Aliona Vilani Archives - Learn To Dance

Change in Strictly line up – No Erin, Vincent, Flavia or Aliona

learndance — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 18:00:03 +0000

For those that haven’t heard the news the current Strictly Come Dancing professionals line-up has been announced.

Professionals not returning this Autumn are Erin Boag, Aliona Vilani, Vincent Simone & Flavia Cacace.

Comments from the professionals were:

Aliona [from Twitter] – “To those of you who are asking “WHY?” I’m leaving Strictly and asking me to stay and come back

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Strictly Come Dancing Week 1 Day 2

learndance — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 14:19:03 +0000

So we had a pretty busy weekend of teaching and weren’t able to blog during the second show. I’ve decided to analyse the second show all in one big entry rather than spamming everyone with 8 separate entries two days after the live show.

Going forward I’ll probably just do a Monday analysis of the weekend show as certainly the whole of October is going to be difficult for me to watch the show live.

On to Saturday’s show:

Kimberley & Pasha – Cha Cha Cha

It’s a confident start with some nice hip action though she does look unsteady on her feet at points. I’d like to see her use the floor a bit better as her action feels a bit harsh and forced at times.

I can’t quite tell if she makes a mistake during her natural top but it certainly looks that way.

Overall a good start to the show though and I think I’ll give her a 7.

Craig: 7 “Finally some dance talent…incandescent”
Darcey: 7 “You gave us the WOW factor…strengthen that core [to improve the hip action]”
Len: 7 “I’m going to call you nimble Kimble…little bit more pressure through the floor…fantastic impression”
Bruno: 7 “You definitely know how to sell it…did it beautifully…[need to develop] better hip action”

Total = 28

Sid & Ola – Waltz

Sid looks a little uncomfortable at the start but once they get together he seems to relax into it. It’s a nice elegant start though he still has a tendency to come down on the heel too early on steps such as his chasse, which is a shame as his rise and fall is generally quite good.

Some nice pivots though the heel feels a little too pronounced. It’s great to see how emotional he is at the end, really shows how much he gave to that performance.

A very nice Waltz I think I’m going to give him an 7.

Craig: 6 “Arms when placed were a little bit plonky…thumb needs to be tucked under…great movement around the floor…fantastic storytelling”
Darcey: 6 “You presented yourself so well…great intensity…I’m going to love watching you every week”
Len: 7 “You scrub up well…bit dainty [to start]…[once you got started] it had good movement…footwork was pretty good…right shoulder keeps leading”
Bruno: 7 “I cannot believe it…I was expecting a rugged thug…intensity, correct posture, erection…created the mood so well…footwork wasn’t bad at all”

Total = 26

Johnny & Aliona/Iveta – Cha Cha Cha

Unfortunately Johnny starts out of time and there’s is a distinct lack of technique which I’m afraid to say is unsurprising. He definitely looks to be enjoying himself though I think Craig will complain about him singing along!

Johnny would have benefited from a Waltz as his first dance but full marks for trying. He has some good hand placement and shaping at times, even if they are flung out slightly, unfortunately the rest of the time they do tend to hang there like wet fish.

A noble effort and for me a 5.

Craig: 3 “Never really been a big fan of miming…very distracting…looked like you had a disorder of the nervous system…little bit more fluidity would be good”
Darcey: 5 “Great energy…you surprised me…your weight is always on your heels [bring it forward over the toes for better hip action]”
Len: 5 “All a bit ‘last of the summer wine’…you had good timing…plenty of content…lot of people [your age] would want to get out and move like that”
Bruno: 4 “I think you failed the MOT…on the plus side you completed the lap…looking forward to seeing your ballroom”

Total = 17

Dani & Vincent – Waltz

I thought Dani looked really promising in training, so let’s hope she can live up to it.

Needs to keep her head a little straighter when she leans to one side or the other as she looks like she’s collapsing a little at the moment, also needs to make her chasse action smoother.

There’s some very nice extensions but the routine is so fast that she does skip through large chunks of it. A good start but room for improvement, a 6 from me.

