SCD ~ Week 4

SO here we are on week 4 and already we are on our second themed week!

We have a mixed bag of spooky characters ranging  from the Ghostbustingly Ghastly  Sid.... to the Terrifyingly Terrific Louis!

We have a Spinetinglingly Scary Set... Chillingly Creative Costumes... and Murderously Manic Make-up!.... And I'm done with the Awful Alliteration now you'll be glad to hear! :D

I did attempt to make Percy Pig cupcakes from a cupcake mix for my Strictly Snacks but the results were as scary as Halloween itself and Mary Berry would have been well miffed at my 'Soggy Bottoms' :-(

I settled for Haribo, Mojito and Monkey Nuts-o in the end.

Tess Dress : Even with the unnecessary belt, it was one of my favourites so far (8)

Pro/Celeb Opening Number:   THRILLER

LOVED this start to the show! Our amazing pro dancers kicked it all off wearing an assortment of white spooky ghosts/ghouls and zombies costumes before the celebs joined in with the classic 'Thriller' moves.....Although to be fair some of them have unintentionally perfected some of these zombie moves over the course of the past few weeks......
*cough Nicky/Sid/Richard/Michael/....Anton cough*.....!

The set looks AMAZING and the lighting colours were fab!  My favourite pro/celeb group dance for a couple of years although it soon slipped down to second place ...........

..... when this happened!  GANGNAM STYLE!

Dani & Vincent: Cha Cha - Scooby Doo Theme

This was a great opening to the show and a real good fun routine with a cameo appearance from Anton!  Unfortunate costumes for them this week with Dani (Velma) in an orange dress and matching orange knee high socks, a brown wig and glasses!  I would be well miffed if I went on Strictly and that was my costume, even at Halloween... although probably Vincent had more reason to be miffed given he ended up looking more Boris Johnson than Shaggy!

Judges : 6 6 8 7 = 27
Me : 7
Dress : 4

Richard & Erin: Paso Doble - O Fortuna

I thought this was their best so far, even though it was all a little bit nuts!   Not so sure I enjoyed Richards lacklustre Paso shapes but Erin was fab in her own crazy way...   and I loved the music and set.

One of the best dresses of the night.

Judges : 5 5 7 5 = 22
Me : 6
Dress : 8

Lisa & Robin: Charleston - Witch Doctor

Not much Charleston in this and all of Lisa's latin style dances of which we have now seen 3 of in 4 weeks, have all blended together so much now that I can't remember what her other two looked like to make them different from this.  Loved them in week one, but bored of them now and need to see something different next week.

Green 'Witchy' style dress although I could have done without the green tights.

Judges : 6 6 7 7 = 26
Me : 6
Dress : 5

Sid & Ola: Cha Cha - Ghostbusters

They had a really tough week with Ola having to go home to Poland as her mother was ill, so Iveta stepped in  to train with Sid for the week.  Unfortunately it was all a bit of a disaster and a really poor Cha Cha which  had nothing going for it at all.  The signs were there of how awful it would be as soon as we saw Ola in the playsuit! .... If all else fails get the catsuit/hotpants on! :D

Ola looked amazing but Sid looked like a petrol pump attendant.

Judges : 2 5 5 5 = 17
Me : 4
Dress : 3

Nicky & Karen: Tango - Weird Science

Better than ANYTHING he had done before but a lot of stomping about and his posture is still awful. I had really high hopes for Nicky in the beginning but I think too much time has passed for me to show much interest now.... Maybe if they have another couple of weeks which are good, I might get more into them.

Gorgeous red dress..... Red dresses always seem to come across really well on SCD

Judges : 6 6 7 7 = 26
Me : 6
Dress : 8

Fern & Artem: American Smooth - Killer Queen

Not much to this routine at all and definitely not Artems best work.  I agree with the judges in that it just needs a bit more WOW..... !  Fern looks fab though and half naked Artem ain't bad either I don't suppose.

Lovely dress for Fern.... Burgundy satin with jewelled neck.

Judges : 4 5 6 6 = 21
Me : 4
Dress : 7

Denise & James: Cha Cha - Superfreak

This was another dance which I expected to be much better than it actually was.  It wasn't a bad routine but I just didn't enjoy watching it. The first half of this show is turning into a bit of a bore and none of them are really doing as well as they could...... I have no doubt thought that Denise will be back on form next week.

Black/White/Red leotard type costume for Denise and a James is a Tom Jones look-a-likey!

Judges : 7 7 7 7 = 28
Me : 7
Dress : 7

Michael & Natalie: Quickstep - That Old Black Magic

WOWZER! How did that happen?  What a difference a week makes....Practically booted out last Saturday, and this week on top form! By far the best dance of the night so far and well done to both Natalie & Michael as they really must have put in some work to achieve this!  I reckon this will have given Michael a great big boost and he could hang around for another few weeks yet.

