Episode 12 Strictly - It Takes Two

It's Tuesday, coming up on tonight's show, Nancy and Anton

narrowly avoided elimination and survived to dance another day.

They'll be here. Our very own dancing Queen, Karen Hardy, is in

the studio for more choreography corner. I'll chat to Bruce Oldfield

about who or what this weekend.... This is Strictly It Takes Two.

Please welcome your host, Zoe Ball. Our couples are straight back to

business in the training rooms getting ready for their next

performance. On Saturday, Nancy and Anton performed a tango full of

passion, drama and style, aiming for Italian stallion, did they end

up more blooding mule? They'll chat to me in a moment, but let's talk

alike at their weekend story. It had all the tension of a cold

sponge. There was lots of style but no substance.

It was like a plodding mule trudging through mud. It actually

looked like a tango. And you actually looked like you can dance.

Carry on this way. The couple leaving tonight is... Dan and Katya.

We'll try better next week, try and get the dancing up a bit better,

see if we can get better marks from the judges and go from there really.

Please welcome our first couple tonight, Nancy and Anton.

Nancy, you look glorious. Always so nice to see you. It's one of the

best of - parts of Strictly, coming to see you. After being with you!

Have you recovered from your weekend? We haven't recovered yet.

Have you recovered? Just about. Last week is already over. We start

a new routine and now the only sthing to look ahead for next

Saturday -- the only thing is to look ahead for next Saturday.

talk about Saturday. Your costume,, the make-up, the music, did that

all add to the character you played in your tango? Definitely. The

make-up, the costume, it was fantastic. But of course, my

character, the tango quite suits me with the passion, it goes with

Italians and the music was so very passionate. So I was very pleased

to dance that. Never heard Anton be so quiet for so long. Well done!

Thank you very much. In amazement. In previous weeks, you've had

costume dramas, you forgot the steps, did it go according to plan

for you both on Saturday? Why are you so far away? I don't know, do

you want me to get closer. I shoveled up, you shoveled away.

Make your mind up, I'm confused. I feel rejected but I'm not quite

sure why! Did it go according to plan? I thought Nancy danced very

well, I thought the beginning was very strong. The judges didn't

mention the fact that any of the celebrities really danced on their

own, they do something on their own. Nancy did the bit of the dance on

her own, I was at the front row and she's giving it all this. And then

wollop, the leg goes up, perfect time. That's really difficult to do

that and they gave no credit at all. Not only to Nancy, but to any of

the celebrities for anything they do on their own. I think it's

remarkable that they do dancing on their own. If they are watching

this, they'll take note. They probably will, quite frankly, no,

no. They never do! Can you win with the judges, they want more content,

you give it to them... Don't care about the judges any more. Who are

they, I don't even know who they are, there are only four of them,

ten million viewers. So you say you are not dancing for the judges but

the people at home? Of course, this is what the show is about, dancing

for the people watching, the viewers, not the judges. We are not

dancing for the judges. What are they going to do, mark you down?

Thauf already done that. We are so free, we can do whatever we want.

feel rebellious, I might take me tie off! Steady on, Anton!

Online, they are loving it. Trace si said such a huge improvement and

the judges have been too harsh. -- Tracy. You are absolutely right,

Tracey, thank you. Melanie loves you and says she's doing better

than I ever could. How did it feel to be in the bottom two? Well, you

know. Have you been before? Once or twice! Has he been there before?!

Bless you. May I answer? I want you to, I'm over this already, I can't

be bothered. Definitely it's not a nice feeling. It was a new

experience. I love Claudia, but I hope not to see her again. Not on

Sunday! I see what you mean, you don't want to be talking to her

because you will be in the bottom? No, the feeling is not nice. I

never thought to be out to be very honest. I didn't deserve it. Much

better than that Dan. I adore you both, I really do. Let's point out

that the scores are going up, a 12, 14, 20, it's good, going in the

right direction. We like that. Thank you, I do as well. Still

bottom but going up. It's only good if nobody else goes up you see,

when they all go up, we remain the same, so essentially it's rubbish.

Paso Doble, how is it going? Brilliant. Is this going to be the

comeback dance? From what? I'm not sure. We haven't been away have we?

Only from the bottom two, are you going to go up? It's going to be

good. We're going to have lifts in it. We are e we have been lifting

all the time. We should have a troop of matadors and horses.

is a great glimpse into the training room, isn't it? I would

love to talk all night but I have to talk to everyone else. Good luck

with the Paso Doble, Nancy and Anton. You are adorable! There was

a strong emphasis on the choreography which included bold

story-telling, illegal lifts and props and what Len described as too

much messing about. To help us decipher what it meant, who we

Here she is, a close personal friend of Henry Winkler, Karen

Hardy! Loving you and Henry talking on the

red button on Saturday! Right, Broadway in the ballroom this

weekend. We are going to start with Holly and Artem and the tango. What

did you think? Interesting. I've gone the other way with this

performance. I think this girl is incredible. But when I watched this

performance and we saw the whole cage thing going on and saw her

doing lots of solo work, it looked like a pop video, whereas you look

like this, she could have easily done that move in hold so we would

have had much more content. This could have easily been, for me, one

of her beautiful pop shows where she's on her own looking hot and

sexy, but you know what, this is a ballroom competition. Dancing is

movement to music, ballroom dancing is two people moving together. That

makes ballroom. Anita and Robin did the jive. How did Anita co-do for

you? Brilliant. It was brave and brilliant. We had jive content. We

had timing issues which the judges said it looked like she was behind,

but you put a celebrity on their own, it's very hard, they've only

been together a couple of weeks. But there was so much great content

in there, it was jiving, it was bouncing and the props were there

but they didn't take over too much, it was beautiful for me, loved it.

