Fright Night XI - Back from the dead!

Just when you might have thought 2020 had killed off the Halloween theme, it's lumbered back from the dead once more. Mwhaahha! The opening number felt like a bad omen, I didn't get it at all and thought it was oddly twee. Saying that, the judges all looked amazing, with an extra shout-out to Anton perfectly cast as the Riddler. He's full of surprises this year! 

I hate Halloween Week so much I used to get a free pass not to blog the show. But I'm feeling particularly moany this year so let's go... 

John and Johannes

This got us off to a nice start; cute outfits, not too much theming and definitely recognizable as a quickstep. Bad Moon Rising is practically its own Halloween genre now (there's been 11 shows after all) but it worked for these guys. Very good frame and hardly any gapping too. It didn't set the world alight, but John should be happy with how his ballroom is progressing.

If I pretended to watch it through a magic lens that got rid of the theme, I actually quite liked this. Three couples are really starting to stride out ahead of the pack and these two are part of that. I liked the song for a quickstep. Tick. There was actual quickstep in it. Tick. But we need a huge, spectacular breakthrough number from these two now.

 AJ and Kai

You wouldn't think a Medusa-themed VW to Arianna Grande would work, but oooft this was great! These two deliver week after week and this was such a fun spin on the usual VW format without sacrificing technique. Great routine from Kai (in guyliner no less), he's proving to be a very interesting choreographer. Also, I normally think a floor-spin is a bit of a time-waster but that was a spin and a half and actually added some drama to the dance.

And very, very rarely a dance is so good I actually forgive and forget the theme. If I'm a sucker for anything at all on Halloween Week though (and that's a push), it's a dark VW. I really liked this. I think they could put AJ in dressing gown and ask her to line dance to the Hits of the 70s and she'd still make it look fabulous. 

Dan and Nadiya

I was DREADING this dance all week, what a theme to get lumped with. Saying that, the costumes were much better than I was expecting, slightly-mad West End show rather than cheap fancy dress shop. Also, against all my better judgement, I genuinely enjoyed it! There were jive moves and kick and flick sections, Dan was never going to be amazing at the jive, but I thought he had a good stab at it and was in time for the whole routine. One for the kids I think, but they could vote for it in droves.

Oh dear. Dan's actually turning out to be a decent dancer so this kind of thing is a bit of a slap in the face. There was no need to throw him hurtling into the realms of Scott Mills/Ann Widdecombe territory. I think he'll manage to scrape through to next week and if he does, I hope there's a dapper redemption ballroom waiting for him...

Rhys and Nancy

There is only one War of the Worlds Paso and that is bonkers-awesome Pixie and Trent in Blackpool pretending they were on Game of Thrones, sorry guys. Saying that, they didn't go too overboard with theme, it was a proper paso, but in dusty Victorian outfits. It didn't blow me away, but they'd clearly worked hard on the Spanish line and partnership of the routine, I agree with Craig though, he was pushing it a bit too hard at times. Is it enough to save him from the bottom 2?

I feel he could do really well if he could just stop powering through ahead of the beat. I thought last week was a bit of a breakthrough but it looked to me like there were real timing issues with this one - he was just ahead for too much of it, and Nancy looked as though she were struggling to match him.

Sara and Aljaz

Speaking of Game of Thrones...and here we have Aljaz in bondage gear! Apparently this was Couple's Choice, but it looked like a paso with extra twiddly bits to me. I would say it was a victim of theming, but I didn't think that was possible for CC - it was more baffling than the lobster jive! I do agree she's better in hold rather than out, but it might also have been a bit of a step too far performance-wise. I really hope Sara's chances don't suffer because of this.

Has there ever been a contestant who has rollercoastered up and down the leaderboard quite like Sara? I don't quite know what this was but it wasn't good. Aljaz's reaction/guilt breaks my cold, hard heart though. 

 

Rose and Giovanni

Well done giving Rose an ice queen dress that didn't make her look like Elsa from Frozen, plus Gio rocking the guyliner, it's what you want from Halloween. This was a wonderful tango, the theming clearly gave her something to work with and her sharpness was spot-on. Great in hold and out, she's bringing us surprises and improving ever week.  I didn't even mind the Ed Sheeran song! Plus these two are such a delightful pair, will Gio be dressed as a lizard at some point before the end of the series?!

These two bring me joy. I have no more to say. 