Lovely silver fringed dress for Natalie

Judges : 8 8 8 7 = 31
Me : 8
Dress : 8

Victoria & Brendan: Tango - White Wedding

What a big improvement for Victoria although I still feel she is getting half dragged around the floor, albeit not near as much as in her last dances. Good routine from Brendan  and maybe like Michael, this will give Victoria a confidence boost for next week too.

FAB outfits for both with Victoria as the goth bride with amazing eye make up!

Judges : 7 8 8 8 = 31
Me : 7
Dress : 9

Colin & Kristina: Salsa - Superstition 

I don't think I have found many positives to write about Colin and Kristina in any week, and again I'm not really getting this at all.....

Colin is a wizard and Kristina a black cat.....

Judges :  5 7 6 6  24
Me : 4
Dress : 4

Louis & Flavia: Tango - Disturbia

WOW, this was absolutely AMAZING!! Brilliant choreography from Flavia, and Louis zombie performance was FAB! I loved every single thing about it from the song, to the routine, to the performance, to the costumes and all finished off with a semi back flip handspring thingy(?) and straight back into zombie mode!  Fab routine and most definitely the dance of the night. They are just getting better and better every week.  Very exciting!!

Gorgeous green/black/beige dress for Flavia with fab eye make up and dusty old tails suit for Louis with veeeery FREAKY eyes!!

Judges : 8 9 9 9 = 35
Me : 9
Dress : 9

Kimberley & Pasha: Paso Doble - Hungry Like The Wolf

Well this has certainly been a show of two halves with most of the best performances in the 2nd half.  Loved this from Kimberley & Pasha and the whole thing looked like a childrens fairy book brought to life. Could have had a bit more paso aggression but I really don't see Kimberley getting into that kind of mode so it was a good performance from her I'd say.


Lovely blue dress although not very 'Red Riding Hood'(?)..... and Pasha unrecognisable as the big bad wolf.... in a pair of 'One Direction' coloured jeans!

Judges : 8 8 7 8 = 31
Me : 8
Dress : 8

So that is it.... Top of the leaderboard are Louis and Flavia with 35 and bottom is Sid and Ola  with 17.

Special shout out to the set designers, costume, make-up and SCD Band..... Themed weeks aren't everybody's cup of tea, but love them or hate them I would say that this was altogether a really good production.  For saying that though, I will be glad to get back to a normal ballroom/Latin theme for a couple of weeks.


RESULTS

Brilliant Gothic masked ball(?) style routine to 'Toxic' which was so very stylish and vogue-like.  The dresses were gorgeous and fit the style of the dance perfectly, long red gloves, red shoes and glittery eye masks completed the look for what is already one of my favourite pro dance of the series.  I'll watch this one a lot! :)

I do like Tess and Claudia hosting the results show and I'm kinda glad that Brucie has took a back seat for this part of the show.... or took to his bed rather!

Paloma Faith is the guest performer with her new song - Never Tear Us Apart which I like, although maybe not quite as much as the original.  Anyway, only Paloma could go on SCD and make EVERYONE else look under-dressed! She's as mad as a box of frogs and has a whole garden centre worth of flowers in her hair and painted on her face..... oh and she has brought some skeleton dancers with her, who also have flowers in their hair.... as skeletons do!?!

What happened to the days when the pros danced to the music acts? Most times now they bring their own dance troupe with them, and while our pros already are probably over worked, I would like it to go back to the way it used to be where the eliminated pros would dance to whoever the guest is!

Bottom 2 are Sid & Ola and Colin & Kristina.  I can't say I am surprised at either as neither of them were too great tonight.  Anyway, three of the four judges save Colin & Kristina which means bye bye to Sid and Ola.  He didn't really look like he had been enjoying it much over the past couple of weeks, and he never really did match that week one waltz that he did. Ola has a lot on her plate too with her mum being unwell, so maybe it was a good time for both of them to go.

That's it for another week..... Next weeks theme is ballroom and latin .... YAY!

SCD ~ Week 3

Week 3 and we have our first themed week of the new series with trip to.....

I really could have tried so much harder with this weeks Strictly Snacks.... I could have had Hot Dogs and Popcorn.... Or I could have went for some tortilla chips and Salsa since that was what my fave couple were dancing (in a Mambo sort of fashion ;) ) ....But I didn't think of any of that at the time and ended up with Galaxy chocolate and some Ben & Jerry's Karamel Sutra ice cream, which was all nice actually but not very imaginative of me I must admit.  Next week for Halloween I WILL try harder.

Tess Dress - Definitely a HIT and one of her best *ever* (9)

On with the show.... Lights, Camera........... ACTION! 

