Sunday Service: Week 6

Halloween week is always so highly anticipated, but doesn't always live up to expectations. Last night was very hit and miss.

Graeme & Oti's cha cha had loads of basic content, which was great. But Graeme didn't look as confident as usual. Maybe under rehearsed. A couple of times he looked to Oti for reassurance or inspiration. It was a bit ploddy. Nice Thriller moments, but not Graeme's best week.

I wasn't sure if a tango to the Doctor Who theme was going to work, but it kind of did. It was great to see Stacey do something a little more serious. It was nice to see Stacey & Kevin switch roles, but she didn't look as though she was leading.

I really liked Ranj & Janette's jive. Loved the story. The technique wasn't really there, though. It was a bit heavy and ploddy. There were a lot of mistakes. Maybe he'll get to correct them in the dance off... Still entertaining, though.

I felt that Kate & Aljaž's rumba lacked connection. They performed to the audience, but didn't connect with each other. I agreed with Darcey about Kate's arms - she doesn't extend them all the way to the end. Everything was a little truncated. Not Kate's best.

I liked Danny & Amy's American smooth. It was a bit annoying that you couldn't see Danny's feet because of all the dry ice, although he emerged from the mist with a nice upturned toe. Lovely arms. Not a classic Hollywood American smooth, but nice enough.

Charlestons always deliver. Ashley has such a great sense of timing and musicality. Great swivel. Great characterisation. Ashley matched Pasha's moves so well. Fantastic routine. Definitely worthy of 10s.

I loved the concept of Seann & Katya's Viennese waltz. It was a lovely routine. Unfortunately, it wasn't executed very well. Seann's legs were too stiff. He was off time almost all the way though. Well-attempted fleckerl where other pros might have just gone with a standing spin. What might have been.

I was worried that Charles & Karen peaked last week, and a return to the traditional ten dances would be a disaster. However, it was a great attempt at the jive. A couple of timing issues which was a shame. Not as heavy as it looked in training clips during the week. Enjoyable, even if it wasn't perfect.

Faye was made for theatre/jazz. Everything was spot on. Timing and musicality was perfect. She was so in sync with Giovanni. Brilliant lifts. Just wonderful. Again, deserving of 10s.

Joe & Dianne did a decent foxtrot. Foxtrot is quite a hard sell, especially where some of the evening's other dances had a lot of spectacle. Great technique. Very watchable.

I liked Lauren & AJ's paso. It had attack and drive. Lauren was very fierce and intense. A little timing issue, and she could have done with a bit more shaping. But overall good.

Ashley and Faye were easily the best this week.

Seann should definitely be in the bottom two, with Charles or Ranj. Or maybe even Graeme. If Seann is in the dance-off, he's definitely going home.

NTAs: Last Chance To Vote

You have until 2300 tonight to vote for Strictly in the National Television Awards.

Strictly Come Dancing is nominated in the Talent Show category, up against The Voice Kids, The Voice UK, Dancing On Ice, Britain's Got Talent, The X Factor and All Together Now.

Claudia Winkleman, Tess Daly and Zoe Ball are all nominated for TV Presenter.

Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell, Bruno Tonioli and Shirley Ballas are all nominated for TV Judge.

Click here to cast your votes.

Sunday Service: Week 5

A week of poor frames, this week.

Ranj & Janette's American smooth was a joyous start to the show. Lovely footwork, clean lifts. He is a tad pigeon toed at times, but aside from that it was really nice. Great choreography from Janette. A sweet routine.

Lauren & AJ's contemporary routine felt like a showdance. It was very lyrical and emotional. I liked the choreography. It was a bit disjointed in places. The lifts were challenging. I liked the physical expression of her day job. A good job.

I loved everything about Graeme & Oti's tango, except Graeme's frame in hold. It had drive. It had emotion. I loved the neck drops and other difficult moved. He just needs to get his shoulders back. Graeme is slowly doing well and flying a little under the radar.

What a gorgeous rumba from Ashley & Pasha! A lovely mix of basic steps and more challenging choreography. Great lines. She really worked into the floor to give herself great hip action. Lovely underarm turns that Nicole Cutler would be proud of. It's so nice to see a rumba done so well on Strictly.

Seann & Katya's quickstep was much better than I was anticipating. They were pretty in sync. Some challenging choreography that Seann coped well with. Using the guitar in hold was slightly odd, but worked OK. Seann really needs to close his feet together more. Not his best dance, but not his worst either.

