It Takes Two - Wednesday 27th October

Coming up on tonight's show: Kara & Artem; Len Goodman's Dance Clinic; Ian Waite with the midweek report; Matt & Aliona

Kara & Artem,

They loved the dance, though Kara felt at the start of the week that the music was slow and boring.  She's scared by the fact that even with letting go it wasn't enough, so where can she go from here?

Kara isn't naturally very competitive but Artem (as any professional dancer would be) is very competitive (just ask any of my friends!!!)

I think they could perform a very good Paso Doble this weekend.

Karen Hardy on Paso Doble

Karen makes a slight error I think in saying that the Paso originated in Spain, although the music is Spanish the dance itself originated in France.

However the rest of her VT and tips are great.

Ian Waite and the midweek report.

Paso Doble

Jimi & Flava: Should be no hip action in Paso.  Needs to bring some shaping into his arm movements, curving the arms round above his head.

Gavin & Katya: Poor cape usage, looks like a dishcloth.  However could be a great dance for him.

Ann & Anton: All the steps are correct...though she looks like she's treading through mud.

Jive

Pamela & James: Looks like she's done some dancing previously, an inner sense of posture and finishes her hand movements.

Patsy & Robin: Similar character as the Charleston so should be good for Patsy.

Viennese Waltz

Felicity & Vincent: Their beginning is all about Felicity's acting skills.

Scott & Natalie: Brilliant, free-flowing movement.  However needs to keep himself upright rather than tilting his head towards Natalie.

Argentine Tango

Tina & Jared: Need to be closer in the top half of their hold.

Len's Dance Clinic

Where should I start learning to dance?  Latin - Salsa, as you can then move onto Rumba and Cha Cha Cha easily; Ballroom - Waltz.

Why do you keep knees flexed in Tango?  The Tango is characterised by the stalking of prey. I also think that it allowed the Gaucho to get closer to his Lady of the Night.

How can I make my dancing more flamboyant? Upper body - the lower body deals with the rhythm, the upper body is the affectation of the music.

 Matt & Aliona,

Over the moon to have upped their score from 31 in the first 3 weeks.  Previously Aliona felt Matt was not expressing the dances as well as he could, up until the Charleston and that's why they got such high scores.

We'll be seeing Argentine Tango from them on Saturday night.

It Takes Two - Tuesday 26th October

On today's show: Michelle, Ian & Brendan; Karen Hardy Choreography Corner; Pamela & James; Gavin & Katya.

So first up are Michelle & Ian, fresh from their bottom two finish on Saturday night, joined by Brendan Cole back from his father's funeral.  Brendan reveals that he felt a little jealous watching Michelle dancing with Ian on Saturday night.

Ian felt nervous about the responsibility of making sure that Michelle made it through to the next week so that she could go back to dancing with Brendan.

Michelle has the Jive this weekend, I'm guessing it's going to be a disaster and this could be the week Michelle goes, but I will have to wait to see the training videos to be sure.

I'm afraid I always skip past the "Out of the Glitterball" section so I can't tell you much about that.

Now onto Karen Hardy's Choreography Corner,

Karen reveals she likes the added extras and props, so long as it's not overboard and doesn't last too long. 

First for analysis is Felicity & Vincent: Looking at their floor spin with Felicity balanced on one leg.  Karen applauds the trust between them and also Felicity's flexibility.

Jimi & Flavia: Claudia felt they were undermarked.  Karen doesn't agree with Bruno that Jimi was out of time with his cane work and actually felt he was "masterful".

Matt & Aliona: a "brilliant" double cartwheel though Tina & Jared performed the same move slightly lighter.

Scott & Natalie: great "light and shade" in their dance, really using the music to express the dance.

Gavin & Katya: Gavin's strength in his legs allowed them to do a throwaway oversway all the way down to the ground, when they could've done a much easier movement.

Ann & Anton: Whilst everyone wants to talk about the "flying hippo" Karen concentrates on the outside swivels and her basics and body contact, something Ann is improving at.

Patsy & Robin: "Great Charleston, classic".  She doesn't need any gimmicks or gizmos.

Pamela & James

Pamela reveals she wasn't worried about the score itself, but rather James' reaction to it.  James wasn't disappointed by the scores as apparently in training they'd only managed to get through it once out of three attempts.

Also it appears that this was the first Tango that James has performed on Strictly.  This weekend they will be dancing the Jive and I look forward to seeing their training.

Gavin & Katya,

Gavin is a bit of a mixed bag for me, some weeks he seems to be really developing and then one thing, like the slip at the start on Saturday, throws him back into himself.

It looks like Gavin will be the first person this series to visit an acting coach and let's hope this increases his confidence.

