Week 4 – Review of couples
It’s been a chaotic week for me as I have been moving house
so up until yesterday, I was surrounded by boxes & hopefully I won’t have
to see another box for a little while! So, I’m very sorry for the delay in
getting my Blog to you but it is finally done and I guess ‘better later than
never’ applies. Hope you enjoy it even
though last Saturday seems like an age ago now!
Jason & Kristina – Paso Doble
I love knee walks in Paso Doble, they create so much
atmosphere and character to the dance and are also surprisingly difficult to
do. Jason had some lovely shapes in his
Twist Turns and I could see that Kristina had worked hard at trying to teach
him the correct technique for this step.
Paso is a difficult dance as there is so much going on in the music
& feel of the dance BUT it is vital that the Man remain composed and calm
in his movements and to not make it look like hard work. There needs to be an inner calm about the
dance and Jason was a little to frantic for me in the Paso. He has great leg and bodylines in lunge positions-
straight line from foot to finger without distorting the hip or chest line.
Their side-by-side Bots Foga section was good however, his Lock steps lacked
strength and looked a little ‘tip-toey’ & they do very good pivots together
which is a huge bonus as you can use pivots in ALL dances. Overall I thought they portrayed the dance
very well and for those who know about dance, it reminded me of a Paul Killick Paso
Doble as there were a lot of typical PK steps in the choreography and this is a
good thing as Paul was one of the best at Paso Doble.
It wasn’t their best dance but I somehow think that if they
had used a traditional Paso Doble song, this would have improved the entire
look and feel of the dance as for me, what you see & what you hear should
compliment each other & I felt that their song choice didn’t allow for the
strength required in a Paso Doble.
I don’t think that this is a step back for Jason though,
just a learning curve and do think this is a good thing as I am sure he will
come back even stronger from this.
My Score: 7 (continue to work on technique & developing
an inner strength & calm to create more control)
Alex & James – Rumba
This is notoriously a very difficult dance for a female
celeb to look good doing and I haven’t seen too many do this dance justice over
the years – perhaps Cherie Lunghi being one of the very few who bought us a
beautiful classic rumba full of dance and class. Perhaps this expectation on both James and
Alex to reproduce the same or similar was too great? I liked the beginning, which reminded me of
Torvil & Dean’s Bolero, but it was too long. Eventually when they did start
dancing, I felt that Alex’s hip action was very lacking and this wasn’t help by
the lack of movement in her outfit either.
An outfit choice like this is only for the brave and for someone who has
tremendous body action, leg action and line as this shows up every flaw and
inability…. I think Ola & generally the other female pro’s are the only ones
who can get away with this kind of outfit whereas someone of lesser ability
should really wear something a little more flowing & revealing in the right
places which can actually enhance movement & body action – sadly, I think
this was a major flaw in their dance and one I found difficult to look past
even though Alex certainly has the body for it!
Back to the dancing – there were too many tricks and any
type of rolling on the floor I am not a fan of either – it is time wasting and
really doesn’t represent a Rumba for me.
Rumba’s aren’t necessarily always about being sexy and some of the most
beautiful Rumba’s that I have seen haven’t been full of sexy poses, actions or
steps. It is the dance of love and this
can be interpreted in so many ways. So for
Alex, I wouldn’t worry too much about all the lack of ‘sexy’ comments – That is NOT what a typical
Rumba is anyway & very few people look good doing ‘sexy’ anyway. It did however lack Basic Rumba Variations
and I don’t think I saw 1 Fan position or even a simple step like Sliding Doors. For me this was more of a Show Dance than a
Rumba and the choreography lacked the content to show us Alex’s ability to show
hip action, timing accents, body movement, foot pressure and leg action. I felt a disappointed as I was sure that Alex
was on the path to great improvement but on this occasion it wasn’t to be.
My Score: 5 (Lack of
action and content)
It has become increasingly popular to use so much of the
Intro and exit in the songs to choreograph very long intro’s & exits and
whilst this may be a good idea to introduce a theme to the dance, more often
than not, it doesn’t do the dance any justice as it leaves such little time to
show actual dance content which is essentially one of the things the judges would
like to mark and the audience would like to see
- Ballroom & Latin American dancing. Otherwise, this may as well be
So You Think You Can Dance with Celebs – all about other types of dance and not
Ballroom & Latin at all. I do also
feel that it IS the responsibility of the Pros to choreograph a dance suitable
for the celeb and to enhance their abilities, hide their inabilities and give
us a form of recognisable Ballroom or Latin American dances as this is their
(the Pro’s) profession. However, I also
feel that if the judges feel that there is not enough dance content this should
be bought up privately and the pro in question be given the chance to defend
their teaching methods one professional to another. Who knows, there may be some very good reasons
for some choreography choices that aren’t even up to the Pro in the first
place. But I do think that bickering about it during the show is detrimental to
the show, makes for very awkward viewing & is disrespectful to both Judges
& Professionals. Lets hope this
situation can be amicably sorted out, as it would be a shame for the arguments
to become the focus of the show instead of the dancing. Just my opinion.
