Strictly '22 #11 — Not too many fireworks last night, but might somebody go out with a bang tonight?

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

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Indeed. Jayde also had previous experience of dancing. But she had the good sense to hide it under a bushel of body positivity.

Whatever they do they will never please all the viewers though. The show is what it is.

I vote for who I want to see next week and they are not always the best dancers, they are the ones who have made me smile. That's what I, personally, want on a Saturday evening.

Why? There have been plenty of excellent dancers on Strictly who've never been to stage school.

Does anyone else remember a series a few years ago when one particular ringer kept turning up in the dance off, and eventually the judges said they could no longer ignore the fact that they weren't producing anything that the viewers liked and voted them off anyway?

She hid it really, really well.

Was that Peter Andre? Vague recollection of that.

Yes, but also lots of only average ones who have gone all the way because they are nice people. Or what we think are nice people. ( IRL they could be drowning puppies:)

Anyway, we can agree to disagree. As I said earlier, I don't care about the dancer's personalities at all. I did think Ellie S was a better dancer than Ellie T.

The whole proportion of the dance and range of movement is altered. Lifts must have felt very different to Nikita because the momentum and physics are different.

I was thinking that last night. It must have been quite difficult for him having to bend down further to lift, it requires his muscles and ligaments to work significantly differently and must have put some strain on them. Credit to him for making it look natural and easy.

@LaGioconda

Yes, vantage remember who it was

I think if molly is in the dance off next week (unless against tony) she should go

I think it's a lot more to do with their starting position. On a scale of 1-100 the Tony's and Ellie's of this world are about a 1, whereas Mollie and other stage school.folk start at a minimum of 50. Less to do with talent, age or sex.

People like the unexpected ( Hamza) or a journey.

What if it is Molly against Ellie T? Who imo has not done very much.

There have been various dance-off queens over the years. The only one who I remember the judges sent home unfairly like that was Jamelia who WOZROBBED against Peter Andre. But I don't think it was the ringer factor which was the problem for her.

In a Molly v Ellie T, Ellie T would have to go.

I'm just not very interested in the really brilliant dancers! They've got to have something that sets them apart (like Bill or Rose) or a very engaging pro with great chemistry (like Jay and Aliona, AJ and Kai or Oti and Danny)

Jay McGuinness and Karim Zeroual also went to stage school, among many other male dancers.

Besides Jamelia, who was in five dance-offs, other people who were in four dance-offs:
Heather Small
Charles Venn
Michelle Williams
Jaimie Laing

Of those, only Michelle was really a ringer (and frankly she didn't dance like one). Every time I am reminded that Charles Venn was in four dance-offs I am genuinely shocked. It's one of the reasons I always go full JUSTICE4CHUCKY when people praise Bill's Couple's Choice.

Karim was really annoying though @Lentilweaver and I remember us discussing that a lot on these threads back then (different username for me).

Jay was different as he had great chemistry with Aliona and also seemed to be working extremely hard.

I miss the days when they told you how many hours they'd put into training. Then you really knew who was putting in loads of effort (whether a ringer or not) and who was just coasting (very annoying if a ringer!).

Ellie S & Nikita we're just pure joy for me. Ellie T does nothing for me at all, neither does Kym or Mollie. I like Fleur & love Tyler. Will is ok and adore Hamza!

I voted for Karim:) Lol. Loved his tango and jive. Didnt care about his personality. Not like Kelvin Fletcher had the greatest personality anyway.

Chucky Venn was also great.

Jay also had a proper moment dance, with that jive. It still makes me go weak at the knees just thinking about it. If I was one for standing and applauding in my living room I would have done. It’s rare I rewatch dances but I watch that one all the time, it’s just so feckin’ cool. I think that’s what Molly has lacked so far.

This series as a whole has lacked a wow dance so far. Last year I think pirates of the Caribbean stood out for J&J, the symphony dance (I’m afraid I remember the songs better than the dance name) for Rose which was so incredibly well choreographed with that goosebumps moment in the middle. Previous series always have one or two absolute stand out stunners but I think we’re still waiting for this year’s - so far maybe Hamza’s Latin the other week with all the lifts but I’d expect there to be bigger moments before the series is out.

People just don’t seem to vote for talented, confident young women.

But I don’t think it is that fieldfly.

Her dances are, for me, instantly forgettable. The only one I remember? The Grange Hill thing (I’m reluctant to say dance) and that was because it was awfully stompy looking to me.

it is fine being young,, beautiful, talented, confident and an ability to step about well and good on her.

But I feel nowt. No joy. I don’t feel touched. Not wistful. No longing.

Nowt.

I don’t feel the dance.

You can be a marvellous hoofer but if there is no emotion it is pointless. I think that is why there is a lack of voting.

Karim was clearly box-office poison. He was in two dance-offs and would probably have been in more if it wasn't for the facts that a) he was right up near the top of the leaderboard most weeks b) he was protected from the dance-off by the persistent unpopularity of Mike Bushell who I mistakenly left off my list of 4-time dance-off queens.

Mike was excruciating, a more or less promising amateur dancer who was shoehorned into the comedy viewers'-fave role with Katya in defiance of the fact that the actual viewers were completely indifferent to his "hilarious" comedy routines and wanted him out. But because he was basically competent and had adequate technique in his cringy dances he kept being saved against slightly worse dancers for week after week after week. It was awful. Monkseal joked that he was so desperate to escape that his farewell dance when he was finally evicted would be a conga round the dance floor. And then he was, and it was!

Agree. I think Fleur's paso came closest so I keep voting for her. Or maybe Will's jive.

I did love Fleur’s AT actually, but I’m a sucker for an AT anyway so don’t trust myself to judge whether it was a wow moment or not. DH was too busy admiring her legs to judge the dance quality.

The thing with those dances that stand out over the years is that you never have to question whether it is or isn’t a stunner whereas this year so far even the very best ones have had a “really good but…” response. Ah well - 5? weeks to go? Plenty of time to impress!