Strictly Come Dancing Week 1 Day 2
So we had a pretty busy weekend of teaching and weren’t able to blog during the second show. I’ve decided to analyse the second show all in one big entry rather than spamming everyone with 8 separate entries two days after the live show.
Going forward I’ll probably just do a Monday analysis of the weekend show as certainly the whole of October is going to be difficult for me to watch the show live.
On to Saturday’s show:
Kimberley & Pasha – Cha Cha Cha
It’s a confident start with some nice hip action though she does look unsteady on her feet at points. I’d like to see her use the floor a bit better as her action feels a bit harsh and forced at times.
I can’t quite tell if she makes a mistake during her natural top but it certainly looks that way.
Overall a good start to the show though and I think I’ll give her a 7.
Craig: 7 “Finally some dance talent…incandescent”
Darcey: 7 “You gave us the WOW factor…strengthen that core [to improve the hip action]”
Len: 7 “I’m going to call you nimble Kimble…little bit more pressure through the floor…fantastic impression”
Bruno: 7 “You definitely know how to sell it…did it beautifully…[need to develop] better hip action”
Total = 28
Sid & Ola – Waltz
Sid looks a little uncomfortable at the start but once they get together he seems to relax into it. It’s a nice elegant start though he still has a tendency to come down on the heel too early on steps such as his chasse, which is a shame as his rise and fall is generally quite good.
Some nice pivots though the heel feels a little too pronounced. It’s great to see how emotional he is at the end, really shows how much he gave to that performance.
A very nice Waltz I think I’m going to give him an 7.
Craig: 6 “Arms when placed were a little bit plonky…thumb needs to be tucked under…great movement around the floor…fantastic storytelling”
Darcey: 6 “You presented yourself so well…great intensity…I’m going to love watching you every week”
Len: 7 “You scrub up well…bit dainty [to start]…[once you got started] it had good movement…footwork was pretty good…right shoulder keeps leading”
Bruno: 7 “I cannot believe it…I was expecting a rugged thug…intensity, correct posture, erection…created the mood so well…footwork wasn’t bad at all”
Total = 26
Johnny & Aliona/Iveta – Cha Cha Cha
Unfortunately Johnny starts out of time and there’s is a distinct lack of technique which I’m afraid to say is unsurprising. He definitely looks to be enjoying himself though I think Craig will complain about him singing along!
Johnny would have benefited from a Waltz as his first dance but full marks for trying. He has some good hand placement and shaping at times, even if they are flung out slightly, unfortunately the rest of the time they do tend to hang there like wet fish.
A noble effort and for me a 5.
Craig: 3 “Never really been a big fan of miming…very distracting…looked like you had a disorder of the nervous system…little bit more fluidity would be good”
Darcey: 5 “Great energy…you surprised me…your weight is always on your heels [bring it forward over the toes for better hip action]”
Len: 5 “All a bit ‘last of the summer wine’…you had good timing…plenty of content…lot of people [your age] would want to get out and move like that”
Bruno: 4 “I think you failed the MOT…on the plus side you completed the lap…looking forward to seeing your ballroom”
Total = 17
Dani & Vincent – Waltz
I thought Dani looked really promising in training, so let’s hope she can live up to it.
Needs to keep her head a little straighter when she leans to one side or the other as she looks like she’s collapsing a little at the moment, also needs to make her chasse action smoother.
There’s some very nice extensions but the routine is so fast that she does skip through large chunks of it. A good start but room for improvement, a 6 from me.
Craig: 5 “You need to extend your leg fully…when you spin don’t spot the floor…thought you had a beautiful back”
Darcey: 5 “I was impressed with your travelling…imagine you have the most beautiful necklace on [to improve your head posture]”
Len: 6 “Work on [the detail]…spins on your own were a little bit wobbly…thought it was very nice”
Bruno: 5 “Smile, enjoy the occasion…all the tension you create stops the movement & flow…get a little anxious and you start skipping like a little kangaroo”
Total = 21
Lisa & Robin – Cha Cha Cha
Already I’m smiling and they’ve only just started dancing! Some really good energy and great use of the arms. The whole routine is fun and really well acted.
