Monday 4 November 2013

Fright Night IV

Viewers beware, we are entering the fourth year of Strictly's Halloween theme nights...or as we like to call it The Worst of the Themes. As ever, I'm trying to go into this with an open mind (can't speak for Clover), although last year's Halloween episode opened with Dani and Vincent dancing to the Scooby Doo theme so hopes aren't high!

Tess is letting the side down by wearing a non-scary dress for once. Rip-roaring Time Warp number from the pros in the best spirit of Rocky Horror, if we could just leave it at that for Halloween I'd be happy!

Patrick and Anya
Poor Anya, everyone has amazingly detailed outfits and she's got an orange nylon sheet. Good choice of song and a rather snazzy routine, but epic gapping. I do worry that they've put them on first after him being in the bottom two, probably one of his best routines but there's a good chance he'll get forgotten during all the randomness we're undoubtedly in for tonight!

Fiona and Anton
The first example of a good routine being RUINED by Halloween. Cute song, Anton is surprisingly good at the Charleston and Fiona seemed to have picked it up pretty well. If there'd been fringing and 1920s touches then it could have been jolly good fun, but this was just...odd. And not even an entertaining odd.

Ben and Kristina
Well this was good, largely because this was the kind of paso that could have been done any week and all that was Halloween-y was the size of Kristina's hair. There was more choreography in that than in the last two weeks combined. Good cape-work actually too. They're obviously desperate to keep him in, but as long as he's doing actual dancing then it's ok for now...

Sophie and Brendan
Attack of the killer peplum! This was weirdy-weirdy-weird. I could see what was going on with the routine, but it just didn't work. Sophie was hopping around and then occasionally grabbing Brendan's shirt before they fell into a bit of panto at the end! I don't think it helped that the song was deathly dull with no crescendo or anything.

Natalie and Artem
This was a beautiful song choice, just right for the occasion and let them do a theme that wasn't too ridiculous. Artem always does an off-choice choreography routine, but at least there was dancing rather than sitting on a sofa or whatever. It was wafty, it was lovely, I wouldn't have given it 10s but the best of the night by far.

Mark and Iveta
Well this was always going to be the most random thing ever to grace our screens...But it was actually a paso! A paso between a boyband Ghostbuster and a Mars Attacks disco alien, but there you go. Only Iveta would listen to Starship Trooper and think, oooh yes, paso time, but she's fabulous and her methods cannot be questioned.

Rachel and Pasha
Thank goodness she's back to ballroom! Great song choice and styling for the number, even if it was just a made-up dance style. It started really well, but seemed to lose a bit of steam throughout. Plus I don't think you should be beaming like the happiest person in the world for your Halloween dance, Rachel! Definite improvement, should see her through.

Ashley and Ola
It is testament to how good this was that I got over the terrible, terrible song choice. And not just because it wasn't Things That Go Bump in the Night. It was an actual tango, there was staccato, there were pivots and drama. Well done Ola for yet another great routine, and rocking the Zombie Marie Antoinette look too! 

Abbey and Aljaz
There was a lot of expectation on this one, genius song choice and all that. And they just about pulled it off, I could have done with a bit more hip action but the routine as a whole was pretty good and non-tacky Halloween. And is there anything in this world Abbey can't make look good?

Dave and Karen
Someone on Twitter said Dave looked like moldy panda and I couldn't stop giggling about it. It was better than last week, it was in time for at least 70% of the routine and he did seem to remember what he was doing - but I shouldn't have to say this about someone in week six! It was funnier watching Chris Parker chase Hanna round in a circle...

Susanna and Kevin
So yeah, Susanna looks normal and Kevin looks like he's escaped from an RSPCA ad about mistreated animals. Another Charleston ruined by pointless Halloween theming, what was that song all about? She could have done a rip-roaring Charleston any other week, you could see she was really good at it!

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