Episode 47 Strictly - It Takes Two

They weren't kidding around when they said "Quickstep-A-Thon",

From London, this is Strictly it takes to! Please welcome your host,

Zoe Ball! On tonight's show we are talking to

second time dance-off survivors, Kellie and Kevin

about their bumpy weekend. We will be delving into the personal

lives of Aljaz and Giovanni. Karen Hardy is here to cast her

eagle eyes over all of last weekend's dances including

that tricky Quickstep-A-Thon. Plus, Robin Windsor puts

Gleb under the microscope. But first, it's Musicals Week

at Strictly Towers and all of our As do all

of our professional dancers. Get your jazz hands ready because

this week it is all about the musicals. It is Musicals Week.

There is no other way to say it, this is a really hard routine. I

just thought we would give a little nod to Bob Fosse and the big

Broadway shows. We are doing That's Entertainment. We will have the

bowler hat and do what everyone dreams of when we are kids. There is

a lot going on. It is like Christmas for dancers. We get to do flips, we

get to do jazz hands, we get to seeing even though I can't sing!

There is a little taste of what is to come. See you at the weekend.

I am excited! Now,

she is the queen of the ballroom, CHEERING

It's our leading lady, Karen Hardy! Look at you, the Lady in red. And a

little cape, I love it, watch out for the big bad wolf. First things

first, the highly anticipated Quickstep-A-Thon on Saturday night.

Helen and Aljaz top of the class according to the judges. What did

you make of it? I thought it was brilliant, to see all the couples on

the floor and give the judges a chance to compare. This moment,

really important, as you walk on the floor it is really important to

present yourself from start to finish. What is important to me is

it was Jay who stood out. He was a man taking the lead with a whole

group of other couples. It would have been hardest for the men on

there. I know that would be talked about. The bombarding, changing

direction and Aliona having to trust him. That said, Helen and Aljaz,

beautiful. Thank you. We're now down to six couples. Peter and Janette,

do you think it was the right time for them to go? We have had this

show for a few years now. The public at home, they know what to look for,

the body contact, the footwork, attention to detail, they know what

is important. They positioned him down in the bottom two. It is the

strongest, most powerful person in the judges want to keep and I think

it was time. I was happy. A gorgeous man and very graceful, a lovely guy.

Onto the dancers, the second time into a dance-off for Kellie and

Kevin. They had 34 from the judges. Not bad at all. Where you impressed

with this? I loved this. I love the feeling, I loved everything apart

from one thing. It has got to be down to choreography. This difficult

move, for me, I would have put it right at the very beginning, put it

out of the way so they could get into the dance. This duo, they are

amazing. But for me, I felt she was thinking about something was coming

up. Even the head spin into that drop needed to be a lot faster and

more of a wow factor. I think it looked a bit nervous. Great

choreography, anything challenging, put it at the beginning so the

celebrities can relax into the dance.

Jay and Aliona's tango to a Prince classic, it was a smash with the

judges. However, Len said he did miss a couple of he'll leads. Here

we go, nit-picking. I had to look hard for these. I have slowed it

down. We have a flat foot and a lead. What we would be after, Len

will be picking up on heel leads and toes. Why we talk about the footwork

is it changes how you move across the floor. If you start with a heel

lead, your weight will be down. His weight was quite high so it would

have created a tone lead. Then it is a softer, more gliding effect. This

is not a dance you want to glide in. That said, because of his

personality, and stand, the performance, the choreography,

fantastic. But attention to detail now.

They are looking so closely. Helen and Aljaz, their Viennese waltz,

number one with the judges. How did she get it right, this girl? Very

simple, it is beautiful and elegant. They are not destroying the

dance with any bells and whistles. It is just pure elegance. The only

thing I would pick up on her shoulders, the line slightly. A

little bit of a shoulder rising there. But that said, how they

glided across the floor, they're partnering, their body contact,

their head position and most importantly, the relationship

between the two. It pulled us all into the performance. It was

exquisite. Exquisite! However, one little thing to add, would that be

powerful enough for the final? What we have got to start thinking about

now, we need a few little gambles. I want to see numbers which are

shocking, powerful and which says, I am the champion, the winner for

Strictly Come Dancing. Would that have been it? Here we go,

she is thinking rousing speeches and we are all getting excited! Katie

and Anton, their Argentine tango, was praised by the judges but they

want to see more exaggeration from Katie. What would you say, Karen?