Stacey & Kevin's samba was bright and fun. It could have had more hip action in places, but it had some lovely basic choreography. Nice promenade runs. Nice natural rolls. My favourite Stacey routine to date. She looked as though she was having a ball.

Joe & Dianne's waltz was very sweet. Like Graeme, it's only his frame that lets him down. He needs to keep his shoulders back, and not lean over Dianne. His footwork was decent. It was nice. Not showstopping, but waltzes rarely are.

It was clear that Vick had really worked on her leg action this week. She tried hard to keep her legs straight. I didn't like the move down the stairs. Using the stairs takes way too long, but I guess Graziano is too new to know that. Vick totally sold what was a horrible cha cha routine.

What was it with frames this week? Kate's shoulders were too high, spoiling her top line. Otherwise, her Viennese waltz with Aljaž was nice. A good fleckerl and standing spin. She definitely felt the music. It just left me a bit cold.

I loved Danny & Amy's jive. Brilliant snappy leg action from Danny. Light on his feet. Energetic throughout. A total joy. Loved it. Everything came together. Props and lighting capped off a brilliant routine. It was so good to see Danny finally come into his own. This is what we have been waiting for.

I loved the storytelling in Faye & Giovanni's foxtrot routine. It was dreamlike. They had a lovely connection. It was very relaxed, it was nice to see a nice frame at last. It felt a little American smoothy, though. It could have more in hold.

It was nice to finally see Charles hit his groove. He was made for street/commerical. The routine was sharp, and Charles hit all of it. Great job. That should hopefully keep Charles & Karen out of the dance-off for this week.

Danny, Ashley and Charles were easily the best this week. Brilliant routines all of them.

It could be the end of the road for Vick. She sold a poor routine well, but I don't see it getting that many votes. Seann, Joe and Kate were all so middle of the road that they might not have got the votes. I could see any one of them being there too.

We'll find out tonight.

Alfonso was actully a pretty good guest judge. And not a "Donny 10" in sight. He failry marked everyone, and he was in line with the rest of the panel. Great job.

Couple's Choice

There hasn't been much of a change to the Strictly format for a while. The last new dance introduced was the Charleston, which joined the line-up in Series 7.

So this year, the couples can choose between three different dance styles outside of the usual 14. Sounds like more couples getting to dodge rumba, if you ask me.

The choices are contemporary, street/commercial and theatre and jazz.

This is actually an interesting development. While I am sure most of the pros will have dabbled with each of these styles - some of them have been incorporated into the Sunday pro numbers in recent years - they are probably not styles that the pros have had extensive training in.

I can't help wondering if the pros will receive choreographic assistance, as they do with Charleston and Argentine tango. Which may make for better routines all round. Some, like Katya, will probably be able to bring something interesting when let loose, but I wouldn't see someone like Anton having a good go at anything other than theatre and jazz.

Charles & Karen (street/commerical) and Lauren & AJ (contemporary) are the first to tackle these styles.

This is probably a great opportunity for Charles. He hasn't really found his groove with ballroom or latin, so perhaps this is the boost he needs to stay out of the dance-off this week.

I suspect that Laren & AJ will do something lyrical, and it may not be contemporary in the traditional sense.

I'll be watching with interest.

Alfonso Ribeiro To Guest Judge This Saturday

Apparently Bruno has decided he needs a break from Strictly again. 

Last year, he took the same weekend off and was not replaced with a guest. This year he is being replaced for the week by Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star Alfonso Ribeiro.

This is the first time since 2014 that a guest judge has been drafted in. The thing I don't really get is why they have to keep drafting in DWTS contestants as guest judges. I'm sure there are plenty of UK celebrities or dancers who could join. Matthew Bourne is a fan of the show, and well respected. Or perhaps someone like choreographer Kate Prince. Or Karen Bruce.

We really don't need celebrity guests dishing out "Donny Tens" all over the shop.

Alfonso did win his series of DWTS, so I guess he's at least as qualified as Alesha Dixon. I just hope he gets the Carlton dance out of the way early doors, or no-one is going to listen to a word he says.

I'm sure Shirley will be pleased to be free from Bruno's flailing limbs for a week.

Sunday Service: Week 4

No themes for this week. Just dancing.

Joe tried really hard to get the cha cha hip action, but it didn't come. Everything else about the routine was pretty good. He got all of the steps and he led Dianne well. He certainly knows his choreography. It's was just all a bit forgettable. 

