Strictly Thread 6... getting back to the dancing!

[Gooseysgirl]

Anyone else ready to get back to focusing on the dancing??

I liked the one with evil Brendan in guyliner, where he snatches an innocent girl from her boyfriend (Karen and Kevin I think) and turns her into a vampire or whatever he is. I'll have to have a long search for that as I can't remember the year or the song.

one.

I remember that one. That was also in the same year and in Halloween weekend.

Yes I Do love Earth ,Wind and Fire just can't recall the melody of September Mozzie very kind of you but i'm cutting out links because they affect my bloody, very old, laptop.

You'll look fab in that Schade A "chequer board chick killer whale" sorry I was quoting the older version of Hairspray there, I love it!

That Orca is a bit slimline for me Fuzzy . . . but close!

I wish I'd chosen Blobfish now, then I could wear a glum expression

www.google.com/search?q=blobfish&client=safari&rls=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjo75Sw0IDeAhWDBsAKHUjuAIYQ_AUIDigB&biw=1362&bih=688#imgrc=1_SAbrzbcx6ZXM:

Thank you ppeat

I do rather "rock" the look!

It was a bit meh Fuzzy (I didn't get why they changed the HP character from Kevin to AJ) but I liked the bit in the actual studios, we've been there and it's great!

Apart from the highly overpriced total rubbish food!!

Best pro dance ever, from the days when the dances were actual dances and not just random writhing to whatever bizarro theme Gilkinson's dart-throwing monkeys landed upon that week.

@xsquared I watched that last night, really lovely. It's in my top 5!

I agree Coveting.

I came to the Strictly party late so haven't seen older pro dances, but that jive, Shecamefromgreece, is really something! They seem to be in a different league to today's pros and the camera work back then, is much better at providing the best view of the dancers.

I like too with the tributes to iconic dance films.

I came to the Strictly party late so haven't seen older pro dances, but that jive, Shecamefromgreece, is really something! They seem to be in a different league to today's pros and the camera work back then, is much better at providing the best view of the dancers

It's fantastic, isn't it? And I hate to be all 'I remember Strictly when it were all fields and Anton was merely a twinkle blah blah blah', but I do think that the quality of dancing/choreo from the pros was better back then. The Gilkinson/Burn The Floor-influx was a definite turning point for the show

I came to SCD a bit later too but I have noticed that there is too much clever clever 'lighting' and stupid camera movements now, all it does is get in the way of seeing the dances and dancers properly. I don't get why they insist on it.

Im really liking watching all the pro dances, that jive one is amazing, i miss a lot of those pros

Pretty sure the fabulous Rebel Yell jive was choreographed by Matt Cutler - I just love it, never get tired watching it!

I really like the way each couple gets their moment in the spotlight (including Anton only being allowed in at the end to lift Erin as a sort of centrepiece 😄).

The green shiny costumes look a bit of a fire hazard, mind!

I miss Matthew Cutler so much. Has there ever been a better partnership than him and Alesha?

Yes, Matthew Cutler was probably my favourite pro, he was so incredibly elegant in ballroom and yet in the latin could move his feet so fast that they were practically a blur.

I miss Ian and I LOVED Karen. No one else shines with joy when they dance like she does.

I’m not sure I can think of another pro who appeared equally brilliant at both Latin and Ballroom. He was a Latin specialist, and I assume that a proper ballroom expert could notice flaws in his technique, but to the casual eye it looked gorgeous.

My favourite is his foxtrot with Alesha where legend has it that he forgot the choreography completely half way through, whispered “follow me” to her and just produced a perfectly pure spontaneous foxtrot. You can hear Craig’s voice cracking in the judging as he tears up a bit. Link to follow.

I really miss him too, but the dances I rewatch most are Oti and Danny’s.

I love people watching and seeing how the strongest partnerships, not necessarily the best dancers, tend to go the distance. Maybe because those are the people who can be bear to be together enough to really put in the hours and take the job, but not themselves, seriously.

And that sounds like a snide comment on this week’s stooshie, but is supposed to be a general observation 😄

m.youtube.com/watch?v=JcUwZKCkHXA

I’m surprised by Lens claim that her feet were spot on, because technical perfection in footwork was never Alesha’s strong point, but I guess he’s the expert.

I LOVED Karen. No one else shines with joy when they dance like she does

I loved Karen too. I know she irritated a lot of people, but I adored her and Mark together. Their AT was sublime.

It's a shame that now the dances are mostly all showdances with a mawkish theme hammered onto them. No one comes out and just dances the dance now, and half the dance is wasted setting up the stupid premise: 'Here we are waiting for a train in Narnia for our Lion, Witch & Wardrobe/Railway Children-themed Charleston, dressed as Aslan & the lamp-post, and dancing to the Postmodern Jukebox version of Ace of Spades'

Yes, Mark and Karen’s AT was a real ‘wow’ moment.

I was never a Len fan (and have zero dance knowledge) but can imagine him saying ‘too much faffin’ abaht’ at least a couple of times each week now. I think rehearsing that sort of staging must take up a disproportionate amount of rehearsal time, to the detriment of the dancing (when it gets going).

And I think that theming works better on some styles of dance than others - eg better when it’s a paso or tango, rather than a VW.

I need to catch up the last page or so!

Just watching ITT and didn't like Kev n' Stacey's foxtrot rehearsal too much although I accept they're limited by the music. I think it's Kev's choreo that gets me, he does a lot of cheesy side by side steps in near enough every dance

Phew, found you.