Opening Pro Dance :  Can't Touch It from Sex and the City 2 

Red sparkly costumes and red feather fans.... Mainly featuring Kristina and the guys before the other girls joined in too. 

Fern & Artem: Charleston - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (Mary Poppins)

All very nice and pretty and enjoyable to watch and sing along to (which I actually did.. :D )

Nice costumes for them both with Fern in a lovely white lace dress and good stage set.  I quite liked it despite having to ask what dance they were doing through lack of Charleston content.

Judges : 5 6 6 6 = 23

Me : 6

Dress : 6

Victoria & Brendan: Rumba - Up Where We Belong  (An Officer and a Gentleman)

I think we could spot the costume malfunctions which were bound to happen here before the dance even started. There looked like an entire roll of fabric dangling from her arm which she was certain to get all twisted up in at some point. She did look fab though.

I don't think Victoria is going to progress as much as I had hoped. She still looks way out of her comfort zone on the floor.  

Judges : 4 5 7 6 = 22

Me : 4

Dress : 7 

Michael & Natalie:  Cha Cha - Hot Stuff (The Full Monty)

This was definitely better than last weeks Jive, but much less amusing unless you count him almost falling off his chair at the end. :D  I don't think we will be seeing much more of Michael.... 

Pale pink two piece bra/skirt combo with yellow underskirts for Natalie.... Pretty nice costume. :)

Judges : 3 6 6 4 = 19

Me : 4

Dress : 7

Jerry & Anton :  Qucikstep - Mrs Robinson ( The Graduate)

Jerry played Mrs Robinson in a Broadway version of The Graduate, so no real surprise that they went for this song and dance on this week.  The first half was actually not too bad, and the best that Anton had done with any celebrity for a few years now, lol...... but the second half not so good!  I sure could have done without the scene at the end behind the screen though!!!

Jerry looked good as you'd expect from her,  in a red satin dress.

Judges : 3 6 5 4 = 18

Me : 4

Dress : 6

Sid & Ola:  Tango - Here I Go Again (Rock of Ages)

This was probably one of the worst tangos I think I have seen on Strictly in the few years I have watched.  They took forever to get into hold with all their faffing about, and even then there was barely any tango content from what I could see.

Their costumes were awful with Sid looking like a cross between an extra from Waynes World and a Nolan sister, and Ola like a Halloween version of a Bratz doll.  

Judges : 4 4 5 4 = 17

Me : 4

Dress : 4

Kimberley & Pasha: Quickstep - Get Happy (Summer Stock)

FINALLY ..... We get on to a dance that I actually really liked. Good routine, great song, and I enjoy watching Kimberley and Pasha so it was nice to see them on form again after Kimberley being so upset last weekend. I'm looking forward to their next dance now :)

Gorgeous dress for Kimberley with Black velvet top and red skirt with black net.

Judges : 7 7 7 8 = 29

Me : 8

Dress : 10

Denise & James: Foxtrot - You've Got A Friend In Me (Toy Story)

This was a really nice dance and Denise has definitely got great ability.... but I didn't get bowled over by it even though I did think it was good. Maybe the song was a bit lame as it didn't really grab my attention much even though it was all very lovely and well danced.

Denise & James were dressed as Jessie & Woody from the film and it was a nice touch to match their song and routine, although not my favourite dress of the night.

Judges : 8 8 8 8 = 32
Me : 8
Dress : 5

Colin & Kristina: Argentine Tango - GoldenEye  (GoldenEye)

I wasn't expecting great things from this as there had been a lot said about Colin having to go to Vancouver for filming, meaning him and Kristina would have really limited training hours.  I'm not a big fan of Kristinas style of dancing or choreography, so I was really only watching this half-heartedly but didn't see much Argentine Tango there... Plus even though it was 6 series before, it was hard not to compare this to the practically legendary AT that Karen and Mark danced using the same song and it was never really going to match up was it?

The dress.....Probably right up there at the very top of my 'Least favourite SCD dresses' list... EVER!

Judges : 7 7 6 6 = 26
Me : 6
Dress : 2

Richard & Erin: Quickstep - 9 to 5 (9 to 5)

I actually quite enjoyed this and Richard really isn't too bad at ballroom I don't think. Their best routine to date and nice work from Erin.

When I saw Erin's costume all I could think of was the dreaded 'trousers curse' and get nervous now as soon I see someone wearing them on the show!

Judges : 6 7 6 6 = 25
Me : 6
Dress : 5

Dani & Vincent: Foxtrot - Over The Rainbow (The Wizard of Oz)

Ok, I was probably ALWAYS going to like this given how much I love the film and everything about it! (Twitter people will already have guessed this from my profile pic, haha)....But I truly LOVED this from Vincent & Dani. Wonderful choreography and danced beautifully by them both, this is without doubt my second favourite dance of the night.  Loved it :)

Lovely pale blue dress for Dani with sparkly bodice and red sash.  Very pretty.

