SCD 2013 #5: Hoping the music will improve for musicals week!

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

Last thread here.

This pro dance is fun

JaneEyres so agree about Susanna just cant take to her either but everyone else I know likes her , like wee kevin tho, Loved Patryk's dance said to oh that was the dance of the series and then Tess said the dancers agreed felt chuffed!

I am gutted Ashley was in the dance off - I much prefer to watch his dancing than Patrick's. Guess I'm going to have to start voting if he's going to be in danger. Susanna gets on my tripe.

Aye, Kevin's braw, so he is....

Radio 2 is doing a special Friday Night Is Music Night next week, all based around Strictly (details here). It sounds really good.

I don't think Sophie is at all fake (as someone said above), I think she's genuinely quite a self-efacing sweet person - unusual of course in a pop star!

Pairing her up with Brendan was a bad idea, his ego is so overpowering I think it has swamped her confidence. Every week it just looks to me as if he's pushing and dragging her round the floor - I find it quite unpleasant to watch actually.

Why are people here always wanting someone to be pregnant? When Natalie had her touch of the vapours the other week I'm sure the same folk were saying she was upduffed.
Must womens abdomen be totally flat at all times?

Thanks for that Polkadots, I thought I'd missed Strictly Music Night.

I like Sophie, and dislike Natalie

2Rebecca I don't think people necessarily want the women on strictly to be pregnant but when they market calendars/ do photo shoots to show off their dance-toned bodies , then those bodies are going to attract scrutiny.

Was out last night and busy earlier today trying to finish the
Christmas shopping, so am halfway through a Strictly marathon. I've watched Saturday and the opening routine of Fame for Sunday. Obv letting myself see the spoilers of Mark going out, but that's not really a surprise, is it? Dear Mark, I did love his stuff. And always so good natured about some of the craptastic costumes they put him in!

First of all, before I give my opinions on the dances, where was lovely Robin?!?!?! Not my cup of tea (nor I his) but I still love watching him dance. Or am I about to be surprised by halfway through huge result show? He wasn't in the Saturday performance I know. There was some guy with a crew cut in the back dancing with one of the regular female pros during Fame, so that's James and Robin gone this week.

As for the dances, I loved Abbey's salsa. Probably because I'm a disco fiend, but I still thought her performance was great. Full of confidence, good moves and a finally a face with a bit of expression.

I liked the first half of Ashley's rumba, (very oo er!) and then I kind of lost interest, even before the heel through the harem trousers.

Patrick's first 2 lifts were great, but the rest was a bit meh for me. Sophie was nice, but I'm not really a Viennese Waltz fan. I'm in the anti-Natalie camp, so not excited by hers, (but I though well sung by the singer). Susan was a bit messy and I wish she'd just smile her own natural smile, as the gurning is putting me off a bit. Mark, ah yes. I still loved your MC Hammer routine best.

Andimac - Robin is injured, I think his back.

Right decision this week, love Mark and Iveta but it was definitely his time.
I've gone off Suzanna a bit this week. Seems a bit too gushy and insincere.

Only one thing to add now that I've seen the whole thing. I loved Zoe doing her Saturday Night Fever impersonation!!! Brilliant!

Oh, and I am also enjoying Tess and Claudia coming out with their matching tribute/take-the-piss out of the opening routine outfits. Oven gloves and aprons last week, leg warmers and head bands this week.

Zoe's bit was fab - don't know how she can dance in those heels though!

I especially love Claudia when they do stuff like that - she doesn't mind looking slightly daft - eg headband a bit too low on the forehead or the condom-like bald-head thing she wore after Mark and Iveta's Bond-theme rumba. Tess never quite carries off the comedic element IMO, because she still likes to look good. But Claud gets right into it, which is so endearing - and funny!

So sad to see Mark and the stunning Iveta leave but the right choice... as someone earlier mentioned, the swingathon would've annihilated him! was also sad to see him up against Ashley who I think is lovely too -but for slightly different reasons

I've never warmed to Susanna or Natalie so now want Sophie to triumph and get Brendan that glitter ball again (no pro had won the main show more than once, have they? I know it happens a lot on DWTS)

Claudia is great. Do you think she does her own make up? I would like to see her with less on the eyes, more on the lips.

So when the judges talk about chemistry, are they looking for a couple with sexual chemistry? A couple you could imagine were actually getting it together offstage (not suggesting anyone is of course!), or something more innocent?

The only couples I'd say who have any chemistry are Abbey and Aljaz and Ashley and Ola. The other couples might seem to get on well but there's no spark.

I think there's the occasional spark between Susanna and Kevin. Not sexual, but just really good chemistry between them when they pull off a good number. Their waltz a few weeks ago had it imho.

No the judges arentclook

Oops!

As I was saying, the judges aren't looking for sexual chemistry, but they are looking for a connection between 2 people on the dance floor. There is a certain amount of performance/acting that goes into the dances, but the connection/chemistry is also seen as 2 bodies moving as a single unit. If it looks disjointed, or like one partner is dragging the other around the floor the "magic" of that connection is lost.

I didn't see or feel chemistry between Kevin and Karen during the pro dance with Alfie boe !!

WRF to 'being gushy and insincere' there must be only so many times that you can answer really gushy and insincere repetitive questions about how you feel about getting 10s or whatever. Susannah is a serious woman so she must be getting pissed off with it (i would ).

Agree about Zoe's dance it was effing brilliant.

I was baffled by Abbey's 10s. She seemed to lose energy several times, her legs looked stiff and wooden and she was a bit stop-and-start; there was little sense of that earthy, non-stop salsa 'groove' going from the ground through her feet and up through her body. Also others, in this series and past ones, have been criticised for putting in non-trad content like disco, hip-hop etc, so why was this OK?

Patrick was overmarked too, but his dance was at least energetic.

Mark and Iveta had to go, but they're so sweet and I really believe that they're the best of friends.

Sophie was bloodless and characterless as ever but the style of dance suited her more than some of the other dances, esp the Latin.

I loved Natalie. I appreciate all the reasons to dislike her, but I can't . And Artem's a sweetheart.

Susanna was not quite 'on' IMO, but I still enjoyed her dance.

Ashley was reliably dull and I thought the magic carpet was unspeakably naff and jarred with the more serious mood of the rest of the dance.

Tess needs a serious bra rethink.

No Bruce and more Claud next week – yay!

Cannock
Absolutely what I thought about Abbey and I could see the difference between her and the pro's dancing and so could the judges, they were lying.

One question that baffled me. The opera singer who sang that song, Claudia said it was famous from the Sound of Music. I didn't recognise it.

One of my favourites is America from West Side Story, but can't think of a ballroom dance suitable - the Paso adapted maybe?

Or If You Could See me Now from Sweet Charity as a quickstep- yes!
Or Charleston?

I fast-forwarded that performance, digerd So I can't help; sorry.

Zoe Ball did her showdance to 'America'. Think it included paso and maybe flamenco elements. I'm sure it's on YouTube. It was pretty good, as I remember (nto v well!).

Tom Thingy who went on to be in Top Hat did his showdance to 'If You Could See Me Now' –it had some tapdancing and, I think, some foxtrot/Fred and Ginger type ballroom elements.

Someone danced to the same song this series, I'm sure, but a different dance and therefore a different arrangement... It might have been a Charlston actually, or a quickstep. Can't quite recall.

The one Alfie Boe did? It was Bring him Home from Les Mis.