces were as choreographed as the steps, but at least they were there at last. Louis looked a little dead behind the eyes. I don't know why they didn't bring an acting coach weeks ago. It might have helped. The routine was danced well, and of course, there were some good tricks. I know I'm not going to be popular with this, but don't think the dance really suited Flavia. She's so amazing at everything - maybe she's too good to be goofy...

So in a week where thinks should be hotting up, it all seemed a bit lukewarm. I really think that it's time for Michael to go. But who would you put in the bottom two with him. There is every chance it will be Denise, but I think it probably be Nicky. I think that as long as Micheal is in the bottom two, he will leave. But what if he's not? It doesn't bear thinking about...

Here are the videos...

Kimberley & Pasha



Dani & Vincent



Micheal & Natalie



Nicky & Karen



Lisa & Robin



Denise & James



Louis & Flavia