SCD 23 #16 Best Wishes Nigel But The Show Must Go On NO SPOILERS

[EineReiseDurchDieZeit]

KEEP DANCING

They will never beat the super simple but effective Rebel Yell pro routine!

I love that one. I didn't even watch the series, but it's one of my favourite pro routines.

Yes, there's a distinct lack of actual ballroom in the pro routines these days. Or even proper Latin like in the Rebel Yell one. It's just lifty-twirly-flicky vague rumba/ch-cha stuff. Len must be turning in his grave. (RIP Len; never forgotten).

Just re watched this and you are SO right. I hadn't really realised how far they've moved away from showcasing their skills and just doing a load of choreography.

I know, right? I put it on the video thread earlier this season. Even though the pic quality isn't great you can still see how good they are!

@Lentilweaver
The only dance I've rewatched so far this year is Layton's Halloween tango. I've never not enjoyed a series of Strictly, but there's definitely something slightly off this year. In the years to come I think it'll only be memorable for the negatives, ie withdrawals, injury, dodgy scoring etc.

I've thoroughly enjoyed Krishnan's dances and love rewatching them. I think his quickstep and Charleston in particular are much more entertaining and full of character than some performances by the 'better' dancers. It's his sheer joy and his lovely relationship with Lauren.
I think they were scuppered by deliberately being given a samba aka the dance of doom in the week when the show decided they needed some cannon fodder to protect Angela R and get her to Blackpool.

Apologies if someone else has already posted these, but here are the songs and dances for the semi final...

Annabel and Johannes: Salsa to You’ll Be Mine (Party Time) by Gloria Estefan and Viennese Waltz Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want by Slow Moving Millie

Bobby and Dianne: Quickstep to Mack The Knife by Bobby Darin and Paso Doble to Run Boy Run by Woodkid

Ellie and Vito: Couple’s Choice to Dua Lipa Medley and Cha Cha to Mambo Italiano by Bette Midler

Layton and Nikita: Charleston to Fit As A Fiddle by Gene Kelly & Donald O’Connor and Rumba to Lift Me Up by Rihanna

Annabel salsa: tyoooon. Viennese: will be tear-jerking. Bring it on.
Bobby quickstep: love the song but it's a bit overdone on Strictly. I think he'll be leggy and messy but the judges will overmark him. Paso: just listened to it. Dreary emo nonsense. Judges will love it
Ellie and Vito CC: meh. Cha cha: TUNE OF THE NIGHT but how dare they, it's not Bette Midler, it's Rosemary Clooney all the way! Still, I expect it to be epic. I think Vito will roll out some eye-popping choreography.
Layton Charleston: lots of tap in the film version. Will they do that? It'll be cheating seeing as presumably he's trained in tap, but the judges will lap it up anyway. Rumba: yawn.

Think it's Layton and Bobby in the DO.

And it's arguable whether you count Am Smooth as ballroom — if you split into the five international ballroom, five international Latin and five speciality it comes under speciality. Although obviously if you were better at ballroom than Latin you'd definitely want to go for that over a salsa!

Re the pro dances, I think it's because in the past the pros were (almost) all competitive couples. And the ones that weren't were always paired up with the same person. You could choreograph a beginning and end, and then ask each couple to do eight bars of jive or whatever, and it was easy. They'd probably just use patterns they danced anyway. Now they all dance in random combinations.

My stand out dance this year, which wasn't particularly well loved by others was Angela Scanlan's Charleston. If you have a look at Gwen Verdon dancing to the music in Damn Yankees (Who's Got the Pain) you can see how they choreographed their dance around that and it's just a delight. With the costume the same she also looks a little like Gwen Verdon too.

It made me happy and was seriously undermarked.

I loved that one, @MouseMinge .
Angela S was undermarked on several dances, imo.

I always like Danielle's version of Mambo Italiano in Over the Rainbow:

I wonder if they are lining Michelle up to have a partner next year?

I hope so, and I hope Nadia has a partner too.

This was one of my top picks too. I don’t have a “favourite” contestant, I vote for what I like on the night, but I was hoping to see this again in the final!

Also loved the Fosse/Verdun tribute.

Right. I’m calling it. I think Ellie and Annabel will be in the DO this weekend.

I have a feeling that many of Nigel’s votes will transfer to Bobby. I think that Layton will dance phenomenally and pick up several of the floating voters having got top marks as well.

I might be completely wrong though!

And I don’t mind who wins cos I like all four for different reasons.

