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Strictly Come Dancing 2011

941 replies

CaveMum · 26/09/2011 12:25

As all the other threads seem to have died off I thought I'd start a new one in anticipation of this Friday's first live show.

I have to say I'm not too bothered about the Celebs this year, but then again I'm more interested in watching the professionals anyway!

The line up for each of the two shows has been announced (from BBC website):

On Friday 30th September the couples performing for the first time on live television will be:

?Alex
?Anita
?Audley
?Dan
?Lulu
?Robbie
?Russell

Then on Saturday 1st October the couples performing for the first time together will be:

?Chelsee
?Edwina
?Harry
?Holly
?Jason
?Nancy
?Rory

Please note the running order has yet to be confirmed. The celebrities have been listed above in alphabetical order.

They will dance either a Waltz or a Cha Cha Cha, but I'm not 100% sure who is doing what.

My overriding thought in the run up for the series so far has been "I hope the wardrobe department come up with some decent foundations for poor Chelsee!"
That outfit they've put her in for the promo shots makes her boobs look humungous Shock

Anyone else care to share their thoughts in advance?

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WhatsWrongWithYou · 10/10/2011 16:43

Not caught up with the show yet - think I saw up to the divine Anita - but it's quite handy to know the result in advance!
Re Anton; I noticed all his mugging and facial gurning last week - put me in mind of some kind of Morecambe and Wise thing - but Eric Morecambe he most definitely is not! It's not so long ago he had a reasonable partner - you know, the one the 'racist' incident blew up over. And I remember him commenting on how thrilled he was with her, as 'usually they look like the back end of a bus.' don't think he's a Nice Person, somehow Hmm.
looking forward to catching up with the rest later.

Biscuitsandtea · 10/10/2011 16:47

Yes he had Laila Rouass (sp?) a few years back which was where the 'racism' incident came from. Just before she went on to be in Spooks.

And she was decent wasn't she, well, decent enough. Not top of the leader board stuff, but she gave it a good go.

I think you're right - probably not a Nice Person.

Although so many people seem to adore him. I just can't see it myself......

2BoysTooLoud · 10/10/2011 17:34

Do you think Anton will treat Nancy with more respect next week?
He is really beginning to irritate me!

AnyoneButLulu · 10/10/2011 17:36

I imagine that neither Leila, who was a very good dancer, nor Patsy Palmer, who was Anton's partner in season 3, or indeed Lesley Garrett, with whom he reached the final in season 1, were amused by Anton's constant insinuations that he always gets the old dears with two left feet.

The self-deluding no-hoper with whom Flavia got to Blackpool was Craig - god he was awful.

TheOriginalFAB · 10/10/2011 17:44

I think Nancy is being kept in because the evil public want to watch her fall flat on face HmmGrin.

2BoysTooLoud · 10/10/2011 17:47

If I was a voter I would be torn. I am cross with Anton and would want him out but feel Nancy is being let down by Anton and therefore I would vote to keep her in.

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CaveMum · 10/10/2011 18:54

Aww, I have to leap to Anton's defence. He IS a lovely person, from what I am told by people who know him fairly well. Yes the racism incident was completely and utterly inexcusable, but I don't believe for a moment that there was any malice behind it.

If I were him and kept bring lumbered with the same "type" of partner, I'd be getting pretty hacked off by now. The other male pros have had a reasonable spread of partners, but Anton has never really had a contender.

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Biscuitsandtea · 10/10/2011 18:59

I agree re the racism thing Cavemum - I think it was probably taken out of context and blown out of proportion.

But he is still being a bit rude about Nancy. She might be awful to work with but you don't tend to see the other pros openly saying anything bad about their partner. Or at least Anton has the balance wrong with too few nice things and too many 'put downs' (in my humble opinion Smile).

I think the last openly bad pro-celeb partnership was probably Brendon / Fiona Philips (is that right?) - they pretty plainly didn't get on that well, and Brendon got a reputation for being a meanie after he had a few partners like that!

I do think Anton is probably a nice person, but also that he also thinks it's all a bit too much about him. To be fair it will probably be votes for him that will keep them in so maybe he's right Confused

2BoysTooLoud · 10/10/2011 19:00

This is the first time I have been proper cross with him CaveMum!
Just feel he could be kinder to Nancy rather than just messing about.

PetisaPumpkinHead · 10/10/2011 19:11

I don't like Nancy and I thought he was making light of it and having fun rather than getting cross about always getting lumbered with the crap sleb. But this is only my second time watching Strictly as used to live abroad. Isn't he the spitting image of Woody from Toy Story though, or is it just me?

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CaveMum · 10/10/2011 19:15

I think the problem is that Anton is probably applying the same principles with Nancy as he did with Ann - the dancing is not up to scratch so let's entertain the audience with comedy.
It worked with Ann because she was just as self-deprecating, but Nancy strikes me as very serious and not the kind of person who is willing to take the mickey out of herself.

I agree that Anton should not make comments about Nancy, it is not professional, but Nancy did herself no favours when proclaiming that part of the problem was "dancing with him".

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Biscuitsandtea · 10/10/2011 19:21

Agreed Cavemum

Nancy definitely doesn't strike me as the sort who can laugh at herself, and I suspect she knows that Anton is making a bit of a fool of her when things go wrong.

