Strictly Come Dancing

Don't watch much TV, but had it on tonight and saw quite a lot of the dancing - I thought the standard was amazing. The waltz was like a masterclass I thought and the Charleston so full of energy and enthusiasm. The guy who is fifty was a real trouper too. I shall try to watch it next week.

Next week's Strictly will be live from Blackpool Tower (see original post on this thread, from seasider).
This, so we are told, is the 'spiritual home' of ballroom dancing so they all want to be there. If DD makes it, I think they were hoping to be able to do an exciting dance for this special place.
Fingers crossed

Susanna's waltz was amazing and she looked gorgeous in her dress. I loved Abey's charleston and Sophie's Argentine tango too.

Not seen last night's Strictly yet but I do wish people would leave Dave alone. When it started Strictly was an entertainment show not a serious dancing contest. We all know Dave will not get to the final but if the public like him and vote for him why should he give up? I still remember John Sargeant's Pasa Doble as one of the funniest things I have ever seen but he was hounded out!

I agree seasider. I realise that some people are hoping to boost aspects of their career but it is an entertanment show and originally meant to raise money for Children in Need, if my memory is correct.

This is a DANCE competition and yes it is for charity, so it would be good to see some DANCING, and not banging around posturing. I agree Dave and Mark are not good enough to continue in a DANCE competition (but tried) and should now be voted off and let the dancers get on with it. The two of them have been good fun and great sports, but it is serious now and those who have been able to conquer at least the basics should be allowed to carry on and entertain us with decent dances. Oh! dear, that sounds just like me laying down the law, sorry!

Sorry but the programme IS a dance competition and NOT for charity apart from previous Children in Need Specials, of which there have been six. Unfortunately, if the public want competitors like Dave to carry on, there is not much that can be done about it, it is such a shame though for the "proper" dancers. He was quite shocked and offended at Craig's comments last night and really believes he is doing well. Quite sad really, and I wonder what happened with Natalie and what that's all about!!

Let's face it, neither Dave nor Mark can dance, and their professionals have given up on teaching them. They were funny for the first couple of weeks but it's all getting a bit samey now.

Was John Sergeant hounded off? I thought he simply chose to do the honest thing before better dancers had to leave the show and admired him for his integrity.

Sophia Ellis Bexter is technically very good but she lacks a certain something. There no fire in her and it showed this week in her Argentinian Tango.

I understood that John Sergeant hadn't expected to get so far in the competition and was actually booked to be a speaker on a cruise ship! Let's not smell conspiracy in Natalie's collapse, caz. Tess did say she was in hospital. Children in Need does benefit from the proceeds of the phone-in vote, though I wonder how many people, like me, have used the internet vote facility and how that can make money for the charity. I hope Abbey, Patrick and, most of all, Susanna, have all got through to Blackpool.

I beg to differ annodominibut if you check the Strictly Website you will find that according to the BBC Code of Conduct "NO money made from calls made to Strictly Come Dancing will go to charity" Their main fund raising events are their big appeal shows such as Children in Need.

I stand corrected!

Dave and Mark, as nice as they undoubtedly are, really ought to be in the dance off tonight. The last two weeks have been an absolute travesty with both Abby and Patrick having to undergo this challenge, they are both two of this year's best dancers. I do think it will be a choice between Dave and Mark later, and may the best man win, but it won't be much of a choice!

GrandmaMiney your daughter's dance last night was absolutely beautiful, quite stunning. You must be incredibly proud of her (I'm sure you were anyway before she started dancing). There are a few really good dancers on the show, but Susanna was just wonderful, along with Abbey, and I thought Patrick did really well too.

Let's hope common sense prevails and Dave and Mark are in the dance-off, Dave was, as usual, awful, and Mark just didn't move!

Thank you for all supportive comments, I was in tears all through the waltz and had to watch it on iPlayer today, to really see it!
In view of some strange public voting last week (being in the dance off was an insult to Abbey's dancing) nothing can be taken for granted, so stress levels ridiculously high here at the moment.
An emotional weekend of joy--and sorrow. When watching Remembrance service and hearing the Woodbine Willie poem, DD posted another of his poems on her Twitter page. Very moving and as many of us were born in or around WWII it made me so grateful my dad came back.
But we will all have memories today...

Phew!

I'm not surprised Susanna got through, GrandmaMiney. Her waltz was superb.

Dave has gone (although I thought he was better than Mark in the Dance Off)

Fiona and Mark will surely be next as it's now a serious dance competition and the standard is very high.

Phew indeed. She's through!!

I agree, Merlot - Dave's routine contained far more than Mark's this week, but it seems as though the judges wanted Dave off as much as everyone else!

I think the judges (apart from Len) were relieved to have the chance to lose poor Dave. Interesting that, though the results are always announced 'in no particular order', the first four to be announced were the top four on the leader board. Susanna fully deserves to be still there. Are you going to Blackpool, GrandmaMiney?

Barring disasters it's going to be really hard judging now. There are so many really good dancers this year. Hopefully Susannah will continue to do well. It must be terribly hard work though and she always looks so calm and collected when she's on Breakfast!

hands up - I feel very bad. On other threads I have criticised Susanna and her delivery on Breakfast whilst accepting that it is not easy when autocues are slow (in a minor way I have done some bbc tv presenting back when god was a lad).

I now find that a) Susanna has displayed her very sweet personality and an awesome level of tenacity and skill on SCD and b) that, better still, her Mum is a Gransnetter. I therefore unreservedly rescind my earlier carping and sniping and ask humbly for forgiveness from Mum and daughter.

I truly believe that she is on the way to winning this year and I genuinely hope she does. And she is a daughter to be proud of - getting up in the middle of the night to do Breakfast and also following that gruelling dance schedule and raising a family. Phew - respect!

Well said Specki

I catch Strictly occasionally and saw it this week..it was a relief that Bruce F was not there. He has always made me cringe! They have to have the duff dancers for the comedy value but it would be wrong for a poor dancer to win on the sympathy vote!

Respect to you too specki4eyes and thank you
As I'm sure you know (from presenting the Adam/ Eve/ serpent breaking news story!!!), there is a lot more to presenting a 3+hour programme than reading an autocue.
I love that old proverb: It is only when you've walked a mile in a man's shoes, that you know what it's like to be him. (Sorry, I know I should have made that 'gender neutral' but it didn't have the same ring!)

ps specki4eyes --I've just seen your paintings on your profile page--just beautiful