Craig: 5 “You need to extend your leg fully…when you spin don’t spot the floor…thought you had a beautiful back”
Darcey: 5 “I was impressed with your travelling…imagine you have the most beautiful necklace on [to improve your head posture]”
Len: 6 “Work on [the detail]…spins on your own were a little bit wobbly…thought it was very nice”
Bruno: 5 “Smile, enjoy the occasion…all the tension you create stops the movement & flow…get a little anxious and you start skipping like a little kangaroo”

Total = 21

Lisa & Robin – Cha Cha Cha

Already I’m smiling and they’ve only just started dancing! Some really good energy and great use of the arms. The whole routine is fun and really well acted.

Would like to see some more hip action but I think the speed of the routine works against them for that. Brilliant ending with Robin jumping up for Lisa to hold him up.

A great performance and a 7 from me.

Craig: 8 “YOU CAN DANCE!”
Darcey: 8 “I love someone who can take risks…a great and amazing end…you’re going to be a joy to watch during this show”
Len: 7 “You’re a funky monkey…flat out and fun…like a fizzy bottle of cola…what it lacked in technique it made up for in energy and fun”
Bruno: 7 “That was grand, big, beautiful entertainment…never seen people so happy”

Total = 30, highest score of the weekend so far, I’m still smiling so it was that good!

Richard & Erin – Waltz

Richard looks like a classic Ballroom dancer at the start, until he starts moving – need to make sure you keep that bum in Richard.

Feet should remain in contact with the floor throughout the dance, and needs to make his rise and fall smoother. Loses timing but manages to regain it, shame about the ‘ventriloquist dummy’ face though, need to relax the features a bit too.

It’s a nice dance though, however just a 5 from me I think.

Craig: 5 “Thought the smile was actually very lovely…very romantic routine…transitions are a little bit lumpy…but a good effort”
Darcey: 5 “I missed the real Richard in that routine”
Len: 7 “Your footwork was the best of any Waltz I’ve seen…your posture was ok…you can’t make a Waltz into a Cha Cha”
Bruno: 5 “What happened to you…looked like you were in a trance or sedated…bit boring…kind of nice-ish, wasn’t brilliant”

Total = 22

Jerry & Anton – Cha Cha Cha

When I saw Jerry on the premiere show I was concerned her routines could feature lots of gratuitous posing, looks like I might have been right.

Anton’s too short for her which is causing Jerry to stoop down to him, and there’s not enough pressure going through the floor resulting in very little hip action.

I found the whole routine quite boring for a Cha Cha, especially when you’re following a routine like Lisa’s, and the ending was just…strange.

Fairly uninspiring and just a 5 from me.

Craig: 3 “Taken minimal to whole new level, awful lot of wiggling”
Darcey: 5 “You have the ability…dance more…we know you’re stunning when you pose Jerry”
Len: 5 “A little bit careful…I want to be excited…next week excite me”
Bruno: 5 “You are a glamour-zon…the little bit of Cha Cha Cha that there was, was actually good”

Total = 18

Louis & Flavia – Cha Cha Cha

Some interesting pouting but the hand and arm movements are a little bit too wavy at the start, and he really needs to develop better shaping of the hands later on.

He’s obviously worked on his hip action, now we just need to liven up the face to match.

The footwork could use some improvement, and I was about to comment on his lack of cuban heels when I saw the ending which would have been much more challenging in cuban heels!

Not a bad start but needs to liven up and work on his technique, a 6 from me.

Craig: 6 “A little bit awkward at times…I thought you could have used your face a little bit more”
Darcey: 8 “I can see you’re using muscles you haven’t used before, and that’s saying something for a gymnast…in my eyes I think you’re going to go far on this show”
Len: 6 “It wasn’t a gold medal performance…a tad loose in places”
Bruno: 7 “I like a guy with plenty of tricks up his sleeve, you snake-hipped wonder”

Total = 27

So that puts the final leader board after week 1 as:

1. 30 – Lisa & Robin
2. 28 – Kimberley & Pasha
3. 27 – Louise & Flavia
4. 26 – Sid & Ola
5. 25 – Denise & James
6. 23 – Colin & Kristina
7. 22 – Richard & Erin
8. 21 – Dani & Vincent
9. 20 – Michael & Natalie
10. 19 – Fern & Artem
11. 18 – Jerry & Anton
12. 17 – Nicky & Karen
12. 17 – Johnny & Iveta
14. 16 – Victoria & Brendan

These scores will carry over to next week, so Victoria’s going to have to work extra hard to get her routine right this time round, or face the dance off.

