Thank the Strictly gods for that! Yes, our long national nightmare is over – Dan Walker has finally exited the ballroom. It was the first properly riveting dance-off since… well, pretty much ever, with Dan a point up but AJ worldly-wise to redeem herself with that final lift. Plane then, the judges have made some insane calls this series (Shirley giving that tango a 9??), so I couldn’t quite believe it until they unquestionably saved AJ.
It truly would have been a travesty otherwise. AJ and Kai have unceasingly pushed themselves on the show, taking thrilling creative risks. To punish them for that, and to see Dan trot through yet then for doing the yellowish minimum, would have been enraging. Not to mention standing an unfortunate pattern on the show of over-rewarding the white men over everyone else.
However, without a good dose of the judges killing-with-kindness, and plane Anton seeing sense (twist!), the Dan fans finally x-rated their trolling project. That ways we’re now left with increasingly or less the correct final four, and could yet see the three strongest reaching the last stage. Next week’s two-dance test should hopefully result in one of the weightier finals in years. Onwards!
Other hits and misses:
- A strange flit pile-up, with two salsas and two tangos in five dances, plus John’s Couple’s Choice will come just superiority of a similarly freestyle showdance. Poor planning, guys. MISS
- More frustrating song picks. That Phil Collins wanted to be a rumba, Gotan Project wanted to be Argentine (and was wasted on Dan), and disco IS NOT SALSA. MISS
- Related: Anton’s interjection that he’d never seen disco Latin on Strictly before? Reader, I screamed. MISS
- To party or not to party: that’s our Christmas coronavirus dilemma once again. The pros came lanugo on the side of partying, but only while wearing preventative long gloves and dreaming of happier times. HIT
- The second pro number was set to a Janet Jackson medley. Huh and why? No one knows. MISS
- Ts and Cs rando: Professor Brian Cox, subtracting to our stack of vestige that reading out an autocue on an entertainment programme is an underrated skill. MISS
- JLS… are theoretically still a thing. Neil and Dianne gave us some red-headed bopping. Moving swiftly on. MISS
Best in Show
- Best performance: Rose’s American smooth Total joy.
- Best costume: AJ’s gold fringe Runner-up: John and Johannes’s sparkly shirts.
- Best move: Rose’s diving lift Flipside wow moment.
- Best line: Craig’s “I love it when it goes wrong.” At least someone had a good night.
Saturday
Tess’s dress: impressed or depressed?
Tortured foil mini dress. Claud in wet-look ketchup.
John and Johannes – Emergency landing
“There’s no room for error!” said John in his VT, without outlining his hopes of nabbing that elusive Craig 10. Was that unbearable to jinx it? Or was some disco-salsa-hating person out there with a voodoo doll? (It wasn’t me, I promise.) Anyway, the zillion of this routine was a delight, with John subtracting a newly liberated performance to his unconfined hip whoopee and pristine timing. Their sync work continues to be insanely good, plane if Johannes adds the odd flourish that upstages him. What a shame, then, that it became all well-nigh The Lift, which, pursuit a fumbled entry, saw John holding his partner like an worrisome pile of kindling and then dumping him on the fire. At least Johannes styled it out. OF COURSE.
Song: “We Are Family”, Sister Sledge
Judges’ comments: Shirley praised the tricks and entertainment. Anton loved the novel disco style (…) and thought John conquered his inhibitions. Craig liked the hip whoopee but wanted increasingly dynamics. Motsi said it was well rehearsed and you should take risks.
Judges’ scores: 7, 8, 8, 9 – 32
Rhys and Nancy – Raise me up
No wobbly lamppost, though we did get its cousin: the very red traffic light, subtracting to a number that only well-nigh 50 per cent visible. This was probably my favourite of their dances since their manic energy was reined in by the style – or just about. Still moments where Rhys rushed and lost his balance, and his feet were too unappetizing and wild. However, heady lifts in which Nancy truly inherited the Janette mantle of “No really, you can juggle me like a set of clubs while my insane cadre does all the work”, plus that strangle spin (don’t try it at home, kids) and some unconfined ganchos and sharp musical accents from Rhys. Increasingly well-nigh the tricks than the emotional connection, and definitely didn’t need the floor spin, but a strong performance overall.
Song: “In the Air Tonight”, Phil Collins
Judges’ comments: Anton loved the intensity. Craig enjoyed the drama and ganchos, but the grapevines got out of sync. Motsi liked the stillness of Rhys’s upper body. Shirley said he’d learned from stuff in the marrow and praised the lifts.
