The penultimate weekend of Strictly action went
by in a flash even with our double dose of glittering performances from each
duo. After a bit of faffing the couples eventually took to the floor…
Natalie
& Artem
Salsa to ‘Wanna
Be Starting Something’ by Michael Jackson
Nipple
alert! (Thank you once more BBC costume department) A great dance to start off
the semi-final party! There were no props or gimmicks just an abundance of
excellent synchronisation throughout. It looked sensational, like 2 professionals thanks to
the energy level and how natural it came across. This dance seemed to suit
Natalie down to the ground – and it showed, as both of them seemed to really be
enjoying this one. Finally, those turns at the end, mesmerising.
Scored |
40 |
Our Score
| 10 |
Argentine
Tango to ‘Montserrat’ by Bajofondo
Wow, this
certainly was a masterpiece of an Argentine Tango, one to rival that of Brendan
& Sophies that’s for certain. Another wonderful routine choreographed by Artem, highlighting every
musical nuance. The lady and gent in red had us glued
to our screens with their precise footwork (and leg work). Every move felt as
if it had real purpose and drive. This should have easily booked their ticket
straight to the final.
Scored |
38 |
Our Score
| 10 |
Patrick
& Anya
Waltz to ‘Unchained
Melody’ by The Righteous Brothers
Patrick
and Anya glided across the floor with such grace and with a lovely flow. The choreography from Anya was lovely
and they moved across the floor together full of grace. However occasionally it
came across a little rigid and his top line wasn’t quite right which was a
shame. Overall the routine felt a bit safe and more drive was needed
Scored |
36 |
Our Score
| 9 |
Paso Doble
to ‘Because the Night’ by The Patti Smith Group
It turns
out Patrick does have a weakness… walking! He needed to take on the macho lead
more in this one as it seemed also as if Anya was leading. However he had some
fantastic shaping and the whole routine was jam packed full on content.
Scored |
33 |
Our Score
| 8 |
Sophie
& Brendan
Paso Doble
to ‘Montagues and Capulets’ by Prokofiev
We loved
this music choice for this Paso (it’s never too late the series to have a first
is it) Sophie had wonderful characterisation and maintained it throughout. Right from that wonderful sitting spin
at the start, this was full of drama and intent, and Brendan’s choreography was
a dream as usual. Definitely deserved a higher score form the judges.
Scored |
35 |
Our Score
| 9 |
American Smooth to ‘They Can’t Take That Away From
Me’ by Lisa Stansfield
The lifts in this were absolutely stunning.
Effortlessly carried out with no jerks or anticipation, flawless. An 8 from
Craig was an insult. It was smooth and graceful, and she oozed glamour. There
are still tiny issues she could work on, mainly her posture as the judges
commented, but she performed Brendan’s fabulous choreography wonderfully and
with apparent ease.
Scored | 36 |
Our Score | 9 |
Susanna
& Kevin
Foxtrot to
‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’ by Frankie Valli
Prop alert!
There’s been quite a bit of seat action this year hasn’t there… Anyway, that
aside, Susanna looked well at home during this performance. The technique was all there and
performed well. As usual, they sold the dance to its fullest potential – the
storyline may have been a little sickly sweet, but it worked for these two!
Susanna showed some lovely footwork, with plenty of flair. It was neat, compact
and danced beautifully.
Scored |
38 |
Our Score
| 9 |
Salsa to ‘Move Your Feet’ by Junior Senior
Susanna looked a little less at home during this
one. It all looked a bit messy and unfinished in parts. However that armography
section was wonderful, and as usual, she was nowhere near as bad as the judges
made out. A great routine performed at top notch speed with mountains of
energy.
Scored | 32 |
Our Score | 8 |
Abbey
& Aljaz
Samba to ‘Faith’ by George Michael
You can really tell how much more confident Abbey
is on the dancefloor now, she has such a natural sense of timing and Aljaz’
choreography was again a joy to watch. She showed great hip action, and we
loved the shimmies! There was a lack of double bounce in there, but otherwise
it was technically fantastic.
Scored | 39 |
Our Score | 9 |
American
Smooth to ‘Sweet Caroline’ by Neil Diamond
Beautiful and captivating. Abbey showed real
flair, and the lifts were to die for!
There were still a couple of issues, like gapping
in places, so it wasn’t perfect – but it was pretty near to it! A fantastic way
to end this years semi-final.
Scored |
39 |
Our Score
| 9 |
Next week,
it’s time, the FINAL is upon us! This first ever all-female final too. Who’ll
be getting your vote to take over from reigning champion Louis?
