Madeleine Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 (edited) I watched Jay and Kellie's dances again last night on You tube, and have to say I prefer the Charleston, they were just so spot on in sync with each other, and for once made brilliant use of the props too. And the music was perfect too. I'd have given them a 10! Mind you, given Jay's footwork in the jive, he should be good at the Argentine Tango. Edited October 14, 2015 by Madeleine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 I watched Jay and Kellie's dances again last night on You tube, and have to say I prefer the Charleston, they were just so spot on in sync with each other, and for once made brilliant use of the props too. And the music was perfect too. I'd have given them a 10! Wasn't quite the same without Han and Chewie in the background and Ben Kenobi chopping off alien arms, though No blasters! No blasters! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted October 15, 2015 Author Share Posted October 15, 2015 The 'previous training' question comes up every year. Personally speaking, I'm glad they have a range of abilities. It's nice to see someone improving but if all we had to look at was Carol & Pasha/Daniel & Kristina .. I'd be losing interest .. and quickly. Nobody worried about it back in Jill's day so I'm not sure why so many do now (ie: .. the tabloids have been going on about it and even James Jordan has mentioned it .. though I'm pretty sure he was not as vocal about Pamela or Denise etc! ) Last year we had headlines about Caroline being a 'trained dancer' and Pixie came in for all sorts of criticism. Natalie Gumede before that. It gives them an advantage with the dances and training of course but the competition is about much more than that. Often the best dancer doesn't win. Looking forward to this week. Think Katie and Anton will be brilliant .. back in his ballroom comfort zone. Georgia looks pretty good in training too .. and Helen. The songs are interesting! How is My Generation going to work for a quickstep? Great song and it does go along at a pace but I can't quite envisage it. Also not sure how a paso will work to U2's Beautiful Day? Helen however has got a great song in Dr. Beat!! That's going to be awesome .. surely? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirandashell Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 (edited) Hmmm... a paso to Beautiful Day is really not going to work. The emphasis isn't right. Which poor soul is doing that? Edited October 15, 2015 by mirandashell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirandashell Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 But I can see My Generation working as a quickstep. A Town Called Malice works as a Charleston so why not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted October 15, 2015 Author Share Posted October 15, 2015 Hmmm... a paso to Beautiful Day is really not going to work. The emphasis isn't right. Which poor soul is doing that? Kirsty & Brendan Training looked okay-ish though! But I can see My Generation working as a quickstep. A Town Called Malice works as a Charleston so why not? Oh, that's good to hear I struggle with envisioning songs and dances .. unless they're really obvious choices Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirandashell Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Oh jeez... Kirstie needs the right music cos she struggles to stay on the beat. But she may prove me wrong... who knows. And yes, Malice does work as I've done it myself as a Charleston. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 OK, so week four was full of surprises! Here's what I thought of it: Anita & Gleb - Samba (Hips Don't Lie): This was pretty good. As one of the judges said (was it Craig?), she had very good isolations, which is all important for this dance, and her stamina has much improved. She's not the best dancer of the crop, but she's come from a strong starting point and is improving week on week. Could she be this year's Caroline Flack? Time will tell... Daniel & Kristina - American Smooth (Fly Me To The Moon): Daniel isn't bad at the smooth ballroom type dances, and this was a fairly good, if safe, routine, which was performed very nicely. There haven't really been any risks taken in his routines, and he needs to work on being punchier in some areas, but for this dance, it worked well, and there were some nice lines and visuals. I didn't think he deserved to go to the dance off at all. Kirsty & Brendan - Paso Doble (Beautiful Day): Who in their right mind thought this would a good music choice for this dance? No passion, no strength, and no rising progression to the music, which meant the same for the performance. Weak music choice, weak choreography and weak execution. She deserved to go to the dance off. Georgia & Giovanni - Quickstep (Reach): These two are pretty well matched and always seem to have a good time together. It was a fast-paced routine and nearer the end it almost looked like she was having to run to keep up with him, but overall, a strong performance once again. Jeremy & Karen - Jive (Splish Splash): OMGs, just NO! That man should never do the twist - he looked like he was constructed entirely of elbows and knees. I really wish they wouldn't keep pushing the themes on the dances so much, as the concept often tips the dance over into the absurd, which is did in places here. I fully expected him to be in the dance off, and was very surprised they got through safely! Kellie & Kevin - Foxtrot (Dream A Little Dream Of Me): These two are great. They both have such cheeky wee faces and are obviously enjoying working together, and whatever they're doing, it works, so they should keep doing it! I loved the story behind the vintage look of the costumes and dance - in this case it worked for them, rather than against. The foxtrot is a difficult dance to get right, so to do so well in week four with it is a feat in itself and speaks volumes as to how good Kellie