Strictly final

[Arborbridge]

Can we discuss this yet? I expect everyone must know the result by now. Do we want to?

It seems to me that the (Strictly-watching) nation's heart was captured by Rose. Her perfectly finished lines and emotional involvement did it for me, coming close to the feeling I get in ballet when the music and the action re-enforce one another. In character she was amazing: then in the studio she reverted to being a vulnerable giggly young lady. I've seen this is ballet too: the magic on stage, contrasting with the bunch of irreverent youngsters in the rehearsal studio. Anton wasn't the only one who could hardly look at her without feeling some emotion.

John and Johannes chose to put on fireworks, but the difficulty only showed up their slight errors of timing.

The comparison was like the perfect (apparent) simplicity of Chopin preceding the bluster of the overblown showmanship of Liszt.

Arb.

[mc2fool]

I don't usually watch Strictly but in channel switching a couple of weeks ago I caught a late night repeat at exactly the point when Rose did that gobsmacking dive leap, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VybO4fOdDvU&t=95s, and that hooked me into watching that episode and the two subsequent ones. I even voted.

Yes, I think you've got it right with her "perfectly finished lines and emotional involvement" -- and all without being able to hear the music, amazing really. Absolutely delightful to watch and a delightful young lady too.

I thought John and Johannes were pretty darn good too! Indeed, while I didn't see any episodes prior to two weeks ago and so don't know what the others that were knocked out were like, from what I did see I think the right pair of couples were in the final (wasn't so impressed with AJ), and the right one won.

Gotta say though, wish I hadn't decided to watch it live but had recorded it instead. There's a huge amount of dross/filler in the programme and if I watch it at all next season I'll record it so I can skip over all that and just watch the dances...

[bungeejumper]

I don't even like dance programmes much! I've dozed through stage performances by some pretty good companies over the years - I don't know why, but my demographic just seems to have been right out of synch with sequins and glitter balls. But the TV footage of that performance brought tears (of pleasure) to my eyes. An incredible achievement. On every level. Fantastic.

BJ

[Arborbridge]

I don't usually watch Strictly but in channel switching a couple of weeks ago I caught a late night repeat at exactly the point when Rose did that gobsmacking dive leap, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VybO4fOdDvU&t=95s, and that hooked me into watching that episode and the two subsequent ones. I even voted.

Yes, I think you've got it right with her "perfectly finished lines and emotional involvement" -- and all without being able to hear the music, amazing really. Absolutely delightful to watch and a delightful young lady too.

I thought John and Johannes were pretty darn good too! Indeed, while I didn't see any episodes prior to two weeks ago and so don't know what the others that were knocked out were like, from what I did see I think the right pair of couples were in the final (wasn't so impressed with AJ), and the right one won.

Gotta say though, wish I hadn't decided to watch it live but had recorded it instead. There's a huge amount of dross/filler in the programme and if I watch it at all next season I'll record it so I can skip over all that and just watch the dances...

I don't start following it until a few weeks have gone by - otherwise it's just too much time watching also rans. I always record the programs to cut out the dross and sometimes "follow" the recording on the same evening. I only watch the final one live because, as you say, there is so much dross. There was even more filling this year because AJ didn't dance.

My brother-in-law came round for lunch today, and we discussed Rose. Even for him - a pretty sober old character who is quite reserved - he said he felt really quite emotional watching Rose. Yes, everyone I spoke with has said something similar: she really did clutch at the nation's heart-strings. The combination of vulnerability and bravery, perhaps?*

Arb.
* I'm sure Gio felt the same way. I get the feeling he's a decent young man who was very protective of her, and it was obvious that he was very choked up at times. He and Anton: these guys are hard-bitten professionals, too!

[tjh290633]

My feeling is that Giovanni did a superb job of teaching her. There was a lot of empathy between them and he brought out the very best in her. In the semifinal, her Argentine Tango was astonishing.

The two men had a hard job trying to march her. They produced some very good performances, but I don't think they could match her in ballroom. Not easy for them to match her gracefulness.

Pity that AJ could not compete. I think that she was on a par with Rose in many respects.

TJH

[Arborbridge]

My feeling is that Giovanni did a superb job of teaching her. There was a lot of empathy between them and he brought out the very best in her. In the semifinal, her Argentine Tango was astonishing.

The two men had a hard job trying to march her. They produced some very good performances, but I don't think they could match her in ballroom. Not easy for them to match her gracefulness.

Pity that AJ could not compete. I think that she was on a par with Rose in many respects.

TJH

I thought AJ terrific too. Some astonishing routines, and I wouldn't have minded her winning.

Arb.