 

Tilly and Nikita

I asked in week 1 whether Nikita was going to be dressed like a lothario from Grease and they seem to have run with that theme most weeks, even with a Halloween number! This was my surprise of the night, I loved how they played up the kitschy song and it was pure cheeky cha cha. Maybe a theme really helps Tilly? Plenty of content too, straight legs and they'd done work on the hips, I think this was my favourite of Tilly's so far. 

I barely saw any cha cha content. What was there was nicely danced, and Tilly is progressing well. But choreography-wise, Nikita is not impressing me. 

Adam and Katya

I was quite intrigued by this number, Katya always goes big for Halloween. I wasn't expecting her to climb out of a piano in a pair of massive trousers though - so extra!  I think it might have been a bit much for Adam, he seemed to lose it in the second half, but it was a ballroom improvement on that messy messy quickstep back in week 2. The whole thing was a great watch, but it was more about theme than his actual dancing. It does feel like he's lagging behind the leaders a bit now and needs a smasher of a dance to get back in the game. 

He started off so well! I was like, YES, this is what we have been waiting for ... and then it descended into the realms of lacklustre. It actually has been my favourite of Adam's dances so  far, however. He has been grossly over-marked on occasion, but his score was deserved this time. And whilst I am not keen on too much theme, I actually thought the concept and choreography of this dance were very interesting. 

Judi and Graziano

Nice to have Judi back, but this was the worst week for trying to shoehorn in a dance for the previous week. The CGI graphics have been ok this series, but it was just annoying in this. The timing was good and there was cha cha content, but it never really got off the ground. I feel really bad for Judi because the odds were stacked against them, but it didn't work and had come just after Tilly's triumph of a routine. 

Ah, you could tell Judi wasn't firing on all cylinders but I was so glad to see her back. The dance had rhythm, good timing, real cha cha content and the beginnings of some good technique. But it lacked energy. I preferred the choreography to Tilly and Nikita's. 

Tom and Amy

It's hard to follow a tango that got the first 40 of the series, but Tom and Amy came out and attacked this for all it was worth! And in actually quite scary costumes, I wouldn't have expected Amy to look so good as a demon, it must be the cheekbones. It was clearly a tango, but I felt like it was fighting to be a paso at times. It certainly wasn't bad and was packed with content and a more confident Tom, so hopefully it's a step in the right direction.

It had the design, concept and music of something that should have been huge and epic. But it all felt rather small. It wasn't bad. It wasn't great. I'm still waiting for Tom to have his Rachel-Stevens-Rumba breakthrough dance. 

The Ballroom Ascendancy

...and here we are with what I can only describe as the 'revolving cast' of Strictly this year - you really have to pay attention to who is in it each week! I hope Judi and Grazi are ok and we can get back to the full component next week. As for this week, we had some bonkers scoring, some great routines, and yet more evidence that this series is all about the ballroom.

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. 

The Samba Curse Returns

Hello! Nice to see you all. You'll be glad to know that my post this week isn't half as ranty as a fortnight ago. It doesn't feel like this series has hit its stride yet but we saw some nicely choreographed routines, with some lovely basic steps. And it was a genuinely nice show this evening... 

Rose and Giovanni

At first I was like, oh here we go, six bars without a dance step and an overbearing theme, but then... off it went into a lovely routine, squished full of basic cha cha content. Rose's foot and leg action was great, and I was quite mesmerised by her trousers. I think these two have the strongest partnership of this year and I am really enjoying watching that grow. 

Tom and Amy

This was one of those routines that wasn't bad, but didn't blow me away (with a feather from the trim of Amy's truly gorgeous dress.) It's all about finesse now with Tom. He's got everything he needs to do a breakthrough  routine, he just needs to refine everything - most particularly his frame. I do really feel he has the potential to do this though, so they're still a pair to watch. 

Tilly and Nikita

I think Nikita has fallen into the trap that befalls many a first-season pro. He's so excited to show what he can do, it almost feels like he has forgotten it's a partnership - one that should be far more about Tilly. He should be choreographing routines that suit her skill and style, and also supporting her through them. But no, there he is going for it, gung-ho, and leaving her behind, making the routine look mis-matched. Don't get me wrong, Tilly is doing amazingly well trying to keep  up with him, but she is being let down a little.