Personally I don't tend to touch my hair after I first do it in the morning so I can't quite understand the fascination, though I must admit his hair is looking quite good today!

They have Paso Doble this weekend, which requires even more acting than the Tango so if Gavin doesn't start coming out of his shell this could be another poor performing week.

I'll update tomorrow with some of the training videos, and I might actually be able to do that one live this week!

Michelle Williams & Ian Waite (in place of Brendan) - Tango

Craig was quoted this week as saying that he thinks Ian may prove to be a better partner for Michelle than Brendan for the Tango.

Michelle is definitely looking miles better than she has so far in this competition, 10 seconds in it's already her best dance.  Still a little shaky and awkward at times but being in hold is doing her the world of good.  Appears to have been a slight error near the end there, can't work out whether it was Ian's fault or not...Ian's apology at the end answers that question!

Her best dance and I'm going to give it a 7.

Craig: 6 "Footwork went a little bit wrong...being in hold and this dance is definitely your thing"
Len: 7 "Very gallant to admit [to Ian about his mistake]...felt you were comfortable throughout the dance...sometimes good"
Alisha: 7 "I feel like you're getting into your stride now"
Bruno: 7 "Much stronger...more focus...much much better"

Total Score: 27

Strictly Come Dancing launch show

Strictly’s back, we’re back, everyone’s back…well except for a few of our favourite professionals.

What do I think of this year’s lineup?  Quite a good lineup even if the average age is apparently now 45.  There’s a few people (as usual) that I have no idea who they are but there does appear to be more potential here.

So first partnerships are Scott Maslen and Natalie Lowe and Scott doesn’t appear to know where to put his lips.  Matt Baker is up next and is paired with Aliona Vilani (something she doesn’t look entirely ecstatic about surprisingly).  Finally Peter Shilton (I’m predicting Kristina Rihanoff), but no he get’s Erin Boag.

The transfer to ‘the tower’ seems a little bit awkward and far too staged but hey, this is Strictly after all. 

Now to meet the new professionals Robin Windsor, Artem Chigvintsev and Jared Murillo.  First impressions are Artem and Robin have good promise, though Robin looked a little shaky, however Jared looks completely out of his depth in the first dance and will certainly have to step it up if he wants to prove the producers were right to drop the established professionals.

Now our first female celeb partnerships are Michelle Williams and Brendan Cole – a very promising partnership on paper, Pamela Stephenson gets James Jordan, watching Jared in the lineup further supports my theory that he’s not at home up there but I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t pair him with Tina O’Brien…not a bad guess it turns out!

So some VT showing the celebs trying their first group dance and a few potentials but not really enough shown of each celeb for me to comment on.

Our next round of partnerships; Paul Daniels and Ola Jordan; Patsy Kensit gets Robin Windsor; and Goldie is paired with Kristina Rihanoff.

Let’s see how Jared performs in the next group dance…complete with a flying Vincent and Flavia and a leaping Brendan Cole.  Someone’s definitely been working with these guys to make it more of a show than a ballroom demo and I must admit it’s not a bad choice in this instance.  Didn’t get to see much of Jared but he is starting to look more at home.

So we’re over halfway through our celeb partnerships, who’s next?

Kara Tointon proves she’s starting as a beginner when she thinks her Salsa with Mark Ramprakash is actually a Samba, so Artem has his work cut out for him! Jimi Mistry has Flavia Cacace and Gavin Henson is left with Katya Virshilas – not a bad girl to be left with.

For once I agree with Alesha…you can’t predict how all the partnerships are going to work until we see them actually dancing.

Our first look at the ‘Strictly Show Dancers’ and I’m hoping to see a reason why they’re on the show.  A good performance but I’m struggling to see what the point is when the preceding pro dance was more of a show dance.  Don’t get me wrong, I like Ian and Darren but they’ll need to step it up!

Our final two pairings are Felicity Kendal (a personal boyhood fave!) with Vincent Simone and Anne Widdecombe is ready to get her claws into Anton Du Beke (a no brainer based on his past partners).

I really can’t call this one just yet; it’d be nice to see how their training is coming along.  After seeing the group dance, Gavin and Peter have a mountain to climb, but Anne should have public support.  Felicity is looking promising as is Pamela.  Jimi will be interesting but Matt and Scott show a bit of promise.  Out of all that I’ve seen so far I’m tipping Matt, Pamela and Felicity to do well.

What did you guys think of the opening show?