Vick & Graziano's quickstep was a joy. It was light and energetic. Vick's lines are pretty nice. A little bit of gapping in places, but nothing major. Their best dance so far.

Danny & Amy's Viennese waltz was packed with content, which was great to see. He needs to watch his footwork, as he missed a few heel leads. His fleckerl was a bit unclear, and was verging on standing spin. He feels the music. One of Danny's best dances in my opinion, it was less spikey than other routines have been.

Faye & Giovanni's rumba was well executed, but it lacked a bit of chemistry for me. The choreography was good, and she performed well, but there was something missing. Faye hits some beautiful shapes. There was a lovely moment where she glanced over her shoulder at him, but that was the only electric moment in the dance.

There was something so charming about Gorka & Katie's jive, I was grinning throughout. There were timing issues throughout. Gorka obviously realised that she could do a back-rock chasse just about in time, and filled the whole routine with them. The flicks needed pointed toes. Her best dance so far for me. Their chemistry was all there, too.

There is no question that Charles is a good dancer, but none of the styles he has done so far have suited him. I didn't really like the salsa. The routine lacked classic salsa content for me. Charles performed well, bit it needed to be lower in the knees and more hips. I'm not sure why he and Karen keep missing the mark.

There was a little timing issue at the top of Lauren & AJ's quickstep. It was a lovely routine, though. Lauren definitely is a better ballroom dancer than latin dancer. She needs to watch her left elbow which sinks a lot. But it was a good attempt. I'd love to see it again done correctly, but not in the dance off.

Ranj needs to work on his acting skills. There were a couple of points where he forgot about his character and started to smile. There were some nice lines in places, but the transitions were a bit ploddy. Good choreography from Janette. There was nothing really wrong with it. I just didn't feel that it was Ranj's dance.

I don't the the samba was Kate's dance. It started of well, with gorgeous hip action on her lock steps. But after that, they vanished. There was no hip action in any of the rest of the dance. There were a couple of moments where she seemed to be looking to Aljaž for inspiration or reassurance. Africa, though. Tune!

Graeme & Oti's jive was energetic and fun. Graeme could have got more up on the ball of his feet, and he could have pointed his toes more, but otherwise it was great. Good timing. Good energy. Lots of performance value.

I didn't really know what to make of Ashley & Pasha's tango. It left me a bit cold. It was all very well performed. It just didn't move me. On to next week.

Everyone was waiting for Seann & Katya. Their Charleston was very ambitious, and it didn't really come off. The lifts were very laboured. There wasn't enough swivvel. I'd love to see it with everything performed correctly. It was as if they were a bit distracted, and didn't have enough time for training this week...

I enjoyed Stacey & Kevin's foxtrot more than any other dance they have performed. I was a bit annoyed by the dance break in the middle, because I wanted to see more of Stacey's very good foxtrot. It was the first time we've really seen Stacey in hold, and I want to see more.

No-one really stood out for me this week. Everything was a bit middle of the road. I liked Vick and I liked Danny.

I know Katie is the weakest dancer. Last week I would have happily seen them leave. This week, I'm more reluctant to see them in the dance-off. I think Kate was pretty weak this week, but I don't think she deserves to go home either. I would have put money on Charles to do well after I saw him in the launch show, but he just hasn't hit his stride. I think he'd be the one to go.

Have the public been voting for Seann? I guess we'll find out tonight.

Sunday Service: Week 3

Theme week, ahoy. It's movie week, which is absolutely not the same as musicals week. Admittedly, many of these movies are musicals, and many musicals are movies, but they are absolutely different.

Vick & Graziano's salsa lacked content for me. Vick's performance was great, high energy, I just wasn't a fan of the content. The lifts were good, and looked effortless, which is quite rare for a celebrity. Vick has a lot of potential, but I'm not sure how far she's going to get with Graziano.

Ranj & Janette's quickstep was fun, but didn't hit the mark. Ranj lacks drive. He didn't look as though he was leading Janette. Here were heel leads missing, and the Charleston section went a bit wrong. Their body contact was pretty good. Perhaps the excitement of becoming Price Ali was too overwhelming for Ranj.

I really enjoyed Lee & Nadiya's cha cha routine. It was fun. I liked the routine. Lee is still a bit pigeon-toed. I didn't think his leg action was as bad as the judges made out. It was a shame he made a mistake toward the end. The side-by-side sections were pretty clean, and I liked the floor section. Very undermarked.