Greg and Karen 

Oh, we have been missing some dad dancing. And some Anton-worthy samba sleeves. But Greg seemed so disappointed in himself it was almost heartbreaking. There's always so much talk about the rumba being difficult for the men (so much so that they don't even bother making most people do it anymore) but samba is the most rhythmically challenging of all the dances, and the body action is so unnatural to anyone who's never tried to move that way before. And whilst this had some real issues with technique, Greg's timing looked spot on. 

John and Johannes

These two have been slowly growing into one of my all time Strictly partnerships, but for me this week it was a little off. And it wasn't really about the technique, it was about the choreography. They got so sucked in to telling a story, the dancing itself just lost some sparkle. But they dance so well together that I have no concerns at all that they'll be back with something amazing next week.

Rhys and Nancy

I'm gonna say it. This. Was. Not. Salsa. It was also a tad overzealous - as now seems to be Rhys' style. This man has so much potential though. Whilst his steps were far too wide (also not an uncommon sight in a ballroom pro trying to salsa...) he actually had the beginnings of a lovely, authentic body action. Nancy needs to help him refine his technique. If he can, he could be one of this year's biggest... journeys. 

Sara and Aljaz

I actually found the music distracting. Whilst I absolutely love the piece, it is not suited to a marchy 2/4 ballroom tango. Why it was not saved for an Argentine later in the series instead is beyond me. Or re-arranged for the dance in question. But never mind. Other than that I thought this was fab. I think Sara is fab. And I want to adopt Aljaz. 

Dan and Nadiya

I did not expect this to be one of my favourite dances of the night but you know what? It was. This had an infectious joy about it and actually was fairly technically sound - when they actually did a bit of cha cha. Dan is really embracing the sparkle and comes across as a genuinely lovely man. We always love contestants who just fall in love with the experience and Dan is really giving off that vibe. 

Judi and Graziano

This was understated, stylish and I basically really liked it. I would have loved more sway from Judi but the change of pace, and emotion behind it were just absolutely delightful. I thought she looked absolutely stunning in a classic ballroom dress. What a way to come back from being in the bottom two. Graziano is starting to really grow as a professional partner and I love the support he is showing.

Adam and Katya

Well, it was about as tango as an egg custard tart. But I think Katya has realised that Adam might not be the natural we all assumed he might be, and - as the polar opposite to Nikita - is choreographing routines that suit him. Whether they look like the dance or not. So I can appreciate that, even though I would have loved to see an actual Argentine Tango. The lifts and tricks were pretty cool. This lady managed to create a routine that made it look like Seann Walsh could dance. I just hope she remembers that Adam is of a significantly higher calibre.

AJ and Kai

Oh AJ, I was so looking forward to this and it just fell a little flat. Her technique had a more salsa than a samba vibe for me (as did the music), but this is a lady who has never danced before. Such high expectations are unfair - and as mentioned, samba is the most difficult latin dance. And it just got the better of her this time. She looked absolutely stunning and has such a fun, engaging personality and I have every hope that she'll bounce back next week. Everyone has a tricky week.

Movie Week will go on...and ooooon

Lets! Go to! The movies! One day they will use that song from Annie as an opening number, mark my words...Saying that, the Johannes-heavy ballroom-themed opening number was actually quite delightful, even though it didn't seem to have anything to do with movies. Long may King JoJo reign. Almost as long as this episode, Tom and Amy are back so we have 14 couples to wade through in this epic movie marathon...

Judi and Grazi

Starting with an appropriate theme and dance, hurrah, plus Judi was perfectly cast and will probably be playing Mama Morton in the West End this time next year. This was a great routine from Grazi, I think it's the most detailed choreography so far and Judi has worked on her stamina. I could have done with a bit more swivel, but she's still good for a complete novice. I'm hoping as we go on we can see a bit more versatility from them as the weeks go on, as she's building up the experience and confidence. 

 

Dan(iel) and Nadiya

I love these two together, they're dorkish and wholesome, so going full Disney Princess made total sense. Yes, there were mistakes, but it's a bloody foxtrot and he was clearly trying his best, I feel like Dan puts so much work into his dances. He clearly does feel better in hold though and I am very worried about looming party latin. Saying that, the routine was totally charming and I'm sure every nan and child in the country will be voting for it. 