I did wonder on Saturday though whether:

(a) she'd had a bit of dutch courage on Saturday as she really struggled to keep up with the steps, or

(b) the choreography was just way too hard for her - ie the way her feet couldn't keep up with it, or

(c) she just got flustered after she went wrong and couldn't get back on top of it?

Cavemum you're something of an expert - whaddya reckon?

MrsKitty · 10/10/2011 19:30

biscuitsandtea - I was convinced Nancy'd had a few Wine's both weeks!

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CaveMum · 10/10/2011 19:36

Wouldn't call myself an expert, but Grin all the same!

Did I imagine it that Nancy once said she drinks champagne every day? If so, the tipsy theory could work!

TBH, salsa is not hard! It is the easiest of the Latin-style dances as the footwork is so basic. It literally is (from the woman's perspective): right foot back, close feet together, left foot forward, close feet together!

The choreography was pretty simple, though with her lack of aptitude I'd have made the lifts far more basic.

She did go wrong, several times, and that won't have helped her confidence.

Perhaps it is worth just taking the choreography right back to basics and keep it simple. I always tell people when I teach that they are better off learning to do 4 or 5 moves really well than 10 moves badly.

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Biscuitsandtea · 10/10/2011 19:46

Sounds very sensible cavemum - Nancy should ask if you can teach her instead :)

bebeballroom · 10/10/2011 20:04

Oh yes...Craig!! Awful!!

Re Anton
I used to like him, but I think he's become too much of a parody of himself IYKWIM? Nancy definitely doesn't seem to be able to laugh at herself. But as awful as she is (and let's face it, she isn't good) Anton should not making fun of her in public the way he is! I think Anton thinks he is still being 'punished' for his gaff with Laila. All he wants to do is stay in & sees it as 'The Anton Show' & he got to stay in with Widdy doing this type of routine. Whether this is true or not, this is how it comes across to me. Have seen stories of Nancy's dress being sabotaged on week 1 & found soaking & ripped minutes before the show started. And we've all seen the stories of her 'demands'. How true this all is I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if she had been drinking beforehand, she didn't seem that stable...but then that could be the shoes! Wink

WhatsWrongWithYou · 10/10/2011 20:13

I'm intrigued by the Alesha/Nancy thing. Why does she seem to hate her so much? I find it incredible that Craig is the one to get slated for his 'nastiness,' when actually he usually tempers negative comments with specific advice, or finds something positive to say about a particular aspect of the performance.
And he'll happily concur when he's been proved wrong - he just wants to see good dancing and that's all there is to it.

But Alesha really seemed to have her claws out for Nancy, which mystified me - she proudly reminded us she'd never given a 2 before, and openly laughed at the woman. I'm no Nancy fan but I don't like seeing anyone deliberately humiliated.

2BoysTooLoud · 10/10/2011 20:54

I was a bit surprised by Alesha and her 2. Was she having a go at Nancy or Anton?
I too don't like the seemingly deliberate humiliation of Nancy.

AitchTwoOh · 10/10/2011 21:03

i'm not seeing deliberate humiliation of nancy tbh. i think she can't stand up straight in those shoes, and it all goes wrong from there.

EggyAllenPoe · 10/10/2011 21:18

oh! more Edwina..she always seems a bit like a girl guide giving it her best shot... ballroom seemed to work for her better than Latin.

Audley i thought did better than Nancy -

Nancy just didn't seem to be committing too it - as a performance.

someone has to be the first to leave Wina!

EggyAllenPoe · 10/10/2011 21:19

Alesha on Nancy ....'women beware women' i think she is picking on her future self.....or wht she fears she might become. Harsh of me?

ScatterChasse · 10/10/2011 21:21

Do they start them off in three inch heels? Wouldn't she be better with a bit lower?

I'm sure they told somebody another year they needed lower hells because of erm... it was throwing their hips forward(?)

Biscuitsandtea · 10/10/2011 21:23

That does ring a bell I think. But I had read that Nancy insisted on having higher heels as the normal ones were too 'unsexy' Hmm

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CaveMum · 10/10/2011 21:36

Wearing heels that are too high pitches your weight on to the balls of your feet and makes you carry your weight forward. You do need this slight pitch, but you need to be able to control it, if you have balance issues (a la Nancy) then you need to at least start in lower heels to help you adjust. I dance Latin in 3 inch heels and Ballroom in 2 inch.

My teacher always says to me you can tell how well someone can dance by the way they walk. It's not just about balance, it's about posture too.

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yesbutnobut · 10/10/2011 21:49

Did anyone see Robbie on ITT earlier? He came across as genuine and humble - said the comments and reception on Saturday made it one of the best days of his life. Thought that v sweet. Compared to Dan Lobb who lacks humility and complains about everything - he needs to go soon if he's unwilling to accept he needs to work at improving.

As for Anton, you never get the impression he is in the studio for hours and hours working on the detail, he seems to rely on pushing or pulling his partner around on the night. As if he believes people will just vote for him alone.

Anyone else quite liking Zoe? She's not Claudia but the show is still entertaining.