This was exaggeration, it was beautiful. The flicking and moving

across the dance floor and the dynamic energy it had. That said,

there were little complications with the choreography again. I keep

saying it, it is little details now. Again, as we get closer to the

final, we can basically smell the final. It is there! When we are in a

final, let's say a proper competition one to six, the

difference between one to six and one of our professional finals,

there is not a lot of difference but only one person takes the trophy

home. It could be the difference between a heel or a toe, body

contact or remembering the choreography. That is essential from

here on in. It is going to be a fight.

Anita and Gleb, thereon the divided the judges. Len did not like the

lift. What did you think? From the outset, no lifts! Absolutely no

lifts. It turns into a circus act for me. Let's teach these

celebrities how to dance. We can get so much more out of them. It

cheapens the performance for me. That said, holding the performance

right here, what we need to do in this dance which was very important

to me, the elegance and beauty of it was sensational. One thing I was

interested in, Bruno said she had got rid of her angles. The one thing

we don't ever want to do with a woman is lose the angles. Two flat

feet and straight body. It is very match show that look. We would want

her up on toes, crossing the ankles or something like that which makes

it much more elegant. As we carry this movement now, you will see the

beauty of it and she crosses her ankles so it is much more feminine.

I think this is what was annoying Len, it was very flat-footed so the

movement was not so elegant. It needed angles. Let's have a little

demonstration! They are all going to have a go. Let's see where the

cameraman does. We will bring the ankles together,

we will let the knees come together as well. We will let the hips come

out there. We will use a little bit of shoulder, using the wrists, the

fingers, turning a shoulder, a chin. That is how you do a rumba! Angles,

angles, angles. Georgia and Giovanni, the passive

though Blake, this was brilliant, wasn't it? From the outset, this was

under marked. -- have the dough blade. A little wobble there, each

of them today, we are talking about the little details which are very

important. The difference between them is so tight. The use of the

standing leg, how she drives across the floor, great balance of

choreography, perfect for this lady. Who in your mind is in the final?

Do you know what, I am going to say it is all too even! Oh, no! Who do

you want to win? I am wishing you for an answer. God Margaret who do I

want to win? I think I can hear them saying upstairs time's out. -- we

have loved having you on the show, Karen Hardy!

Over the last ten weeks we have enjoyed

getting to know our celebrities and their professional dance partners.

But there's always so much more to learn.

I don't really know much about what you have been doing before Strictly?

When did you start dancing? I started dancing when I was ten. I

was watching a programme on television. I loved everything from

dancing. And you? I started dancing from when I was five. I went to a

dance school. My parents did not know anything about it. The dance

teacher called my mum and said he is very talented, you should sign him

up. They went with it. I started competing when I was six. After one

year? After one year I started competing.

How does it feel living in England now? Do you feel you have settled

in? Definitely. I speak in English but after they gave me Georgia, it

is a completely different accent. Now I get a tax end. -- now I get a

Manchester accent. I went to audition for Burn The Floor. It is

the same studio where I proposed. I saw Janette seven months later in

the US. I was trying for months and months to convince her to go on a

date with me. I don't know what changed her mind. Do you have a pet

name for her? Yes, it means little pumpkin. I don't know what does it

mean to be in love? What does it mean to be in love? As soon as I saw

her it meant something. What about you? I am a single lady! Lovely.

If you take the dancing away, what will be your ambition? To be a good

father for one daughter and one son. Two kids? And a good husband.

Probably similar. I want to have two kids as well. We'll see what Janette

says. Who knows where life takes you. Had you told me I was going to

be dancing on the biggest show on of it. V, I would have thought,

probably not. Do you sing in the shower? Sometimes What is your

favourite song to sing in the shower?

