I was surprised they brought out one of the more eagerly anticipated numbers of the night out first (sorry, were you waiting for the Pokemon paso?), but I'm not complaining! Yes, there was faff, but it was appropriate faff, and it was my favourite number from Michelle so far. We would want more quickstep usually, but she did the actual sections of quickstep so well, sharp feet and a great top line, that it didn't feel like a cop out. What a cracker!
Alex and Neil
Following a showstopper with the first rumba of the series is a bit of a challenge, but I think we saw definite progress from Alex here. The theme didn't actually overwhelm it, and it gave her a beautiful outfit and a character to channel too. Yes, there could have been more hip action, but her arms particularly have really improved and I thought her solo section at the start was much better than she would have been in week 1.
Chris and Karen
Even after last week's unexpected Charleston improvement, I thought throwing Fred Astaire and lifts at Chris was a bit optimistic, but he actually managed to pull off a competent bit of ballroom! Yes, his technique still needs a lot of work, but he seems to be getting a bit more musicality and was smiling at Karen like a normal human being. Also, props to Karen for refusing to be dressed as a woodland creature and rocking up in a stunning frock!
Karim and Amy
So this was the first dance of the night that was ruined by the theming, we couldn't even see their hips properly! They also must have been boiling hot, couldn't Amy have had a skirt or leggins? Interesting to see the judges criticise some of the actual samba content, it is a hard latin dance after all and they weren't just giving points for outfits. However, we do need a shout-out to the surrealness of watching them do a really good samba roll in the middle of all that, it's what I'm always looking out for!
Catherine and Johannes
Oh my golly gosh, I was surprised when Catherine said in training she loved the rumba, but I wasn't expecting goosebumps! You could see actual hip action, even with her floaty dress, and she had clearly worked on it so very hard. Having great teamwork with your partner is also so important, and these two have it in spades. As Bruno says, hopefully this was her breakthrough moment.
Will and Janette
Sigh...dance ruined by theming number two. In a way, it would have been better with fewer paso moves in it, because the whole thing just looked so incongruous. You could see that they had tried to work on the actual paso content and posture, but it wasn't good enough to distract you from the weird outfits. Plus I still think Will needs to work more on dancing well with a partner, he always seems so much better out of hold.
Kelvin and Oti
Maybe it's because my expectations are sky-high, but I wasn't really feeling this number. It wasn't bad as such, but it didn't feel like it really went anywhere until the last ten seconds when it was feet-of-fury-swivel-til-your-knees-fall-off. The seriously wobbly lamp posts certainly added a bit of jeopardy though. It was clearly perfectly executed, but it didn't have that zing of magic I want from a 10 performance, but I'm sure these two can bring that for me another week!
Emma and Aljaz
Another bit of classy ballroom, I do not expect this sort of thing in Movie Week. This was lovely, I think Emma really raised her game with this, and again may have been my favourite dance of hers so far. It didn't set the world alight, but it was a nice moment amid the crazyness.
Anneka and Kevin
Points for rehearsing this number all week going 'woo-hoo-woo-hoo-hoo' without losing your mind, but this was hilariously bad. Not since the days of Judy Murray have I enjoyed something so badly executed, I mean, did she forget the routine? I could see there were attempts at swivel, but a good few seconds after Kevin. She's having such a jolly good time though, it's infectious, I think she could go through!
Saffron and AJ
The training footage on ITT looked good, and I was impressed with the commitment that Saffron put into this. There was a hell of a lot of footwork in there from AJ and she seems to be able to do a backbend without even thinking about it. The judges were right that there was a real performance from her too, another one who I think has done my favourite dance so far - Movie Week is doing quite well on the whole!
Mike and Katya
After last week's car crash of a routine, I wasn't sure what to expect from a Magic Mike routine, but this was surprisingly un-themed! This was genuinely enjoyable, and possibly the first time I've watched Mike do a routine without thinking it was all going to come crashing down, but it appears that was Katya's job! It was recognisable as a cha cha and you could see they'd at least attempted some technique, although he really needs to develop some core.
David and Katya
This was...nice. Pretty song, simple routine, a fairly restrained Batman outfit. He also seemed to take the lifts without batting an eyelid (see what I did there?). I doubt it will save him from the dance off, but he can be proud of that performance.
Emma and Anton
After looking like she was being held hostage during the foxtrot last week, Emma seemed liked she was enjoying this much more! Since Clover isn't here, I will point out that this was NOT A SALSA, but it was indeed fun and Emma inhabited her fembot role with aplomb. Hopefully she can come back next week and have a positive ballroom experience.
Dev and Dianne
Blummin' Couples Choice back to darken our door, grumble grumble, but I actually found myself enjoying this one! It felt like a Charleston without the swivel sections, so maybe I liked it because it didn't feel like I was watching something totally alien, even with a blue man and a monkey leaping across my screen. It was sharper and more confident than Dev has ever done, and he took the lifts very well considering the mishaps they had in training. Movie Week has seen so many people raise their game this year, which bodes well for what is to come!
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