Look for our daily analysis of It Takes Two (first one coming up shortly), and next week’s analysis on Monday.

Hope you enjoyed this week’s show.

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Strictly Training Video analysis

learndance — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 19:52:44 +0000

So Strictly starts in a little while and all the training videos have now been released.

I’ve decided to analyse them all in one big post rather than 14 individual entries so that you can directly compare all of the pre-show training.

Kimberley & Pasha – Cha Cha Cha

So Kimberley & Pasha are doing a Cha Cha for their first dance. Interesting that Kimberley is wearing trainers in her early rehearsals, I hope they’re dance sneakers and not regular trainers otherwise she’s risking an early injury.

Kimberley looks quite natural in her hip action which is a good sign and she definitely looks like she could perform on the night. It’s also good to see that Pasha is confident enough in her ability to start working on how she uses the floor – those that come to our Wednesday night technique classes should take note at 1.38 to see what we talk about in action.

Overall I’m confident in my initial prediction that Kimberley and Pasha should be one of the front runners early on.

Richard & Erin – Waltz

Richard could potentially do quite well in the Waltz, but he does have to watch his head position, you don’t want to look like you’re trying to listen to your shoulder like he does around 10 seconds in.

Also I’d like to see a bit of rise and fall on steps like his [I think] weave at 47 seconds as he’s completely flat at the moment, but it’s early days and I’m sure Erin’s been working him hard

Louis & Flavia – Cha Cha Cha

I felt in the Premiere group dance that Louis looked a little stiff so it’s good to see Flavia working so hard on his hip action, and it does look like he might be able to get his wiggle on this weekend.

Plenty of beginners that we see are surprised how much muscles hurt that they didn’t know they had after they start learning to dance. As Flavia says, although Louis is a fit and muscly gymnast, dancing requires a different usage of the muscles he has.

Louis does have a chance of doing very well in this competition if he can keep improving from this early footage, let’s just hope his body can hold up!

Fern & Artem – Cha Cha Cha

Fern is looking nice and smooth in her hip action at the moment, which bodes well, and some of these early moves are looking promising.

Shame there’s not really more dancing in this video for me to comment on though.

Nicky & Karen – Waltz

Nicky needs to make sure that his last step of the chasse is toe to flat rather than coming down early and using a heel.

He looks to have good extension in his arms, but I’m hoping that lifts aren’t going to feature too heavily in the routine as that should really be American Smooth territory.

Lisa & Robin – Cha Cha Cha

Lisa needs to watch that she keeps her shoulders down when she’s dancing but it’s good to see her hips are nice and loose already.

She’ll need to watch her facial expressions once she starts performing but I think it could be entertaining, just hopefully not too much disco Robin!

Colin & Kristina – Cha Cha Cha

Thankfully Colin is looking a little bit more comfortable with the dancing than he did during the Premiere. I don’t understand why they didn’t give him a taller partner, Latin won’t be affected as much as the Ballroom – I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a bum sticking out problem when they get the Ballroom side of things.

He still needs a lot of work on his technique but his rhythm is looking good.

Dani & Vincent – Waltz

I’m pretty sure that’s South Hill Park Arts Centre they’re training in as well, we’ve done some workshops in there, a nice little studio.

I’m liking Dani’s movement and her lines at the moment, she might not be looking forward to the Waltz but I think she could do really well based on this video.

Sid & Ola – Waltz

Sid has the same problem as Nicky with his chasse at the moment, using his heel on the fourth step rather than coming down on the toe, so we’ll see if that’s been ironed out by the time they come to perform.

Looks quite good during the pivots, but that is with a relaxed hold, I don’t think he’d be quite as successful in the ballroom hold trying that at the moment.

Victoria & Brendan – Cha Cha Cha

Victoria should have a good training mentality but I’m not sure how ‘Latin’ she’s going to be. Her initial training is looking good though she does need to remember TOTTY (Tits Over Toes Thank You) during those forward lock steps as it’s a bit pelvis first at the moment.

