Last week I enjoyed a Rumba. This week I’m about to praise a Couple’s Choice. If this continues, somebody needs to check whether I’ve been replaced.
Don’t panic. I still found plenty to complain about. Anton appears to have brought his own scoring system, the Faffing Police have a coat-and-hat incident to investigate, and Craig described somebody as chewing toffee with their bottom. This is your Saturday evening entertainment, everyone!
We said goodbye to Sarah and Julian last week, with Bethany and Nancy surviving the dance-off. Delta and Kai are back after their injury bye, and we had a relatively normal week before Halloween arrives with its wigs, props and inevitable opportunities to conceal the footwork.
Not that the costume department was taking the evening off. It hadn't gone unnoticed that somebody possibly secured a bulk discount on hair gel. Lauren had sculpted waves, Nancy and Alexis had little curls, and Motsi looked as though she’d just stepped out of the shower.
Emma, meanwhile, continues to look more comfortable in her glam-wear. Ali described her style as “understated elegance”, which was exactly the phrase I’d been looking for. The changes feel small and considered now, rather than somebody simply finding another evening dress. Jojo’s brooches, however, deserve their own thread.
And before I forget: we may have to make the NIKITA NIPPLE KLAXON a weekly requirement. I’m merely here to serve based on the community’s feedback.
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Jaime and Carlos opened with a clean, relaxed Foxtrot. I love a Foxtrot, and after last week’s dramatic Paso it was good to see her settle into something softer without looking as though she was trying to force every moment. I thought there might be criticism of her arms, but that didn’t spoil how much I enjoyed it. The score of 25 certainly didn’t reflect the enthusiasm in our chat. A dance doesn’t have to involve somebody being launched towards the lighting rig to make an impression.
Lawrence’s Jive had energy, but energy alone wasn’t going to carry it. There were mistakes, and he needed far more bounce. I enjoyed the effort and the commitment more than the judges did, although I could see what they were criticising. Tara called it “toddler got into the sugar energy”, which probably explains why enthusiasm and control weren’t always arriving at the same time.
Graeme and Lauren's Tango was served with traditional Tango music. Lovely. Now put the coats and hats down and DANCE because this opening faff made the actual Tango feel very short, especially coming straight after Lawrence’s Jive. I’m not claiming to have timed them with a stopwatch, but if I remember the outerwear as clearly as the dancing, we’ve spent too long getting undressed. Lauren continues to make Graeme look good and Anton liked it enough to give it a 9.
A NINE. Debbi questioned it immediately. Ali agreed it was good but not that good. I suggested Anton was on his happy pills. We were only three dances in and already his paddles were creating administrative difficulties.
Will’s Cha Cha was fun, and I’m starting to enjoy him more. Last week’s Jive didn’t do it for me, whatever the judges thought, but this had a cheekiness that suited him. There was a moment in the middle section when something went wrong, though, and several of us were trying to work out who had lost their place. Several people in the group chat thought it was Dianne and I’m leaving that as a possibility rather than a verdict because professionals can make mistakes too. The celebrity shouldn’t automatically take the blame because they’re the one wearing the learner plates but it also went unacknowledged, which caused the confusion. Craig’s description of Will's cha cha walk looking like he was “chewing a toffee with your bottom” was the comment of the evening - it was absurd, specific and somehow more useful than another “best dance so far”.
I also couldn’t work out why Anton thought this deserved less than Graeme’s Tango. His 8 for Will was perfectly respectable (in Anton's world). It was the earlier 9 that had left us with questions.
During the training VT, I noticed that Nancy’s collection of Argentine Tango shoes also appears to cover every available colour. Somewhere there is a very organised cupboard I would like to inspect. Bethany and Nancy’s Argentine Tango was good, but it didn’t quite become great for me. I wanted more firmness through Bethany’s body so the intricate legwork had something secure to work from. Motsi’s recognition of the thin, high heels Bethany was dancing in was worthwhile, though. The difficulty deserves acknowledging alongside the criticism. It’s easy to demand more control from the sofa when your own feet are safely inside slippers.
Next was Shaun. I mean, he is trying so hard, and that makes watching him struggle more uncomfortable but his progress simply isn’t keeping pace with the other celebrities. Last week I enjoyed his Couple’s Choice and thought his improvement deserved the votes. This week, returning to a prescribed dance exposed the gap again. Both things can be true. I don’t want to pretend a weak dance was good because I like the person doing it. Craig produced his familiar “disaaaaaster” verdict, but it was Motsi’s pause that I found hardest to watch. It felt as though she was searching for something positive for just a little too long. I’m sure that wasn’t the intention, but the silence became its own critique.
