Our Strictly Come Dancing 2021 columnist has some thoughts on the celebrities’ first dance of the series.
This year’s celebrities took to the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom on Saturday night for their first routines of the series, and what a show it was! From Olympian Adam Peaty shaking his stuff for the Cha Cha to Rhys Stephenson wowing with his Viennese Waltz.
With so much to dissect from just Week One, RadioTimes.com columnist and professional dancer Ian Waite is here to deliver his verdict on the Strictly Come Dancing line-up‘s efforts.
From exclusive top tips to which couples have the potential to make it all the way to the final, Ian is dishing all in this week’s column – read on for his expert commentary.
Ian on Saturday’s show
“With hot anticipation the Strictly season is upon us, and I for one could not wait for the glitz, glamour and most importantly the dancing to begin.
“This was our opportunity to see who has the talent, the rhythm and the stamina to go all the way this year. We were treated to a beautiful, lyrical opening to the Strictly season with our immensely talented pros, choreographed by the artistic director Jason Gilkison.”
How did the Strictly pairings do this week?
- Tom Fletcher and Amy Dowden – “How anyone could be doing a UK tour whilst competing on Strictly is beyond me, it’s hard enough anyway. Footwork needed attention with some heel leads, but I can’t wait to see his ballroom because he has the perfect physique. I thought the judges were a little harsh but it’s difficult to go high with marks at the beginning of the show.”
- Tilly Ramsay and Nikita Kuzmin – “These two are the perfect match for each other. They danced a dreamy waltz, which needed a little more lift in the body to create a bigger frame, but solo sections were really well executed.”
- Ugo Monye and Oti Mabuse – “With more gyration than a gyroscope, it was such a fun, vibrant performance. A little flat in the feet and his posture could have been improved by just lifting the chin.”
!["Oti]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/09/23215333-high_res-strictly-come-dancing-2021-0be516b.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"ian-waite-strictly-come-dancing-groundbreaking-performance-exclusive\"")
- Rhys Stephenson and Nancy Xu – “Having picked Rhys out in the launch show, I was excited to see how he would do in the ballroom genre. “Wow” is all I can say! Such natural ability, he was truly outstanding. He could lift his right elbow up a little, but his footwork was immaculate.”
- Sara Davies and Aljaz Skorjanec – “Being a massive fan of Dragons Den, I couldn’t wait to see how Sara would do. I have to agree with Craig’s comment that she needs to up the energy levels, but great timing and the ballroom will be more suited to her I think.”
- Dan Walker and Nadiya Bychkova – “Dan has a lovely physique for a ballroom dancer. Tall, slim, long neck and this Quickstep was full of content, which covered every single inch of the Strictly ballroom. I’m excited to see his improvement over the next couple of weeks. Latin might be a challenge as he tries to control those long limbs.”
- Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice – “One of my top picks for the final. I loved the energy from Rose, she really is a breath of fresh air.”
!["Rose]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/09/23213798-high_res-strictly-come-dancing-2021-4bdc53a.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"ian-waite-strictly-come-dancing-groundbreaking-performance-exclusive\"")
- Katie McGlynn and Gorka Marquez – “A very dramatic Tango, an intense and passionate performance. There wasn’t much wrong with it at all. If Katie takes the left shoulder back, the right shoulder will naturally come forward in the promenade position.”
- Robert Webb and Diane Buswell – “I thought the Strictly ballroom theme was really fun and playing that character was perfect for Rob with his goofy personality. Very entertaining.”
- Greg Wise and Karen Hauer – “Suave and sophisticated. My favourite theme for American Smooth – top hat, tails and cane. Karen did an amazing job, giving Greg lots of content, so there were no still moments of awkwardness throughout the dance.”
- Nina Wadia and Neil Jones – “Full of attitude and character and I think Nina has a lot of potential. Not enough Samba content for me, but very musical indeed.”
- John Whaite and Johannes Radebe – “I just wish we’d had had some same-sex dancing when I was on Strictly many years ago, but I guess the British public might not have been ready for it then. They certainly are now. Strong, passionate and groundbreaking performance, I enjoyed this Tango. What a heavenly couple. The choreography blew me away with smart, creative and effective musical changes. Even more interested to see the Latin dances now.”
