Sunday Service: Week 7
The biggest surprise last night was the fact that Natalie was unable to perform. It reminded me of when Pasha had to go to the hospital with his dance partner on So You Think You Can Dance. Don't know what I'm talking about? Click here to win a copy of Pasha's book and learn more...
I didn't think that the jive was really Ben's dance. His timing was very good, but the tricks saved what was otherwise a bit of a boring routine. I loved the neck-drop, and the back flip, but otherwise there just wasn't much going on. Not Ben & Kristina's best work.
Fiona & Anton's paso wasn't very interesting either. Fiona did a decent job, and had pretty good timing. But the whole thing was a bit uninspiring. Not surprising when Anton is doing the choreography. Fiona is always going to have a tough time with latin dances.
Abbey & Aljaž did a god job with the Charleston. Abbey could have smiled a bit more. It wasn't really cheeky enough. She didn't quite capture the spirit of the dance. But her dancing was great. As usual, Abbey showed fantastic timing and musicality.
I found Mark & Iveta's rumba a bit posey. Stand here, stick arm up there. It lacked the intimacy and passion that the rumba demands. It had a good story, but atmospherically it was more like a tango than a rumba. Mark did not have enough hip action, but he was in control.
Susanna's waltz was gorgeous. Easily her and Kevin's best dance so far. Lovely posture and top line. The pair of them were so in sync. Great musicality, and lovely lingering pauses. Susanna seemed to really understand the dance. I'm just not sure why Susanna picked 'Umpa Lumpa' on the spray tan colour chart this week. Her colour did not suit a ballroom dance. I'm not sure why Susanna ended up with the same score as Abbey. She was clearly better.
Dave & Karen's tango was a walking tour of the Strictly dance floor. Dave lacked the hip swivels that should have been present. His timing was probably a little better, possibly because he was in hold and Karen could control him. And that drag move was reminiscent of Christopher Parker's paso. Besides, no self-respecting Englishman should wear a kilt. Scots only, please.
Aside from Ashey's topline, which he has worked on but is still right, the quickstep was very good. Ola packed it with steps, and he coped well. He had heaps of energy, which he maintained throughout. A good effort.
Sophie & Brendan's Argentine tango was their best performance for a few weeks. It was good to see Sophie get some form back. It had great intensity and mood, and the lifts were solid. Sophie's knees were possibly still a bit on the bent side. I didn't agree with Len, I thought Sophie was 'involved' in the dance. It was a lot less 'cool' than we've seen in the past.
The ending of Patrick & Anya's American smooth was sadly a bit ropey, but otherwise it was a great routine. We finally got to see the Patrick that I had been hoping to see since the start. The whole thing was very classy. Occasionally, Patrick has the eyes of a cereal killer (!), but he is great in hold. Not sure why Darcey gave it a 10, when Patrick made a huge error at the end!
It has to be the end of the road for Dave. There always comes a point where the public decide to keep in the dancers and let the comedy act go, and I think we're close to that point. If he doesn't go today, he will soon. And I don't think Dave deserves to go to Blackpool. Mark and Fiona are likely bottom two candidates.
Here are the videos...
Ben & Kristina
Fiona & Anton
Abbey & Aljaž
Mark & Iveta
Susanna & Kevin
Dave & Karen
Ashley & Ola
Sophie & Brendan
Patrick & Anya
I didn't think that the jive was really Ben's dance. His timing was very good, but the tricks saved what was otherwise a bit of a boring routine. I loved the neck-drop, and the back flip, but otherwise there just wasn't much going on. Not Ben & Kristina's best work.
Fiona & Anton's paso wasn't very interesting either. Fiona did a decent job, and had pretty good timing. But the whole thing was a bit uninspiring. Not surprising when Anton is doing the choreography. Fiona is always going to have a tough time with latin dances.
Abbey & Aljaž did a god job with the Charleston. Abbey could have smiled a bit more. It wasn't really cheeky enough. She didn't quite capture the spirit of the dance. But her dancing was great. As usual, Abbey showed fantastic timing and musicality.
I found Mark & Iveta's rumba a bit posey. Stand here, stick arm up there. It lacked the intimacy and passion that the rumba demands. It had a good story, but atmospherically it was more like a tango than a rumba. Mark did not have enough hip action, but he was in control.
Susanna's waltz was gorgeous. Easily her and Kevin's best dance so far. Lovely posture and top line. The pair of them were so in sync. Great musicality, and lovely lingering pauses. Susanna seemed to really understand the dance. I'm just not sure why Susanna picked 'Umpa Lumpa' on the spray tan colour chart this week. Her colour did not suit a ballroom dance. I'm not sure why Susanna ended up with the same score as Abbey. She was clearly better.
Dave & Karen's tango was a walking tour of the Strictly dance floor. Dave lacked the hip swivels that should have been present. His timing was probably a little better, possibly because he was in hold and Karen could control him. And that drag move was reminiscent of Christopher Parker's paso. Besides, no self-respecting Englishman should wear a kilt. Scots only, please.
Aside from Ashey's topline, which he has worked on but is still right, the quickstep was very good. Ola packed it with steps, and he coped well. He had heaps of energy, which he maintained throughout. A good effort.
Sophie & Brendan's Argentine tango was their best performance for a few weeks. It was good to see Sophie get some form back. It had great intensity and mood, and the lifts were solid. Sophie's knees were possibly still a bit on the bent side. I didn't agree with Len, I thought Sophie was 'involved' in the dance. It was a lot less 'cool' than we've seen in the past.
The ending of Patrick & Anya's American smooth was sadly a bit ropey, but otherwise it was a great routine. We finally got to see the Patrick that I had been hoping to see since the start. The whole thing was very classy. Occasionally, Patrick has the eyes of a cereal killer (!), but he is great in hold. Not sure why Darcey gave it a 10, when Patrick made a huge error at the end!
It has to be the end of the road for Dave. There always comes a point where the public decide to keep in the dancers and let the comedy act go, and I think we're close to that point. If he doesn't go today, he will soon. And I don't think Dave deserves to go to Blackpool. Mark and Fiona are likely bottom two candidates.
Here are the videos...
Ben & Kristina
Fiona & Anton
Abbey & Aljaž
Mark & Iveta
Susanna & Kevin
Dave & Karen
Ashley & Ola
Sophie & Brendan
Patrick & Anya
posted by Loulabelle44 @ 12:37 pm
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