Strictly Professionals for 2010 announced

So returning to compete with celebrities this year are:

Anton du Beke, Brendan Cole, James Jordan, Vincent Simone, Ola Jordan, Flavia Cacace, Erin Boag, Kristina Rihanoff, Natalie Lowe, Aliona Vilani, Katya Virshilas

Added to this are three new professional dancers (3 girls were added last year so 3 guys are added this year):

Images courtesy of BBC Strictly mini-site

ARTEM CHIGVINTSEV, a Latin Champion who is a graduate of 'So You Think You Can Dance' in the US and has unique experience of very different dancing genres in addition to his ballroom champion-level skill.
JARED MURILLO, who at 21, was a US open Swing Youth champion. Trained in America, Jared was a principal dancer in the movies 'High School Musical' 1 & 2.
ROBIN WINDSOR has completed five world tours of the worldwide ballroom dancing phenomenon 'Burn the Floor', in which he has starred and choreographed routines.


The BBC have reduced the number of celebrities from 16 to 14 this year (I think a good move as last year did feel like there was just too many).  This has meant however that 5 of the existing professionals are now not going to compete this year - Darren & Lilia, Ian Waite, Matthew Cutler and Brian Fortuna.  They have been offered the opportunity to form a 'dance supergroup', along with some other as yet unnamed professionals, that will come on each week and perform a dance spectacle for the audience.

At present Brian has confirmed that he will not take part, and will concentrate on the West End production of Burn The Floor with Ali Bastian, and it is rumoured that Darren & Lilia have also declined - they may also wish to concentrate on their Latin Fever tour.  Ian and Matthew have yet to respond, neither have a show on the side as they are both on the Professionals Tour, so may both agree to take part this year.

So, the BBC tinker with the formula again and only time will tell whether they have more luck than last year.  Amid rumours last week that Alesha was due to quite as judge (yay!) the Daily Star and Sun have stated that she is due to re-sign for another year (boo!).

Have any of your favourites been ditched this year, or are you looking forward to some new blood?

Strictly Posh Dancing?

So a new series of Strictly Come Dancing is fast approaching and talk turns to who could be taking part this year.  Last year's show was a bit of a letdown for some in terms of the celebrities selected and the BBC want to make amends this year.

According to The Sun Strictly are lining up a number of high profile celebrities for this year's competition, top targets include Victoria Beckham, Amy Winehouse, Chelsea Clinton (ex-US president Bill's daughter) and [controversially if Chelsea signs up too] Monica Lewinsky [Bill's former 'secretary with benefits'].

Other targets are said to include Kimberley Walsh (Girls Aloud) and Patsy Kensit (Lethal Weapon 2 and currently Holby City).

It's not all glitz and glamour though as they're also purportedly considering former Cheeky Girl fancier, oh and ex-Lib Dem MP, Lembit Opik!

There are also going to be more planned recordings from Blackpool Tower (though not a complete move - something Ian Waite agrees isn't feasible in an interview with Digital Spy).

Talk is also abound of changes in the professional lineup, with the new producer having flown out to the States to audition potential new pro's...why they couldn't start with more homegrown talent is beyond me (hint BBC if you're listening...give me a call!!!)

Alesha Dixon is currently continuing as a judge (though no offense Alesha but I hope they drop you for someone with even a little bit more knowledge).  Surely a departing female professional could've been a viable option.

Regardless of the changes, or non-, i'll still be avidly watching and giving my own views on the performances.

Who knows, one day I might even be on the show - even if it's in the dark recesses of the public audience!

How would you change this year's Strictly, and who would you like to see on the show?

Jade Johnson & Ian Waite Tango

After seeing that there's no doubt that Jade was an incredibly strong contender for this title.

My old teacher Mary (Ian's step-mum) choreographed this dance and was gutted when they couldn't perform it on the night.

I feel so sorry for Ian as this was probably his best chance for making it to the final, let's hope he gets someone equally as good next year.

Saturday night and Brucie's back in business

Unfortunately Jade has had to pull out of the competition.

Such a shame as they really looked like they had potential together. Oh well, that makes the final a two (rather than three) couple affair.

Let's see how everyone else performs tonight, and whether Laila has fully recovered.

The moment of truth, dance off, and result

Who stays, and who has to dance again?

Well done Ian for getting through!

So Phil gets public support, how about CK?

Out of those bottom 3 (Laila, Ricky Groves, Craig) I think Laila will be through...

Sorry CK but I think your time is definitely up now!

Good to see Ricky gets the arms correct this time, and dances better than earlier.

A better performance too from Craig but no question that it's his swan song and i'm predicting a 4-0 form the judges.

4-0 it is. Craig got his dream of getting to Blackpool but it would've been a travesty if he had got any further.

Professional's Viennese Waltz

The group Viennese Waltz was choreographed by Ian Waite - apparently the chandeliers are in completely different positions from where he was originally told!


