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Strictly Sophia
The Salsa - Not the Best, but plenty of Chest!!
This year’s Strictly Come Dancing has already provided some huge shocks and we are only half-way through the series. The only predictable feature of the show is the unpredictability of the outcome and none of the couples can be sure of their safety as the weeks go by. It is not just whether the viewers decide to vote for them that provokes uncertainty, but also which dance they are dealt every week.
The various dance disciplines seem to be like different hands in a poker game. You never know what you are going to be given and whilst some cards may be strong for you, others are unfortunately dangerous. Despite the skill of the couples, the cards seem to have fallen against certain partnerships at certain times. Most pairings have had one particularly difficult routine to master which has left them vulnerable. This week was no different, although for Kate and Anton, the majority of dance forms seem to take them to the brink of going bust.
Last week the judges failed to feel the heat of Kate and Anton’s salsa - which is hardly surprising considering there seems to be enough ice combined in the veins of the fussy foursome to freeze the whole of latin America! Despite Kate’s best efforts to appear as a saucy siren and some daring spins dotted throughout her routine, she was soon left feeling even more dizzy when the picky panel unleashed their critiques.
Bruno claimed that our favourite pair “sucked the life out of the salsa” and Arlene unfortunately compared Kate’s sexiness to a “coconut.” Whilst we may have hoped that she was somehow loosely referring to memories of a raunchy night filled with rum in Jamaica, it seems she was in fact just talking about the fruit.
When you have a judge like Craig, who gets grossly offended by a “sickled foot,” you realise that it will be an incredibly tough job for Kate to win over the fearsome foursome. Desperate times called for desperate measures and as Anton showed off his mangled matt of chest hair, his cunning plan seemed to work.
“I thought it was a good effort,” complimented Len, but fortunately (or unfortunately - depending upon how you view things) it soon became clear he was referring to Kate’s dancing rather than her partner’s proudly displayed pectorials. The Goodman suddenly turned into a bad man however, when he ordered Anton to “Get that brillo-pad off your chest and get backstage!”
With a total score of just eighteen points, including a particularly painful three from Craig devil Horwood, it was up to the public to once again save the pair. They had both thoroughly enjoyed their salsa and luckily for them, the viewers seemed to feel the fun of their dance. Saved for another week, Kate and Anton progressed along their unique dancing journey, whilst Penny and Ian sadly came to a sudden halt.
With yet another couple voted out of the show who had previously been hotly tipped to advance far into the competition, in addition to a shock bottom two appearance by former top scorers Matt and Flavia, the press have again been falling over themselves to place the blame for this unexpected result firmly onto Kate and Anton’s shoulders.
This week, I caught up with their head supporter Erin, to find out exactly how this burden was affecting both the couple’s training and also their overall confidence.
“They are trying so hard to ignore all of the paper-talk and criticism, but it is not easy for them! Kate feels as bad as anyone to see good dancers leave the show and she does feel as if it is somehow her fault. However, she says that if the public want her in the competition, then so be it! As long as they keep voting, she will keep working hard and they really are rehearsing for long hours. They are putting the work in and Kate is having the time of her life.
“They feel they are really in a battle of survival now and Anton is getting tougher and tougher on her. He was gutted about the three from Craig last week, but they keep going. I personally thought that the judges were particularly rude about her salsa, but thankfully, Anton saved the day by being particularly funny!
“He is trying to build up her confidence again, which is certainly important for this week’s dance which is the Paso Doble. He is being very firm with Kate, as he wants to bring the best out of her. She learns better when he is stricter, as otherwise it can be easy to find excuses for mistakes. Anton’s definitely not taking any nonsense, but it’s a method that is bringing them the best results.”
The Paso has previously been a notoriously tricky dance for various celebrities, so I hold my breath when I dare to ask how they are coping with their new routine. It seems that the dance is fitting perfectly with their attitude this week however, as they seem to feel in the middle of a bull-fight themselves. The judges and the press are hurtling at full speed towards them, snorting and snarling, with steam coming from their ears! They have become determined to get back onto their feet though, and have begun to approach their dances with an ‘all or nothing’ attitude.
“Anton is throwing everything into this routine,” Erin explains, “he feels as if they have nothing to lose anymore and that there is a real need for them to go for it this week. He is using some tricky moves in their choreography, which frighten Kate a little bit, but they also excite her. He wants to do everything that they can now, before it is too late.
“Kate is doing quite well with the Paso. She always enjoys each routine, although she finds that she can do them much better in training than out on that floor where nerves really affect her. She finds performing a challenge and that will also be especially difficult for her with this dance, but it is the same for many of the celebrities and Anton is certainly trying to help her all he can.
“She definitely doesn’t have two left feet anymore, but she struggles with balance, strength and her self-belief. They are both going to really go for it though this week!”
When Erin talks of Kate and Anton you can tell that she is completely behind them and willing them both to do well. You also get the sense that she very much misses competing in the show herself. When I have spoken to her in previous series’, she has always been on the move and thriving upon the constant work and enjoyment involved in the programme. She was quite often grabbing something to eat whilst choreographing the next routine and at the same time applying fake tan and describing her week to me on the telephone. I always used to end our phone calls feeling a mixture of amazement at all the work she does and laziness regarding the lack of work us mortals do in comparison!
Erin obviously loves every second of taking part in the show however and so I can already guess her response when I ask her how it feels to largely sit on the sidelines this year.
“It’s terrible,” she admits, “I love performing with the professionals, but it’s not the same as competing every week and I’m still sad that I can’t do this anymore. I’ve never been out this early before so it’s a completely new experience for me and it is still strange to have free time. I’m doing lots of work for the special Sports Relief edition of the show that is coming up though and Anton and I have choreographed this week’s professional foxtrot routine, which was fun. Perhaps I should be grateful to have some stress lifted off my shoulders this year. I don’t have to worry each week about my celebrity partner.”
Erin tries to sound convincing as she says this, but we both know that she misses this stress, as the constant challenge is what makes the programme so exciting for the dancers taking part..
Hopefully Kate and Anton will also both flourish with their challenging Paso this week. After last week’s salsa the chips have been down and so they really do need to go ‘all in’ tonight. Kate will be hoping that she won’t fold under the pressure and if she does, that she can bluff her way through to the next round. She isn’t ready to leave the table yet and with everyone’s favourite joker by her side, we hope that she can progress. She will need your help though, as the judges are kings of cruelty and queens of mean! Make sure you remember to vote, as we all wait nervously to see if she can provide an ace Paso to avoid going bust!
Sophia…
17/11/07
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Sophia North is a writer and devoted Strictly Come Dancing fan. Every week, she delivers the very latest news and views to emerge from Anton and Erin's training rooms.
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