Would like to see some more hip action but I think the speed of the routine works against them for that. Brilliant ending with Robin jumping up for Lisa to hold him up.
A great performance and a 7 from me.
Craig: 8 “YOU CAN DANCE!”
Darcey: 8 “I love someone who can take risks…a great and amazing end…you’re going to be a joy to watch during this show”
Len: 7 “You’re a funky monkey…flat out and fun…like a fizzy bottle of cola…what it lacked in technique it made up for in energy and fun”
Bruno: 7 “That was grand, big, beautiful entertainment…never seen people so happy”
Total = 30, highest score of the weekend so far, I’m still smiling so it was that good!
Richard & Erin – Waltz
Richard looks like a classic Ballroom dancer at the start, until he starts moving – need to make sure you keep that bum in Richard.
Feet should remain in contact with the floor throughout the dance, and needs to make his rise and fall smoother. Loses timing but manages to regain it, shame about the ‘ventriloquist dummy’ face though, need to relax the features a bit too.
It’s a nice dance though, however just a 5 from me I think.
Craig: 5 “Thought the smile was actually very lovely…very romantic routine…transitions are a little bit lumpy…but a good effort”
Darcey: 5 “I missed the real Richard in that routine”
Len: 7 “Your footwork was the best of any Waltz I’ve seen…your posture was ok…you can’t make a Waltz into a Cha Cha”
Bruno: 5 “What happened to you…looked like you were in a trance or sedated…bit boring…kind of nice-ish, wasn’t brilliant”
Total = 22
Jerry & Anton – Cha Cha Cha
When I saw Jerry on the premiere show I was concerned her routines could feature lots of gratuitous posing, looks like I might have been right.
Anton’s too short for her which is causing Jerry to stoop down to him, and there’s not enough pressure going through the floor resulting in very little hip action.
I found the whole routine quite boring for a Cha Cha, especially when you’re following a routine like Lisa’s, and the ending was just…strange.
Fairly uninspiring and just a 5 from me.
Craig: 3 “Taken minimal to whole new level, awful lot of wiggling”
Darcey: 5 “You have the ability…dance more…we know you’re stunning when you pose Jerry”
Len: 5 “A little bit careful…I want to be excited…next week excite me”
Bruno: 5 “You are a glamour-zon…the little bit of Cha Cha Cha that there was, was actually good”
Total = 18
Louis & Flavia – Cha Cha Cha
Some interesting pouting but the hand and arm movements are a little bit too wavy at the start, and he really needs to develop better shaping of the hands later on.
He’s obviously worked on his hip action, now we just need to liven up the face to match.
The footwork could use some improvement, and I was about to comment on his lack of cuban heels when I saw the ending which would have been much more challenging in cuban heels!
Not a bad start but needs to liven up and work on his technique, a 6 from me.
Craig: 6 “A little bit awkward at times…I thought you could have used your face a little bit more”
Darcey: 8 “I can see you’re using muscles you haven’t used before, and that’s saying something for a gymnast…in my eyes I think you’re going to go far on this show”
Len: 6 “It wasn’t a gold medal performance…a tad loose in places”
Bruno: 7 “I like a guy with plenty of tricks up his sleeve, you snake-hipped wonder”
Total = 27
So that puts the final leader board after week 1 as:
1. 30 – Lisa & Robin
2. 28 – Kimberley & Pasha
3. 27 – Louise & Flavia
4. 26 – Sid & Ola
5. 25 – Denise & James
6. 23 – Colin & Kristina
7. 22 – Richard & Erin
8. 21 – Dani & Vincent
9. 20 – Michael & Natalie
10. 19 – Fern & Artem
11. 18 – Jerry & Anton
12. 17 – Nicky & Karen
12. 17 – Johnny & Iveta
14. 16 – Victoria & Brendan
These scores will carry over to next week, so Victoria’s going to have to work extra hard to get her routine right this time round, or face the dance off.
Look for our daily analysis of It Takes Two (first one coming up shortly), and next week’s analysis on Monday.
Hope you enjoyed this week’s show.