HE SINGS IN ITALIAN How gorgeous are those two? On

tomorrow's show we want you to put your questions to Ian Waite and

This weekend on Strictly we enter the show-stopping world of musicals.

But I wonder what show tunes our couples will be stepping out to?

# Dance yourself dizzy...#

It's all about the bright lights of Broadway this weekend.

Shall we find out which belters our couples will be

# He had it coming # He had it

coming...# This is Cell Block Tango

from the musical Chicago. The infamous story of Roxie

and Velma. Funny fact,

the deep dish pizza was reportedly Which of our couples will be

dancing to this Chicago number? Who is leading? I'm not good at

this, am I? I feel like you have let you down

there, Kev. OK, let's see what else

Musicals Week has in store. # Tale as old as

time...# The Tale as Old

as Time is the story of Beauty and the Beast, and was turned

into a Disney musical in 1991. Dame Angela Lansbury actually sang

this song But who is the beauty

and who is the beast? Time for our final song and

for this number I require Of here we go.

# Oom Pah Pah, Oom Pah Pah...# Here she comes, Miss Karen Hardy.

This is of course Oom Pah Pah from the musical Oliver.

I like this film. Oh, that's you, not me. #12k3w4r speak now.

The musical film version followed in 1968 and went

But which of our couples will be dancing to this classic?

Don't forget to do this move on Saturday. You will never be in the

dance-off. Our professional dancers work

so hard to construct But where does all of that

divine inspiration come from? Probing our pro dancers is

Robin Windsor. Am I on my own? Hardy, I will never

forgive you. Hi, guys. Choreography plays such

huge part in Strictly Come Dancing. I'm going to delve into the minds of

some of our amazing pros to find out more. Today, it's the very hand

some, Gleb. I have to say for your first series of Strictly, you have

done incredible. Thank you. Do you try to get all your choreography

done before you go into training? I usually choreograph everything

before I hit the studio, Monday. So when I come in, everything is ready.

We do change a lot, even by Thursday if it is not working. We have all

been there. What inspires your routine? I watch a lot of Fred

Astaire. We love Fred Astaire. I always search for something new,

that no-one has ever done before. As the series goes on, do you find

you are pushing Anita to do harder choreography? I do try to push her

every week, whether Charleston, the week 2 when we did the flicks and

tricks which came together so well, even though it wasn't perfect until

like, Friday. That's T that's it. There was one movement where I had

to flip her over. First of all she has never done a handstand before,

ever. We learned a handstand and then a handspring and then the

perfect line on that. I was like - yeah, that was a great show.

What sort of steps do you find difficult to choreograph? The most

difficult step is basic. For example, in paso when we did

Blackpool week, we had twist turns and it was hard for Anita to get the

timing. Week 3, a Viennese waltz, the fleckle, it was hard for her to

get the momentum of the rotation and keep her shape. For the quickstep,

runs and jumps, we have to do itting together and be 100% in sync Nothing

worse than seeing people bobbing up and down. Exactly. I love playing

character. You know my favourite was Hallowe'en. You had to dress up. I

had the long hair. It is fun to choreograph and make her the cleaner

Malificent or Demi Moore from Ghost. You are giving her a character. That

has helped her. I think that pays off. Gleb, you have made a huge

impact on your first year of Strictly. Welcome to the Strictly

family. Thank you Robin, thank you. Force oh, Gleb!

Now, their Salsa at the weekend well and truly exhibited

Hello my darling. Well-survived. Honestly. You and your bionic bum!

That's what it will forever now be known as. How is that posterior

after that weekend? I'm going to be honest, covered in bruises. Actually

the bruises are from physio, not from falling over. Ouch. That's how

firm the physio is. I guess because everything gets tight I have a real

tight left hip, Zoe and I have had since the cha-cha, week 2. Blame the

cha-cha. You know what, everyone has bits and pieces and creeks and pains

and aches. You would never know at all. It was all hips and attitude.

You looked like you were having a ball and made it look effortless.

I'm imagining it wasn't effortless, though. No, it was not effortless.

