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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: Strictly - twinkle toes
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jacobsen
seeker
# 14998
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Posted
Although far more than toes come into it. There's line, the neck, back, arms, feeling....
I saw Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday for the first time in some years, and was fascinated by the sheer detail involved in performing those dances.
Not so fascinated, it has to be said, by the noise levels and somewhat overdone flashing lights.
Of the judges, I thought that Darcy Bussell and Chief judge Len each combined encouragement with fair points on improvement.
What do other Shipmates think?
If a thread on this topic already exists, Hosts, (though I didn't find it) please do abolish this one.
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Posts: 8040 | From: Æbleskiver country | Registered: Aug 2009
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Niminypiminy
Shipmate
# 15489
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Posted
I think this is a good year - lots of good dancing, but also there seems to be a better atmosphere among the contestants this year than the last couple.
My favourite dance of the series so far was Kelly and Kevin's foxtrot from week 4, which was relatively free of flashy crowd-pleasing steps (to quote Barry Fife from Strictly Ballroom) but had a lovely elegance and romantic feeling. I always like the ballroom dances more than latin - although I love the Argentine Tango, though this is so difficult hardly anyone ever does it.
I'm liking the Tess/Claudia combination - Tess has slightly unbent and become a bit more natural which is good to see, although she does have a blinding line in the bleeding obvious - 'the crowd are on their feet!' etc.
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Posts: 776 | From: Edge of the Fens | Registered: Feb 2010
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Schroedinger's cat
Ship's cool cat
# 64
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Posted
Claudia is superb - she does the straight-faced humour so well. I would watch a whole show of just her. But then, I am a huge fan.
I would like to see Anita do well. I think she is dancing well, and I think she is wonderful (watch her Who Do You think You Are, it made me love her even more). She is not yet the best, but I want her to do well.
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Posts: 18859 | From: At the bottom of a deep dark well. | Registered: May 2001
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Niminypiminy
Shipmate
# 15489
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Posted
Yes, Claudia is heading straight towards 'national treasure'. She's fantastic.
I like Anita too, and think she's getting better. I'm also pleased to see that Peter Andre is not getting better. His preening rumba was hard to watch. I'm feeling a bit sorry for Katie Derham being partnered with the awful Anton who can't, just can't, do latin.
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Posts: 776 | From: Edge of the Fens | Registered: Feb 2010
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Schroedinger's cat
Ship's cool cat
# 64
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Posted
I know they do have other choreographers and dancers who can help out (because not all of the professionals can be expected to do it all). Maybe he should use them more to be a "Latin" professional, to teach both of them.
I think he is struggling because he has no idea what to do with a good partner.
I think Claudia will need prayers this coming weekend - the anniversary of her daughters horrendous accident. I think her response has been fantastic (if you haven't seen her Watchdog interview, it is worth a watch). Last year, she dropped everything and looked after her family - completely right, and not what everyone would have done.
She is an inspiration to all.
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Posts: 18859 | From: At the bottom of a deep dark well. | Registered: May 2001
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Niminypiminy
Shipmate
# 15489
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Posted
Yes, I saw that interview - painful to watch, but not even a hundredth of how painful it must have been to live through.
I can't help feeling that something went wrong somewhere in the allocation of partners, and Katie should have been partnered with Pasha and Carole with Anton.
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Posts: 776 | From: Edge of the Fens | Registered: Feb 2010
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Hugal
Shipmate
# 2734
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Posted
Jay is the best dancer of the celebs. He understands the movement and picks up the technique quickly. Peter's rumba was good but he doesn't lean slightly over his feet, a basic style point.
Ainsley should have gone before now. Jamilia is one of the forgettable competitors. She gets mid table from the judges, and is not popular enough for the public vote.
Overall sandard very good.
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Posts: 1887 | From: london | Registered: Apr 2002
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Curiosity killed ...
Ship's Mug
# 11770
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Posted
I agree, I feel sorry for Katie Derham, but Anton has done better in the past with people who were good. He was in the final of the first series with Lesley Garrett, coming third overall, fifth with Patsy Palmer in series 3 and 4th with Laila Rouass in series 7. His Latin scores have always been worse than his ballroom scores; but after thirteen years of appearing in Strictly, you'd think he should know the dances by now.
Plus a lot of this is his schtick. He and Brendan Cole have danced in all 13 series: Anton's average place is 8th overall (8.43 - adding all the places gets 101/12), Brendan's is 7th (6.67 adding all his places gets 80/12). Which calculation makes me think a whole lot less of Anton.
