Sunday Service: Weeks 1 & 2

I was away last week, so wasn't able to write about the couples. So here are my thoughts about the first two weeks of Strictly in one post. Blogageddon!

Saffron & AJ's tango in week 1 was a solid start. She looked relaxed on the floor. Her footwork was pretty good. Her cha cha was not as confident. Her knees didn't always lock straight as much as they should. She made a few extra steps and there was an error near the start. Maybe there were too many steps for her.

Anneka was the weakest dancer in week 1. Her cha cha was a bit wooden. She needed to be more relaxed in the shoulders. She was flat footed. I really wanted to like her performance, but I didn't. There was a lot of running to cover her lack of ability. Her waltz was a little better, although Kevin was definitely doing all of the heavy lifting. It was nice, but nothing more. Again, her shoulders were too high which made the line a bit ugly.

Dev & Dianne got the foxtrot in week 1, which is a difficult dance. Dave did a good job. His frame could have been better, but for week 1 it was a very good performance. His jive wasn't quite as good. He was a bit pigeon toed and gangly. His timing is good, though. He shows a lot of potential.

I thought Emma & Aljaž's cha cha in week 1 was pretty good. She looked confident on the floor. She could have used a bit more hip action, but she showed potential. The tango wasn't quite as good. She seemed to be pulling her hips away from Aljaž, instead of tilting towards him. It made the hold look uncomfortable. All the steps were there, but it needed more work.

Chris' cha cha was better than I expected. He had all of the choreography. He needs to watch his frame, especially his free arm, and he was pigeon toed in places. His Charleston wasn't as good in my opinion. He seemed to be looking to Karen for cues or reassurance. It wasn't very polished.

I thought Emma & Anton were undermarked in week 1. I really enjoyed their jive. It was confident, in time, tidy and well placed. Their foxtrot was not as good. Her frame was wooly, and she didn't drive into Anton. She stumbled in places. Normally Anton can keep his partners in line, but not on this occasion.

I wanted to like James & Luba's tango. It was to Gold for goodness sake! But his frame was so troublesome. He was hunched over Luba, and his left arm was too close to the body. He was lent forward. It's something we often see from tall celebrity men. Andrew Castle was the same. The best thing about the jive was James' trousers. Luba tried hard to cover up his lack of ability, but to no avail. He couldn't even run in time. It was flat-footed and heavy. I didn't like it at all.

Catherine & Johannes' Viennese waltz was quite sweet. A tricky dance for week 1, but Catherine looked elegant. She had good musicality and storytelling. The samba wasn't quite as good. She had clearly worked hard on the routine, but it was slightly uncomfortable. Her hips weren't quite loose enough. She's probably lucky to have got such a difficult dance out of the way so early.

Michelle & Giovanni's cha cha was pretty good. Giovanni pitched it perfectly in terms of difficulty. It wasn't stunning, but solid. Michelle looked confident. She has room to grow, and shows potential. The Viennese waltz was better. I loved the storytelling. It was charming. And we have to take a moment for that dress! Fantastic.

David & Nadiya's foxtrot was a bit ploddy. He needs to watch his topline and make sure his shoulders don't drop. It was OK for week 1, but he'll need to turn it up a notch. The paso was also ploddy. David's timing is OK, but everything else is a bit flat. Nadiya did the Ola Jordan trick of keeping his feet still and running around him, but it wasn't enough to hide the lack of personality.

I liked Karim & Amy's cha cha. He covered the floor well, and seemed to be in control of every step. His arms were well placed. Everything was slick. Their foxtrot was elegant and polished. Again, he looked confident and in control. Excellent work.

Mike & Katya's jive was as over-enthusiastic and bonkers as you would have expected. He was a bit stompy and flat footed. He needs to work on his stamina in order to sustain the faster dances. Their American smooth was anything but smooth. Ambitious lifts, which Mike did a decent job of considering his inexperience. Motsi was right about it feeling like two different routines in- and out-of-hold. It was not comfortable viewing.

I thought Alex & Neil's quickstep was undermarked. She had a tough job kicking off the series, and that might be why the scores were muted. She had energy, and decent technique for week 1. The cha cha wasn't quite as strong for me. She had all of the choreography down, but she didn't have the correct technique. She is very watchable, though. I enjoyed the routine.

Kelvin was definitely the one who impressed my friends the most, so much so that they felt the need to tell me even though I was away. To get the samba on week 1 was not easy, but Kelvin & Oti brought it. It was very salsa like for a samba and lacked some key steps for my taste, but Kelvin was as impressive as I was told. The waltz was a step change from the week before. I liked it, although he needs to make sure he sustains it throughout the routine. His shoulders started to drop as the routine progressed.

Will & Janette's quickstep was nippy. Will has lots of personality which shone on the floor. His technique could have been tighter, but it was a good start. The salsa was totally up Will's street. He attacked the routine and again his personality carried him through.

Top couples for me after two weeks are Karim & Amy and Michelle & Giovanni.

Bottom two for me are David & Nadiya and Anneka & Kevin. I think David might well be the first one out.