Johnny & Aliona & Ian Waite & Iveta Lukosiute – Cha Cha Cha

Johnny is not going to suit Cha Cha unfortunately I think, he really could have done with Waltz as his first dance. As I mentioned earlier in the week Aliona unfortunately went over on her ankle causing a hairline fracture and putting her out for 2-4 weeks. Ian jumped in to help out whilst the show found Johnny a suitable replacement (see below).

Jerry & Anton – Cha Cha Cha

Jerry definitely has a natural style and I think is actually more suited to the Cha Cha than Anton even! I think she could do quite a good dance, if the choreography does her justice.

Michael & Natalie – Waltz

Michael is going to struggle I think in the first couple of weeks as his balance doesn’t look great, but let’s hope he proves me wrong. If he can maintain a good frame though that will be half the battle.

Denise & James – Waltz

I thought from the first show that Denise showed a great deal of promise, and she’s looking good so far. Obviously needs to work on her top half position leaning out away from James, but they’ve worked on that extensively it seems.

All in all I think it promises to be a good first show and look for my analysis later tonight and tomorrow of each of their performances. Not all of the blogs are going to be live over the next few weeks as we have a lot of dance jobs on, but we’ll do our best.

Who’s got your early vote?

The post Strictly Training Video analysis appeared first on Learn To Dance.

Aliona Vilani Hairline Fracture

learndance — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 12:25:43 +0000

If you haven’t heard already Aliona Vilani suffered a hairline fracture in her ankle whilst training with Johnny Ball on Thursday.

Full recoverey time hasn’t been confirmed yet but initial prognosis puts her as out for 2-4 weeks, meaning she’ll miss at least the first show, if not maybe even the whole of this series if Johnny gets voted out early.

Normally an already booted out pro would take over in the event of an injury so the question raised is who will they bring in to cover on the first show. We can assume it’ll probably be an ex pro from previous series, and early suggestions put Karen Hardy as peoples favourite.

The injury apparently occurred when Johnny turned the wrong way during a move but thankfully is not thought to be career threatening.

I’m sure Johnny feels terrible but unfortunately that’s the risk we take as teachers when we try new moves/routines and it’s always harder for the female pro’s as they have to let the guy lead.

Who would you like to see dancing with Johnny next Saturday?

The post Aliona Vilani Hairline Fracture appeared first on Learn To Dance.

Strictly Come Dancing 2012 – Premiere

learndance — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 09:00:22 +0000

Yes yes I know I haven’t blogged about Strictly, or anything for that matter, in 9 months but I thought it about time to get back into it.

The reveal show took place almost two weeks ago and although I watched it at the time, this is the first chance I’ve had to sit down and pencil in my thoughts on the pairings and what I expect from this year’s show.

On first look this seems like quite an exciting line-up with plenty of characters but personality will only get you so far in a dance competition, how they strut their stuff next week determines how far through the ‘journey’ we’ll see them go.

The pairings for Strictly 2012 come out as:
Fern Britton & Artem Chigvintsev
Dani Harmer & Vincent Simone
Victoria Pendleton & Brendan Cole
Sid Owen & Ola Jordan
Nicky Byrne & Karen Hauer
Johnny Ball & Aliona Vilani
Kimberley Walsh & Pasha Kovalev
Jerry Hall & Anton Du Beke
Lisa Riley & Robin Windsor
Denise Van Outen & James Jordan
Michael Vaughan & Natalie Lowe
Louis Smith & Flavia Cacace
Richard Arnold & Erin Boag
Colin Salmon & Kristina Rihanoff

Some interesting pairings there but let’s see how the first look at their dance abilities shapes up.

So what do we learn from the above?

Dani Harmer, Victoria Pendleton, Jerry Hall & Lisa Riley can click and wave their hands in time to the music.

Nicky Byrne & Michael Vaughan don’t quite know how to fold their arms for camera but Johnny Ball knows how to choreograph his eyebrows!

Denise Van Outen is looking good with her arms but Colin Salmon is currently at the ‘flinging’ stages of his career.

Louis Smith is going to be able to lift Flavia and spin her round probably endlessly.

Sid Owen really shouldn’t get into a live dance-off!

Denise & Victoria can bring the attitude (Denise is definitely looking good at this early stage)

Nicky Byrne knows how to thrust Michael Jackson style but Michael Vaughan mistakes the move for an invitation to jump past and whack one out the park.