(I did have to google this, but I remembered him doing better in earlier years, particularly with Patsy Palmer when he was noticeably worse in the Latin dances. I'd forgotten he danced with Lesley Garrett.)
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Posts: 13794 | From: outiside the outer ring road | Registered: Aug 2006
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Gill H
Shipmate
# 68
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Posted
Very few pros are all-rounders. Most are stronger at either latin or ballroom. Anton has never been that strong on Latin, and it's a few years since he has really had to bother.
We have a 'best of Come Dancing' video featuring him when he was Anthony Beak, and even then he was a ballroom boy!
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Posts: 9313 | From: London | Registered: May 2001
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Niminypiminy
Shipmate
# 15489
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Posted
I think Jay's going all the way to the final, be interesting to see who ends up there with him. Anita maybe? She'll certainly have had a 'Strictly journey'.
I wonder if Anton is holding out for a place on the judges' table - he must be right on the edge of retirement if he was dancing in Come Dancing days.
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Posts: 776 | From: Edge of the Fens | Registered: Feb 2010
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Hugal
Shipmate
# 2734
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Posted
Come Dancing lasted 50 years so he needn't be, but he is close to retirement age for a dancer. He is not bad at Latin but he is much stronger at ballroom. They still could nam it.
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Posts: 1887 | From: london | Registered: Apr 2002
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Hugal
Shipmate
# 2734
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Posted
Sorry to double post
I mean make it.
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Posts: 1887 | From: london | Registered: Apr 2002
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jacobsen
seeker
# 14998
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Posted
I thought Kate was much better than the marks awarded - missed the results tonight - did she stay or leave?
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But God, holding a candle, looks for all who wander, all who search. - Shifra Alon
Beauty fades, dumb is forever-Judge Judy
The man who made time, made plenty.
Posts: 8040 | From: Æbleskiver country | Registered: Aug 2009
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Sarasa
Shipmate
# 12271
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Posted
I thought this weekends show was full of not very good dancing, or was I distracted by the make-up?
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Posts: 2035 | From: London | Registered: Jan 2007
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Schroedinger's cat
Ship's cool cat
# 64
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Posted
I agree that this weeks dances were not spectacular. I think this often happens somewhere in the middle, and the Hallowe'en costumes don't help. They are often also overwhelmed by Blackpool.
Somewhere in all of that, the better dancers normally come through.
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Roseofsharon
Shipmate
# 9657
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Posted
I felt that too much effort was put into performances that would interpret the theme, to the detriment of the dance content.
I also think that the make up was a contributory factor in the losing contestant being in the dance-off. The dance was not great but the grumpy, miserable expression on the celebrity's face - which was mostly make-up - wasn't likely to evoke the sympathy vote from the viewers.
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Posts: 3060 | From: Sussex By The Sea | Registered: Jun 2005
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Roseofsharon
Shipmate
# 9657
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Posted
I am happy with the result of tonight's dance-off.
I am very pleased with the final line-up. much as I admire the dedication, hard work and achievement of the losing celebrity
I have not found her professional partner as pleasurable to watch as so many others seem to have done. Nor the choreography, which has contained many elements that have seemed extraneous to the dance supposedly being performed - and intended more to draw attention to him than to his celebrity partner.
There have been rumours that Len is leaving. The show has become more and more of a popularity show over the years, and if Len leaves the technique of the individual dances will be submerged in the elements of spectacle and "entertainment value". Which will sadden me.
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Posts: 3060 | From: Sussex By The Sea | Registered: Jun 2005
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Gracious rebel
Rainbow warrior
# 3523
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Posted
well I'm going to disagree. I'm not very happy about tonight's result. Seems to have been a fix to allow Anton into the final. Yesterday the judges didn't think much of Katie's dancing, and her waltz had not shown any improvement (IMO) today- and I've even read that dry ice was used to obscure her footwork. Fix or what?
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Posts: 4413 | From: Suffolk UK | Registered: Nov 2002
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Roseofsharon
Shipmate
# 9657
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Gracious rebel:
Seems to have been a fix to allow Anton into the final.
Probably - and possibly to give him a final fling, if the rumours of him taking over from Len as judge are to be believed.
I lost faith in the process when Peter André was saved and Jamelia thrown out. I think the following series will be all downhill from now on.
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Posts: 3060 | From: Sussex By The Sea | Registered: Jun 2005
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Sarasa
Shipmate
# 12271
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Posted
I think Anita should have been in the dance off last week. I don't think it's all her fault, the choreography wasn't as strong as some of the others.
