Strictly Come Dancing 2024

I knew the minute Anton voted for the other couple what Shirley's decision would be @Busy-Lizzie . Sometimes I think it would be better to have 3 or 5 judges, then this situation wouldn't arise.

 

I assumed Shirley would vote Wynne off. She's normally letching over the fit looking men.

 

I find Shirley increasingly exasperating and don't rate Anton much as an objective judge. He's also increasingly inarticulate in his comments.

I think the wrong couple went but I don't think either one is finals material so it doesn't matter in the long run except for the integrity of the judging process.

 

Always controversial when judges don’t agree, and having four but one with the casting vote seems a bit unfair maybe?

It’s just a bit of escapism for me anyway and an antidote to the serious side of life.

 

I agree with you @AuntyRach about the four judges and one having the casting vote, rather unfair. I must admit sometimes I think I've watched a different dance to the judges!

 

The 4 judges all have backgrounds in different areas of dance. Latin, ballroom, theatre etc so will probably be looking at the performance in different ways. Whether that's a good or bad thing is probably open to debate.

 

I will have to re-think my favourite. I've read that Tasha has danced professionally and has been dancing since she was 5. I thought they were supposed to be amateurs?

 

As I understand it @KT53 to be a Latin dance champion you have to win competitions consisting of the 5 Latin ballroom dances - cha-cha, jive, paso doble, rumba and samba. To be a Ballroom champuion, you have to excel in all 10 ballroom dances so the 5 Latin plus English and Viennese waltzes, Foxtrot, quickstep and Tango. Salsa, Argentine Tango, Hip Hop etc are separate disciplines with different rules and standards. I await the day they introduce Bacchata or Kizomba or make all the contestants do a complicated line-dance.

To be a ballroom judge or teacher like Motzi, Shirley or Anton you have to know the basic steps, lots of figures and correct postures plus a lot more of all the dances. Craig is the only one coming form a showbiz/theatre background yet he, surprisingly, is the most consistent and objective judge.

 

I agree that the contestants should all be amateur, i.e. not have extensive dance experience, but that hasn't been the way for years. The show needs to go back to the original format.

 

Just a reminder that tonight's show is the Blackpool special, it begins at 6.45pm and finishes at 8.15pm .

 

Well, Blackpool was certainly interesting.

I enjoyed the Pet Shop Boys opening medley with the professional dancers. As for Chris and Diane, personally for me that was something really enjoyable.
There's something about a chap in a tail suit gliding across the tower ballroom floor with his partner that makes me go mushy inside.

At the other end of the spectrum we have Pete Wicks in pink PVC trousers dancing to "I'm too sexy". All I can say is the man is a good sport.

JB and Lauren just seemed to disappear in amongst the backing dancers, and the pace of the song was completely destroyed ("Never going to give you up" by Rick Astley).

Sarah and Vito - I felt a bit underwhelmed by it. Might have been to do with the darkness interspersed with flashing lights. As someone who suffers from migraine I just couldn't watch a lot of it, but I did agree with Craig that Sarah seemed to just disappear into the pack.

Finally, Jamie and Michelle and the giant sauce bottle etc.

"Did you ever dance at Blackpool granny ?"

"Oh yes, I danced in the Tower Ballroom and appeared on television"

"Did you wear a beautiful dress ?"

"Er, no. I was dressed as a sachet of tomato sauce".

I do love the ketchup song though. Had a lot of fun dancing to that back in the day (but not dressed as a mustard sachet either).

 

Mixed night for me. I really enjoyed Chris and Diane's American Smooth. Just lovely. I also very much enjoyed Tasha and Alijaz's Paso. Very clever choreography from both pros.

I found Sarah's dance well performed but a boring choreography; JB and partner got lost in all those jazzy costumes and fancy lighting and the backing dancers weren't exactly in the back so they got lost; I really did not like Montell and Jojo's dance. I thought Jamie and Michelle's music was better suited to a proper (not Strictlyfied) salsa and his performance just OK.

Pete is certainly a good sport but Possum couldn't bring herself to watch once those shiny pink pants got going. I was stuck between costume horror and discomfort and not a lot of cha-cha.

Loved Wyn and Katya's music choice but the performance didn't speak to me of Charleston and his footwork was poor.

 

Well Humph!

I don't know what was worse - a salsa that had no salsa armography or steps and a Charleston with polka and all sorts of other stuff going on and not a lot of Charleston.

I do know which was cleverer and more fun though.

I also think that, given the size of the floor and its sprung flooring, there maybe ought to be a majority of proper ballroom dances next year so they can take full advantage.

I did not like the dance with Bluey, whatever that is. Too contrived. Gene Kelly and Jerry it was not!

And why were the Pet Shop Boys massacring Mott the Hoople? What's wrong with their own stuff?

Double and triple humph!

 

Of the 2 couples in the dance off I think the right couple went. But one couple should have been in the dance off and wasn't. Maybe because of his courage!

 

Pete's expression and total lack of positive reaction when told they were through spoke a thousand words. He knew their performance was bad, but at least it was one of the weaker couples who left.
We do need to accept that it's more of a popularity poll, with a bit of dance thrown in, than a true dance competition.