Running Commentary SCD: Week Twelve

And Tess nearly took a tumble then! Fancy having a train on the dress, how daft! Ha ha at Bruce - I certainly didn’t know about the Killers!

Austin and Erin up first for their American Smooth, which I’m sure will knock us out. If ever you needed points, the AS is a surefire thing, always entertaining Hollywood style with lifts. Matt Dawson in training passing on a few tips. Top Bloke! The Best is Yet To Come, they promise and spectacular lifts do follow, although the transitions weren’t too smooth. A quiet performance actually, not a lot of pizazz. Len: A great job, fantastic (in hold); Bruno: Light and airy quality; Craig: Very smooth, lot of control, safe, slightly bored (that’s a turn up!); Arlene: Come out and dance for England. (Seems the judges are a little bit under whelmed with that.) Judges: 34 - normally a good score but low compared to recent efforts. Salsa and WOW - what an entrance! Ok, upper body not so fluid but he lets himself go, really enjoyable, lots of fun elements. Should bring him back in touch. Len: Come back stronger, more vibrant. Great; Bruno: Pushed the entertainment value, sold it; Craig: Very entertaining, some of it a bit awkward; Arlene: Electric, masterful (when with Erin) Be fearless (on own). Judges: 36 excellent score, the others will have to be on top of their own Latin. Combined: 70

Lisa and Brendan take to the floor for a beautiful waltz in the most gorgeous dress (Lisa, not Brendan). The song and whole feel is magical (a word I later hear a lot)Bruno: The ballroom dream continues, exquisite; Craig: The genius of the dance was its simplicity; Arlene: Every breath you took matched the flow of the dance and the footwork; Len: Beautiful, majestic, a true delight - commend Hayley Sanderson, the singer. (Nice one, Len). Judges score: 39 Deserved again I think. Jive: Brilliant song choice - Crocodile Rock, one of mine on the Song Choices thread. The training looks good but judges unconvinced. She tried her best - I‘ve seen worse, but again, she’s enjoying herself and that engages me more than technical perfection. Bruno: Why was I worried - you did it!; Craig: A brave endeavour, a fine job; Arlene: You tackle everything , you go for it; Len: Acted the dance, legs quite good, bit loose. Judges: 33 - not as good as Brendan was hoping, he’s taken a hike. Aw, bless Tom - he stepped in to give Lisa a cuddle. What a sweetie pie :) Combined: 72

Tom and Camilla - Here they Come Again, for a foxtrot. Not a song I’d have thought of but it’s completely and utterly beautiful, magical choreography and so emotional. The end sequence was simply divine. What a peach - their best to date - and that’s a tough choice for me. They surely won’t deny him top marks for that? Craig: Swing and sway, in complete control; Arlene: Dancing your way into the final; Len: You absolute beauty! Knocked my socks off!; Bruno: The golden couple - aimed high and hit the spot. Judges: 39 Wooohooo!! Only Craig with a 9,but, well, that’s Craig! They’re like a couple of spaniels given their Xmas dog stockings early! Brendan and Austin can’t stop grinning at them - hope it had the same effect on the voters! Rumba time - Arlene “I’ll show him how to do a rumba!” Watch yourself Tom! Rumba not my favourite of dances, but he did a credible job there - let anyone dare say they lack connection, I certainly felt it. Craig: There is sign of improvement, fell in love with it, it was great; Arlene: Not a lot of content but I found my heart beating faster; Len: far too hectic, too many lines; Bruno: A hard dance to nail. Judges: 34 - I’d been very hopeful after Craig’s comments - not usually him outscoring Len! If he hasn’t been feeling the Latin till now though he’s a bloody good actor, because I’ve been convinced since the week 1 Cha cha. Combined: 73 - doesn’t sound huge but it puts him second on the leader board, a great result - if he has the public support I think he has.

Rachel and Vincent - I swear they just replayed her interview from her first dance off. Vincent likes his Eurythmic songs for the Tango, excellent choreography, I didn’t see any mistakes but the dress is long again! Competent as ever. Arlene: Most erotic tango I’ve ever seen; Len: Light and shade, wish I had an eleven; Bruno: A performance that sends a chill down my spine; Craig: Commend choreography, displaced balance, kick ball changes slightly ahead. (Nice to see Craig is actually unbiased - I have been a bit concerned this series) Judges: 39. Cha cha. Well executed, unexciting, nice song. Arlene: Sparkled like the shine in your dress; Len: Two fantastic dances tonight; Bruno: One thing is plain to see, you are a great dancer; Craig: Compact, tight. Judges: 37

Austin in trouble - If he gets top score with the public though and Rachel bottom, and Lisa 2nd from bottom with public, he'll escape the dance - off. It's feasible.