!["AJ]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/09/23216269-high_res-strictly-come-dancing-2021-91b8636.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"ian-waite-strictly-come-dancing-groundbreaking-performance-exclusive\"")
- Judi Love and Graziano Di Prima – “This couple makes me smile every time I see them. Judi is a massive character and will not go wrong if she brings that to the dance floor every week.”
- AJ Odudu and Kai Widdrington – “Another one I tipped for the final. Not only does AJ look like a pro dancer, she dances like one too. Fantastic energy and attack. Blew me away with the knee action and leg action. Luckily, my record with Zoe Ball of having the top score in the first week still stands, but only just!”
- Adam Peaty and Katya Jones – “I was looking forward to seeing our most successful swimmer ever and how he would get on. It was sizzling with hotness. I couldn’t believe the strength and commitment to the moves. He is embracing Strictly exactly how you should, having no barriers and going for it 100 per cent. Well done Adam.”
Strictly High of the Week
!["Strictly]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/09/23216083-high_res-strictly-come-dancing-2021-75e8ab4.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"ian-waite-strictly-come-dancing-groundbreaking-performance-exclusive\"")
“Well, there were two highlights. One was John and Johannes – I was nervous because it’s really difficult to choreograph for a same sex couple and I thought Johannes did such a great job of making it look very strong, masculine, creative and musical. There were so many aspects of that dance I really enjoyed and I think it was exciting to watch as well.
“And also AJ Odudu. When I saw her in the launch show I thought, ‘Wow, she looks amazing in a Latin dress. She looks stunning. If she can dance anywhere near like the way she looks…’ and honestly, she absolutely blew me away. The pumping of the knees, the energy she gave in the jive. which is such a difficult dance because you’ve got to get the technique right. That could take you years and also you’ve got to get the energy level right because the jive is all about attacking it with the energy, and she did that in spades.”
Strictly Low of The Week
!["Sara]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/09/23213661-high_res-strictly-come-dancing-2021-04c67a7.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"ian-waite-strictly-come-dancing-groundbreaking-performance-exclusive\"")
“Sadly, I’d say Sara from Dragon’s Den. It showed on the scores as well, she was bottom of the table. But I think next week, when she does a ballroom dance, she’ll do quite well and I don’t think she’ll be at the bottom, so a lot of things are going to change next week when everybody does the opposite style.
“Normally, if you do Latin one week, you do Ballroom the next, so it’ll be interesting to see how they get on next week. We’ll have a more rounded idea of how good they are after next week’s show.”
Ian’s Top Tip
“Well, there was a lot of talk about posture and hold and I would say when you’re holding frame always feel as though you’re hugging somebody. That keeps your elbows forward and you can give them space. So that’s my top tip for all the guys doing ballroom this week. Feel as though you’re hugging your partner – given them space and create that frame.”
Ian Answers…
Q: Amy Dowden and Tom Fletcher recently tested positive for COVID-19 and won’t be able to dance on Saturday. Do you think this will affect their chances in the competition overall?
“Well, I don’t think it will affect their chances overall. I mean, it’s great that they’ll be able to come back the week after. I mean, we’ve had people pull out because of injury for a week and go on to do very well, so I don’t think it will affect their chances.
“I don’t know if they’re still able to rehearse but I think they still have a lot of potential and they’ll still do very well.”
Q: Based on Saturday’s performances, who do you think has the most potential to improve?
“I think probably Rose. I think she did a great dance in the opening, but I think she will get better and better and better, so I’m excited to see her improvement.”
Waite’s Week
“Today I’m driving up to Wellingborough as I’ve got shows there with (former Strictly pro) Vincent Simone on the Ballroom Boys Tour Act Two. We’ve got a show today and tomorrow in Cannock. Then we’ve got two shows, and we’ve got a couple of days off, and then we’ve got two shows at the weekend. So I should be busy with that.”
Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturdays on BBC One. Want something else to watch? Check out our full TV Guide or visit our Entertainment hub for the latest news.