Sunday Service: Week 2

I am writing this at 1.30am, so I'll try to be brief. My bed is calling me...

Chizzy & Pasha were up first this week with their foxtrot. Welcome back to the Chizzy show. It wasn't my cup of tea. All about Chizzy and not about the partnership. She kept shrugging her shoulders as she went across the floor. She did release her toes in places, but some of the footwork was iffy. It wasn't smooth. I didn't enjoy it.

Aston & Janette showed how much they trust each other in their salsa routine. Drops, lifts, great hips, and it's only Week 2. Remember Mark & Karen? No, me neither any more. This was an amazing, showstopping salsa. There was one dodgy moment where you thought he would drop her, bur otherwise amazing.

Susan & Kevin's Charleston was a bit messy. She lacked swivel, and missed a few steps. Kevin looked like he was just chasing her about. It didn't feel like a partnership this week. I wanted to love them, but I just didn't.

Charlotte & Brendan's cha cha was a bit of a disaster. She looks great, but that's where the fun stops. Bent knees, missed steps. It was over long before the spin on the floor. Brendan could not cover up the mistakes. I don't think latin is her thing.

Joe & Katya's tango was a bit bumpy and skippy. It was frantic, but not in a good way. You could see Katya leading him in places. He was leading with his shoulder, which made his frame really weird. It lacked control and fluidity. Too much gapping. Just not a pretty thing.

Brian & Amy's cha cha had too much disco, and not enough cha cha. Brian looked like a drunk uncle at a wedding. There were lots of mistakes. His hands were splayed. The moonwalk was the best part, but had no place in the cha cha. I wasn't even that entertained.

Gemma & Aljaž's waltz wasn't perfect, but it was a breath of fresh air after the drivel which had come before. There were a few wobbles, her footwork wasn't all there, but it was a good job. She had some nice lines, and looked elegant when not wobbling.

Rev. Richard & Diane were not quite as much fun as last week. The lifts in their American smooth were quite simple. His posture was not great. He did OK, but he's going to have to improve if he wants to stay in.

Ruth's Charleston technique stared off well. She had the swivel, although everything was a bit too 'small' and compact for my liking. She still needs to work on her core strength. She and Anton didn't seem 100% together. There were a few errors.

For the most part, Simon & Karen's waltz was better than their paso. Good basic steps. But then it started to unravel, and he couldn't recover. Such a shame.

I think ballroom might be better for Mollie than latin. AJ had packed their tango with steps, and she coped well. It had drive and intensity. Darcey was right about her shoulders, which she needs to keep pinned down. Their chemistry was good. I liked it.

I liked Jonnie & Oti's jive. It had lots of energy, and was pretty tidy. Jonnie needs to watch his free arm which was left dangling in places. I thought his weight was too far forward, making him look bent over in places.

Debbie & Giovanni's Viennese waltz was gorgeous. She is so elegant. Gorgeous balletic arms and spins. Romantic and charming. It was a delight, and one of the few dances that entertained.

Davood & Nadiya's quickstep spent too much time out of hold in my opinion. I could have managed without the costume adjustments too. In hold, he needs to watch his timing, watch the gapping and try to keep things smooth rather than bumpy.

After a mediocre night, I was looking forward to seeing what Alexandra & Gorka's paso would bring. It didn't disappoint. It was sharp, intense, packed with steps, driven and dramatic. This girl can dance! Great content, too. A good job by Gorka.

There's no doubt that Debbie, Aston and Alexandra deserve their places at the top of the leaderboard. They have all brough their A game for two weeks. The bottom half of the table was also about right, although Rev. Richard is more entertaining than his bottom place. Charlotte was unlucky with a weak week, and shouldn't really have been second from bottom.

I think it's likely that Brian or Simon will be the first one out. They were my bottom two by a country mile.