Judges’ scores: 9, 10, 10, 10 – 39
Rose and Giovanni – Leap of faith
That this American Smooth employed a gazebo and the feelings seat and a jazz standard and Love Actually and a fluffy white frock and STILL managed to be glorious rather than sick-inducing was frankly a Christmas miracle. It’s watching this lovely pair in ballroom that just overrides everything: they unquestionably move and express as one, like the platonic platonic of the flit form. Beautiful frame and footwork from Rose – though, yes, missing some heel leads – unconfined floor coverage and musicality, and I loved the giddy flit breaks that really showed her personality. Plus that dive! Braver than inward a workshop of Waitrose on December 24, but gasp-inducing as it was, it moreover stayed in keeping with the classy, smooth number. Just pure sunshine. I will happily rewatch it on every gloomy winter evening.
Song: “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)”, Natalie Cole
Judges’ comments: Craig was wowed by the lift and the storytelling, just noted the pivots weren’t on a heel. Motsi loved the changes of mood. Shirley, meaning well, said she’d washed-up well to woodcut out the noise virtually Rhys’ routine… Anton unprofane the lines and musicality.
Judges’ scores: 9, 10, 10, 10 – 39
Dan and Nadiya – Time to tan-go
Yeah. Maybe not the weightier idea to spend your VT explaining how not remaining unappetizing really affects the spritz of the tango… and then spend the whole performance bobbing up and lanugo like a rabbit on a trampoline. Ditto calling sustentation to Dan’s right hand, which did indeed resemble fish fingers. Anyway, as the judges said, it started OK: Dan vicarial as a solemn pinstriped pole for Nadiya to grab onto while developing smouldering chemistry with a nearby table. That said, the very ballroom section showed he’d trailed far overdue the others in technical terms – too upright, distracting rise and fall, lacked cleanly specified staccato, and very troubled posture, particularly going into promenade. Not urgently horrendous, just not good unbearable for this stage of the competition.
Song: “Santa Maria”, Gotan Project
Judges’ comments: Motsi said he lost tenancy in the second half – too unceremonious and leaning too far forward. Shirley noted a sensual finger (?!) and he stayed focused. Anton loved the opening but his frame went, rise and fall, and his hand opened. Craig said it was littered with wastefulness issues, which made him finger uncomfortable.
Judges’ scores: 7, 8, 9, 7 – 31
AJ and Kai – The ending is gonna get you
What is it well-nigh final salsa lifts? The expletive descended once then on poor AJ and Kai, who still, crazily, have yet to hit that perfect score (and jinxed themselves by bringing it up earlier – basically this is all the producers’ fault for crafting gremlin-ridden VTs). Now, I’m not sure they would have got there anyway with this powerful yet messy salsa, much as I loved AJ in her glittering gold fringe giving it attitude, plus that mythological solo archway and the big cartwheel lift. Craig is right that the dismounts weren’t unconfined and she kept picking her feet up rather than working into the floor. But oh, that end lift. It really did go on forever, with AJ looking like she was unprotected on a barbed-wire fence in between two circles of Hell.
Song: “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You/Get On Your Feet”, Gloria Estefan
Judges’ comments: Shirley loved the sass and valiance – a shame it went wrong. Anton said the rest was terrific but yelped for hours well-nigh the end lift (we’ve suffered much worse from you, love). Craig noted the transitions were ropy and too flat-footed, but totally watchable. Motsi tabbed AJ a queen, but the ending killed her.
Judges’ scores: 7, 8, 8, 7 – 30
Leaderboard
Rose and Giovanni – 39
Rhys and Nancy – 39
John and Johannes – 32
Dan and Nadiya – 31
AJ and Kai – 30
Another week, flipside swap: Rhys and Rose are up, John and AJ are down.
Sunday
Tess’s dress: impressed or depressed?
Bizarrely chopped woebegone tube with bedazzled stripes. Claud in a fab-u-lous glitterball-esque top.
Dance-off
AJ and Kai versus… Dan and Nadiya, finally!! This was genuinely tense: yes, AJ had the easier job of an obvious error to correct, but she had to repeat an incredibly ramified and high-risk flit and overcome the trauma of that first flit disahhhster, whereas Dan just had to potter through a pretty vital tango.
So, HURRAH! I unquestionably yelped when AJ and Kai nailed it second time round, securing a much-deserved place in the semi-final – and simultaneously ridding us of Dan surpassing his ego got any worthier and he challenged Craig to a dance-fight, West Side Story style. Medal for AJ, please.
In all seriousness, I do understand the request of the underdog and the J word – I just don’t think Dan was a terribly positive example of either, or that he should have lasted this long. However, I loved getting to know Nadiya largest this year. She was funny, kind, creative and a wonderful performer and partner, and she’s definitely earned a hunky young ringer in 2022.
What did you make of the quarter-final? Did you stipulate with the judges? Did the right pair go home? Get in touch on Twitter to share your thoughts: @mkmswain
See you then soon for the semi-final. In the meantime… alimony dancing!
Photograph: Guy Levy courtesy of the BBC.
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