is already! Jamelia & Tristan - Charleston (Straight Up): OMGs, what a transformation! This is more what I expected from Jamelia, and I've been dismayed in previous weeks to see her looking clunky and unnatural at every step, but she really came into her own this week. A cracking routine with a fabulous flip! I also loved the musical arrangement for this dance - very Postmodern Jukebox. Jay & Aliona - Quickstep (My Generation): What a shame! A mistimed step, then a stumble, then a skid - all were completely unexpected and brought the score down accordingly. A pity, because the routine was very challenging, and other than those three little instances, he executed it very well. Carol & Pasha - Paso Doble (España cañí): I was dreading seeing this, but was pleasantly surprised! Such a vast improvement on previous weeks, this was the first time Carol fully deserved to go straight through safely. Not the best PD I've seen, but better than Kirsty and Brendan's, that's for sure! Ainsley & Natalie - Waltz (What A Wonderful World): Not bad at all! After all the daft posturing that comes with his larger than life personality, I worried that he wouldn't be able to translate to something as elegant as a waltz, but he did it pretty well (although his face looked a bit smirky, rather than serene). Helen & Aljaž - Salsa (Dr. Beat): Is there nothing she can't dance? Once again, Helen sparkled on the dance floor! She has a natural ease of movement that comes through so well, and she was able to portray sultry heat far better than I imagined. Well done! Peter & Janette - Tango (Blue Monday): My first reaction was that this was a really odd choice of music for the dance, but it actually worked rather well, and Peter was back on form again this week, with a very strong performance. Hell, I wanted to dance with him myself! I hope he continues to set the bar high for himself, because he's very good! Katie & Anton - Viennese Waltz (If I Can Dream): Oh, WOW! This was just wonderful from start to finish! And I was over the moon for Anton who is clearly delighted to have a good dance partner for one, and to be at the top of the leader board for once - and deservedly so! DANCE OFF:I was shocked that Daniel was in the dance off, when I thought he had done rather well, and then even more shocked when he was the one unanimously voted off! There have been rumours that Kristina has been badmouthing him, so I wonder if something was said along the lines of she'd really rather not continue working with him and could he please go? It certainly smelled fishy to me, especially as I thought Daniel improved on his performance of the previous night, whereas Kirsty went the other direction, and almost got whacked in the face by Brendan in the closing drop. I'm actually very sorry to se Daniel go and Kirsty stay, and I feel very strongly that the result should have been the reverse! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirandashell Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 I'm glad it's not just me who thought DoD should have won the dance off. I avoid all the media gossip about SCD so don't know what Kristina may or may not have said but.... I would be surprised if that was true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madeleine Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Yes I thought Beautiful Day was an odd choice for a Paso, and it wasn't a very good dance either, although she was much better in the dance off. I thought Carol's Paso was much better (and more traditional). I think Jamelia is good but she is a bit heavy, but she's a great dancer and I think she just needs a bit more control. It's great to see Anton finally doing well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share Posted October 19, 2015 I didn't enjoy this week as much There were a few dances I liked but a lot of those that I thought would be wow weren't .. or weren't for me anyway. I hate the samba .. really it's quite a ridiculous dance. Hardly anyone looks good doing a samba roll. Probably if I saw experts dancing it then I'd see the appeal but there have been so many disastrous ones on Strictly that I always think of it as a dance to be got through. Having said all that Anita did well .. it wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be .. the training footage looked amazing but she gave it a good go and had all the attitude etc. I'm not so keen on Gleb though .. he camera hogs a bit. It's probably Tess and Claudia's fault for encouraging him. Daniel bless him, when he speaks it is a bit like the vocal equivalent of Ovaltine, but there is something very endearing about him. I think I got him all wrong before .. he's quite sweet. There is a dancer there but it's struggling a bit to come out .. probably due to nerves. I thought it was nice enough but not much more. Performs quite well though, most of the time he looks like he's enjoying it. I like the partnership too .. Kristina is a good partner I think. She seems to make it a good experience for her partners regardless of their abilities. Not everyone is so gracious. Oh dear, Kirsty!! That was the limpest lettuce of a Paso I've ever seen (well .. almost) and Brendan is re-living Pendledrama!! She just can't finish off her lines at all and she skips between moves (or just plain stops!) I noticed that Brendan tried to get her off of her feet as much as was feasible in a Paso I was surprised to see a tweet from him saying that he chose the music!! It just didn't go .. and made it even less dynamic plus .. Kirsty more or less ridiculed the song choice when answering the judges. I thought then that it had been foisted on them. Can't see that going down well. Georgia looked gorgeous and it was a very pretty routine .. bit skippy but then it's supposed to be (I'm not a big fan of the quickstep either .. it can look great but often just looks like they're running for the bus etc.) I thought it was getting away from her a bit at times but only slightly and she managed to keep up