Judges : 7 6 8 8 = 29
Me : 8
Dress : 8

Lisa & Robin: Jive - Hanky Panky (Dick Tracy)

I didn't quite love this as much as the judges did, and didn't think it was a patch on their Cha Cha from two weeks ago, but still enjoyable to watch and good effort from Lisa despite not having much technique there.  I would be hard pushed to differentiate between her two latin dances as they looked very similar to me, but what do I know?... Nothing!

Avery definite NO for this dress. The fringed skirt was nice enough but I didn't like the top or sleeves.

Judges \: 8 6 7 8 = 29
Me : 7
Dress : 4

Nicky & Karen: Quickstep - Hey Pachuco (The Mask)

This was SO much better than anything we had seen from Nicky before and even with the bent knees he still showed so much improvement. Good characterisation from him too and pretty enjoyable to watch.

Nice pale green/lemon/gold dress for Karen.

Judges : 6 7 7 7 = 27
Me : 6
Dress : 7

Louis & Flavia: Salsa - (I've Had) The Time Of My Life (Dirty Dancing)

It had been pretty clear since early in the week, that for this routine Flavia and Louis would be taking on the roles of Johnny and Baby, and would be recreating the iconic dance from the film including that VERY famous lift at the end.  The VT before the dance was fab with the classic 'I carried a watermelon' line from Flav.... I'd have been disappointed if we hadn't got that one somewhere along the line, lol.

A very brave move I reckon to try and condense every highlight of the film into a 1.40 routine but somehow that is what they did, and it was INCREDIBLE!  I'm sure there must have been 10 times more pressure on them to do this and do it right than there is in any other week using their own original choreography.
The lifts were amazing, and even given Louis strength, I don't think that big lift at the end would have been easy, and they pulled it off in spades.  I was literally on my feet and whooping by the end of it.
Definitely my highlight of the night, and the best dance of the series so far.  They both were phenomenal.

Gorgeous pale pink dress which was very 'Baby' and Flavia totally looked like she enjoyed every second of recreating this.... Every girl who has ever seen the film, has dreamt of being Baby at some time in their lives...right? ;)

A massive standing ovation and deservedly so. :)

Judges : 8 6 8 8 = 30
Me : 9
Dress : 10

The judges scores were all over the place this week, with Len scoring Fern, Michael, Colin and Richard ALL the same as Louis..... and Victoria a point higher.... WTF??? .....Seriously Len?

RESULTS

Just a tiny recap of the results show as I really should get to bed but want to get this finished off tonight.

Great opening routine from the cast of Top Hat featuring SCD Series 6 winner Tom Chambers, and Anton & Erin.  I'd like to see this show sometime actually. :)

Guest singer was Dionne Warwick who was amazing in her time but past her best now I'd say.... Pro dance from Pasha and Iveta :)

Dance off between Jerry/Anton and Michael/Natalie with all the judges except Bruno saving Michael and Natalie.  The correct decision I'd say although I had been liking Jerry's humour on the show even though I don't think she was putting in the most effort :D She was pretty glamorous though and she was good entertainment while she lasted.

Halloween theme next week and I wonder what SPOOKTACULAR treats will be in store for us....Whoooooo.............. *Ghosty sound*

SCD ~ Week 2

Hello all :) This week we have a HUGE Strictly Extravaganza of a show to enjoy..... 14 couples and 5 different dance styles = Two hours of Strictly bliss and a numb bum by the end!

Strictly Snacks this week were themed around the gorgeous Viennese Waltz.  I LOVE the dance and my fave couple would be dancing it, but not only that, Mr Kipling Viennese Whirls were conveniently on special offer for £1 and TWIRL bites, two bags for like £3 or something......Result!!

Tess Dress :  Oh Tess.......  Not your best! (4)

On with the show and please excuse the dodgy screencaps again.  I'd just like to say while I remember that I think the set looks amazing.  The background on the stage behind the band looks fab for all the couples with all the different themes. Well done Strictly stage crew :) 

Nicky & Karen : Cha Cha - Dynamite

Well the only thing Dynamite about this was the name of the song! The actual dance content was awful and after two dances, I really don't rate Karen as a pro.  Her choreography hasn't been up to much and I'm not enjoying what she is doing for Nicky.  This was pretty lacking in every way, and already Karen has resorted to the 'If all else fails, wear next to nothing Ola tactic' - At least she has learned something in her short time on the show ;)

He could have had great potential and it is a pity he wasn't put with one of the more established pros as I think they would have done a far better job on him. Still, it is early days and just maybe things might get better. I don't see any connection between the two of them and with the rate things are going I can see Nicky being annoyed that he has drawn the short straw with his partner. 

