SCD 2016 #7 - They're! In! Blackpool! The spiritual home of ballroom dancing, donkey rides, rock and... huge amounts of theming apparently?

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

The last thread is almost full, so I thought we'd be prepared.

Despite the title I do love the Blackpool week really Fingers crossed for a nice ballroom dance from the pros.

Yes, if two people have the same combined points score then the viewer votes trump the judges vote - so in your earlier example Ed would be above Danny in the combined vote.

Deffo brill thank you everyone for explaining

I've been out, so just having a quick catch up before I go to bed!

Lots of big championships are held in Blackpool, but generally not in the Tower - they're usually in the Empress Ballroom in the Winter Gardens.

Regarding Cloudia's shoes, she's doing a proper Latin dance so should wear proper Latin shoes, but wearing black wasn't great - I think tan would have made her feet less 'obvious' and her legs look longer.

Watched on catch up as was out earlier.
Not sure what happened tonight but I didn't like any of the dances
Think it is distraction of the backing dancers that spoils it for me.

I didn't know where to look most of the time because of the backing dancers and the not very good at all camera work. It was all over the place. Perhaps the cameramen were as confused by it all as some of us were.

I agree the camera work was odd tonight which made it hard to watch.

I wonder if it's more difficult to set up the cameras in the ballroom than it is in the studio? Programmes that are live from places other than TV studios are often not as good as when they are from a TV studio.

That was all a bit meh So many obvious mistakes - usually I can't spot them at all - and the judges scores seemed all over the place.

However, I can't bring myself to vote for Greg, KFG or LFG. Claudia was not good (WTF was up with that outfit?? And those random kicks?) Ed was not as good as last week, he looked knackered. Rinder was good though, but I've seen better. So, all a bit meh

With my digi box not working I managed to watch the show on iplayer after it finished live.
My laptop screen seemed rather dark and I had difficulty seeing much in detail.
But agree about Claudia's Jive and her skirt length did her no favours either.

The VW has only 3 steps - natural turn, reverse and fleckle as Ian said on IT2.

Greg messing up his leap was a real shame.
Some of Ed's steps were very well done and without him the show would have lacked excitement. I have smiled through his performances every week.

Danny is good but lacks a certain polish at times.

Also notced that Kevin looked extra dashing last night

Yes, Judge was very curt to Gethin on IT2 - no idea why.

Haven't watched last night's yet (at the theatre, daarlling) but am just popping in to get the new thread on my threads I'm on list!

I'm not feeling the love for Ed that many on here have expressed. He's been entertaining up to a point...but I think that point has now been reached.

I'm also not in agreement about Louise at all. I think she has a certain subtlety and poise - and I like the fact she is not at all bubbly or gushy or overdoing the enthusiasm like so many others.

Danny is brilliant but then he has more experience than some...

I do agree that the addition of all those extra dancers is rather distracting from trying to watch the actual competitors.

Just watched KFG and Suzanne's Paso at Blackpool and that was MUCH better than the one he and Louise did last night.

No extra dancers for a start and danced with conviction imo.

Louise has improved as she has relaxed and gained self confidence over the weeks.

Louises skirt drove me up the wall though. It was either KNICKERS!! or Can't Even See Her Bloody Legs.

It was like a pair of heavy Victorian curtains in a high gale.

Fantastic I agree about Ed.

Last night just made me miss Anita and Gleb

On another note, I always miss results show because of bedtime routine and would love to catch up later in the evening so it's safe to use social media again. Does anyone know why it takes so long for it to become downloadable on iplayer (can't stream it as connection here is pants). Usually I have to wait till the next evening to watch it.

Definitely disappointed in last night's show- all felt a bit flat and the marking was all over the place. I love Claudia but her dance was not worth 36 (there were far more errors than the judges pointed out). Ore and Louise was also overmarked. Louise's 'paso' facial expression was very weird and distracting!

I fear Greg might be in trouble and onice he goes, not sure who to transfer my support to

I've just watched Kevin and Susanna Horsemad and you're right about how much better it was. I think there was less dance content than Louise had, but Susanna had far better tension through her body and she had fantastic intensity.

I don't know what was going on with Kevin's costume last night. His trousers were weirdly huge and he was wearing a sparkly blazer. He clearly isn't the right shape for a traditional Paso outfit, but it would still be better than what he had on last night. He wore a more traditional outfit for the dance with Susanna. Those trousers and a bolero are clearly intended for tiny-bummed, snake-hipped, flat-stomached men and Kevin is none of those things, but it's still much better than the shapelessness of last night's outfit.

I loved it that someone finally pointed out the complete non-existence of any connection between the stupid things they do in those VTs and the actual dancing. Rinder probably deserves to stay for that alone.

The look on his face when he was taken to that ride made me snort out loud!

All he needed was a thought bubble cartoon above his head that said FFS.

I laughed at his for goodness sake on the ride

I do get tired of all the sniping all over social media about Danny's "dance experience". I don't know the musical version of Legally Blonde at all and haven't seen Wicked so have no idea how much dancing was involved in his stage career. But everyone says Ooh, West End experience as if it's synonymous with the World Latin Championships or something. But if he had played, say, Jesus in a West End production of Jesus Christ Superstar, it would have given him bugger all dance experience!

And yes, he went to performing arts school - but then, so did Louise.

I know I am in the minority in really looking forward to seeing his routines each week. But I don't understand why he gets criticised for having experience - it's not as if he's cheating or trying to hide it, and if the producers didn't want contestants with dance experience, they presumably wouldn't have asked him to take part.

Does everyone really think that all the contestants should be people with no previous dance experience? Then where does the line get drawn? Gymnasts and other sports people have a huge advantage in terms of fitness, stamina, etc; actors have the performance angle sorted; musicians should have the rhythm...

Having some form of dance training is a big advantage though, even if all you've learnt is rhythm, timing and understanding the mechanics of body movement. Caroline Flack, for example, had studied dance at college for 2 years!

I think people get angry because they feel it's hidden from them and they also like to see people genuinely learning from scratch. If they were upfront from the very beginning of each series and talked openly about what they had done it would be much more accepted.

I think it escalated after someone (Denise Van Outen?) denied having any training at all.