Nikita thinks by putting foxtrot/waltz into their AS that he's covered those bases.
If Layton had smashed it then fine, but I don't think he did.

Stand out routines for me this series:
Nigel's paso, Krishnan's Cha cha, Layton's QS, Eddie's CC, Bobby's tango, Ellie's paso.

I want Layton to win but think Ellie's a shoo-in.

I liked the opening group number in week 1 - Nikita and Katya dancing together makes me smile, as I think they are both brilliant. Other standout dances for me Layton and Nikita's Argentine Tango and Quickstep, and Ellie and Vito's Salsa and Paso. I love Layton and Nikita's partnership so much and would love them to win, but I would be happy for Ellie and Vito to raise the glitterball too.

Yes, it's the light and shade that's missing for me. He's spectacular, athletic, acrobatic and very talented, but there's often a nuance missing, as well as the most tokenistic nod to the style of each dance

I prefer the clarity of Ellie's and even Annabel's dances. Bobby's a bit of an enthusuastic puppy, but he gives it a good go at getting into the spirit of each dance.

Is it normal to have a CC in the semi-final? That feels late, or is it just the odds of getting that far and having such a late allocation?

It does feel late to have a CC in the semi-final. Also seems a shame for Ellie to have a cha-cha-cha this late. Although I'm sure it will be great. Vito was talking on IG today about putting some tarantella steps in the CCC.

I have no idea what style of couples' choice they will do but I would love them to do theatre jazz rather than street or contempowaft. Either way I'm sure Ellie won't be going near the dance-off.

I'd love to see Annabel manage to climb above Bobby on the combined leaderboard. If she can do that, I think it will be a Layton-Bobby DO with Bobby going home. If Annabel's still bottom of the leaderboard then it will be Annabel vs Bobby and I HOPE the judges would save Annabel and Johannes. Be gutted if they just miss out on the final.

What dances would people like to see reprised in the final? I would love to see Ellie and Vito do their American Smooth again. I also thought their Halloween salsa was great, but they won't do that again because of the hassle of getting in and out of green face paint!

I much preferred the John Waite, Jojo partnership to Layton and Nikkita. I find Layton just too much of Layton.

@TheMadGardener - I think Faye and Joe Varney reprised their Hallowe'en theatre jazz couples choice for the final and wore the same suits but without the skeleton face paint. There's a chance we could see the salsa again minus the green faces but I think the AS, Paso or the AT are more likely. Perhaps the judges will choose her jive or her VW again. She can improve her Samba but I hope they don't pick that. Looking back, Ellie's had some serious tunes - copacabana, murder on the dance floor, insomnia, love machine and now Mambo Italiano.

I would happily rewatch Ellie and Vito's american smooth but I'd love to see their Paso again. I think that dance cemented her position as a serious contender for the glitter ball.

Overall, there's been a disappointing lack of waltzes this year. Ellie hasn't done one, nor has Layton. I really wanted Layton to get one on Saturday. He got a rumba instead. I would love to see Nikita have the confidence to choreograph an absolutely filthy rumba, though.

I agree, the cha-cha is a meh dance to get at this stage. But it's a solid-gold choon and I'd LOVE to see some tarantella in it!

I agree, theatre jazz would be great. I think that style suits Ellie the best.

I also agree Ellie and Vito's AS would be marvellous to watch again. I thought that was a showstopper.
Annabel's samba, if she's feeling brave.
Layton and Nikita's QS.
Genuinely cannot bring to mind any of Bobby's dances; that's how much of an impression he makes on me!

Ellie's AS would be sensible to choose. The couple's chosen repeat dance is last, so that beautiful frock is the one she'd be wearing at the end of the show, when waiting for the votes.
It's a classic ballroom dance with classic styling and will appeal to a large audience.
It's also their highest marked dance so far (I think, from memory).

I still want the Paso again though. Unleash Vito's sweaty hairy chest for votes! Maybe the judges will be kind and pick it for the judges' choice?

Ideally I'd have
Judge's Choice
Annabel - Samba
Bobby - Tango
Ellie - American Smooth
Layton - Quickstep
Couple's Choice
Annabel - Contempowaft
Bobby - Samba
Ellie - Paso
Layton - Argentine
Showdance
Annabel - Lindy hop or swing number
Bobby - Disco/funk (he had more soul/funk tracks on his playlists)
Ellie - Medley dance/to Shake it off (Metro Station) or See you again (Miley)
Layton - Top hat and tails/canes