Both Kimberley Walsh & Dani can shake it whilst Jerry Hall is going to rely on a haughty stance.

Lisa Riley & Richard Arnold are going to bring the comedy personas, as will Johnny Ball, but it’ll be interesting to see what Fern Britton’s experience from Strictly Christmas 2010 will bring to the table.

If you were wondering why Louis was wearing dance sneakers rather than shoes you find out near the end (bet you didn’t even notice he wasn’t wearing dance shoes!)

Now that’s out of the way who are my early picks?

Nicky Byrne & Karen Hauer
Westlife fanbase could give Nicky an edge, but new girl Karen will have to get the British audience on her side after (I thought) going a bit OTT on the launch show

Kimberley Walsh & Pasha Kovalev
Pasha settled in nicely last year with Chelsee Healey and Kimberley looks to have a nice movement to her.

Denise Van Outen & James Jordan
My front runners I think they could be the couple to beat this year, but it’s early days at the moment.

So that’s my thoughts, there’s already some training footage available so I will analyse the progress so far over the next few days.

I’ve tipped Denise & James to do well but do you agree? Who are your forerunners, or who are you looking forward to seeing on the dance floor?

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Strictly Come Dancing 2011 FINAL

learndance — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 21:49:00 +0000

So the last few months have been fairly hectic for us, apologies therefore that I’ve not been blogging about the last few weeks.

Right back at the launch show I predicted that Harry & Chelsee could both do really well, but never gave a thought to Jason – two out of three isn’t bad though!

First up tonight is Harry & Aliona with their Quickstep:

Harry’s frame has definitely improved over the weeks and I think this Quickstep is actually better than the first time Harry performed it, with no noticeable slips this time.

Given that he got a 9 and 3×10’s last time he performed it then this really should be a perfect score.

Craig: 10 “You seem to have improved [lazy left foot]…I loved it”
Len: 10 “You’ve come out all guns blazing…I loved that dance first time round…that was brilliant”
Alisha: 10 “Your quickstep is stunning…maximised the floorspace…very strong start”
Bruno: 10 “You came, you danced, and you conquered Blackpool…loved it”

Total Score: 40

Jason & Kristina Tango

Jason started the competition strongly but has struggled more with the second-half of the competition however his Tango was a very strong performance.

Starts well however has a bit of a bum sticking out issue after the ‘disco’ section and this results in gapping over the rest of the routine which is a shame.

It’s entertaining but just not as polished as Harry’s, just an 8 from me I think, though I imagine the judges will give 9’s.

Craig: 9 “Your bottom was sticking out a lot and the chasses were a little bit skippy”
Len: 10 “You have survived 14 weeks of blood, sweat and tears…you give those other two 20 years in age”
Alisha: 10 “Clever choreography…I loved it”
Bruno: 9 “Tango with split personality…incredible and barking mad but I loved it”

Total Score: 38

Chelsee & Pasha Jive

This was very energetic before and hopefully Chelsee can bring that same energy tonight, with just a little bit more polish.

It feels better than her previous performance, though still is a bit manic in places. She looks puffed out near the end and falls out of sequence with Pasha when they are facing away from each other.

Not her best performance, which is a shame, but I can only give it an 8.

Craig: 9 “A complete and absolute bundle of joy to watch…thousand steps a minute”
Len: 10 “Watching that gives me as much pleasure as a world championship”
Alisha: 10 “For me personally that’s my favourite Jive of the series”
Bruno: 10 “That was a premium grade Jive…you were GREAT”

Total Score: 39

So it’s 1. Harry; 2. Chelsee; 3. Jason and the lines are open!

Now for the show dances

Harry & Aliona

Harry is excellent when it comes to lifts but there are a few moments when it loses a bit of polish for me with a few untidy hands and holds.

Their last lift looks a little wobbly and the drum section at the end didn’t really seem to work.

Not as good as their Quickstep so just a 9 from me.

Craig: 9 “You have an enormous amount of talent…transitions could have been a lot smoother”
Len: 9 “If you were a stick of Blackpool rock you’d have ‘Talent’ written right through you…thought that lift [near the end] was a little bit sticky getting into it”
Alisha: 10 “I loved the concept…lifts were verging on dangerous…smoothly done”
Bruno: 9 “Great guns Harry…impressive strength and physicality…tiny little incident on a lift”

Total Score: 37

Jason & Kristina

It’s good to see show dances that are based more on the actual dances they’ve been learning (I’m sure some of you will remember Brendan Cole and Lisa Snowdon’s ill-fated show dance).

