Strictly Come Dancing 2010 Blog Graham Vernon

Strictly Come Dancing 2010

Week 9

Magnificent Seven! It was more like the Famous Five with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb. I was sadly disappointed with all the performance on Saturdays show and when we are seeing freezing temperatures of –5 and after last weeks amazing trip to Blackpool, I would have expected our celebrities to be even hotter, but who on the dance floor is hot and who is not for you? The leader board is really splitting the true contenders, from celebrities who are just making up the numbers, but could this be the end of the AA duet or are they going to go all the way?

Kara & Artem

Jive

Craig	Len	Alisha	Bruno	Total
7	9	9	9	34

This was the first week I was not mega impressed with these two, I found their routine quite flat, Kara was off time in the second half of the routine and her chasse were heavy. In previous weeks she has even out danced Artem, but not tonight, I think the judges who scored them nine was quite generous.

Ann & Anton (AA)

Rumba

Craig	Len	Alisha	Bruno	Total
1	5	5	3	14

A very simple basic routine but Ann danced off time for the majority of it and her footwork did leave room for some serious scrutiny! I did however, find myself chuckling along with Anton and his antics and Ann’s outfit was very flattering but I wish they had gone down with the ship!

Patsy & Robin

Argentine Tango

Craig	Len	Alisha	Bruno	Total
7	8	8	7	30

A nice well-choreographed Tango routine, simple and effective, Patsy’s technical ability is improving week by week, but I did find it a little lacking in passion and attack, but it was not a bad effort.

Scott & Natalie
American Smooth (Foxtrot)

Craig	Len	Alisha	Bruno	Total
6	7	9	9	31

Oh dear! Several stumbles and several mistakes, very poor footwork and leg control is not what we expect from our SsssscoT. The lift at the end of their routine was amazing but I did find myself holding my breath and again not deserving of a nine. The whole routine felt like a week two dance not a week nine, come on Scot up your game.

Gavin & Katya

Jive

Craig	Len	Alisha	Bruno	Total
3	6	7	6	32

I did not understand the story of their dance this week. Gavin does have a strong kick action but was off time along with Katya in places, it would of helped if the music was a little stronger, and he was more elevated on his chasse but even with Gavin’s new found smile it still did not sparkle for me.

Matt & Aliona

American Smooth (Foxtrot) I think?

Matt had good footwork, rise and fall and control when he was in hold, but again I did not understand their story. The sections in open hold looked very rushed as if they had tried to cram too much in, there were several mistakes and had the feel of being under rehearsed.

Pam & James

Charleston

Craig	Len	Alisha	Bruno	Total
9	9	10	10	38

This was easily the best performance of the evening, full of tricks, exciting stunts and clever choreography, I did feel it was a little slow in places, but I hope I can dance as well as Pamela when I am sixty one.

Sundays result show.

What an opening! An amazing Jive routine from our professionals that was then second placed by Ola and James with their Rumba show dance routine. Patsy & Robin and Gavin & Katya were our bottom two couples and obviously the voting public did not agree with the judges’ scores but maybe with the result of Patsy and Robin being outed things may change, do you agree?

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Strictly Come Dancing week 8 blog

Strictly Come Dancing 2010

Week 8

BLACKPOOL, the place for dance, as we see eight couples become seven, who is illuminating for you, and who is stuck under the pier? With Strictly receiving the highest viewer ratings since I last appeared on the show some seventeen years ago, it was lovely too see it has not changed one little bit, even the guys were wearing the same white catsuits in the opening number as I did!

Patsy & Robin                                                                         

Samba

Craig	Len	Alisha	Bruno	Total
6	7	8	7	28

A nice clean basic Samba routine to open the show, even though it was a little hoppy in places and lacking in Samba action, but a very good attempt lively performed.

Kara & Artem

American Smooth (Foxtrot)

Craig	Len	Alisha	Bruno	Total
9	6	10	10	35

Ginger Rodgers eat your heart out, a truly amazing professional demonstration for the second week running. Kara displays beautiful lines, fantastic choreography with pure musical interpretation, however I do agree with Len’s comment, the American Smooth does have to be dance in closed hold for part of the routine, but as a show piece it was perfect, and if we were in the semi finals would have definitely scored forty.

Matt & Aliona

Samba

Craig	Len	Alisha	Bruno	Total
9	9	10	10	38

Matt, ‘snake hips’ Samba, great hip action and a good lively interpretation. Matt needs to keep his torso still to enhance his action, but he did look as if he was loving every second, it was one of their best performance to date for me.

Felicity & Vincent

American Smooth (Foxtrot)

Craig	Len	Alisha	Bruno	Total
7	7	8	8	30

A nice performance from Felicity this week, she does look at home dancing this style despite there still being several instances where she looks as if she is stumbling and fumbling through the steps, but smooth, it was.

Gavin & Katya

American Smooth (Foxtrot)

Craig	Len	Alisha	Bruno	Total
4	7	8	8	27

Again for Gavin the improvement on last week was very apparent, he is definitely finding his place and his confidence, we are seeing him now grow with the dance, but what was the miming on the microphone section at the beginning? His shaping and lines were very fluid and the whole routine had a nice floating feel to it.

Scott & Natalie

Samba

Craig	Len	Alisha	Bruno	Total
6	8	9	9	32

For me this was not in the same league as their Jive from last week, it was quite heavy and a little wooden looking, I much preferred Matt & Aliona. It was still a lively performance but once you have achieved a minimum standard you are expected to continue to improve.