Do you know what, though, I have to say it was the hardest week we have

had in training. By a mile. I was very tired anyway. I started the

week, it was after Blackpool, so the big hype of Blackpool. My little boy

hadn't been well at the beginning of week. I hadn't got a lot of sleep. I

was using muscles in my body that had never been used or certainly not

for years and years and we were both like little old ladies in training.

Yes, so sore So sore on stiff. Working out the lifts. We changed a

lift on Wednesday of last week because it wasn't working. And

trying to find a lift that did work. We went through about five or six.

She punched me in the face. I punched him in the face literally

about 15 times. We ended up on a heap on the floor... White a few

times Numerous times. It was exhausting because I knew, as well

that the lifts would be really analysed. I knew getting in and out

of the lifts at this stage had to be on the money. So, we did spend such

a long time going over and over and over them. It is exhausting. Well,

can I just say - we loved those lifts. They were amazing and they

were worth all the bruising. I would like you to teach me how to do them

later. Maybe not on Kev, I don't want to crush. Second time in the

dance-offul before the step-a-thon you were third on the judges' leader

board, so were you gutted to find yourself in the dance-off? It messed

us up a little bit, the quickstep-a-thon. Because it was

such a hard week as Kellie was saying, when we came third on the

judges' leaderboard was the salsa, we were so made up, we couldn't

believe it. And we were thinking - we should be OK with the quickstep

because we got a 10 the week before. Then we came sixth, which put us

right back down there. So we were kind of preparing for the dance-off

once we saw the change in the leaderboard. I think, the thing s

once you have been in a dance-off you are always prepared a little bit

and when the leaderboard flipped around for us. Suddenly they were

third from the bottom rather than the top. I said to Kevin - we should

get ready to do our salsa again. Let's have a practise of doing those

lifts again! Viennese waltz this week. It is a Viennese waltz. It is

musicals week. What can you tell me? Um, well, we are doing Oom Pah Pah.

Oaf oh, of course, yes, with that move. So Kellie is going to be

playing Nancy from Oliver. East End pub landlady. That's what we are

thinking. No typecasting. Who are you? The Artful Dodger. So we have

Kellie the brassy barmaid and Kevin as the Artful Dodger. All we need

now is a loveable rogue from the East End. Kellie Bright, my love,

the dance-off Queen we are calling you, I'm saying it behind your back.

I'm joking. You have survived two dance-offs a. No more with that. You

are dancing this week to Oliver's Oom Pah Pah, that's how it goes. I

don't know the rest. Get right involved. Kevin thank you for

looking after my girl. You have been an absolute gentlemen. We are all so

proud of you here, even though there is no-one here at the moment, we are

very, very proud of you. Seriously babe, you have done us proud. Keep

your nut up, crack on. You are going to win it girl, I'm telling you, you

are going to win it! Oh - your TV husband. What a legend.

You could not love him any more. I do love him. He is ridiculous.

Obviously Kellie is used to East End pub banter. But Kevin, being a

Grimsby lad, how do you reckon you would fair with Cockney rhyming

slang? Oh, very difficult. To get you in the mood, let's see how you

get on translating these classic Cockney phrases. Kellie, you must

remain silent. Number 1, Kev, good luck. Barney rubble. Trouble.

Fireman's hose. Nose. Yes. Not bad. The Alnwickers? Knickers.

Cows and kisses? Cows and kisses? Mrs. I didn't know that. Jack

Palance. What do you do for a living? Dance.

Scotch eggs. Not like that, scotch eggs. I know this, legs. Biscuit

tin. Biscuit tin? Chin. I was not cheating.

Not bad at all. You will be fine. It was your son

Freddie's birthday. You have had a do. I did. His birthday is on

Saturday. Obviously I will be busy on Saturday... Being Nancy. So he

had his birthday party yesterday. Happy birthday Freddie from everyone

at It Takes Two. Happy birthday Freddie. Good luck on Saturday.

Kellie and Kevin. That's all we have time for tonight,

folks. On tomorrow's show we applaud Helen

and Aljaz on making it to the top Ian Waite takes a first look

at our couples in training Plus, Robin Windsor takes us further

down the Strictly alphabet. The knives are sharpened,

and the heat is on...