A show dance is not always a showy dance
With Jay and Aliona the favourites to win the final of Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1, Saturday), their show dance should have been a show-stopping formality. And yet it was curiously restrained, more like an audition for a pop video for Jay’s solo career (perhaps a wiser move anyway) than a bells-and-whistles acrobatics display. Still, the fact that they won suggested people liked it. Even if the judges didn’t.
The glitterball-lifting moment was almost an anticlimax after their dance to I Can’t Feel My Face was comprehensively slammed by the judges, who evidently could feel neither their consciences nor the Christmas spirit. “Disappointing,” said Craig, witheringly. Jay and Aliona seemed to mentally exit the competition at that moment; suddenly, it was between Georgia and Kellie, with Kellie the clear frontrunner and the favourite of the studio audience.
When the result was announced, Jay and Aliona both looked at each other in disbelief, and there was a slight air of “You’ve been so horrible to us tonight that we don’t want it now anyway.” Ah well, any of them would have been worthy winners, so it was a good result.
When everyone ‘deserves’ to win, the contest is less fun
This was the problem with this final. It was a peculiar end to a spectacular series, where Strictly got everything it ever dreamed of: a final with seriously talented competitors with little to choose between them. There were no joke contestants (not even Katie Derham who, although good, was clearly not up to the standard of the others). They were all almost too good. And, somehow, not quite good enough to produce “wow” moments bigger than anything else delivered all series.
No dance on Saturday had the impact of Jay and Aliona’s jive from week three. Strictly is in a bit of a bind here, and needs to have a serious think about what to do. They obviously try to find a significant proportion of contestants who will be able to deliver spectacular dances. This means trawling CVs for a childhood spell at Sylvia Young or Italia Conti. Because it’s almost impossible to find 15 Anita Ranis with the time, focus and lack of ego to train within three months to the standard a professional dancer might not reach in three years.
Even then, the public vote can’t be controlled and is refreshingly scattergun. Possibly, they need to return to a more random approach. Instead of reverse-engineering West End-standard choreography, shouldn’t they take more risks on the Chris Hollins of this world? (Strictly winner 2009, and a man who would have been mowed down in this weekend’s final.)
Strictly is not fixed and let that be an end to it
Len Goodman has been wheeled out repeatedly to argue that Strictly is not fixed and the judges are not leaned on by the producers. If this were the case, he contends, he would quit the show. However, the judges all have their own inherent bias. Len won’t vote for anything that wouldn’t pass muster in the 1975 World Ballroom Championships. (And there is nothing wrong with that. Standards must be upheld.) Darcey favours lyricism and unpredictability. Craig likes perfected innovation. Bruno follows his heart. It does mean they “see” different dances to the audience and they shouldn’t be surprised when they are called upon to justify themselves.
Meanwhile, Saturday produced some classic, eccentric Strictly moments: Mary Berry struggling to read the cue cards about terms and conditions (sorry, but this was a bad idea); Claudia finding herself unable to resist a jibe about Craig Revel Horwood’s offer to put Georgia May Foote in one of his West End shows (“You might want to take a look at them first, love”); Claudia’s husband (was it really?) in a dolphin costume.
Best moment? The lady on the Out and About in the United Kingdom! VT complaining that Craig had “mellowed” in this series and should go back to being nasty. I so agree, darling. Craig being constructive is a dis-ah-sta.