 

Sara and Alijaz

After two relatively sensible routines, the theming comes crashing onto the dancefloor. Saying that, it was an oddly routine samba with plenty of content and basic steps, so the Shrek outfits looked even more surreal! Plus Sara has really come on in her latin, considering how hard the samba is she came out all guns blazing with bounce and rhythm. That woman can shimmy! 

AJ and Kai

This was probably the number I was most excited about when I saw this week's numbers, but I was not expected to actually be moved by this. Great routine, perfect costumes and casting, but I didn't think AJ could have brought the acting elements so well in week 3. Plus she handled the lifts really well and moved in and out of them perfectly, more more more please!

Robert and Dianne

The very definition of 'from the sublime to the ridiculous', bring on the Muppets! Although like the Shrek samba, this just felt like a normal quickstep in ridiculous costumes. If anything, I could have done with it being more manic, the performance just didn't feel nippy enough for a quickstep like this. Robert's clearly putting in the work with his ballroom though, just still needs to tidy things up. 

Greg and Karen

Now, this was probably my favourite performance of Greg's so far, but I also don't think it really got off the ground, even with the superfluous snowmobile. Karen put together a great paso routine to the light and shade of the song, but like Craig said, Greg doesn't really dance through the movements. There also wasn't enough of a Spanish line, but I did like the flamenco arms interlude and some very Confident Clapping from Greg.

Tilly and Nikita

Thank goodness the BBC has learned there are songs in Hairspray other than You Can't Stop the Beat! This was a peppy delight, I think I actually enjoyed it more than last week's Charleston. Plenty of content and kicks, Tilly seems more confident in the choreography department as weeks go on. Yes, a couple of mistakes, but I didn't think they were as obvious as Dan's. Whether Nikita accidentally whacked her in the face remains unanswered...

Rose and Giovanni

These two look absolutely delightful, what a great way to start Rose on ballroom. I genuinely do forget she's not listening the music, this was just a lovely piece of classic ballroom. Plus her top line and hand placement was perfect! Also, extra points for dancing to My Heart Will Go On and not making it a massive cheese-fest. Who would have expected the foxtrot to have a massive rebirth this year?

Ugo and Oti

...and then came along Couple's Choice to darken our door once again. Saying that, Ugo took to this routine like a duck to water ('arf 'arf) and I think this was the first time Oti didn't completely overshadow him. Plus he threw her in the air for those lifts like it was nothing! Saying that, I think he could have had a similar breakthrough with a salsa, or even a Charleston...

Tom and Amy

Lovely to have these two back, along with the perfect routine for Tom! Thankfully, this overshadowed the terrible Back to the Future routine Lee Ryan did a few years ago, plus Amy got to wear a variation on Lorriane's iconic prom dress rather than some odd Doc outfit. Despite the fact I spent most of the beginning shouting 'put the guitar down!' this was a pretty good jive. Tom did an amazing kick sequence with swings in it near the start and they kept the energy up.

Adam and Katya

Boom, rumba in week three! I don't care how weirdly themed it was, we got a rumba! I personally think Adam had a pretty good stab at it, it obviously wasn't Kelvin-standard, but he was doing some hip action and some good extensions. Saying that, it was a bit awkward and jerky in places too, plus the costumes were mightily distracting! Although, I think this is the only time the CGI set pieces actually worked!

Katie and Gorka

After last week's under-rehearsed jive, this felt much more suited to Katie, she clearly loved camping up every second of that. Plus Gorka as a dalmatian was hilarious. It wasn't the best piece of ballroom and much better out of hold than in it, plus it was an American Smooth so where were the lifts? But it's hopefully given her a bit more confidence after being in the bottom 2.

Rhys and Nancy

Couple's Choice part 2, where I spent the whole time thinking 'this could have been a Charleston'. They also missed an opportunity to have Rhys literally bouncing off walls. On the plus side, Nancy looked ridiculously cute in her sporty outfit and 90s hair buns.

 

John and Johannes

I wasn't bowled over when this theme was announced, but oooft John and Jojo went at this full pelt! Great control and Spanish line from John, just as good in and out of hold, the only thing that was missing was a cape, but yay for the kitschy glitter cannon! These two work so well together as a team, it really adds to all of their performances, there's going to be so much more from them to come.