I can’t tell whether they’re out of sequence or not in some of the sections…Jason doesn’t look out of time but we just can’t tell if they’re supposed to be exactly synchronised at those points.

I felt it was more polished in some ways than Harry’s dance but still only a 9 from me.

Craig: 10 “Ferocious and full-on darling…a-maz-ing”
Len: 10 “You’re a showman, this is a show dance, the perfect combination”
Alisha: 10 “If this was a marathon you’d have won already…that was a SHOW dance!”
Bruno: 10 “It was a showbiz extravaganza…brilliant”

Total Score: 40

Chelsee & Pasha

I’m hoping they haven’t gone too ‘showdance’ with this routine…though the music fills me a little bit with dread.

I’m not sure on quite a few of the lifts, and again it just feels a little messy at times but another 9.

Craig: 9 “I absolutely loved all those lifts…so close, impossible to call”
Len: 9 “I liked the element of hustle…bright and shiny…what saddens me is that in about an hour’s time one of our couples is going to go”
Alisha: 9 “Really going for it…totally natural”
Bruno: 9 “A vision of seductive beauty emerging from the mists…were a couple of moments darling when you nearly lost it”

Total Score: 36

So leader board is now 1. Jason; 2. Harry; 3. Chelsee

FIRST ELIMINATION

Our first elimination tonight is Jason & Kristina. They’re all so strong that it really will come down to the audience tonight – though Harry has overall been the best this series.

I’m personally cheering for Chelsee but purely because I did place a bet on her at the start of the series (20-1, but also won £80 on her being the final female, get in!) – however I won’t vote as I still want to try and remain impartial!

Right then, down to the final two, it’s anyone’s to win it.

Harry & Aliona American Smooth

Harry’s already shown he’s adept at the lifts, and Viennese Waltz is a good choice for them. They seem to lose it a little in the standing spin after the first major lift. The second lift exit doesn’t seem to have any transition, and the third lift looked a little uncomfortable on entry, but a lovely dance nonetheless.

Not perfect but a 9 from me.

Craig: 9 “If it wasn’t the final there’s a plethora of things I could say about your hands…but I loved it”
Len: 10 “When you did the Viennese Waltz before I loved it…you just made what was a great dance into an unbelievable dance”
Alisha: 10 “Such an accomplished dancer…I think the nation has fallen in love with you”
Bruno: 10 “Perfect fit for your princely charms…I salute you your highness”

Total Score: 39

Chelsee & Pasha Rumba

Out of the two, I think Chelsee has the more difficult ‘new’ dance, as Rumba is one of the harder dances for the celebrities to perform, and Chelsee’s acting hasn’t been great so far this series.

Nicely synchronised at the start and a great ronde. Much better floor splits than the last time she did them.

The hand is a little forgotten at times but this is beautifully danced, and exceeding my expectations.

Again not perfect but damn close, 9.5.

Craig: 9 “I thought it was absolutely magnificent”
Len: 10 “Because it was so slow everything is magnified, every detail…nothing I could see I didn’t like”
Alisha: 10 “You put your heart and soul into every single dance you do”
Bruno: 10 “You nailed that Rumba…acted it like a movie star…I loved it”

Total Score: 39

Down to the final two dances then, their favourites from the series.

Harry & Aliona Argentine Tango

Let’s hope for a bit more passion from Harry this time around, it was all a little too ‘clean’ last time around.

He’s still a magnificent dancer and there’s a great lift above his head in the middle.

I didn’t feel as much intensity through the dance as I’d have liked but the performance was perfection.

Craig: 10 “Like the nation I have fallen in love with you too darling”
Len: 10 “Last time I said I wanted a bit more intensity…and you listened to me”
Alisha: 10 “Perfect choice for the final…exquisite dancing”
Bruno: 10 “So cool, so strong, so sharp…I think I’ve been Tango’d”

Total Score: 40

Chelsee & Pasha Quickstep

This was probably Chelsee’s best dance of the series, let#s ope she pulls it out of the bag.

