SCD 2013 #3: Three celebs down, who's next?

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

Starting a new thread quickly before tonight's results show! We talk too much

Link to last thread

[CloudOfStarlings]

There is no chemistry between Abbey & Aljaz, the judges are just blinded by how supposedly good-looking they are. There's way more chemistry between Susanna/Kevin Iveta/Mark and even Dave/Karen.

And yeah Lisa Riley made the semis but still doesn't count as a 'contender' in the same way Kimberley/Denise/Louis were.

[TheHeadlessLadyofCannock]

Glad I'm not the only one puzzled by the 'chemistry'. I agree Anton and Fiona, Susanna and Kevin, Iveta and Mark and Dave and Karen all have better relationships and are nicer couples to watch.

[ppeatfruit]

Agree basically the Headless Susanna and Kev are lovely as are Fiona and Anton they seem to enjoy it so much. Does anyone know if Natalie has had proper dance training and if she's talked about it because she really seems like a pro to me?

[FrankelInFoal]

Apparently Natalie's CV (which several newspapers obtained via her agent) says she is "an accomplished dancer" and that she studied Latin, Tap, Jazz, etc.

She says she hadn't danced for 10 years, but to me there is a vast difference between someone who last danced as a teenager (as she did) and someone who did a year or so of ballet as a 5yo. Anyone who has danced as a teen/adult will have taken in a lot more about technique and musicality.

[AmIGoingMad]

Definitely. Yes she's good but she's definitely got an unfair advantage.

[birdbrain21]

I think mark and iveta are one of the best couples ever, he's funny, tells a story well and can actually dance quite nicely as for the 'cold hard lithuanian woman' who's iveta trying to kid she seems lovely! Hope they do really well

[ppeatfruit]

Thanks frankel It's soo obvious that she's done ballroom to a high level; someone on STT said that the contestants are in competition with themselves which would be fine but of course but they're also competing with all the others

[MelanieCheeks]

But it can never be a level playing field (and we say this every single year....)

Many actors and actresses will have had some stage school training, including dance.

The actors will be good at telling the story of the dance.

The sportspeople have great levels of fitness and stamina.

The models look good in lycra.

And there's always someone who the public love, even if they can't dance, and who stays in the contest much longer than if the dancers were voted off based solely on ability.

But that's the way the programme is. It relies on public voting - otherwise why not just go with the jduges scores each week. The John Sargeant/Anne Widdicombe/ Dave Myers personality makes for great telly, and has people talking about the show.

[mrsjay]

Alesha Dickson was a dancer too and she won didn't she I suppose if they go to stage school then they can dance I dont think Natilie will win she doesn't seem warm enough IYSWIM it is like DVO the other year people didnt seem to warm to her enough

[FrankelInFoal]

I think the key with Natalie is that she has actually studied Latin dance, so has an unfair advantage over the others who have to learn from scratch.

At least the previous competitors/winners had never done Ballroom/Latin specifically.

[birdbrain21]

melanie I agree it won't be a level playing field, I think it is nice to have people who can dance anyway as it is lovely to watch, but personally I find Dave irritating with his whole 'look at me I know I can't dance but I think I'm funny' act when lovely people like deborah get voted out because robin tried to teach her to dance instead of turning her into a comedy routine...

[TheHeadlessLadyofCannock]

Agree 100%, birdbrain.

[FushandChups]

Here Here birdbrain - but has always been this way and i am not yet as fucked off with Dave as i was with Widdy who genuinely thought she deserved her place every week (but then maybe she did as she could only stay with the public vote)

Argh - these people never actually make it to the final (except the aforementioned Chris Parker!) so at least that's something

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

I did stage dance before ballroom and it did help in terms of picking up steps/routines and performance, but it doesn't really help a great deal with technique and working with a partner.

I suppose your body is more likely to do what you ask it to, but some of the technique takes a long time to pick up, especially in Latin. I still have to concentrate hard to get a good hip action, and my samba action isn't good. Having done Latin before is a massive (and I would say, unfair) advantage.

[ppeatfruit]

I think the final was interesting last year because the gymnast who won had been on a 'journey' which DVO hadn't, so the public and judges prefer that to perfect trained celeb. That makes it much fairer IMO.

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

Not stage dance, theatre dance.

[mrsjay]

I agree with you Birdbrain I do like dave well the hairy bikers but this i am giving it a go mamlarky gets on my wick they are all giving it a go and getting better ,

[digerd]

Frankel
As Nalatie has studied Latin, then all the more of a failure her samba bounce was. The way she dances is very balletic - always pulled up in her upper body. For Latin it needs more of an earthy and writhing movement. Samba should have a gay abandonment feel and bounce with the upper body often moving forwards from the waist.
Ballroom should be easy for her so long as she does her heel leads which in stage dance is never done.
With Abbey and Nat, it is all staged with no feeling coming within.
Aleisha shone with feeling from within, despite not being highly trained like Natalie.
Abbey doesn't look highly trained to me. Nat does, but too much performance and not enough natural expression and pure enjoyment.
Off my soap box now

[mrsjay]

my dh was sitting on his ipad and looked up on saturday when Natalie and artem were on and asked who the pro was so not that my dh is any authority on dancing but he didnt know

[mrsjay]

Thing is these celebs are asked and paid to go on I think the producers want at least a few who can actually dance or viewers might get bored if they were all Daves wouldnt they

[ppeatfruit]

Of course mrsjay that's why there are some who eventually get there who are more interesting to watch than the trained ones though it's good to have variety as you say. IMO There are too many planky Daves in this year's.

[ppeatfruit]

I hope a woman wins this year and I hope it's Susanna and Kevin (he's a cute Harry Potter type too!).

[mrsjay]

I didnt like last years winner i thought MEH

[mrsjay]

I wanted Kimberly to win

[CloudOfStarlings]

digerd you're spot on about Abbey and Natalie! No feeling, no raw passion, just very perfectly rehearsed and placed. Susanna radiates joy when she's dancing. (and I didn't even like her at all on BBC breakfast before this)

And mrsjay I agree about Louis Smith - meh! Never connected with any of their dances. I confess I was behind Dani & Vincent almost from the start but once she went out, Kimberley was definitely my next fave, she should've won really.

fush yes Widdy technically 'deserved' her place (because as you say, otherwise why have a public vote, everyone deserves their place because we get to choose) BUT she was very indignant and righteous about it "well the public WANT me here" all the time in her interviews, thinking she was doing us some sort of favour with her 'hilarious' routines. Dave is a lot more genuine and his partnership with Karen a LOT more fun to watch.