SCD 2019 *Still waiting for the big bombshell reveal...!

[Bluffinwithmymuffin]

New thread.... hope that’s okay

Why do so many people have issues with "ringers"? Nobody is pretending they dont have any experience, and every year there are loads of people with varying degrees of experience.
Last year would have been boring without Faye and Ashley. Jay had been to stage school too. This year would be boring if Chris and Alex were the highest standard that we had left. Every single person has improved since week 1, so they deserve to be there and deserve decent points

I'd love Adam whatshisname as a judge. The tap dancer.

Every single person has improved since week 1

Karim and Kelvin haven't.

I'd disagree re Karim. I think his dances have become more and more complex. But actually I take back my comment as I think Kelvin has stayed the same and I dont see what everyone was raving about last night

@TitsInAbsentia Sorry! Misunderstood your point

I don't know if Karim's was technically the best jive ever, but I think he took the audience with him, including me! My reaction to a dance is often connected to the music. If it doesn't do anything for me, or is inappropriate for the dance (so often on SCD imo), it really detracts from the whole performance.

*I’ve no idea why Chris is still in it - he’s by far the weakest imo and I can’t think that he has much of a pre-existing fan base.
*
I would say he probably has the biggest fan base out of all of them (bar Saffron maybe). Chris and his wife Rosemarys podcast has a huge following.

*re Anton. He kept disappearing from camera view and Emma was doing a solo. I wanted to see Anton in his glory dancing his ballet moves so well at 50 but the camera kept losing him or was Anton having a rest? Don't think so but might have had muscle cramp or something I can imagine the controllers were frantically shouting to the camera men to lose Anton and concentrate on the lovely Emma which they did.

re Baryshnikov**@Ravenesque. I was wowed by him in the fast and furious Video of Don Quixote by his strength, technique and his acting/artistry/characterisation. Probably a good role to dance for Karim but don't think he is capable.
Have you seen the video/DVD of him in Don Quixote. For me it was an adrenalin rush from beginning to end.

But Ballet is not everybody's cup of tea
So back to ballroom dancing and I know nothing about the heel leads and don;t think the public are interested in them.
I was pleasantly surprised with Chris last night and Alex. the only 2 absolute beginners and I loved Kelvin's dance for the first time seeing him in a proper dance costume. I didn't recognise him, he had a complete dance style change to suit the character and music, while Karim danced again in the same style for every dance.

No idea who will go tonight.

Karim came in high and, IMO, has pretty much stayed there. He hasn't made anywhere near the improvement of Alex and Chris even though they obviously still aren't as good as he was when he started. It seems to require so little effort on his part (apart from the physical effort!)

My DD has been dancing for 10 years - she would have a huge advantage over someone who had never danced a step because she already knows how to move and how to learn a routine and is really flexible. That's even without the experience of performing in the West End.

i always vote for Chris. because he makes it fun.
I never vote for the ringers. Karim leaves me cold. the way the judges fawn over him is so bad. I really wish they would stop with all the standing up and gushing.

Today 08:38 SoupDragon

So pleased Motsi got it over him
Motsi is a dreadful judge.

I agree. Nice woman, terrible judge.... whereas, although I’m no fan of Anton - for no particular reason - I think he’d be pretty good as a judge.

I agree with Ravenesque when done correctly contemporary is fantastic.
However it takes years to achieve.
Having the ability to portray quite disturbing, negative feelings well is very hard. Far easier to portray happy, happy, smiley emotions through dance.
I went to a dance show last week and by far the best dances were the contemporary ones portraying very difficult, disturbing themes, they were outstanding but again performed by dancers who have worked their entire life to achieve that.
The audience sat in silence throughout mesmerised by the sheer emotion.
That's another gripe I have with Strictly, the inane clapping and cheering during the dance.
Anyhow, I thought Anton was poor last night and felt it's a shame Emma had to carry the dance alone.
I though Alex was short changed with the samba and think she will leave this week.
Chris will not be in the dance off.

This Kelvin...... he had a complete dance style change to suit the character and music, while Karim danced again in the same style for every dance

Did anybody notice that Tess , who actually looked nice in a proper dress with shoulders !! (if a little short for her height ) Doing her patronising "Little face" routine again ?

Not sure about Claud's dress though

Karim may have had some dancing before but many apparently get private lessons as soon as they know they are appearing! IMHO he really has improved and is now professional level I loved the way the professional male dancers were bowing down they obviously recognise his talent to do such a brilliant jive.
Hope Chris or Alex go think they have done really well but are simply not the best dancers now.

@Egghead68 Chris obviously has a very large fan base which is why he has been bottom or second to bottom of the leader board a few times and not in the dance off.

When all the celebs were announced way back I said to DH "I will be supporting Chris for as long as he is in there". When he was not that great a dancer I was disappointed but hoped he would stay a couple of weeks!

I would not be surprised if the judges marked Karim to be top of the leader board because he is not getting a lot of public votes and they want him and Kelvin in the final. To be tied top of the board and end up in the dance off would surely mean he was not getting that many votes?

I thought his jive was ok but not worth a 40 and far from being "the best jive ever on Strictly"! Not sure what planet Bruno is on

I was going to say (but forgot!) that weeks 1 and 2 I loved Karim. As the weeks have gone by though he doesn't really seem to have improved that much and is just too frantic for me.

Jay's when he danced his jive looked cool and even relaxed. Karim looked like a headless chicken darting around

Yes but that’s Amy’s choreography she gives him too much to do you can’t blame Karim for the packed choreography, loved Jays jive one of my all time favourites dances ever but equally loved Karims just v different but loved it too!

Bruno or Craig would have to go if they had a new male judge, they need the balance of the sexes.

But they used to have Len.

Oh yes lynsey Jay's jive really WAS amazing . I don't remember if it got 40 .

I don't get why Karim's jive was good enough to get the judges wetting themselves !!!

Things change ikiboo It's good to have equality now. IMO

I think Karim is too frantic in all the dances - no way was he as good as Jay. I thought Emma was great and it was good that the choreography showed her talent. Can’t warm to Kelvin for some reason but think Oti is great.

Really not a fan of Motsi - no useful feed back just a lot of emotion

Jay's when he danced his jive looked cool and even relaxed. Karim looked like a headless chicken darting around

Could have been partly down to the choreography (v busy, much more so than Jay's) and the other dancers, making the whole thing look more frenetic. Having just rewatched Jay's (and it was fantastic), I still think the jive suits Karim's energetic approach!

I saw the spoiler on Twitter this morning about who is going home...wish I could unsee it.

On a side note, I loved Claudia's frock! Compared to the monstrosity that Tess was wearing it was beautiful.

Yes I do think a lot of it is down to Amy's choreography. I am not very keen on her this year. Last year I felt sorry for her but this year she is not coming across very well to me.

I preferred Emma's dance to Karim's. Obviously I don't have the technical knowledge the judges have but I don't think Karim's jive was really worth 40 and nor do a lot of people.

I find it odd as well that quite often the judges disagree so much. Can't remember which dance it was last night but Craig talked about timing issues and something else and all the other 3 judges disagreed and said he was talking rubbish.

I don't think Karim's jive was really worth 40 and nor do a lot of people.

The thing is though, that when people like Shirley are scoring Chris 8, they have to mark a 10. Otherwise it would be even more ridiculous.

Jays jive didn't score a 40, which always annoyed me, I remember Darcy commented something like "As it's week 3... 9"!

In fact having just looked.. Jay's jive scored only 37, whilst Ore's scored 39!