SCD#5!!!!

[HeadlessHorsemad]

Here!

Her lifts are looking more and more like parkour with Johnnie playing the part of the multi-story carpark

In this house we're reserving all our ire for Johnnie, who is actually getting worse each week and barely trying now. He really needs to go. And it's nothing to do with his leg either, he just stands there awkwardly and walks around a bit and waves his arms when Oti needs a breather.

Agree that Anton is a bit of a showbiz genius though. He's very clued in as to the entertainment element in Strictly.

Last night I really realised that the producers must have been grinning with glee during his dance. It's what everyone will be talking about today. Same as the pink shirt dance the other week. He really gets it.

Here is what irritates me a bit about Alexandra. She does that awful, simpering, eyes brimming with tears, hand on heart, “what, little old me?” thing that the awful Suzanna Reid also used to do.

Yes but Ive been thinking about it and actually she's done nothing that Mollie hasn't done.

Had previous dance training that she plays down: check
Had a cringey VT of her singing and her partner pretending to be impressed: check
Does lots of "Who? Little old me?": check

It's all one big audition for Mollie too. That's why I don't hate on AB, cos it's no more than MK is doing.

I have a feeling this years winner may be someone who isn’t the best dancer. I think both Ruth and Susan could go far. I am surprised by Debbie. Alexandra doesn’t bother me but she does divide people and i suspect this will be her downfall.

I doubt that the dance off is as surprising as is suggested upthread. It's pretty clear that, of the three worst dancers, Susan and Davood have done a lot to take themselves out of the danger zone and will get a lot of votes, and Anton's choice of dance and choreography has probably saved Ruth. So it's highly likely to be a couple of dancers who are normally regarded as pretty good.

ive not warmed to AB but it seems many people have, it wouldnt be the same if everyone agreed on their favourite as then there would be a clear winner

i saw it mentioned on another thread, AB and Gorkas body language is always off and when they are upstairs with Claudia, unlike some couples they never seem to be stood near each other.

nice to see Claudia (gymnast from last year) in the audience, i still think she should of made the final, her showdance would of been amazing !

I'm rooting for Joe. Johnnie does seem to have given up. His jive was great so he can do it but he is giving off a real can't be arsed any more vibe.

Yes, Jonnie is noticeably struggling at the moment. I've become obsessed with spotting "hip action" as Craig always comments on it and Jonnie has none. He also seems to lack that something that makes a person a good dancer. I think Davood lacks it too.

I'd originally had Jonnie pencilled in as the winner but I think he's going to be out a few weeks before the final.

I should get a 10 for catching up with this thread!!!!

Well I thought it was on the whole, the best night on SCD I 've ever seen! I was shrieking with laughter at Ruth and Anton's (bit of mounting ) and then the face on Bruno when Craig was salaaming Joe and Debbeh, and the upstairs mob also joining in the salaaming!!!! OMG!!!!

Poor Gemma she's too large for those lifts , Aliaz gave her too many and he's too small for her which only noticed when she has to do lifts .
Agree Tess is back to her old lack of dress sense, what did she look like?

Soup I think that the fact Johnny has 1 and a half legs must affect his hips and poss. the amount of pain he feels, maybe he doesn't say it but he may be in constant low level pain and the dancing doesn't help. Oti did so much dancing because she KNOWS he is in pain?

The amputation will affect how Johnnie moves but he could still do a heck of a lot more than he is doing. Totally agree that he looks like he's given up.

Week 7 and I think I’ve finally sorted out where I stand! It’s never taken this long before...

I would like Debbie to win - she spent so long as the “glamorous assistant” and I love the fact that she seems as surprised as anyone by the dances she is doing and the reaction they are getting. I like the fact that she is older but not the “joke”contestant, and would love an older celeb to win. Finally, I love her relationship with Giovanni. He admitted he had no idea she was going to be this good, but he treats her with a huge amount of respect and affection, and I am enjoying seeing a different side to him after thinking of him as a bit flash and arrogant.

I am also - and seeing bloody Kellie Bright in the audience last night reminded me of this - loving seeing a different side to Kevin with Susan. He is such a patient, good-humoured teacher and is working SO hard to choreograph dances that she can more or less do but that show off all the basic steps (according to what the judges say, anyway - I know nothing about it!) For the first time, I really like him.

