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...