Karen's dress - Black sparkly leotard type with fringing and sheer black front.

Judges : 4 5 4 5 = 18

Me : 4

Dress : 5

Colin & Kristina : Viennese Waltz - Kiss From A Rose

Again not one of my favourite couples as I think they are just totally mismatched! The height difference between them is even more ridiculous looking in ballroom dancing and I don't know what the shows 'pairer-uppers' were thinking. 

Anyway aside from all of that, I love this song and it was a nice routine I suppose even though I can't enjoy watching them when they dance.  

Lovely sugar pink dress for Kristina though which was very pretty.

Judges : 6 6 6 6 = 24

Me : 6

Dress : 8

Dani & Vincent : Salsa - Mama Do The Hump

LOVED this from Dani and Vincent and nice one SCDBand with their Rizzle Kicks cover :D  Great energy and a really enjoyable routine from them. Good first lift/walkover although the second one didn't quite come off properly. Fab stuff from them and up there with my favourite dances of the night.

Nice enough red dress for Dani. 

Judges : 7 6 7 7 = 27

Me : 7

Dress : 6

Fern & Artem : Viennese Waltz - She's Always A Woman To Me

Better than last weeks Cha Cha but took a long time to get into hold and still a fair bit of skirt wafting going on.  All in all it was pretty nice though and good improvement from Fern.

Fern looking nice in a lovely red dress 

Judges : 6 6 6 6 = 24

Me : 6

Dress : 6

Richard & Erin : Cha Cha Cha - Love Shack

Oh dear, not one of the best cha cha's I've ever seen but it was good in a weird sort of way!!  Maybe it was the dayglo costumes... or the catchy song... or the SCDBand peeps dancing in the background that made it all a bit watchable, as I kinda liked it.  :D It was good fun and Richard gave it his best shot, but  I do have to laugh when Erin dances latin as she really isn't very good at it is she?.... :D

Richard likened their outfits to 'Caravan curtains' and he obviously wasn't joking!

Judges : 3 6 5 5 = 19

Me : 5

Dress : 3

Victoria & Brendan : Foxtrot - Moondance

Much better from Victoria this week and although still  pretty shaky and clearly scared out of her skin, she got through the routine well after last weeks catastrophe. Nice choreography from Brendan and I love this song.  

Lovely lilac dress with pink flowers.

Judges : 6 6 7 7 = 26

Me : 6

Dress : 7

Michael & Natalie : Jive - This Ole House

Oh my.... Where to start! I have to agree with the judges in saying it was the weirdest Jive in SCD history, but also got to be the funniest!  I laughed at poor Michael I must admit (...in a nice way),  and I actually love it just for how bad it was :D  Natalie has gone from doing one of the best ever Jives with Scott in series 8, to one of the worse ever with Michael, lol. :D  

Fantastic sparkly shorts and jacket for Natalie with Michael going for the casual check shirt/cord jeans look... :D

Judges : 2 5 4 4 = 14

Me : 4

Dress : 7 (Love the shorts, lol)

Louis & Flavia : Viennese Waltz - Puppy Love

I have to admit that I died a little inside when I heard they would be dancing to 'Puppy Love' as it  just seemed so twee and sugary, and such a strange choice for Louis..... BUT when seeing the actual choreography for it, it was absolutely beautiful. :) 

Only the second VW in seven series from Flavia and it is already my favourite dance of this series :)

Loved , loved, loved the romance of it all and the setting was just gorgeous!  I so want one of those LOVEHEART TREES! ♥

A wonderful routine and Louis did it justice.  Can't wait to see what comes next from them.... a very exciting partnership is coming through and this could definitely be Flav's year. 

Dress : I love the shorter style dress for VW.  Very pale lemon with lovely pastel underskirts and matching coloured ribbon belt.  One of the best dresses of the night and so very pretty, suiting the song and dance perfectly :)

Judges : 7 7 8 8

Me : 8

Dress : 10

Denise & James : Jive - Tutti Frutti

This was absolutely BRILLIANT! Coming directly after Louis & Flavia we had the two best dances of the night back to back.   It really was a fab routine  and she sure can dance for a 'NON-DANCER WITH NO DANCE EXPERIENCE WHO ONLY EVER SAT IN A CHAIR IN CHICAGO!!  = *RINGER* ;)  One of the best jives I've saw on SCD and only week 2.  She really could be amazing come the end of the series.

Nice red and white polka-dot 50's style dress. The white frilly underskirts worked well with the kicks and flicks.

Judges : 8 8 8 8 = 32
Me : 8
Dress : 8

Johnny & Iveta :  Foxtrot - Everything

Aww I do like Johnny and didn't think this was too bad. Iveta is beautiful and they look like they have a nice partnership together. I find them more enjoyable to watch than some actually.  A pretty nice routine and lovely Buble song.  I love a Buble Foxtrot! :D

Gorgeous silver sparkly dress with beautiful stoning detail.