I thought Davood’s dance last night was the dance of the night for me - beautiful and fun, with some really lovely moments in it. Finally!

Agree that Johnnie is disappointing. He doesn’t seem to move his hips at all, in any dance. Did anyone else see the clip of Oti calling him Danny?! She must be missing last year’s experience! I am also disappointed in Gemma and agree with a pp that she is too large for Aljaz to really cope with in the lifts. Their dances always look a little clumsy. The exception was their paso which I loved.

Alexandra - I really liked her paso very early on and voted for her at that stage. But the overdone humility which doesn’t really mask the naked ambition is off-putting, as is all the gasping and talking - Gorka couldn’t get a word in edgeways if he wanted to. And I will admit to having been put off by the probably completely fabricated press reports of her possessiveness of him, and her jealousy that he and Gemma are close - disclaimer: I do know this is probably ABSOLUTE NONSENSE!

Here is what irritates me a bit about Alexandra. She does that awful, simpering, eyes brimming with tears, hand on heart, “what, little old me?” thing that the awful Suzanna Reid also used to do

People are now wizening up to her.

I know that Jonnie will find anything that involves leg and hips difficult - but yesterday his hands were a mess.
I always consider my dance of the night to be the one I'd rewatch. The only one I've watched back this morning is Davood's.

Yes, poor Gemma in those lifts. As a fellow amazon, I sympathise. Such a shame that nobody does a lovely authentic Cuban salsa with no flashy lifts. Mark Ramprakash didn’t need to sling in loads of lifts to get top marks for his excellent salsa (some years ago, I realise, perhaps everybody expects lifts now).

Long time lurker on these threads over many years but just wanted to say I am loving the Debbeh and Gio partnership. I thought there was a beautiful moment in the VT yesterday when Gio brushed her fringe back down after he'd messed up her hair pulling off the blindfold. I just found it really touching and an indicator of how much real affection there is between these two. I agree that it is great to see her blossom as a person in her own right as opposed to a magician's assistant.

I would love for Debbie to win, but am also enjoying this series more than I thought I would at the start so actually wouldn't mind who it was from here on in.

But as a Debbie supporter I just wanted to add that Jay McGuiness (localish to me) was dancing from the age of 12 (thanks, Wikipedia) and attended the Midlands Academy of Dance and Drama (Arlene Phillips is a Patron). He managed to win despite his unfair advantage!

Alexandra seems to approach every dance with an 'I'm going to dance the hell out of it' attitude. There are no 'shades' in her dancing, and she misses the moments of stillness that many of the dances require. She's reasonably good, but I don't think she's progressing and all her dances are starting to seem a bit too similar.

Mark and Karen's salsa is the one i dance i always think of for a salsa, i watched it back recently on youtube and cant believe how differently the show was then, the stage seems so small and basic compared to now , but i loved it when the vt were showing only training footage and there was no extras on the dance floor

I think the leaderboard could show some interesting results tonight.

Mollie, Johnnie and Aston are the ones in danger for me - Mollie and Johnnie weren't quite good enough and I don't think have the backing of the public. Sympathy for Johnnie can only get him so far.
Aston hasn't been tested yet as he's always top 3 (ish) but I don't know who his voting audience is.

Gemma is frustrating - I bet she nailed that routine in rehearsal.
So pleased Davood had a good dance, last week I'd written him off, he needed this week.

For me Mark and Karens's salsa was great because it went wrong at the start and they had to begin again - they both had this air of throwing everything at it and it created a great atmosphere along with the cracking routine.

I’m really looking forward to Alexandra having some slow ballroom. I remember her week 1 waltz as being a joy to watch with beautiful arms and musicality (iffy feet perhaps because her mark wasn’t great).

Just wanted to say I'm relatively new to MN and only just found this thread...I've been a SCD and SCD ITT fan from the beginning.

Just watching on catch-up. Might have to stop watching as I am getting very very bored of the OTT reaction to Debbie - she's good - that VW was lovely - but those scores are ridiculous. Rumba was ok but she stumbled. Charleston was good but she stumbled. Tango was ok but she was dragged around.

Just watched Jay and Aliona’s tango again - now that was my favourite tango ever. Largely I think because the music is just so good - When Doves Cry - but also I loved Aliona’s choreography for it.

Watching that one again made me feel that Debbie’s lacked the same fluidity...