Strictly Come Dancing

Lucca

Totally agree ...I could never watch anything with Zoe ball in it.
Its not tess’s accent I mind by the way !

No, but someone objected to her accent (can't remember who!)

I do also yet a couple of weeks ago I thought she may win it.

DH says he’s like to see Carol Kirkwood be a Strictly presenter.
He has a soft spot for her. We went to a theatre dance show Pasha did , and she presented that after being his partner the previous year.

I like Tess - she does the job she is there for - unlike Claudia who seems to like acting completely daft for some reason. and that fringe.......get me the scissors!!

I think Ranvir has come to the end of her Strictly journey. I thought her waltz last night was mediocre. She has come a long way and has improved a lot, but I don't think she has the necessary fluidity or natural ability of either Hrvy (what's with his inability to use vowels?) or Maisie.
Bill does a fantastic job for an older person (agree, he's not 100), but I don't think he's winner material.

Sparklefizz

Maisie said she had had dance training at stage school when she was first chosen to appear, but not ballroom. Ranvir, Bill and Jamie have had no dance training at all, so they have had to start from scratch and their progress has been hard won.

Just reading in the Telegraph magazine an article on Bill Bailey in which he states When I was a teenager I had ballroom dancing lessons, and I came second in a limbo-dancing competition once-but that was my only experience with dance until going in for Strictly.

Not an absolute beginner then.

Lots of them have dance experience, Calendargirl

Maisie is another who has had a lot of dance experience. A lot more than Bill! There has been complaints about her having an unfair advantage.

I'm quite glad that some of the contestants know their way round a dance floor though

It might be a painful experience watching total novices with zero rhythm

I'm not sure that Maisie has had as much dance training as people are claiming. She is first and foremost an actress. Admittedly she went to a local stage school in Essex but she hasn't had the Italia Conti, Laines or Arts Ed experience and training. Her roles have been mainly acting stroppy little red haired girls. I'm guessing she has pop danced round her bedroom and has a love of street dance, but she said she knew nothing about ballroom.
I just love her no fuss attitude and she is only 19.

And a terrific little actress when 6 years old, I`d like to see her or HRVY win.

Debbie whatshername (Paul Daniels widow) had trained as a ballet dancer when young i think. I’d much prefer if it was genuinely celebrities with no dance training. Most actors have some.

I hope Bill or Ranvir go out. I like Jamie and I would like Maisie or Hrvy to win . Bill has irritated me all the way through . I can’t believe he’s still in and the judges seem to rave about him even when he does a poor dance. I think they’ve already made up their minds about some dancers and some of the scores have been biased

Yes Debbie McGee was Royal Ballet trained and a professional ballet dancer, even soloist at one point.

Former professional James Jordan was rather scathing about last night’s show. Very negative comments about Bill and predicts his time is up.

In his opinion, last night was the worst ever semi final and standards have fallen. Then again he would say that when he’s no longer part of it!

Contestants who are actors already have an advantage, I think, because all of the dances tell a story and the dancers have to act - those celebrities who are athletes or newsreaders are likely to be much more self-conscious. I remember a male celebrity in a previous series saying that he found it hard to be "all over" his pro partner in the Rumba and to "act romantic" when he knew his children and wife were watching.

I agree Sparklefizz, it is the whole performance that counts for me. The choice of music, the costume and hair, the set and lighting, the acting and of course the dancing.

Ellianne Do they get to choose their own music? Sometimes I think the choices don't work.

It might be a painful experience watching total novices with zero rhythm

It's not until I see Jacqui Smith's face appear in the opening credits that I remember she was ever in it as it seems so long ago!

I assume the producers choose the music, though I'm guessing the pros get some sort of input?
I remember at stage school we, as performers, never chose our numbers so you could end up performing to music you didn't really like. I once had a dance totally changed a week before a competition because the teacher felt it wasn't doing me any favours.

Wow! Fabulous opening dance.

It was very good, but I haven't a clue what it was all about! Was that a bird?

At least Motsi's (sp?) dress tonight seems to have her bosoms a bit more contained and under control!

My first thought was that it was a rat, but I think it was the necklace! Haven't a clue what it was about really, but I love that song.

I liked Shirley's dress. The neckline was lovely, much better than her low-necks.

Jay McGuinness will always be my favourite with his jive-2015.

His Jive was stupendous!