Looks like the pro's have managed to cope though.

Jade Johnson & Ian Waite - Jive

Whilst Ian's certainly never had a problem performing a Jive (considering his height), Jade may find she struggles with the speed of movement required.

Looks to be a slightly flat beginning, but it's good to see her toes pointing down during the flicks.

Maybe I spoke too soon, when they're in their Lindyhop section her toes seem to be flicking around all over the place!

An ok performance but I expected better, should easily achieve 8's though.

Karen Hardy comes on and makes a comment about how although RW made mistakes he still kept his head up and looked confident throughout, Jade made no mistakes yet had her head dropped throughout most of the dance.

Judges scores: CRH 8, LG 8, AD 9, BT 8.

Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster to perform at Blackpool

Rod Stewart has been revealed as the musical guest for this Saturday's Strictly Come Dancing, which comes live from Blackpool Tower Ballroom, the home of ballroom dancing. Rod will be performing the hit 'Same Old Song' - and will be joined by his wife, and former Strictly contestant, Penny Lancaster, making it a real family affair!


Penny will be teaming up with Strictly professional dancer, Matthew Cutler, to perform a Cha Cha Cha during Rod's performance.

This will be the first time that Penny has returned to the show since competing in series five in 2007.

Penny didn’t get to perform the Cha Cha Cha when she was on the show so it's a dance she has waited a long time to do.

Rod and Penny will be flying up to Blackpool in their own private jet, while the rest of the Strictly crew will be travelling up by coach. Strictly professional dancer, Ian Waite, partnered Penny when she was on Strictly so he may try to cadge a lift for him and Jade!

Oh and if anyone fancies getting me in for the show on Saturday I definitely won't say no - private jet not required!

Jade Johnson & Ian Waite - Foxtrot

The Foxtrot is a slow and elegant dance and, like most ballroom dances, tends to suit the taller couples - and these two are certainly both tall!

For an athlete Jade does manage to pull off elegant quite well. A little bit of gapping between them , Jade needs to slow down when she's the one going backward and her left shoulder just has a tendency to pop up at times.

A very good performance however and could achieve 9's tonight.

The result

Same as last week, I don't think anyone has to predict this one!

Another no-question 4-0 send home.

This is going to make the next couple of weeks really tough for those that are left though as the two [debatably] worst dancers have now left the show.

The dance off!

Time for Jo to go i'm afraid.

Another good performance from Jade & Ian and a better one from Jo but still no contest between the two.

The moment of truth!

Expecting a Jo and Craig dance-off, but how will the audience have voted? Also for those that were at the Royal Albert Hall with us last week I hope you recognised the World Champions on the night doing their display!

Truly amazing dancers and you can see why they're number 1 in the world! Shame we were up in the circle as you do miss the impact from dancers like that.

---

On to the moment of truth then, and a shock first save for Craig.

Surprised to see Jade & Ian in the dance-off, but no chance now that Jo will survive to dance again next week.

Jade Johnson & Ian Waite - Samba

So Ian has done well in the Samba in the past, let's see how they get on tonight.

Jade needs to pick her head up and it's not as bouncy-feeling as i'd have liked but overall a very good performance.

Not sure how the judges will go but I think it'll be 8-9.

The result

Don't think anyone really needs me to predict on this one do they?

If it's not 4-0 i'll eat my laptop!

Didn't realise Ian was moonlighting with Zoe!

...and there's the confirmation from Len.

I think Joe needed to go, but he definitely went out on his best dance - what do you think?

Leaderboard

All the celeb's have danced, how does the leaderboard look?

1. 36 points - Ricky & Natalie
2. 35 points - Jade & Ian
3. 30 points - Zoe & James
4. 29 points - Ali & Brian
5. 27 points - Natalie & Vincent
6. 27 points - Phil & Katya
7. 25 points - Ricky & Erin
8. 23 points - Jo & Brendan
9. 22 points - Laila & Anton
10. 22 points - Chris & Ola
11. 21 points - Joe & Kristina
12. 20 points - Craig & Flavia

Well Joe managed to lift himself from the bottom, though didn't expect Craig to be at the bottom. Would've personally put Jade & Ian at the top but maybe I'm biased!

I think it'll be a Laila and Craig dance-off.

Ricky Whittle & Natalie Lowe - Viennese Waltz

For me Ricky's ballroom frame has not yet been good enough to warrant the marks he's received, let's see if it's any better tonight.

Looking much, much better Ricky, just please hold that frame!!!

Well this could definitely give Jade a run for her money, though does appear to lost balance during the reverse fleckles.

An impressive performance, almost as good as Jade's but I don't think quite as good, should get some 9's but I think it'll be a point behind Jade.