Judges : 5 5 5 5 = 20
Me : 5
Dress : 10


Sid & Ola: Salsa - Hips Don't Lie

I think Sid is more of a ballroom boy but this wasn't too bad for his latin attempt even though he lost time and  was a bit rough. The lifts weren't too bad either although I think he should leave the gymnastic tricks to the expert! ;)  Out of the guys he is probably my second favourite at the moment.

Ola wearing a gold sparkly bra and peach fringed skirt..... Typical Ola costume.

Judges : 6 6 5 5 = 22
Me : 6
Dress : 6


Kimberley & Pasha: Foxtrot - Someone Like You

This was a beautiful routine from Pasha and to one of my favourite songs, so even though it was a bit stumbly and didn't flow as much as it should have, I still enjoyed it. I like watching Kimberley and Pasha together and  think there is a lot of good to come from them. A couple of the other Girls Alouds were in the audience (Nadine and Nicola), so maybe this made her a bit nervous(?) - I think Len was a little harsh on her and maybe expected a bit too much.

Stunning backless black dress with layered skirt.

Judges : 7 6 6 7 = 26
Me : 7
Dress : 10

Jerry & Anton: Foxtrot - Pennies From Heaven

I can't help but like Jerry even though she is such a diva! :D  She couldn't really care less I don't think and when she's booted out it will be with a shrug of the shoulders, a toss of the hair.... and a 'whatevahh' :D
Not really got much more to say about this one tbh , lol....

White dress which apparently was her own after deciding she didn't want to wear the blue one that had already been made up for her!! .... Must be nice to have dresses like that just hanging in the wardrobe at home for whenever you might need it! :D

Judges : 3 5 5 5 = 18
Me : 4
Dress : 7

Lisa & Robin: Viennese Waltz - Never Tear Us Apart

Last weeks top scorers and they didn't do too badly again tonight :) Nice Cinderella story to the Paloma Faith (John Lewis ad) version of the song. They are a great pair who are clearly having a blast, while coming up with some good dancing too :) I like them and  another couple who are definite contenders for that glitterball!

Lisa wore a lilac/pink dress with gold neck detail.

Judges : 7 6 6 6 = 25
Me : 7
Dress : 5

SO.... there we have it!  Joint TOP of the leaderboard is Louis & Flavia (YAY) and Denise & James..... and  down at the bottom we have Nicky & Karen and Michael & Natalie!  Who will go home in the dreaded dance off?

RESULTS SHOW

Quick review of the results show and the dreaded dance off is back!!  There is a lot of controversy that surrounds the dance off and from what I have read MOST fans didn't want it back.  I am one of the very few that is kinda glad of its return as I think it can sometimes save a good dancer if they fall foul of a dodgy leaderboard, or might have a bit of a blip where they might need a second chance.  It can sometimes work in your favour and sometimes it won't. I've had favourites saved through the dance off in the years we had it, and I've also lost favourites who I think WOULD have been saved in the years where we had no dance off... and YES I AM STILL BITTER!!  ;) 

LOVED the opening Pro dance to 'Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps'  which was choreographed by Artem, Robin and Kristina.  It has a good v bad theme with half of the pros on the ballroom team (Good), and the other half in the latin team (Bad) - Lots of partner swapping going on which is always interesting to see... (in a Strictly way of course...) 

First couple heading to the dance off is Johnny and Iveta, and they are joined by Richard and Erin.... neither is much of a surprise.  

Johnny is the one leaving although I really don't think it will be too long until Richard joins him.  It is always sad to see the first one go, and no matter who they are, they are always  'someone's favourite' :-( .......I'd like to put in a request for Iveta to return in the next series though. She is lovely and left a really good impression, so it would be nice to have her back again.

Music act : Scissor Sisters singing a weird song about 'Kiki' - Ana Matronic and Jake Shears as whacky as ever.  It was the first I had heard it so it might be a bit of a grower.

Anyway that is it for another week..... I'm already looking forward to week 3 and Hollywood! Apparently the BBC budget couldn't make it to Blackpool this year, so this is the next best thing! 