Such a shame that Kate stumbled at the beginning of the foxtrot! It disturbed the sexy vibe of the routine. Her footwork was pretty good, the heel leads were there, although she needs to flip her toes up on the backward steps. She lost body contact with Aljaž at times, and she needs to watch her shoulders on pivots as they were creeping up.

Why was Stacey in flat shoes? It made the entire jive so stompy. I liked the choreography, and Stacey is a great performer,  but I want a jive to be much lighter. Stacey and Kevin have a great partnership. I am desperate to see them do something a little less high-energy.

Joe & Dianne's American smooth was a lovely routine. However, Joe needs to straighten his legs. He danced the whole routine on bent legs, like it was a tango. He needs a bit more drive. His musicality is spot on, though. He id definitely watchable. I wouldn't say he lead Dianne especially, but he did present her beautifully. I want to see more ballroom from Joe.

Graeme & Oti's Charleston had my Spidey senses tingling! The lifts were incredible, and there were so many of them! The one at the end was amazing. His timing was great, the swivvel was pretty good too. The trust between them after three weeks is phenomenal. Brilliant routine.

Ashley & Pasha has a difficult job. To dance the salsa to one of the most iconic movies of all time, with that iconic lift, was a lot of pressure. Anyone would have been nervous, but it was confident and clean. There were nods to the original choreography everywhere. Was there enough salsa content in there? Not sure. But who cares?

Katie & Gorka's foxtrot was cute, but she is a bit out of her depth now. Gorka is doing a good job of hiding her lack of ability but not over-packing the routine with steps. It's lovely to see a more relaxed Katie. The judges are right that she's improving, and in a normal classroom situation she would improve throughout her course. Unfortunately, this is Strictly, and there isn't the time for slow development.

I loved Seann & Katya's paso doble. Brilliant choreography, brilliant mood. There was maybe one moment where Seann was a little off time, but I don't care. I loved it. Great shaping in the arms. The slow mo section was amazing - Katya's control is breathtaking. Loved everything about it. Clubbed To Death is a brilliant track. Everything just worked.

Lauren just seems to lack confidence and attack. Her cha cha action is nice, but it's way too understated. Both of the drops off the car were fearless. At times she appeared to be looking to AJ for reassurance. It's all a bit Louise Rednapp. She needs to find a way to express herself on the floor.

I was a little bored by Charles & Karen's american smooth. Choreographically, it was uninspiring. It felt like it was all about Karen, I barely even noticed Charles. And why was there no lift on that crescendo of the start of the chorus? Missed opportunity. Choreography aside, Charles could have had more drive and straighter legs and better timing.

Faye Tozer was the embodiment of Sandy Dumbrowsi. She totally looked the part, and acted the part. The routine was frantically fast, and Faye nailed all of it. She and Giovanni flew around the floor. Fantastic stuff.

Danny & Amy had a tough job, dancing to one of the world's most beloved musicals. It was a good effort as well. Danny has shaping issues - his arm lines are too straight for the paso. There was a little incident before the pivots as well. The music didn't scream paso, which made it difficult.

So many favourties this week. I loved Faye, Seann and Graeme the most, but there were other great performances too.

Katie is definitely in the bottom two for me. She is just so far behind everyone else, and won't have time to reach their levels. I don't agree with how high they were on the leaderboard. I would probably put Lauren in the bottom two with her, but Lauren has lots more to give. I don't agree that Lee was the weakest of the week.

We'll have to wait until tonight to see if the public agree with the judges.

James Jordan Joins Dancing On Ice

It was announced yesterday that former Strictly pro James Jordan will be joining the celebrity cast of Dancing On Ice in 2019.

He's a seasoned dancer, but how will @The_JamesJordan fare on the ice? 🕺❄ #DancingOnIce pic.twitter.com/xtQyigdJi9

— Dancing On Ice (@dancingonice) October 2, 2018

I'm the first to admit that any kind of dance training is a big help on Strictly, and don't buy the whole "But Latin and ballroom is sooooo different" defense. 

But ice dancing really is so different. No doubt the ability to learn choreography is a big help,  and he knows how to hold himself and finish lines, but the balance and fearlessness needed for it is way beyond anything he will have experienced in the dancing world. He is physically fit though, or will be by the time DOI comes around. You definitely need core strength, which is probably why I have always sucked at skating.

I know a lot of people don't like James, but I have met him several times, and I have always found him honest and charming.

I am so curious, I might actually watch. I want to see him take out Gemma Collins and Bryan from Westloife.