I’d like Chelsee to keep her toes pointed when she kicks them out (the Rudolph looked a little messy) but the rest is excellent. Can’t quite tell whether there was a problem with the jacket at the end.

I’m going to give this another perfect score.

Craig: 9 “I said it before and I’ll say it again…first class darling”
Len: 10 “It’s your favourite dance…could be my favourite dance as well”
Alisha: 10 “Perfect combination of a great dress, great song, great dance”
Bruno: 10 “Strictly stunning”

Total Score: 39 (would have preferred Craig to give a reason though – obviously the other judges don’t agree)

Leader Board

1. Harry & Aliona: 156
2. Chelsee & Pasha: 153.

Financially I’d like Chelsee to win, but I do think it’s going to be Harry. What about you?

The post Strictly Come Dancing 2011 FINAL appeared first on Learn To Dance.

Harry Judd & Aliona Vilani – Foxtrot

learndance — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 19:18:00 +0000

Hands are a little splayed (as Craig would put it) which is a shame. Needs to keep his head up and really stretch out in his frame but there’s a great connection between them both…Emma wonders if they’re both single…

A good performance let down by his frame – really work on stretching away from her Harry and you could be an excellent dancer.

A 7 from me.

Craig: 6 “You can dance, but Aliona you’ve got to sort his posture out”
Len: 6 “There was nothing great about it, but there was nothing terrible…chin is always down, lift up, stretch up”
Alesha: 8 “I think you move brilliantly…one of the best dancers in this competition…use the criticism”
Bruno: 7 “Something very, very special about Harry…strong, focused…gonna be fantastic”

Total Score: 27

The post Harry Judd & Aliona Vilani – Foxtrot appeared first on Learn To Dance.

Harry Judd & Aliona Vilani – Cha Cha Cha

learndance — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 18:19:00 +0000

Harry’s the only celebrity competitor with prior Strictly experience, but Paso is completely different from Cha Cha so I don’t think it’s a massive advantage.

I’m liking this Argentine Tango inspired start, Harry’s definitely looking good and it’s a massive improvement over any of Friday’s Cha Cha’s.

A bit too much ‘arm on the waistcoat’ positioning, obviously he wasn’t confident having his arms out, or Aliona decided he really didn’t look good doing it.

Harry suffers from the same ailment as the girls from last night, spending a bit too much time looking at the floor. Hips are a little rigid but leg placement and sharpness is good, I can see why the bookies have Harry down as the favourite.

A very good Cha Cha from Harry. I’d like to see a bit more from his arms and hips so not quite an 8 for me but definitely a 7.

Craig: 6 “For me too placed, too clean, too straight…lacked any real forward and back hip action”
Len: 7 “Little bit mechanical but I’ll tell you what…good you are”
Alesha: 8 “I love how focused you were…working the sexy, seductive look…Latin really suits you”
Bruno: 7 “Very fit, tight, muscular & masculine performance…could be a little bit more sinuous”

Total Score: 28

A much more realistic 8 this time Alesha

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Strictly Come Dancing 2011 – Friday 30th September

learndance — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 16:50:00 +0000

So Strictly 2011 started last night, Bruce’s jokes return, some questionable outfits on show (not quite sure what they’ve put Robbie Savage in for example) and hopefully a whole new audience will be looking to learn to dance…you know where to find us!

From watching the launch show I made the following predictions of couples that could do well:

Harry & Aliona (though how much help his previous training will be is debatable)

Chelsee & Pasha (I predict they’ll do really well)

Lulu & Brendan (both feisty)

Rory & Erin (though not all the way I fear)

Holly & Artem (could definitely give Kara food for thought)

The training videos so far seemed to have supported that but we’ll see how they all perform this weekend.

There are no couples going home this week, but the scores will be carried forward to next week too.

Enough of an intro, let’s get on with the dancing. First up is Holly Valence & Artem Chigvintsev (on a side note it was originally supposed to be Alex Jones & James Jordan dancing tonight – no official word on why the switch was made and whether they’re dancing tonight or not!)

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Harry Judd & Aliona Vilani – Strictly Teaser Video

learndance — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 16:24:00 +0000

Harry Judd’s Strictly Teaser Video

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