 

SCD ~ Week 1

So the time has finally come when we have Strictly back on our screens.  That 3 week break in between the launch show and the first live show feels like a lifetime, and I personally think it would be a good idea to have  It Takes Two on once a week during this time to keep us 'super-fans' updated with training clips and Strictly gossip!
We wait MONTHS for the show to come back on TV and then they give us a little teaser with the launch and then we're left practically bereft when it disappears again.  30 mins on a Fridays could give us a few minutes training update on each couple and would definitely help set the mood for the new series..... Well, I think it would be a good idea anyway. :)

I went to my friend Holly's for the opening weekend and had a great time watching the shows with her.  She even made these very clever and very yummy Strictly Snacks for us, and YES they really did taste as good as they looked! :)

My usual Haribos and Percy Pigs just can't compete with these and I might have to try my hand at baking fairy cakes or something.... Thanks Holly for the FAB weekend, and also the lovely goodies :) x

I got told off a little for using BBC pics in my last blog update, so I've had to use some dodgy screencaps that I've snapped  from my TV this time. :D

Friday

Tess Dress - I can't decide if this is a HIT or a MISS It falls somewhere in between but leaning slightly a bit more on the HIT side so I will score it a >> (6)


Fern & Artem : Cha Cha - Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Not too bad, and got quite a nice partnership, but despite me having them in not one but TWO Strictly Sweepstakes, and with a chance of winning £14 in one and £28 in the other, I still don't have much interest in them.

Fern is looking nice though in a purple dress with flouncy hemline that she did indeed like to flounce.... A LOT!

Judges : 4 5 5 5 = 19
Me : 5
Dress : 6

Nicky & Karen : Waltz - I Wonder Why

I was a bit disappointed in this one. I had been really looking forward to seeing Nicky, but kind of had an idea it wasn't going to end well when we saw his training footage with the lift in it.  I know zilch about dance but just enough to know that a lift isn't allowed in a waltz, so would imagine Karen definitely knows this too!  Maybe she also knows that she can afford to be a bit controversial and risk annoying the judges as Nicky has a huge fanbase that will likely carry him through any dramas, so like Aliona with Harry last year, she can play around a bit to be noticed without risking elimination(?)  Nicky wasn't quite as good as I had anticipated either but I think he will get much better.  The judges were VERY harsh given it was week one and they definitely deserved more than the 2 that Craig gave! - Karen did him no favours putting that silly lift in!

Karen's dress - Not one of my favourite dresses.... Bright yellow with swirly patterned top and frilly bottom.

Judges : 2 5 5 5 = 17
Me : 5
Dress : 5

Michael & Natalie : Waltz - If You Don't Know Me By Now

Definitely better than I had thought he would be although I'm not too sure his latin will look quite as promising. Sticky out bum as the judges pointed out but on a whole not too bad I don't suppose. I barely know who he is though so I might have more interest as the weeks go on if he stays in.

Natalie's dress - Red dresses on SCD usually look pretty nice and this one was no exception. Natalie looked lovely.

Judges : 5 5 6 4 = 20
Me : 5
Dress : 8

Victoria & Brendan : Cha Cha - Spinning Around

Aww I had been looking forward to Victoria and it just didn't go too well at all :-(  She lost her way pretty early in the routine and never really got it back again and it resulted in Brendan practically dragging her through the remainder of it!  She got really upset too which was a shame and I hope she doesn't let it knock her and she comes back much stronger next weekend. I imagine they will have ballroom which should hopefully help her out for a bit.

Not feeling too much love for the harem pants/jumpsuit she is wearing. I like the actual colour and style, and she does look amazing but we couldn't see her legs in it and asides from that I am not a big fan of the trousers on SCD ever since that year they totally jinxed every female pro/celeb who wore them!

Judges :  3 4 5 4 = 16
Me : 4
Dress : 6

Colin & Kristina : Cha Cha - I Feel Good

The best cha cha of the night, and I think Colin could turn out to be one to watch. His moves are pretty camp looking though and I was not digging the animal print shirt!!!  I also still don't think him and Kristina look like a good pairing and while I think he could be a pretty decent ballroom dancer, I don't think they will look comfortable in hold with the height difference.

Kristina wearing a gold/bronze sparkly piece of material draped here and there, and not really my cup of tea.

Judges : 4 7 6 6 = 23
Me : 6
Dress : 5

Denise & James : Waltz - With You I'm Born Again

Really enjoyed this one.  I quite like that we have good dancers from the word go, so don't mind the previous dance experience from some.  This was a lovely waltz and I think if it had been on the Saturday night when the judges were a little more generous it would have scored higher. My favourite dance of the night for sure and I also really love this song which always helps me enjoy a dance. Not sure if the constant 'banter' between them won't wear me down  though as I'm already getting bored of it and there is a a looooong way to go.

Not only was it my favourite dance and song of the night, but Denise's dress was also the best of the night.

Judges : 6 6 6 7 = 25
Me : 7
Dress : 8

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturday

It all kicked off with a Pro dance to Pixie Lott : All About Tonight which was FAB! I have liked the way they have made a bit of a 'production' of the pro dances so far with the great opening theme on the launch, and now this one which starts off with a few backstage shots.... I like this idea :)  I say it all the time but our pro dancers really do a great job on Strictly and deserve a whole show of their own at least once a year.    Anyway, lovely purple/blue sparkly fringed costumes which were also fab. >> (9)

Bruce cracks a 50 Shades of Grey joke which was a bit funny although admittedly I am probably the only viewer who still laughs at any of his jokes..... I'm easily amused!