 

A Ballroom of Two Halves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's 2021. Some of us having been watching (and commenting on) this show for a really long time (you can tell we have; our blog design has never been updated and plants us firmly in 2008 territory.) And, we long-time watchers, superfans, bloggers, have all been on a (I'm going to say it) journey together, From the early purist days, where an illegal lift caused controversy, to that big hump where we all got very angry about props, themes, and even songs being repeated. Now I feel in recent years most of us have come to a degree of acceptance about the more 'entertainment value' aspects of the show; I wouldn't say any of us got to the point where we fully embrace the random themes but I feel some of us had got to a point where we might recognise a prop lamppost and reminisce fondly, but mockingly, of when we'd seen it before. I don't mean to say that none of us squeal in delight when we see a Foxtrot chock full of content, or a perfectly executed fleckerl, but I do think many of us have come to realise there's a possibility we might have to witness those technical beauties by contestants dressed up as characters from Scooby Doo. But sometimes, just sometimes, there's a show that sends us (by us, I mean Twitter) hurtling back to the days when we were up in arms and where we just wanted the dances to look like the dances they're meant to be, and, my friends, last night's was (well, at least the first half), unfortunately, one of those. Brace yourselves for a rant...

Rhys and Nancy 

I'm not denying that Rhys has rhythm, that he moves with style, nor that he has great potential. But was that dance a cha cha cha? Debatable. Sorry to get all Theseus' Ship on you, but how many cha cha moves can you take out and replace, before the dance is no longer a cha cha? This for me, was far too many. The intro was too long, there was too much random disco-bopping and his technique was really quite a way off. This is all easily solvable, and is no reflection on his capability. Nancy, get it sorted!

Nina and Neil

Oh dear, poor Nina. Not only was she placed in the death slot, but she also faced unnecessarily complicated choreography. Neil - why add Argentine kicks and flicks into a ballroom tango, in week 2? Seems to me like you were making it more about you, than about your partner. Nina really shone in the group number and her samba last week showed promise. But when a celeb does not get the pro they need - the pro that choreographs to show them off, who teaches them the technique they need to execute the dance well, then they have little chance of succeeding. I sent some votes Nina's way last night as I do not believe she deserved to be bottom. But this is to you, Neil, get it sorted!

Adam and Katya

I mean, again, it took ages for them to do so, but I think they actually started off in hold pretty well. I just reached for my phone to tweet as such, and POOF, it all went a wee bit iffy. Or at least skippy. And very gappy. We often celebrate Katya for her creative choreography but at least most of the time, there are decent number of actual dance steps in the dance. This, like the two dances above, was verging on nonsense. Katya* - get it sorted! 

*At this stage I'm going to asterisk. Yeah, it seems like I'm being pretty harsh on the pros here. I really am. And we all suspect they less creative control over their dances than their Hardy/Waite/Bennett predecessors of yore, so a great deal of this might not be anywhere near their fault. But as (or indeed if) you continue reading this piece, you'll see the show gets better, we do see some dance content and - ultimately - It. Can. Be. Done. 

Katie and Gorka

So Katie's costume looked as though it had been pulled from a bargain bin at a fancy dress stall at a run down indoor market of some nondescript English town. The dance wasn't horrendous but it was hardly great. Again, Katie shows, promise, but I didn't see her given much opportunity to show it. For one thing, her shoes looked as though they were far too high for her, which led to the whole dance looking wobbly and heavy. Her feet were messy and, as Craig said, there was no retraction. But again, I'm not blaming Katie. If they had spent more time working on technique instead of faffing about running in and out of doors (and seriously BBC, had no one risk assessed those obvious trip hazards there?), then I'm certain that could  have been far, far better. 

Greg and Karen

As sweet as his story was, and how touching his memories of his sister were, I cannot get on board with Couple's Choice - which it now seems, can be any style at all the couple fancies. I was about to get into a long explanation about why this is, and how I don't blame the individual couples... but I'm tired. I honestly don't have the will...  Does anyone like this aspect of the show? Can we find anyone who thinks Couple's Choice is a positive addition? Tweet us.

John and Johannes

Ah, OK, so we're sorted of getting here. Now, content-wise I was not impressed by this (again, where was the cha cha?) but John is one of the most naturally talented dancers on this year's show and he was so synchonrised with Johannes, it was (despite the lack of actual content) a relatively good dance to watch. And it had joy. John seems like he's the contestant this year who is showing the most self-doubt. he really shouldn't. I could see these two winning this thing. And whilst I'm all for celebs occasionally dancing to the ballroom classics (La Cumparsita coming up, guys) I do love it for a contestant to dance to a song they really love. It really shows in the performance. In this case, it definitely did. 

