Friday 10 December 2010

Blog-a-thon

FRIDAY

Wow, are we at the semis already? It's all gone so fast, this time next week and it'll all be over *tear*sob*sigh* Cue extra-extended VTs with meaningful music behind them...

Pamela and James
I've been waiting for this woman to do a paso for forever (or since about mid-October, practically the same thing), don't let me down! Ah and when you include Lady Gaga you let these two be as camp as ever. Pamela's facial expression was perfect and as ever James did make it a proper paso. Cracking dress too.
Rare is da lady who can pull off latin and ballroom with such, well, pizazz. Loved this. Yes, it was camp and overacted but who can't love those crazyfaces (trademark Karen Hardy/Camilla Dallerup 2006) The song choice was good for a non-paso-type-paso. All in all, a good effort. Methinks. The most amazing thing is that a 61 year old woman can wear an outfit like that...and get away with it. Pamela to win. No, Pamela for Prime Minister. I mean it.

Kara and Artem

This song has been used before, but rightfully so as it so perfect. Loved a tiny bit in the middle where I caught Kara giving Artem a little smile, so cute and I'm a right cynical cow. Spotted the sort-of-illegal-lift but it was totally accidental.
Too many of the songs have been used before. I have quitted niggling 'bouts it. I really like this song anyway so no moaning, oh no no. This was delightful. I've been comparing her to Ali Bastian and Rachel Stevens but she's not as sappy as they were - she appears to have a little more oomph. A worthy finalist. Dress reminded me of spearmint Softmints - or the colour of walls in a mental hospital -but never thee mind.

Katya and Gavin

Oh dear, poor Katya wearing some old lady's sofa fabric. Gavin reminded me of some local wine bar Lothario in this number, leering at the laydeez but not actually doing a lot of dancing. He has improved and what he did was good, but like Bruno said there's something lacking compared to the others. Katya is a star however.
Another re-used song but just so relieved to have samba music with an inkling of actual latin flavour to it. What the producers have against latin music is beyond me...but let me not rant. Again. I liked Katya's costume. It was Liliaesque. Oh but Gavin - he was still a bit wooden - will he ever become a real boy?

Scott and Natalie

That song is on the Finish dishwasher tablets advert, but I somehow managed to block out such thoughts for most of the dance. Natalie looked a-mazing! Those shoes were drool-worthy and the detailing on her top was perfect. Loved Bruno's comment he didn't know if Scott was a lover or a stalker, it was perfect and I think they really got the mood. Think the judges were a bit harsh overall but the scoring was ok!
It was also a Boots Christmas Advert a few years ago. Nice to hear another Gotan Project track (oh so awesome) Natalie looked stiff and so did he. This is what happens when ballroom pros take on other dances...it explains a whole lot of rah rah ah ah ah, roma roma ma, ga ga ooh la la, want your bad, uh, salsa. And Argentine tango. And uh, swing. But more of that later. If you want to see how it's done, check out the routine by Vincent and Flavia. Oh wait, there wasn't one.

Matt and Aliona

They love that desk, don't they? Really enjoyed this, it was good not-so-clean fun. Matt seemed nervous at the start and then started to enjoy it halfway through. Thought they did enough salsa steps and armwork. Not sure about the abundance of lifts, but the judges were being proper grumpy.
Oh boo hiss boo. This was rotten. Not only was the song all-of-sh-sh-shocking (oh-so-nearly-swore-then) These guys wouldn't know a salsa if it hit them on the head with a Cuban cigar and stripped them to their bloomers. At one point he was randomly writhing on top of her like a possessed camel. About as salsa as a roast potato. Badly done, Matthew, badly done.

Swing-a-thon

Well that felt quite ridiculous to type...I've actually been quite looking forward to this in the absence of a mass Viennese Waltz pile-up. This was probably one of the most insane things I have ever seen on Strictly - it was like Grease on acid! Why was Pamela wearing such massive shoes anyway? Matt and Kara were the best, but I feel Kara did spend a lot of time being thrown around and doing cartwheels rather than always dancing. Hurrah for the big old mish-mash of fun, not sure if it'll be back next year though!
This reminded me of a cringeworthy video my former boss showed me of a Northern Soul dance competition in Blackpool Tower Ballroom. Frankie's right about Pamela's shoes. The curse of the dance sneaker. Notso pretty. They went off in the order I expected whilst watching it - which kind of makes it seem fair.



SATURDAY

Scott and Natalie
Oh my word, it's like the world's campest fancy dress party! In the end I felt a bit underwhelmed by this, after his amazing jive I was expecting something fast and technical and it didn't feel like it was up to much. Not sure how I feel for Scott's chance, he can be great and is such a lovely guy but he's not very consistent.

Strictly meets Steamboat Willie. And they don't get on. Grossly underwhelming. And that is all.

Kara and Artem


I wasn't too sure that to make of this at first but got really drawn into it as it went on. Not liking the dress too much, she seemed to be wearing about twice as much fabric as she needed to be. The lack of lyrics in the song made it feel odd, but it did hold my attention and all the lines etc were amazing. Technically great, but not jumping up and down material for me - no Rachel Stevens who actually made me gasp like a saddo.

This wasn't just any rumba, this was a Marks and Spencer rumba. I wasn't so keen on this either really. I have a feeling that any other year, Len would have been havin' a go about it being too 'posy' - this year though, I knew they were going to love it. Loving the track but it just reminds me too much of those adverts. And I'd pick a melt in the middle chocolate pudding over this any day.

Matt and Aliona

I should have hated this song, but miraculously I didn't! The pivots sequence at the beginning was amazing - I do love a good pivot. There was tension and sex, leading, staccato and everything. Please let the Geordie through, it'll be like kicking a small farmyard animal if not...

The song shouldn't have worked. But it did. Perhaps we have become accustomed to rotten choices. This was impressive mostly because it really did look as though he was leading - something which it looks as though Scott never mastered. And in that case, then Matt was definitely the right one to go through.

Gavin and Katya

The song was perfect, as if Robbie Williams wrote it just to make sure that he got one of his songs on primetime tv again. It was pretty good, I didn't see anything relating to LampGate myself.

Katya dressed in a wigwam (a dreadfully under-used word - must try to find more uses for it). It was a gallant effort by Gavin but just too far below par for this point in the competition. A fine competitor who bowed out with grace. More grace than he showed in his dancing anyway. Poor soul.

Pamela and James


BBC cuts number 342: They only make Pam half a costume. The lament heard around the country all series strikes up once again 'Get into bloody hold!'. This was a great routine, but I felt like they wasted too much time on the opening when they could have fit in more quickstep fun. Not that there wasn't any fun, it was a delight to see them skipping about to an old-school song. Loved her genuine surprise at a 40, hilarious!

I think Pamela dances wonderfully out of hold (despite the odd wobble from time to time, of course) and perhaps that is why James - now he is allowed - has choreographed thus. This was a lovely quicketyquickstep. And as far as gimmicks go, this was one of the better ones. Was so relieved when a skirt appeared for the 'in hold' part of the dance. Can you imagine a quickstep without a skirt? I don't think Britain's ready for that.


And so we say goodbye to Gavin and Scott, not sad to see Gavin go but Scott had provided us with some great dances. Too bad we are denied the joy of the world showdance champions writhing around on the floor with some music playing in the background, what a pity. So this time next week it'll be all over, but there will be much randomness and manic episodes of ITT to come!

I'm gonna just come out and say it: PAMELA TO WIN.

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