Tess Dress : I'll give this one a MISS (4)

Kimberley & Pasha : Cha Cha - Domino

I really enjoyed this one and think Kimberley will definitely improve week on week and I'm looking forward to seeing her progress. Her and Pasha are a nice partnership and she has her experience as a performer on her side.  A very enjoyable couple and they'll go far :)

A lovely peach/gold fringed dress.

Judges : 7 7 7 7 = 28

Me : 7

Dress : 8

Sid & Ola : Waltz - I Won't Give Up

Well I have to take back what I said about Sid before as he really was so much better than I would ever have imagined. Definitely one of the shocks of the weekend for me and if his latin is as good as his ballroom, then he could be a real dark horse. 

Ola's dress was lovely.... A really nice blue although maybe not your typical waltz style dress

Judges : 6 6 7 7 = 26

Me : 7

Dress : 7

Johnny & Iveta : Cha Cha - Drive My Car

As lovely as he is, I really don't think Johnny will be in the show too long. There are a lot of celebs with good potential this year and I don't think he will manage to outlast many of them.  The new pro girl Iveta who is temporarily replacing Aliona seems nice and I wonder if she might be back in a year or two.

Nice pink/silver sparkly fringed dress. 

Judges : 3 5 5 4 = 17

Me : 3

Dress : 8

 Dani & Vincent : Waltz - Open Arms

These two seem to be a really nice partnership and call themselves Team Smurf with Vincent being Papa Smurf :D ... Very cute! :D 

This was nice and I think Dani will improve a lot through time. Lovely routine and a gorgeous song which had previously been used by Flavia and Matt in series 5, and in a dance that they scored a PERFECT 40 in.  I would only reuse a song if it wasn't from an 'iconic' dance although in fairness it is probably only us 'super-fans' who remember details like who already used a particular song, and what score it got. 

I'm looking forward to seeing their latin as I remember Dani in that Let's Dance show on TV and she was great. 

Lovely coral coloured dress.

Judges score : 5 5 6 5 = 21

Me : 6

Dress : 7

Lisa & Robin : Cha Cha - Think

LOVED this cha cha from them and definitely the shocker of the weekend! What a JOY to watch and I hope they can continue to be as good.  A real feel good upbeat dance that took most by surprise and fully deserved such a good score.

Not too keen on the blue/black colour combination of Lisas dress but good style for her.

Judges : 8 8 7 7 = 30
Me : 8
Dress : 4

Richard & Erin : Waltz - You Don't Bring Me Flowers

I enjoyed this more than most of the judges did and thought it was a pretty nice routine.  Regardless of what Bruno said I really didn't need to see a camp waltz from them(?) - Good effort from Richard although I don't think they will go too much further.

Erin usually always has lovely ballroom dresses and this one was pretty nice too.

Judges : 5 5 7 5
Me : 6
Dress : 8

Jerry & Anton : Cha Cha - Everyone Loves To Cha Cha Vha

I like Jerry and think she seems to be great fun  but there really wasn't too much effort going into this from what I could see. Anton is good at the role he plays on Strictly, but I really am bored of the latin routines he produces for his celebs. If things don't pick up then I can't see them lasting too long.

Lovely dress and she does look very elegant and glamorous.

Judges : 3 5 5 5 = 18
Me : 4
Dress : 7

Louis & Flavia : Cha Cha - Forget You

The one I had been waiting for and I wasn't disappointed!  LOVED this routine and it was a fab song choice for them. Great choreography from Flav with a cool one handed handstand thrown in which really added to the dance. I hope Flav gets to try out some cool gymnastic moves herself at some point, and can imagine her heading off to training for the day dressed something like this.... :D

My favourite dance of the whole weekend and this is likely to be something I'll be saying on a regular basis.  Anyone likely to read this will already know I am incredibly biased and Flav will always have the best dance, song, dress and partner no matter who or what she is up against, lol :D .... That is just how we roll in DillyWorld  :D

Gorgeous silver fringed dress, fab for this cha cha!

Judges : 6 8 6 7 = 27
Me : 8
Dress : 9

Next week we have a bit of a mixed bag of dances with some Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot, Salsa, Cha Cha and Jive to name a few.... Not sure I like so many different ones on week 2  and would prefer the usual Foxtrot/Salsa combo but I suppose it makes it a little more varied for the 2 hour show.  Planning my Strictly Snacks but haven't a hope of matching last weeks lovely selection of home baked cakes/biscuits from Holly. :)

Roll on Saturday!  

xx