admirably. Giovanni sweats a lot doesn't he? God I hate the VT's!! Why do they keep making the couples do ridiculous things!!? They're never quite long enough either to go and make a cup of tea during etc. I feel like I'm being held hostage each week. Sometimes it puts me out of countenance with the couple before they've even danced .. even though I know it's not their fault. Terrible .. anyway .. here we see Jeremy trying to perfect his kicking and flicking in the swimming pool. Dressed in Victorian gear!! I must have missed the bit where the relevance of that was explained. Possibly I was picking up a cushion to throw!! Jeremy is a bit like a daddy long legs .. a jive was always going to be a tall order and there was some serious dad dancing going on. All the same it was somehow entertaining. As Darcy said .. he makes every dance his own. I am a sucker for a duffer who throws caution to the wind and just enjoys it. Some people perform with embarrassment .. Jeremy ought to really ( ) but he doesn't. He's not Craig Kelly deluded or anything .. he knows he's rubbish but he's having a go (you came ahhht etc etc.) Again, Karen is very good with duffers .. and seems to approach teaching them with the same enthusiasm as she approaches the 'slightly in with a chance' .. don't think she's ever had a real contender. I didn't mind Kellie's foxtrot .. though it didn't look completely natural to me. The footwork as times was hesitant and the smile a bit fixed .. this is week four though and as such .. she did a great job. I don't like her much so that probably colours my view. I would prefer someone to tone Kevin down but she does the opposite. Wow .. this is Jamelia's dance!! It was a bit loose in places but that suited the Charleston and she did have great swivel and the lifts/tricks were brilliant. It was probably my fave performance of the night even though I don't like the Charleston much. Thought she looked great too .. much better than last week. Not sure if this is a great improvement from her or if it was more a case of the dance suiting her so much .. time will tell. Oh Poor Jay! I felt mortified for him before he had even taken that gown off. Awful beginning to a routine and not one that is likely to inspire confidence. One misstep and it was all over. So much content .. it was always going to be a car crash waiting to happen. I'm still not convinced that 'My Generation' is a good choice for quickstep .. it goes at such a pace it leaves you with no choice but to go at an equal one with it. So much harder for Aliona to get him back on track as he was leading .. she did her best to follow him but he was all at sea.I think the early mistake made him panic. Kudos to him for not giving up and trying to chase it down. Felt awful for him though and thought Craig was harsh with his score. Yes, he went wrong but to score him equal with Daniel!!?? Ah well .. it has happened now. Hope it doesn't knock his confidence. Carol was much improved I thought .. and was better at the attitude (and shaping) than Kirsty. Pasha normally gets contenders so it's been good to see how he copes with a real beginner .. seems he is drumming some basics into her and it's paying off. Still a little awkward but definite, definite, improvement. Love Pasha .. real gent .. nothing ever phases him. He never really goes OTT ... not even when he won. His acting is terrible .. absolutely the worst but he is the inventor of my favourite Strictly dance move/moment EVER!! I call it the 'un-identified item in the bagging area' dance move Better known as the 'fez removal kick step' The way it was so nonchalantly done without him missing a step was just genius. I would have handed him the trophy then and there for that! Nat looked every inch a princess .. oh to be as gorgeous as her. The places I could go!! Another pro who always gets the most out of her celeb. This was lovely, Ainsley's frame still needs sorting a bit .. his neck disappears .. but all in all .. lovely rise and fall and flow. Quite dreamy. This was another dance that I thought looked better in training. Helen obviously has rhythm and can move but it looked all a bit self conscious to me .. and her shimmies are terrible There was something a bit bandy legged about some of it as well .. and what was that outfit!?! Most of the girls have had lovely salsa dresses. Still, I like her a lot .. she has great potential. I don't think party latin is ever going to be her forte but I fully expect her to be a finalist or at least get as near it as Pixie. Great lifts .. most of which she coped with admirably. At this point I'm very worried that I haven't seen Jay in the Clauditorium Bless!! Perhaps he is getting more practice in. Better dance this week from Peter and somehow the music fitted. I'm still not keen on his legs .. his Jake Wood legs. They flap too much. But not a bad effort at all. Janette always draws the eye though .. such a dynamic performer. Wasn't keen on the start of Katie and Anton's dance .. definitely a few missteps and it looked a bit awkward. Once in hold though it was lovely and she looked terrific. They are probably the couple to beat. Wasn't surprised about the bottom two (well .. considering I had read the spoiler definitely not surprised ) and thought Daniel messed up too much to be saved sadly. Very sweet speech from him .. I particularly liked what he said about Kristina. She looked v upset and emotional. Thought he danced his best in his farewell dance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Anita & Gleb - I thought she did pretty well considering it's only week 4, and the samba is a really difficult dance for both technique and the different rhythms, and the choreography was full on from Gleb Daniel & Kristina - Not bad, good footwork and Kristina put as much class into the routine as she could based on his ability Kirsty & Brendan. Terrible song choice, but Brendan has been defending it on Twitter today saying it was his choice, because Carol was using a traditional song, he