Saturday Service: Week 3

I really hate that we have a theme week so early on in the series. The couples are trying hard to make sense of Strictly and dancing, and then they get a (often tenuous) theme chucked at them. It made for a very odd evening...

Things started well with Michelle & Giovanni's quickstep. We all knew Michelle was going to be in her element with Cabaret, and she delivered. It was a confident and bright performance. Her top line is excellent. There was a little too much out of hold for me, but that didn't detract from a very good performance.

I liked Neil's rumba choreography. The routine had lots of basic steps and was recognisable as a rumba. Sadly, Alex didn't execute it all that well. Alex's shoulders were raised, and there wasn't much hip action. It didn't quite hit the mark, which was a shame.

It was lovely to see a different side to Chis & Karen this week. I think they drew the short straw, having to dance the American smooth before any other ballroom dance. I don't think any couple should have to do that. Chris coped well, though. I loved seeing a more controlled side to Chris. The dance lacked drive and the steps he took were too small, but all the choreography was correct.

Karim & Amy's samba was a bit bizarre. The costumes were bulky, and the Kung Fu Panda theme didn't do anything for me. I think Karim had good hip action (hard to tell through that costume). I just didn't feel he was leading. They felt more like a duo than leader and follower. Karim can afford to have a miss at this stage.

I loved the storytelling in Catherine & Johannes' rumba. They showed the emotion and connection of their characters, and the choreography was lovely. Catherine could have had more hip action, but it was pleasant to watch. I'm really enjoying seeing the development of their partnership.

Poor Will & Janette were also lumbered with a weird theme, getting Pokémon.  I found that I actually forgot to watch Will, Janette stole the routine for me. She didn't deliberately pull focus, but he just faded into the background a bit. Will's performance was all a bit one note for me, lacking light and shade. Paso is one of the few routines where the man gets to show off, and he didn't.

Kelvin & Oti's Charleston was clean and slick. It didn't excite me as much as it did the judges, but it was definitely well executed and performed.

Emma and Aljaž's foxtrot was classy. Emma really needs to watch her shoulders and topline. Her head placement was a bit odd. I still think she has lots of potential, though.

Anneka & Kevin's Charleston was a bit crazy and uncontrolled. It was stompy and lacked swivel. It was just a bit mad. I think that they had a good song in Woo Hoo, but the Kill Bill theme meant they had to go in a particular direction.

I really quite liked Saffron & AJ's paso. The routine had lots of content - AJ didn't make it easy for her. It was a little untidy in places. She could have closed her feet together more, and she was a bit light on her feet instead of stalking. It was a good attempt, though.

Mike & Katya's cha cha was stompy and dad-like. And what was he mouthing? At times it didn't appear to be the lyrics. Very distracting. The fireman's pole was the best part.

I think David has improved since week 1. The lifts in his American smooth with Nadiya were quite nice. It did have a bit of atmosphere. But it was just a bit dull.

I find Emma really watchable. She saved what was a pretty poor salsa routine by just being charming and engaging. There was a lack of salsa content in the routine, and it was a weird song choice. Soul Bossa Nova screams cha cha to me. I think she and Anton should be safe for another week.

Dev & Dianne were a great close to the show. Their street/commercial routine was energetic and entertaining. They were so in sync. I enjoyed it the way I used to enjoy the Charlestons.

So many of the performances missed the mark this week, some due to the stupid themes, others just due to the couples. My favourites were Dev and Chris. 

While James is improving, I don't think he has done enough to stay out of the bottom two. I think Alex could be at risk this week. When I saw the group number at the start of the series, I really thought Alex would be one to watch, but she's not quite living up to that promise. Mike and Anneka were also a little weak.