Strictly Week 8
Opening VT with the celebs using the word ‘pressure’ a lot, and the episode seemed to be billed as ‘The one before musicals week.’ Claudia wore colour (actually a patterned colour) and Motsi had a boss lady shoulderline.
I thought that that was an accomplished quickstep from Tilly (it’s now Strictly law that blondes must do the quickstep with curls) although I wans’t sure about how flattering her outfit was, black top fading into lighter colours in the skirt, while I’m dubious about whether the slit added much. I don’t know whether it was just the song or wanting to give her confidence that made Nikita put in the Charleston bits, but they worked well, and then it became clear that the judges were going to pick on the details. I wondered if this would continue.
Miranda ‘running meta commentary’ Hart did the T&Cs and they were probably over two times as long as normal.
Next AJ’s mum was the star of her VT, and then, well, my impression of her paso was: sandstorm?; hello, Kai’s chest; ugh, AJ’s sleeves; this is trying to be dramatic rather than being dramatic. I was trying to work out why it didn’t work for me and the judges’ comments didn’t clarify it, also, those comments got worse from judge to judge. Yikes, AJ was at the bottom of the leaderboard.
I liked the choreography for Dan’s American Smooth a lot, especially the use of the canes, to my surprise, but I thought Dan was far too ramrod straight, although he loosened up in the second half. He didn’t deserve the 4 or the 9, but should have been somewhere in the middle.
Also, I wish he’d shut up. For someone who’s a presenter and knows the value of screen time, he has far too much verbiage.
I smiled nearly the whole way through Rhys’s Charleston/Gimme. To be consistent, the dismount from the second lift wasn’t all that and the next lift wasn’t flawless…but what he then went on to do straight after that lift was stupendous. No wonder he needed a lie down. The way he used his whole body throughout was extraordinary. I agree that was indeed the Charleston of the year (although if someone could combine his dancing and AJ’s lifts, that would top it.) I gave a yelp of joy at Craig’s 10, because I wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d stuck to 9.
Halftime leaderboard: AJ was at the bottom below Dan!?!?
I thought it was a mistake to start off Sara’s Argentine Tango with Aljaz showing off because it showed up what followed in a bad light. Sara’s hair is the silent third in their pairing by now. I liked the last couple of lifts, but the rest of it didn’t do much for me, possibly Anton was right and I just want more PERFORMANCE, and possibly too the lighting didn’t help me. I thought I liked it less than the judges, although I was then fine with the score.
Pointless scene-setting/messing abaht, but from when John’s samba started properly he was pretty good. My problem was that there was too much side by side and so too much comparing him unfavourably with Jo-Jo thepro, though I stopped comparing them when the lights dropped down and they were doing a more African samba, but it was quite easily the best samba yet.
Underwhelming beginning for Tom’s Viennese waltz, because I was being unimpressed by the singer, but thinking that on balance I liked their looks (and by now I’m wondering if I was reminded of Ryan Gosling and that that influenced me) but then he got into hold, and it pulled me in and I found myself rather liking it. (And that song has always flummoxed me, rather.) I felt like I needed an interpreter for Motsi - not the word that she translated as ‘special’ - but the rest of what she said.
Which meant Rose’s couple’s choice came last. I loved the lyricality of Rose’s dancing, the flow of the lifts, and after all the build-up, the sound dropping off worked so, so well, and the only word that came to mind was ‘exquisite’. And for all one can be cynical about it, this is why they do the celeb’s story for the couple’s choice (I’d seen Rose visiting Deaf children coming, but not the soundless dancing). The judges handled it beautifully (and respect to Craig for sticking to his guns and explaining his 9), Rose’s thanks to Giovanni and Strictly were for letting her tell it her way, and Giovanni deserves kudos fod doing a reverse Aljiaz as pro partner and choreographer and then the message was spot on.
Rhys rightly was top of the leaderboard, but I think we all know what clip will be used when Strictly is up for awards (unless if John wins? But even I a week where AJ wobbled and proved the samba wasn’t a one-off, Rose has surely booked her place in the final, good health allowing.)
I…meant to vote, I even took down the numbers, but I rewound to gawp at the noticeboard to triple check that AJ was still at the bottom and to see how the middlers ranked, and my brain went walkabout. Two of those votes would have been for Rhys and Rose, while the third would have been for Tom. Oh well. I expect Tilly to be in the dance-off, and for us to find out how popular AJ and Kai are.
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