wanted to choose something completely different, and while I don't mind using something contemporary I didn't think it worked for a paso. Georgia & Giovanni - much happier with the content for her, and I think she coped well with it, just needed to smile when in hold, and she lost her frame a bit towards the end. Jeremy & Karen - at least a half of the routine was either in the bath, standing still or that stupid lying on the floor step. I know it's tricky for tall people, but I'd rather see someone try and actually dance than hide the fact they can't in silly sets or choreographed standing around. Kellie & Kevin - loved it. Loved the back story, loved the song, loved the romance of the opening and how Kevin choreographed it from the close social hold stepping into the ballroom hold, loved Kellie's heel turn … I loved it! Jamelia & Tristan - so much better! Really suited her, but if I'm honest, I'm sick of seeing so many Charleston's, and I can't believe it will ever be better than Sophie & Brendan from a few years ago. Jay & Aliona - poor Jay. It took nearly 30 seconds to get in hold which bothered me, and after the first mistake I thought he'd picked it up, but another slip and it all went wrong from there. Definitely positives there though, and I think he'll be back better next time Carol & Pasha - much better than expected, definitely her best dance so far Ainsley & Natalie - meh. I just can't get excited about Ainsley, despite loving Nat. Helen & Aljaž - she surprised me with an improvement on her last latin, although that song and dance was used by Pamela Stephenson a few years back, and she stumbled and shimmied her way out of a spin that is still one of my favourite Strictly moments, and I couldn't get that out of my mind! Peter & Janette - it looked to me like his legs were bent not flexed, and he had a habit of lifting his left elbow which made his frame look odd, but it's still only week 4 - even for Peter! - and I thought it was a good effort. Katie & Anton - loved it! Only her second ballroom and I thought her hold was very good, but I don't think she closed her feet properly on the natural and reverse turns. Despite what Claudia said on the results show, it was Anton's fourth time at the top of the leader board, but still, it's a very rare occasion we've seen him there! As for the dance off, I think Daniel deserved to go, if you base it on the dance off alone, which is what the judges are supposed to do. He went wrong just over half way through, and the middle section was completely made up, and then when he did pick it up again they were ahead of the music and got to the end section too quickly and again had to make it up again. He lost his frame as well as the steps, and the judges would have picked up on that. Kirsty actually looked better to me in the dance off, including trying to improve her posture and the shapes were better than first time around, and she kept to the routine, which Daniel didn't, so I thought it was the right choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Couldn't get excited about it this week. Some appalling song choices, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shirley Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 I too agree about the song choices for last weeks show, how on earth you can dance a Paso to beautiful day I will never know. As the weeks go by it is going to get harder and harder to pick someone to go as we all know, there are some good dancers in this years show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Why do you want to burn James Patterson, Shirley? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirandashell Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Eh? You can't burn James Patterson! He keeps loads of other writers in work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted October 20, 2015 Author Share Posted October 20, 2015 Oh .. bloomin' 'eck! Jay has got to dance a Paso to Bon Jovi!!! I'm so annoyed!! That's a handicap before they start Please let there not be a cape!! Everyone else seems to have decent music. Peter Andre has Ed Sheeran .. lucky so and so Looking at all the choices .. I think Helen and Alijaz should do well with a QS to 'You Can't Hurry Love' .. can see that tripping along nicely Love Kirsty & Brendan's David Grey song too. If Brendan chose that then he has redeemed himself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Why do you think Shirley wants to burn James Patterson? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirandashell Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Underneath her avvie where it says 'Reading now'..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Hahahaha sorry I'm just sticking my head in the door but that's hilarious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shirley Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Why do you want to burn James Patterson, Shirley? Haha never thought it would read like that he sure does keep other writers in business. Got quite a back log of his books to read so will be changing the title over the coming weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Haha never thought it would read like that I had visions of you walking around with a placard saying 'BURN JAMES PATTERSON!' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shirley Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 But would anybody notice, I have just realised the one after Burn is called Alert, I might read that one quietly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Underneath her avvie where it says 'Reading now'.....Oh. I assumed it was something to do with SCD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 But would anybody notice, I have just realised the one after Burn is called Alert, I might read that one quietly. Okay I hate Strictly so I'm out of this thread. Dancing, people, dancing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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