Strictly Come Dancing Blog 2012: Week 5 (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Strictly Come Dancing Blog 2012: Week 5

4:29pm Tuesday 6th November 2012 in TV By Graham Vernon

 As we prepare for toffee apples, bonfires and fireworks, which of our couples would go off with a bang and which would fizzle out like a damp sparkler, last week at the Halloween Special all our performers opened the show with an amazing group number which I think really lifted the Saturday night show, do you agree?

Kimberley & Pasha

This was Kimberley’s time to shine, when they were dancing the open breaks it was very clean and precise, there was for me however quite a lot of paffing with Pasha, Kimberley is more than capable of a lot more dance, but it was a great demonstration.

Lisa & Robin Tango

Both Lisa and Robin looked very dapper this week, and had lots of true Tango content to their routine, I did not quite understand the chair as a prop, and I would have preferred a stronger staccato feel, and for once I have to agree with Craig, it was nice to see them doing something more serious.

Richard & Erin Foxtrot

 I loved the drama of the routine that Richard and Erin created and there was certainly lots of well executed Foxtrot in the first half of the routine, but then unfortunately Richard lost his footing and timing on the slow locks and he never recovered unfortunately, but would it cost him the competition?

Denise & James Viennese Waltz

A lot better performance than last week from these two, Denise’s shaping and topline are truly beautiful but on closer inspection her footwork needed a lot more work, the music was also quite slow which would have made it easier to control the upper body but for me it then lost the character of the Viennese Waltz, several people have said to me this week, that they feel it is unfair that Denise is competing on Strictly as she is a professional stage performer, to which I have defended by saying as long as the judges, judge fairly and look at the technical ability of the dance rather than just the overall performance value, but this evening I feel Denise was judged purely on the show and not the technique. Do you agree?

Victoria & Brendan Samba

Victoria looked a lot more relaxed this week and does have a nice Samba action developing, it needed a little more of the Carnival spirit as it felt very tamed and safe, it was also a little slow, but Victoria is showing great signs of improvement week after week and isn’t Brendan staying very calm?

Louis & Flavia Samba

Samba is one of the hardest dances for the male celebrity to master and Louis did a really good job, his hip action still needs a little more work and so does the placing of his feet especially on his runs, this was also the second time that half way through the routine Louis ran up the stairs and started paffing around on the stage, which I think is really unnecessary. Louis you are doing a fabulous job and are definitely in the running to go a long way in the competition but now it is time to stop playing safe and take bigger risks.

Colin & Kristina Foxtrot

I love Colin’s swagger, style and amazing kicks, his posture and shaping are good although his footwork does need more work, which gave the routine a sludging feel, rather than a floating and gliding one, but well danced.

Nicky & Karen Rumba

Nicky definitely captured the feeling and emotion of the Rumba which is the dance of love, or as my teacher once said, “it is the vertical passion of a horizontal desire” (whatever that means!) however Nicky is quite pigeon toed and I would prefer to see a little more dance content rather than the start stop approach to Rumba, but a very good passionate performance.

Fern & Artem Paso Doblé

This was one of the best, truly authentic Paso Doblé ever performed by a celebrity on Strictly, maybe a little too adventuress for a week five routine, but I still loved every second, COME ON FERN!

Michael & Natalie Foxtrot

Not a bad attempt from Michael, a graceful and flowing Foxtrot, with great performance and great content, a little more work needed on the footwork and when not in Ballroom hold but well done Michael.

Dani & Vincent Jive

Or should they be renamed Dani & Wigcent? What are the producers trying to tell us for the last two weeks Artem is losing his clothes and Vincent is gaining different hair pieces! A brilliant true Jive with great Chicken Walks, flicks and kicks if anything I felt that Dani was slightly behind the beat, but another of your routines that I loved everything about it.

Sunday’s result show.

A bit of a strange opening to the show this evening with the male professionals strutting their stuff to Elvis’s ‘a little less conversation’ but then Colin & Kristina and Richard & Erin in the dreaded dance off, Richard & Erin did dance much better, not only remembering their routine but in their overall performance, so in a strange turn of events we see Richard & Erin dance again next week, but we will miss the gently giant Colin along with his princess Kristina but it has been a pleasure in sharing your Strictly journey.

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