Rory & Erin – Cha Cha
The start of their dance wasn’t great as straight away Rory
made a mistake and then lost his rhythm & timing but he carried on
admirably and soon got back into the dance.
He doesn’t have a great hip action and is rather stiff in the hip region
& when he did try to show off his hip flexibility is was a little cringe
worthy as I felt that he was trying to be sexy and it just didn’t suit
hip. Hip action in Cha Cha is very
important as this is the characteristic of the dance however, there are many
very good Professional dances who aren’t naturally blessed in this department
either & they take on a more masculine, less rhythmic character which could
have worked a little better for Rory.
There was good content in their Cha cha even though their New York
section (chorus) was repeated but generally his feet were sloppy and his knees
were bent which hindered his hip action & leg & foot speed. As always though Rory looked like he really
was enjoying the dance and having fun.
6 (Needs to work on
body action and footwork)
Audley & Natalie – Foxtrot
Foxtrot is one of the most difficult dances footwork wise of
all the Ballroom dances due to the correct use of heels and toes to create the
correct gradual rise & fall over the group of steps. Audley has worked hard
at this and generally created a very pleasant rise & fall action. He has a really good frame and it is
consistent and looks very comfortable for him – no bum sticking out or rising
shoulders. There was quite a bit of
standing around mid dance which although it didn’t interrupt the flow of the
dance because Natalie continued to move and dance around him so well, it just
left Audley in some positions that weren’t very dance like positions. They are
also very good at pivot spins however his Standing Spin is still flat
footed. I again felt that as a whole, it
lacked content from the 2nd half onwards but what they did do in the
1st half was good, recognisable dancing.
My score: 6 (Find
better non dance positions & keep working on using feet more)
Nancy & Anton – Paso Doble
This was a great Paso Doble song choice and it automatically
enhanced the atmosphere of the dance without them even dancing a step. Unfortunately the expectation of their
interpretation of the song wasn’t to be! It was a better start – Promenade to
Counter Promenade movement with a Pivot ending. Their side-by-side Bota Foga
section was OK, timing was a bit questionable & Nancy’s spins were very
wobbly. Their content was 100% better
& included a Grand Circle and Separation but there were so many lifts that
weren’t necessary or even allowed! My general thoughts though were that is was
rather stampy, clumpy, off balance, looked like Anton was literally dragging
her around from step to step & lacked positive Paso characterisation.
However, Nancy learnt the steps & there wasn’t any deliberate comedy. It was a big improvement!
My score: 5 (keep up
with the proper dancing)
Lulu & Brendan – Samba
I remember this song well, it was the song John Barnes &
I danced Samba to the week we went out in the dance off against Brendan &
Kelly Brooke – I hoped this would be a better dance for them than it was for
us.
I watched a documentary during the week on BBC about Lulu
life, it was fascinating and I was surprised to learn & see that Lulu can
actually dance & has danced with many dancers over the years and has learnt
many styles of dancing so I hope she can tap into these memories &
experiences and bring them to the show as, she is such a natural performer.
The content of their Samba was good & contained Rolling
off the Arm, Whisks. Samba Walks & Locks, Promenade runs & a very nice
side by side solo section. There could
have been more & without the repetition or the break in dance half way
through but it kept the party feeling of the Samba going so wasn’t completely
out of character although I do think Lulu is capable of more. It lacked a definite Samba bounce action and
there were some mistakes but it was fun filled & had great characterisation
and atmosphere – I liked it even if it wasn’t a traditional Samba.
My score: 7 (neater footwork & technique)
Holly & Artem – Vienesse Waltz
What a long intro again before they actually started to
dance a proper V. Waltz – a shame really as this was a good dance for Holly as
she looked very elegant and in character.
I still feel that she is somehow very shy on the dance floor and I am
not really seeing her character shine through yet which is a bit frustrating
as, I feel that with the right encouragement and finding which buttons to push,
she could be very good! Her posture and head position was very good and she
looks more comfortable in Ballroom hold.
It was a little skippy for a V.Waltz and lacked sway & upper body
extension & Holly needs to work more on using her feet and ankles to
control her movements – her feet and legs need more strength & tone to be
able to control what the rest of her body is doing. For me, it was their best dance so far! Well
done.
