The usually indomitable HRVY met his match in the Strictly semi-final
Two dances usually equals double trouble on Strictly – and so it transpired on this early semi-final. Ranvir Singh was good, but not great, in her ballroom number, and she simply couldn’t survive the jive. It knocked her down to the bottom of the leaderboard, and then off the show altogether.
Her opening waltz was unfussy and romantic, with a lovely frame. However, ballroom is weirdly deceptive: beneath all that elegance, you need raw power. By not driving into her heel leads properly, Singh fell behind her partner.
Said partner, Italian stallion Giovanni Pernice, distracted admirably in their second routine with his “Ahoy, sailor!” attire. But this jive was a clear case of woman overboard. Singh had no bounce, flat feet, and her floppy kicks looked waterlogged.
Joining her in the dance-off, for the fourth time, was Jaime Laing. His two performances were more confident, although partly because he was doing different styles to those he’d declared: disco instead of salsa, hoedown instead of quickstep. It was the equivalent of entering a horse race while riding a rhinoceros.
Technique wise, his (theoretical) salsa had flat, turned-in feet and no hip action, and his attempted floor spin looked like a panicked insect stuck on its back. More bizarre was his Blazing Saddles quickstep, which answered the question: what would it look like if Fred Astaire sustained a head injury in the Wild West?
Still, the Chelsea cowboy has won over many viewers with his puppyish enthusiasm and sheer determination. He and Singh were this year’s most improved, the real “journey” contestants – but it was quick-draw Laing who won their final duel.
The usually indomitable HRVY also met his match in the semi-final, rumbled by the rumba. His was the first, and only, rumba of the series, and demonstrated why everyone’s avoided it: the slow Latin dance is pitilessly exposing. It was easy to see HRVY’s pigeon-toed steps and limited hip rotation.
He got the basic counts, by mouthing them constantly, but didn’t fill in the space between. It was like an outlined sketch with no colour. Rumba doesn’t have to be racy, but it does need to make you feel something.
A lightning-fast Charleston was more his speed. HRVY had great swivel action and nailed clever tricks like a one-handed cartwheel. However, it’s notable in this shorter series that the freestyle or looser dances are often the standouts, with less time for growth in ballroom technique.
Bill Bailey produced a more sedate Charleston, danced to the song that gave him his name: (Won’t You Come Home) Bill Bailey. It was another charismatic outing from the man who’s charmed the nation with his nimble moves, though could have used more exaggerated body positions.
Bailey also gave us a Strictly first: a heavy-metal tango. Oddly, the Metallica backing worked well for this dramatic dance. But perhaps it made Bailey long for the mosh pit: his strict posture disappeared, and he was almost jumping – if not quite headbanging – instead of lowering into the knees. Tango should be sleek, like a jungle cat stalking its prey.
Faring best in this challenging week, despite a busy EastEnders filming schedule, was Maisie Smith. She impressed in two polar-opposite styles: Couple’s Choice street dance and Viennese waltz.
Breakdancing is now officially an Olympic sport, and Smith certainly demonstrated athletic prowess in her 90s hip hop routine. Keeping a low centre of gravity meant she could move quickly, but with ease, and helped her transition into the lifts and tricks.
Then it was all change for a poised Viennese waltz, showcasing Smith’s vastly improved ballroom posture and footwork. She’s a far more expressive performer now, too. In contrast to HRVY’s rumba, she continuously physicalised the music, so that we felt every note.
Has Smith hit her best form just in time for the final? We’ll find out next week.