Pamela & James

American Smooth (Foxtrot)

Craig	Len	Alisha	Bruno	Total
8	9	10	10	37

Pamela the beautiful elegant sophisticated dancer, fantastic choreography performed with true elegance and technique, Craig’s comment on her top line was correct as she does need to extend it slightly in certain moves but still a stunning show stopper.

Ann & Anton

Samba / the birdie dance

Craig	Len	Alisha	Bruno	Total
1	5	4	3	13

Unlucky for some but oh well! Ann has been warning us for weeks about her Samba, just as you thought you were safe to get back on the dance floor the genie and the canary strike again, only Anton De Beke, can dance Bum Twizzles and ‘Aeroplanes’ with Ann Widdecombe in gold lamé and feathers. WHY?

Sundays Result Show.

A spicy carnival Samba opening from the professional girls, but the show stopping performance was from the Cirque de Soliel Viva Elvis production, it was truly spine tingling. (I wana play on them ropes)

Felicity & Vincent and Patsy & Robin were both in the bottom two, however putting team AA to one side, these two celebrities are probably the weakest dancers in the competition, but not the weakest performances from Saturday nights show, however the ball just swung towards Felicity & Vincent which I think was the right decision.

Strictly Week 7 Blog

Strictly Come Dancing 2010

Week 7

A week when we have seen winds of up to one hundred miles an hour, which of our couples will blow us away, and with only one more week before the show comes to us live from the Mecca of dancing, Blackpool Tower Ballroom, which of our couples will be blown out?

Pamela & James

Cha Cha

Craig	Len	Alisha	Bruno	Total
8	8	8	8	32

After a long intro for these two this week, which I did not really understand but the incrusted laptops were very bling! Pam can dance and looks beautiful and elegant at whatever she tackles. A very careful routine and Craig was correct, she does need to straighten her knees on a ‘New Yorker’ syncopated or not James.

Michelle & Brendan

Paso Doblé

Craig	Len	Alisha	Bruno	Total
4	7	7	6	24

Not one of their best performances, Michelle is still very pigeon toed and very heavy footed in quite a stompy way, and the second half of the routine was very awkward looking, but on a positive note her outfit was stunning.

Patsy & Robin

Viennese Waltz

Craig	Len	Alisha	Bruno	Total
7	9	8	8	32

A very theatrical Viennese Waltz, which was full of drama and tension. Beautifully strong arm lines, but unfortunately when they danced in Ballroom hold it all seemed rushed and Robin was clearly dancing and therefore leading off time for about two thirds of the routine. Their interpretation was very elegant. Is it right to penalise the celebrity when it was obviously the professional fault?

Gavin & Katya

Quickstep

Craig	Len	Alisha	Bruno	Total
7	8	9	9	33

Gavin’s highest score to date, and a standing ovation from the studio audience, but I am not quite sure why? It was their best performance and he did seem to be enjoying himself more than in previous weeks, but I did not feel it was deserving of a nine, even when Gavin kissed Bruno which again did not make sense to me, and was the argument section half way through the routine choreographed or not? There were several footwork and timing mistakes but I cannot argue he is still improving, slowly but surely.

Ann & Anton

Foxtrot

Craig	Len	Alisha	Bruno	Total
3	6	6	5	20

Ann’s best dance throughout the competition, a true basic Foxtrot, it was refreshing to see them dance rather than mess about, there were however still several places where Anton was dragging her round, but overall it was a very good effort.

Kara & Artem

Argentine Tango

Craig	Len	Alisha	Bruno	Total
9	9	10	10	38

WOW a perfect, beautiful demonstration of this passionate dance style, fantastic entrance from Kara performing solo, which I could have personally watched all night, pure technique, excellent timing and amazing choreography from Flavia, a truly professional performance. I feel that Kara actually out danced Artem almost as if he was taking a back driving seat, easily deserving of a ten.

Felicity & Vincent

Salsa

Craig	Len	Alisha	Bruno	Total
5	7	7	7	26

I did not like their routine this week as it was all very uncomfortable and awkward looking, there was no fluidity or flair, and Felicity obviously forgot most of the second half of the routine as Vincent was having to push her into the steps.

Matt & Aliona

Rumba

Craig	Len	Alisha	Bruno	Total
8	9	9	9	35

I found it very difficult to watch Matt’s performance this week as Aliona Christmas wrapping outfit kept catching my eye for some reason! But when I did Matt’s Rumba action was extremely well danced, the routine in general was very start stop, which tends to give it a very robotic hard feel if not performed with fluidity on the moving sections, but I prefer Matt’s Rumba too Scott’s do you agree?

Scott & Natalie

Jive

Craig	Len	Alisha	Bruno	Total
9	10	10	10	39

A truly brilliantly choreographed Jive routine from these two, they both kept the energy of the dance from start to finish, brilliant leg and flick action from Scott very light footed and careful placing, right on the money. This has to secure him a place in the final with Kara, and Matt and Pamela reaching semi finals. Do you agree?

Sunday Results Show

The right two couples were in the bottom two this week, Michelle & Brendan and Felicity & Vincent, both of these couples had slipped up during their routines and had not performed to the best of their abilities but Felicity & Vincent were just saved to dance in Blackpool.