Dani’s Salsa brought the energy back up. It suited her, and Nikita had certainly given her enough to do. Some of those lifts were SCARY and whilst I thought they were effective enough to keep this among my highlights, there’s a difference between an ambitious lift being impressive and its entrance and exit being completely seamless. I can appreciate the difficulty without pretending every transition was perfect. After the Tango and the surprisingly enjoyable Rumba, Dani is building a proper run of performances now. That conversation about whether being paired with Nikita last year gave her an advantage feels increasingly irrelevant as we can see the work happening this year.
Lacey looked amazing, and I loved her Tango. That little kick in the cross floor walk was one of my favourite details of the whole evening. I wanted stronger shoulders, but watching live I didn’t think she put a foot wrong. Shirley did not share my assessment - her 6 prompted a fairly direct response from me in the chat, especially with Anton’s 9 for Graeme still hanging over proceedings. There was then confusion about the number on screen and the announced total. The final recorded score was 28, so that’s what is in the table below. I’m perfectly happy to hear where the technique needs work. I’ve spent weeks asking for Lacey to find some confidence, though, and this felt like a performance with conviction rather than another glimpse of what she might do if she stopped worrying. That mattered to me.
Cach has become the person who makes me argue with myself. Last week I loved his Foxtrot because he stayed in hold, listened to the feedback and proved he could deliver the dance without filling it with tricks. This week his own little bits of style were back in the Cha Cha, and I loved those too... yes, I can hear myself. I still want the required technique. But I don’t want him to become so occupied with demonstrating it that all the personality disappears. Even when he isn’t technically perfect - which I don’t expect in Week Five - I can see him in the dancing. That flair is why I want to watch him. The group was divided on this one and I understand those reservations.
I also feel for Maddie. She’s new, trying to make her mark, and to me she represents a newer approach rubbing up against judges who want the traditional foundations firmly established first. There has to be room for both. Last week showed they could find it yet this week’s score 24 showed that the judges weren’t convinced they’d kept it.
Delta’s return was welcome, although the Rumba didn’t completely work for me. The costume looked more like an ice dance dress than the traditional 'flowy' movement that's expected, and she wasn’t as supple through her body as I’d hoped. How much of that was connected to the rib injury, I can only wonder. Tara rightly pointed out that even breathing with a rib injury can be difficult. Fair credit for getting through the routine, but I still have to judge what I watched.
Anton’s point about wanting romance rather than simply “sexy” was exactly where I stand on the Rumba. Give me a connection to believe in and I’m much more likely to enjoy it. Apparently we agreed on the principle and then went our separate ways when he reached for the TEN paddle. Disco Delta remains very much in favour but that doesn’t mean I have to agree that this was a 10-worthy Rumba.
And then Tabby happened. OMFG. That cartwheel-esque leap plus the control and commitment for every part of the dance. I couldn’t take my eyes off her, and at points I honestly thought she was outdancing Mark. Tara said she looked like a professional and Steph called it her favourite of the night. Mine too, without hesitation. Motsi said, “This dance deserves all the flowers.” YES! Send the entire florist. I still think Couple’s Choice belongs later in the competition. An exceptional performance doesn’t require me to abandon that argument, but I’m not going to sit there with my arms folded refusing to enjoy something brilliant just to protect my previous blog posts. That was brilliant. Thirty-seven points and absolutely the dance I wanted to watch again.
With one routine left, I wasn’t expecting John to add much to the list but then he went and gave us a Quickstep I really liked. He was surprisingly light on his feet, clearly enjoying himself and a much happier watch than I’d anticipated. After last week’s Paso, when I wanted to remember his dancing rather than the flaming guitar, this was a welcome change. Unfortunately, the camera operator seemed less interested in his feet than I was as for what felt like a third of the routine, we couldn’t properly see them. It’s a quickstep; the feet are fairly central to the concept.
TL;DR - We’ve reached the point where being entertaining, technically secure and popular are starting to look like three quite different competitions. All the flowers for Tabby, a little kick of approval for Lacey, and a pleasantly surprised round of applause for John. Anton needs a paddle audit.
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The Spreadsheet Section!
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