Another week and a new Angela leaves the Strictly ballroom. After Angela Rippon’s elimination in Blackpool, we also saw Angela Scanlon drop out on Sunday evening. Ironically, she danced her cha cha cha to I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor.
It was the first time in the dance-off for both Scanlon and Layton Williams, with the latter doing a complicated American smoothy that divided opinion. Shirley Ballas actually disagreed with the rest of the panel: she would have preferred to see Williams go home. But he is the one who survives for now and advances to next week’s quarter-finals.
Angela’s hips don’t lie
At several points, Scanlon – who has a background in Irish dance – seemed like a real contender. Her Damn Yankees Charleston in Movie Week scored three nines, and she also impressed with a Black Swan paso doble in Halloween Week and a thrilling Argentine tango in Blackpool.
But she was inconsistent, which proved fatal among this impressive cast, and she drew the wrong dance at the worst possible time. On Saturday night, she failed to sway her Latin hips during the brutal cha cha, although she did have fun with the disco style of the routine. Getting 7s from Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse sealed her fate.
Speaking to Tess Daly after their elimination, Scanlon said she was sad to be gone but described her time on the show as incredible, adding her partner Carlos Gu said: “I made the best friend in this man. He supported me and picked me up and made me laugh so much.” Gu, in turn, praised her dedication, work ethic and sense of humor.
The jury members are divided again
After weeks of easy, unanimous decisions, the dance-offs have become much more charged. This week there was still a majority decision, but with a major dissent in the form of our chief judge.
This was probably the closest call yet. Scanlon and Williams had scored 31 and 34 respectively on Saturday night, with Ballas and Anton Du Beke giving them both the same scores: an 8 versus a 9. Scanlon had had technical difficulties, while Williams’ routine at times felt more like a show dance than a dance . a real American smooth.
Revel Horwood saved Williams on technique and what he called “the better dance of the night, and the dance I actually enjoyed the most.” Mabuse called it a “tough, cool dance-off,” but also saved Williams based on “musicality and balance.”
Du Beke said it had been an exciting dance competition, with neither couple dancing “as well as they could”. But he had seen a mistake with one couple (presumably Scanlon and Gu), so he voted to keep Williams in.
Ballas’ vote didn’t count, but she made it strong, stating that when it comes to ballroom and Latin, it’s important to stick to “the character of the dance, that it’s true to the dance,” and to the “timing and quality”. This is how she would have saved Scanlon over Williams.
Is Layton in trouble?
Ballas’ comments were probably more of an indictment of Nikita Kuzmin’s choreography, but Williams has been criticized in recent weeks (although more often from viewers than from the judges) for dancing more as a freestyle soloist – drawing on his previous stage experience – than as part of a partnership in the ballroom.
Part of the fun of watching Strictly is seeing people try something new and venture outside their comfort zone. We didn’t really have that with Williams. Next week, he and Kuzmin would be wise to dial back the gimmicks and theatrics, and really deliver on the tenets of that particular ballroom dance.
I would also like to see them perform more with and for each other, instead of out in front of the audience. The magic of ballroom happens when two bodies move as one. At this point, it looks more like two talented professionals dancing next to each other: impressive, yes, but with no emotional connection.
Annabel could go to extremes
Could Croft actually reach the final? It seemed unthinkable at first. The tennis expert was a nice natural mover and had a strong professional partner in the popular Johannes Radebe, but the 57-year-old was sure to call it quits after a few weeks.
Yet Croft has quietly improved more than anyone else this season, carving his way forward one dance at a time. The emotional Couple’s Choice, dedicated to her late husband, seemed to unlock something; the following week saw her throw caution to the wind with a carefree samba.
The pair clearly have support from the viewers, and their paso doble this week received by far the biggest reaction from the studio audience. We love a tryer, and Croft exemplifies the strict ‘journey’. If she can reach that next level and also produce a more expressive performance, she could potentially be a surprise finalist.
It’s a mystery
The bigger mystery is why the Strictly pros never dance a ballroom – despite being highly trained ballroom dancers, on a show that’s all about ballroom dancing – but clearly no one is listening to me there, so…
This week’s Missed Opportunity/Pro Group Dance featured Kai Widdrington as a PI and Nadiya Bychkova, a Golden Age Hollywood starlet whose necklace goes missing. Gasping! A whodunnit ensued, in case you ever wondered what it would be like to watch a film noir with no real noir but lots of jazz hands.
We also got musical entertainment from Scottish rockers Texas, who performed their 2000 hit Inner Smile, accompanied by energetic contempo waft from Vito Coppola and Luba Mushtuk. (Somewhat dispelling the “Sunday show as live” conceit, since we had just left off with Coppola reducing Claudia Winkleman to hysteria with his views on tuna-mayo pasta.)
Music is everything
Not only did the hapless Scanlon sign the cha cha this week, she also had the mixed blessing of a disco track. It made for a fun camp performance, but it also messed up the rhythms and specific style of Latin dance.
Conversely, the traditional framing, including the use of España Cañi, was part of the reason why Annabel Croft’s paso doble broke a storm. We’ve had a dismal number of “rock” paso dobles this season, which never quite reflect the authentic flavor of the dance.
The chaotic structure of Björk’s It’s Oh So Quiet undermined the softness of Williams’ American smooth (they could have choreographed and danced it differently, but I don’t think it helped), while the rich emotions of This Woman’s Work added significantly to the music by Bobby Brazier. Couple’s choice.
I have to admit, I was skeptical about how Destiny’s Child’s Bills, Bills, Bills could possibly work for an Argentine tango – and yet it turned out to be an inspired choice for Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola. But perhaps it led them down that simmering, combative route, pitting them against each other, which didn’t seem to appeal to Craig Revel Horwood or Anton Du Beke. (To be clear, they were wrong.)
The next show in particular will be crucial. It’s Musicals Week, which means those song choices define the entire performance. Will fortune be a lady, or will our celebrities be les misérables? Then join us again and keep dancing in the meantime!