Destination Strictly Dance Floor for Week Five

So, this week, Bruno is off and taking his seat on the judging panel was the memorable Alfonso! Not that Bruno isn’t memorable too of course; but few people in the dance world will have forgotten Alfonso’s great Samba hips and pelvis in the American version of big dance shows. And as he showed us with Mike Bushnell after he and Katya had finished their set, he’s still got it. Not so sure about Mike, although it was a great crowd pleaser of a dance, and certainly a good homage to the guest judge – not a lot of samba. Motsi said "she felt as if she…needed therapy…” having seen all the things her teacher always told her not to do, but yes, enjoying it nonetheless. Just goes to show that enthusiasm can, in some dances, just shine through and still make you smile for the right reasons. As I often saying to my classes, "Dancing is meant to be fun, and if you are enjoying yourself a lot of the technical stuff will be overlooked." This is particularly important for Wedding Couples; reception guests are not usually looking at the feet of the couple, so if the upper body and frame are good, there is a genuine smile resulting from enjoying the moment, the guests will remember that over technical softness.

So, we have 12 dancing couples left now and the standard is, despite my previous remarks, still very inspiring. But did you notice the comment from Saffron and A.J. – ‘….12 hours every day practising.’ If you come regularly to class and practice at social events and elsewhere, even whilst doing the washing up for body movement, you will improve. Their Foxtrot was awesome. Ladies, did you see those lovely heel drags I mentioned the other week? And really nice rise and fall with excellent timing. They got the move on the end of the beat which, as Shirley said, makes a big difference. People often try to move their feet on the beginning or soon after, however that’s where the body is moving – the feet come later. Remember, ‘Chest moves, body moves, feet move.’ A worthy 9 from the judges for Saffron and AJ – one of my favourites this week.

I also thought Michelle and Giovanni did a very nice Rumba, elegant and clean with a lot of recognisable, basic content such as the Rope Spin, Fan, Sliding Doors and Open Out Left to Right – really pleasing to see that as it gives those learning to dance something to aim towards. These basic figures are what you’d be expecting to dance at a social event, and are all very doable in a small space to a lot of modern music.

Then, of course, VC Emma and Alijaz gave us a very beautiful Viennese Waltz – she was probably hearing Alijaz saying, ‘Left, Left, Left’ in her sleep, but it paid off and her frame was lovely for this dance. I think this was also my favourite set and costume piece of the night – another well-deserved 9.

And finally, Will and Jeanette’s Contemporary Couples’ Choice told a highly emotional, personal and inspiring story which could not have failed to touch most people. As Shirley said they "…gave the whole nation hope…" and even reduced Motsi to tears. The great thing about Contemporary is that there are no rules, no alignment, direction or positioning of feet and arms – it’s all about the story and letting it be told through the body, in time to the music. Awesome stuff, Will and Jeanette!

Overall, everyone has improved again this week, which is really heart-warming; they do seem to all be rooting for each other too, which is why dancing is often such a joy for people, it’s not just about learning to dance but also about the friendships you make and the pleasure you get from sharing a mutual experience. If you’ve always wanted to have a go, but just never quite got round to it, we do offer taster lessons on Tuesday evenings in High Wycombe. You can try out a few steps without committing to a class; you don’t need a partner and if you don’t like the experience at least you’ll have given it a go – the majority stay, though. Contact us through our website for more details.