Sunday Service: Week 1

What a show! Yes, it was a long one, but the time flew by. This has to be one of the best first weeks in a long time. There is a lot of room for many of the celebrities to improve, but the bar is already pretty high.

Tom & Amy had the tough job of kicking off the series with a cha cha. It seemed to take a while for the routine to get going. Tom's timing is good, but there is a lot of work to do on his body. His arms looked awkward and his legs looked a bit odd on some of the walks. But it was a solid start.

Tilly looked good, she just needs more confidence. I feel as though Nikita could have drilled her footwork a bit more - there were definitely a few too many toe leads. Their waltz was sweet, though. She has potential, and looked better than she did in the group number on the launch show.

Ugo's samba was a good first attempt. I thought that his hold of Oti was a bit ‘firm’, which gave it an almost brutish look at times. The hip action didn’t come off but his timing was pretty good. I liked the choreography, and it was well pitched. Probably a good idea to get the samba out of the way early.

A Viennese waltz is a really challenging dance for Week 1, but Rhys & Nancy did a good job. Rhys' hands looked a bit odd out of hold - they should be a continuation of his arms., but they seemed to stick up or down. Lovely timing though, and a nice frame. Rhys could use a little more drive, but he certainly wasn’t afraid to cover the floor. Definitely one to watch.

I loved the song choice of The Boss for Sara & Aliaž's cha cha. Sara could do with more core strength, the whole thing felt a little woolly. It definitely felt like watching a pro-am rather than a partnership. She looked like she was having fun, though, as if she spend the whole routine thinking “OMG, I’m dancing with Aljaž”. Improvement to be made, but not a bad start.

Dan & Nadiya were next with their quickstep. Dan's lunges looked a bit ungainly, but generally not as bad as I feared. There were glimpses of a quite nice routine, and I think his ballroom has potential. I look forward to seeing him do something slower.

I was looking forward to watching Rose & Giovanni, and their jive didn't disappoint. Rose had really good timing and lovely movement with so much energy. She needs to point her feet more, but the technique will come.

Katie has been the celebrity that I have not paid much mind so far, but after her tango she has my attention now! That tango was fierce. A fantastic base to work from. There was one moment where she puffed out her cheeks. I think it was part of her being in character, but it looked like her psyching herself up for the next section. Lovely routine from Gorka, straight down to business. 

Robert & Dianne played their cha cha for laughs, and it was entertaining. Robert's rhythm was good, but his footwork was a little poor and arm lines need work. I look forward to seeing something straight from him, if he decides to go that way.

Greg wasn't as bad as bad as I feared he would be after the group dance. I thought he was better in hold than out of it – he’s not great at creating pictures with clean poses. He’s very charming, and that might be enough to keep him in longer than his talent perhaps deserves. The American smooth is a tough week 1 dance, though, and he and Karen made a good start.

I really enjoyed Nina & Neil's samba routine. Nina was a bit stompy, and could have had more hip action, but I loved the attitude. Lots of great samba steps in the choreography. I can’t wait to see more of Nina.

John & Johannes' tango was a bit of a showstopper. It was a complicated routine, including changes of lead, and it was very well executed. John had a lovely top line on both sides of the hold. It was sharp and staccato, with lots of drive and attack. They match each other so well. Surely John has danced before. That was not beginner level stuff.

Judi & Graziano was hampered by a poor song. Chain of Fools is really a cha cha, not an American smooth. They made the best of it. Judi was in control, and gave it everything. I can’t wait to see them dance to an appropriate song, but this being Strictly I might be waiting a while.

For one with such long limbs, AJ's jive was really neat. She had so much energy, which she kept until the end. There might have been one tiny mistake toward the end, but for the first week, that was very impressive. Kai did not go easy on her. I think she could do really well.

Adam & Katya's cha cha was a really good effort. It's a shame the leg pot stir thing didn’t come off. It would have been a great end to the routine. It was quite a busy routine, but Adam seemed to do OK with it. After John and AJ were so good, it was going to be hard to follow and he held is own.

It really was a high standard, and all of the routines were very enjoyable. Even those at the weaker end still showed that they have potential and there were no car crashes. Bring on next week. I can't wait to see how the leaderboard changes and if those who were strong this week have another good week.