Dan and Nadiya
Dan really has been my surprise of the series, where did those ballroom lines come from?! Yes it was a bit twee, but that's part of the charm of these two. It's so lovely to see someone really fall in love with dancing like Dan has and he works so hard; a definite improvement once again. The fleckerl was a bit touch-and-go, but his hold was good and he's learning to perform. I kind of hope he doesn't lose some of that gawkiness that makes these two such fun...
It wasn't perfect but Dan is having a very earnest j-j-j-journey on the show. There's nothing we love more than an absolute beginner who finds they really enjoy learning to dance. That usually makes them enjoyable to watch - which Dan absolutely is. Do I think he'll win? No. Do I think he'll be one of this year's most memorable and likeable contestants? I really do.
Adam and Katya
Katya has really been channeling B*Witched this week, which was unexpected but fun. Too bad she didn't recreate Lilia's legendary samba turban in denim. This was...interesting...and also a mess. It was a fairly hard routine and Katya left Adam on his own quite a lot, which I don't think he is quite ready for yet. It was a step up in performance, but not technique. Also, whilst there was plenty of samba, I did not see a samba roll, so it should be instantly disqualified.
URGH. Jake Wood level thrusting doth not a samba make. Thing is, poor Adam will now blithely go about the rest of his life thinking 'hey, I'm good at samba' when really the routine he performed had about as many true samba steps as your average drunken stumble home from a kebab shop. Ok, maybe that's too harsh but honestly, this was lazy choreography from the usually inspired Katya. And judges, I am ashamed of you.
Sara and Aljaz
I came to this with apprehension because, well, rumba. However, it was quite a sweet routine and I liked how it wasn't painfully slow or too contempo, well done Aljaz. My main issue with it was that Sara was only moving her hips about half the time, because that's what the rumba is all about. Their partnership really helped carry it though and create a mood where it was a bit technically lacking.
Are any of you familiar with the lovely dance from the Dominican Republic, Bachata? Beautiful intricate, syncopated footwork. But what you often see in Europe is a version that is basically couples dry-humping each other's thighs. My point? That is what (some of) the judges seemed to want from rumba. Raunch. But it's not about that, and Sara and Aljaz should not be marked down for doing a lovely, romantic dance with plenty of basic steps. It wasn't perfect but it was not second-to-bottom territory. I hope you all cast her some votes.
Tom and Amy
Wholesome Tom and Amy doing a dance to a slightly naughty song, how I giggled. The arrangement by the band at least felt better for a salsa. Now, I didn't dislike this, and Tom has definitely improved, but the routine didn't gel for me. I felt like they were both trying reeeeally hard all the time, which kinda kills the salsa flow. I think it might be being a bit mean though, they carried off a complex routine and yes, for the millionth time, Tom didn't drop Amy - hurrah!
This was not barely salsa. I saw some comments on Twitter saying the music was too slow. It wasn't too slow. Unlike the standardised dances, there is no set tempo for salsa. It was absolutely wrong, however. If Caffe Nero can play me Cuban music whilst I drink my morning mocha, why can't Strictly bear to play it? For a Cuban dance, nonetheless? Other than that it was OK.
Tilly and Nikita
Awww, wasn't this a sweet number? Please don't imagine I was doing that in Tess's ickle baby voice, because it genuinely was. I'm so happy to see such a traditional dance like the foxtrot become the standout of 2021. This was a pretty tricky routine too; packed with content and almost entirely in hold. Tilly rose the the challenge with grace and rightly so, keep at it girl.
Tilly showing the haters. Let's ask ourselves why it's always the young women on this show who get the toughest time from the media? I love that Tilly won't have it. Keep calling it out, Tilly. Oh, and the dance? It was pure loveliness.
AJ and Kai
My expectations were pretty high for this, but woah AJ and Kai delivered! I couldn't take my eyes off it, they brought intensity with that really intricate footwork we demand from a AT. Great in hold and out and she never misses a beat alongside Kai, he's been a great addition as a pro so far. Plus no one ever talks about how effortless AJ is in lifts despite her long, long limbs. Definitely my favourite of the night, those people who didn't like the song don't appreciate real drama, dah-lings.
Brace yourselves for a controversial opinion. I didn't love it. Her lines were stunning, she managed some beautifully intricate footwork and it was as dramatic as a drama student drinking a dram of Drambuie in... D'rham?. But, to me, it was too intense and harsh all the way through. I would have liked some softness, some playfulness and that genuine Argentine A-frame hold. I absolutely LOVE AJ and she deserved tens in the context of last night's weird, weird scoring. But it wasn't perfect in reality.
Ugo and Oti
Nice to see Ugo back, I was worried about his back injury because those things can go on forever and we don't want to lose anyone else! Bringing the poor thing back to do a rumba dressed as a DFS sofa was a bit mean, but he pulled it off better than I was expecting. His arms are terrible and it wasn't the most technically accomplished thing, but they managed to capture the right mood due to their great partnership. Hopefully he can do something a bit more fun next week?
Poor chap. I've tried to dance with a back injury and it is not pretty. I was trying to think what dance might have been better for him, but in reality, none of them would have been much good. However, this was far better than I was expecting and Oti is clearly really trying to push the technique. They had so much against them this week though, I'll be surprised if they manage to stay out of the dance off.
John and Johannes
Was a delight this was, a charming little bon-bon of a number. The theming was a bit random but they were playing for camps with the baguettes and it gave us some of that amazing side-by-side action these two are so good at. The synchronisation on the swivels was amazing and I loved the changes of pace in the routine. A treat from start to finish.
Haha! Now this is more like it. These two seem as though they were made to dance together - they match up so perfectly. The routine was fun, polished and professional. John started with some natural dance ability, and is now growing into a real performer. Does anyone know if he can sing? I can hear the West End calling his name...
Rose and Giovanni
This was a wonderful routine from Rose, but the acting and story of it turned me off a bit. It was too distracting and meant there wasn't as much gorgeous ballroom content as there could have been. Rose is going from strength to strength for me as she gets more experienced at dancing and managing the music. Her top line is amazing and Gio is doing such a good job of teaching her, long may they continue.
My favourite. It was classy, beautifully danced and told a gorgeous story. Rose is clearly a talented actor, and brought this skill with her to the show. But she is also a talented dancer, whose natural elegance is really shining through. She is also funny. We love funny. I think she is winging her way to National. Treasure. Status personally...
Rhys and Nancy
Despite my concerns this was going to be overwhelmed by theming, this was my favourite dance from Rhys so far! It's good to know he can be reined in when needed, he just needs to do more ballroom to work on his technique. Like the judges said, his hold was a bit sloppy, but he managed the lifts pretty easily. Rhys is still one of those people I think could go either way, but this was definitely on the positive side.
Yaaas, could this be a breakthrough from Rhys? I really enjoyed this number, fizzing with pep and full of beans. But, crucially, just enough but not too much energy. Hopefully the positive comments will spur him on to keep checking in on that technique. He absolutely has the potential to be one of the best.
No comments:
Post a Comment