I do think that you end up with the right ones in the final on the whole, even if some dancers hang on too long, or leave too early in the process. The exception is Helen, who proabbly ought to be there ahead of Katie and Anton.
I've enjoyed the series on the whole, though it would be a shame if Len hangs up his dancing shoes. He is branching out to other things though. I caught bits of the series on in the afternoon where Ainsley Harriott tried to get him to like 'foreign food', and it was rather enjoyable in a tv to slob out to kind of way.
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'I guess things didn't go so well tonight, but I'm trying. Lord, I'm trying.' Charlie (Harvey Keitel) in Mean Streets.
Posts: 2035 | From: London | Registered: Jan 2007
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Roseofsharon
Shipmate
# 9657
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Sarasa:
I think Anita should have been in the dance off last week.
Absolutely, and if she had been, then whoever she had danced against would have made the semi-final and Helen would not have missed out.
Can't blame biased judging for that 'though. That was down to the public vote.
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Posts: 3060 | From: Sussex By The Sea | Registered: Jun 2005
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Schroedinger's cat
Ship's cool cat
# 64
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Posted
I think Anita has had a bad time throughout this series. The choreography - which might not have been traditional dance - has been extraordinary, and (IMO) the best of any of the contestants. And she has achieved it throughout.
Her and Helen were two of my picks for he final (along with Jay) so I have done pretty well to get them all to the Quarters. But Anitas dances have been some of the ones that I have enjoyed the most.
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Blog
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Lord may all my hard times be healing times
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Posts: 18859 | From: At the bottom of a deep dark well. | Registered: May 2001
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tessaB
Shipmate
# 8533
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Posted
I must say it is nice to see the way Jay has come out of his shell over the last couple of months. I disagree with the judges in that I think he does emote, but in a rather sweet understated way. I'd never heard of him or his group before this, but then that's true of most of them! All very worthy finalists I'd say, any of them could win it.
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eating chocolate to the glory of God
Holiday cottage near Rye
Posts: 1068 | From: U.K. | Registered: Sep 2004
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Snags
Utterly socially unrealistic
# 15351
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Posted
Interesting stuff.
Personally I'd have said Katie should have gone when Helen did, then Anita this week to leave the finalists we have plus Helen (although by and large I've preferred watching Anita to Helen, I think Helen was the better dancer overall).
With the exception of some of the smoother, more graceful, ballroom numbers Katie just doesn't "sell" the dance to me in the way Anita did. I find Anita engaging, and Katie merely pleasant and just an adjunct to the Rolling Anton Show.
Either way, with either Katie or Anita in the final it at least makes the judges' job of the initial elimination much easier ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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Posts: 1399 | From: just north of That London | Registered: Dec 2009
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Snags
Utterly socially unrealistic
# 15351
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Posted
Yes, and it's got worse over just the few seasons I've been watching it ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
It's at the point this series where if it even sounds like someone might be vaguely negative the boo's start, even when actually they're building to a positive (and not just a Craig "spoofing" be nasty to be nice). Gets on my wick too ...
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Posts: 1399 | From: just north of That London | Registered: Dec 2009
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shamwari
Shipmate
# 15556
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Posted
Had it been a gymnastics competition Anita would have won by a country mile.
Its a dance competition.
Not Anita's fault. She didnt plan the dance.
Posts: 1914 | From: from the abyss of misunderstanding | Registered: Mar 2010
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Snags
Utterly socially unrealistic
# 15351
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Posted
So, the result's in. Outrage? Contentment? Joining the pitchfork throng shouting "fix"? Or just aware that at the end of the day it was as much a popularity contest as a dancing contest for the final decision?
Personally of the final three I think I'd have been content with any of them winning this year. Would have liked to see Kellie and Kevin get a clean sweep of 40s just for the fun of it, mind, whether or not Jay won at the end.
Still can't make my mind up whether the judges were unnecessarily harsh (in their comments, not scores) on Jay's show dance. It didn't have razzle-dazzle, so if by "show" they implicitly mean "showy" then fair enough (and I think they possibly do). But on a more measured reading, the show dance is supposed to show off ability, and it did that in spades, just without any narrative setting or flashy pizzazz.
At least I get Saturday and Sunday nights back now, though.
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Posts: 1399 | From: just north of That London | Registered: Dec 2009
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Schroedinger's cat
Ship's cool cat
# 64
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Posted
I was happy - Jay was one of my picks. But all of the last six were good, so not a problem whoever really.
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Posts: 18859 | From: At the bottom of a deep dark well. | Registered: May 2001
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