AJ and Kai

Ooooh, nice one. AJ's jive last week was fab, and this was... also fab. I knew it. I knew she would be a ballroom girl too and I'm delighted that that's the case. I googled to see if she has had previous dance experience and it really appears not. Like John, she just seems to have a natural talent for dance and I adore it when an untrained celeb discovers that for themselves. High, high hopes for these two. I really have my fingers crossed that Kai trains and pushes her, choreographs routines sensibly and they continue to wow us.

Judi and Graziano

I actually thought I saw some fair technique from Judi in parts of this, but the way the judges spoke of it made it seem like it was terrible. It had far more dance content than a lot of last night's efforts, but what it did best was really capture the spirit of the samba, in a way we don't always see on Strictly these days. I could have done without the launderette (I'm on one today, just let me go with it) but all in all, I enjoyed this one. 

Robert and Dianne

Now Robert should have been bottom last week. He nearly fell over - did they miss  that?! So. I was not expecting this to be any good. But in a total shocker, it was... quite good. A little bouncy and soft in the knee for me but, much like Judi's samba above, it captured the spirit of the dance. But - he did have an advantage. La Cumparsita. La Cumparsita is to tango what Espana Cani is to Paso Doble; it is the quintessential tango piece and, even a parody of a tango would look like a tango to this. So, I remain open-minded about this pair and still think they could go one way or another. Or, can they? Anyone who's studied Strictly knows that many a favourite contestant starts of pretty wobbly and has a j-j-journey. Conspiracy here, but does Robert know that...? *looks to camera a la Miranda Hart* 

Rose and Giovanni

Salsa. Are you expecting me to scream at you IT'S NOT SALSA? Please don't be disappointed but I actually thought it had a fair bit of salsa to it (are you shocked?) And whilst a song just saying 'Salsa' in it, does not make it Salsa, it's certainly not the worst choice we've had on Strictly. At least it had the right sort of mood. The transitions in and out of lifts could have been smoother (but who cares about the lifts, really?) - her actual salsa dancing was pretty decent. Nice, but understated body action, good timing and just...having a fun time with it. Hurrah. Nice dress too.

Sara and Aljaz

Has anyone jumped from bottom week one, to top week two before? That was a meteoric climb, Sara and actually really well deserved. Let's not buy in to the narrative that Sara was bad last week. She wasn't. She was self-conscious and tentative but it wasn't Robert-Webb-Levels-Of-WTF. But still, this foxtrot was a huge improvement and Aljaz's simple, let's-just-get-into-the-dance choreography was the tonic we all needed after a show of more intro than dance steps. Sara's next challenge is to bring it in the same way in a latin dance. I'm betting all in on the paso.

Dan and Nadiya

I'm not sure why Dan's costume was half Starfleet Commander/half flamboyant Roman Centurion. But never mind. He unfortunately fell into the trap of thinking that the Paso Doble involves striding over to one spot, striking a pose, and striding over to the other. His movements were not joined up into any kind of coherent dance and I'm glad the judges picked up on that. We haven't had a drag quite like that since John Sargeant gave the dancefloor a quick polish with Kristina Rihanoff's left thigh. His quickstep showed real potential though, and I'm confident he'll take on board the comments and do his best to improve. 

Ugo and Oti

Is there nothing this lady can't do? Ugo seemed the most wooden and out of his comfort zone in the group dance but week two, and he does this? Oti's track record at teaching speaks for itself and - whilst this was by no means perfect - if he continues to improve at this rate, they could get further in this competition than any of us ever expected. I liked that this had content, I liked the music and I liked the whole sunshiney vibe. This is what happens when you have a pro that focuses on the right things. 

Tilly and Nikita

It's a CHARLESTON. AND IT'S THE LAST DANCE. AND WE'RE SO DESPERATE TO LOVE SOMETHING. IT WAS AMAZING, right? Was it amazing? I mean, it was good. But these young 'uns with a dance where the technique doesn't quite matter as much, they just tend to do well. I actually thought she could have done with a degree or two more swivel, but I guess, yeah, apart from that it was all there. High energy, entertaining, and she had clearly worked very hard indeed. Lots of potential here too.