My score: 8 (more
personality and strength & tone in feet & legs needed)
Chelsee & Pasha – Quickstep
WOW! I was completely blown away but this week’s
transformation in chelsee’s look and dancing! She looked so much better &
loved her ‘uncluttered’ look that made it possible to see her dancing rather
than have to look for it. Their
interpretation of this dance was wonderful – so quick, full of content &
lots of fun. Chelsee created great bodylines,
kept up with Pasha in movement and their body contact was remarkable
considering the speed of the dance.
Chelsee’s posture is much improved and she looks very natural in hold
now. I found their dance mesmerizing and
was very excited to see this level of Quickstep so early on! For me it was
ALMOST ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ perfection!
My score: 9 (keep
working like this & loved the toned down look!)
Harry & Aliona - Waltz
I have to say that even before they danced, I was so
impressed with their VT, which I felt was so much better than everyone
else’s. It was a great and very clever
story line that led beautifully into their dance – I wondered why everyone
else’s couldn’t be like that as it was really lovely.
They started off with a very difficult slow Contra Check and
then into some great Waltz content – great standing spin up on toes, &
readable and recognisable Waltz variations with very good rise, fall & sway
from Harry. His posture still needs a
lot of work as I found him to be sticking out his bum quite a bit especially on
forward steps – perhaps due to the slight over exaggeration of his heel lead
and lowering action which can cause a distortion in the upper body. But this is very, very good and then, the
unthinkable…. Faffing where it was absolutely not needed especially when the
dance was flowing so beautifully! The 1st half was wonderful and the
2nd half was just ruined for me as it lacked comparable content to
the 1st half and the whole dance became disjointed. What a shame as
this was Harry’s best dance by far in terms of technique, characterisation
& style although I still find Harry not quite at the top of his ability in
a performance sense however it was very, very good!
My score: 8 (work on
posture & performance)
Anita & Robin – American Smooth
Anita brings a lovely ‘Old Style’ glamour to her dancing especially
in the Ballroom dances and this was no exception. This dance really suited her and she really
took on the character of the American Smooth.
The lifts were great and elegant although the ‘Horse & cart’ step
lacked extension and wasn’t an elegant as it could have been. Unfortunately Anita did make a few mistakes
but she managed to cover them up rather well and didn’t let it affect the rest
of the dance. It was a pleasure to see
some Heel Turns as, they are very difficult to master and do properly and I
thought she did a great job with them.
Their side by side solo section was well synchronised and overall the
characterisation of the dance was very good however, I would have liked it to
have been a little smoother in transitions from one group to another.
My score: 7 (try not to make mistakes and work on the
flow of movement)
Robbie & Ola – Jive
I love how Robbie absolutely embraces everything Ola asks of
him and also how Ola choreographs a look & dance around what Robbie is good
at – it works very harmoniously and they come across as a real team on the
dance floor. This was a very good Jive
in my opinion as it contained a lot of basic content – great flicks & kicks
(which could have been sharper and faster, but at least he dance them), some
Drunken sailor steps with good sway, Pivot chasses, American Spin, Stop &
Go & basic Jive with Jive chasses – good enough content for me. Robbie really captured the character of the
dance and stayed in character all the way through, he looked like he was really
living the dance and this is what Jive is about – fun, energy &
entertainment!
My Score: 8 (work on
straightening the knees faster in Flicks & kicks & getting weight over
the balls of feet more to create better Jive bounce action)
Russell & Flavia – Tango
Russell never fails in the entertainment department and this
dance was no exception! Great story telling in the intro and there was a good
flow of choreography throughout the dance.
There was good basic content in the form of a Rock Turn step, Chasses,
Open Reverse Turn & 5 step. It wasn’t staccato enough and lacked a certain
aggression that the tango needs but, I would have been very surprised if
Russell had been able to incorporate this in their dance as I really don’t
think this is in Russell’s personality…to see it just a little would have been
a nice surprise though. As always though, this was very entertaining and kept
me watching to the very last beat & I love Russell & Flavia for the
spirit they bring to the competition!
My score: 6 (not your best character dance but think the
‘fun’ dances are more for you)
Whew, I finally have made it to the end and can now finally
post this after a very long week of moving, being without Internet and loosing
my laptop charger along the way! I can’t believe it’s already a week and I will
be doing this weeks write up in 2 days – Halloween week! Will it be just a
scary version of Broadway week or will we see innovative choreography and
themes based on Ballroom & Latin dances with a Halloween twist? Can’t wait!
X