Happy Karen. Let's talk about Rory and Erin and their quickstep. Great

night for them. How did they capture it so well? Listen to this,

da-da-da-da, that for me is really clever because this music is so

special. It basically tells the celebrities what steps to do. So

this then allows the celebrities to relax a little bit more, da-da-da

is making him take that forward step and skip across the floor, he

can get into character. The greatest thing there from Erin, she

chose excellent music and he would have been able to give that Fred

Astaire appeal on the dance floor. Very clever! Two big gold stars.

Yes. Lulu and Brendan and the rumba. I cried watching this, I thought it

was so beautiful. But we can't talk about them without mentioning the

lift. The first thing is, I know it was illegal, but, as a lift, Karen,

was it good? It was a fabulous lift. I'm not going to complain. Look at

it, height, legs in an excellent position, pointing her toes and she

lands very nicely. Lots of great things. But I'm a big no, no, no

with the lifts. Come on, guys. It's trickery, you put lifts in to

create an effect. So what's really going to... You can put all the

effects in now, but those that are learning the steps and the

fundamentals, it's going to come back and save them later in the

show. Let the people put their tricks in, but it's going to go

against them later in the line. I'm glad that Craig picked up on it and

stuck to his guns. She could have held his waist and had a toe on the

floor and got exactly the same effect. I think we know how you

feel about lifts! Yes! Audley and Natalie and their quickstep now.

After being in the bottom two last week, Audley did well in this

dance? He did. But look how he did well. See that step? Now look again,

we are going to repeat it again. Now, repetition of steps is a very

clever way, if people are not maybe getting the dance quick enough,

quickstep is one of the big ones, really hard with lots of fast steps

and we already know with his feet. But look what she does, a little

later none the routine... Is it back? It will come back again.

didn't note thais at all. Notice this at all. He's going into

it for the fourth time and by now, it's confused him, he's gone wrong

there, so there's a point of repetition can be great, especially

there might be one dance in the series that a celebrity's

struggling with, and we've all done it, you repeat the steps, but you

have got to be careful. Four repetitions and I think he lost

where he was, tripped over his own feet there. It's easy to trip over

those feet, they are big! I'm hearing you there. Robbie and

Ola and the tango. Robbie was struggling with spinning in

training last week. What did Ola do here? She added more! Look at this.

With saw a three-step turn with a chair and then we are going to see

her spin again. Basically, to me, she's saying, you

might have motion sickness, but I think you are going to be in this

for the long run and any time we add turn into dance, it creates the

dynamic and it creates an effect. Anything that's flat, so if Robbie

would have done that earlier on, Ola would have made him do three

walks across the stage and three back again, but as she's upping his

game and increasing him, you've got to be turning everywhere. Turn is

the elegance of dance. She's saying, Savage, get on with it, deal with

the sickness. And they did it. Russell and Flavia, much more

ballroom content. Look at this! I love it. He is adorable. Flavia was

very clever to include his trademark gestures, wasn't she?

We had all that beautiful content and here it comes again. Even wants

to say hello to Russell and it's that classic bit of music, he's

living the dream, on the stage, he's at home! So, what I love this

time, we saw way too much of that in the last two performances. She

got it perfect this time. Look, straight back into hold. And

foxtrot is the dance of death to a lot of couples because it's flat

and can be very boring. With that song, that bit of Broadway in the

middle, fantastic number! OK, let's talk about Jason and Kristina in

their tango. You are almost hysterical and we haven't talked

about it. The competition of the campness we've got to say. We've

got camp, we've gone Broadway, got hips and Kristina is living the

moment and suddenly, wow, back into the intensity of it all! He's

saying, I'm in this competition, I will give you your Broadway moment

for the middle bit, beginning, middle and end, that's the

classical Broadway theme, then he said, I'm back into the tango

because this is what everybody will be marking. Loved it. Chelsee and

Pasha and their cha-cha-cha, now, would Chelsee benefit from simpler

choreography? The judges keep saying she's too bouncy and a bit

frenetic? It's not that. I mean, if we have a look, she's got time to

go, I've got a hair in my face, I think I'll remove it. She can

handle all the fast choreography, she's not mastering the techniques.

They do what we say when it grounds a woman, sounds madness. But for

example, a cha-cha-cha, straight legs, lock the legs in, create hip

action. Very important. But what we are getting in every single dance

with Chelsee is bounce, bounce, bounce, as soon as she hits

something like a rumba or the gracefulness of a foxtrot, she's

going to have to learn heels and toes and master the technique.

Choreography is a walk in the park for her. Harry and alowe that that

and their jive. A lot of people loving this, not sure whether it's

because of the pecks or the dancing? You are not so sure?

we've got a lovely couple of weeks coming along. We've got Grease here,

we've got the car, the costumes and the music. It's all too much for

you? All I needed with that was just a great jive because that boy

can do it. We've just got to be careful, we are going to have some

lovely themed events, let's make the mistakes now, but those judges,

as the weeks go on, will be demanding more and more content of

dance. OK. Karen Hardy, as always,

gorgeous! Karen, see you next week, thank you!

I feel like I've learned something. The next couple had a triumphant

night on Saturday, received stellar comments for their simple but

beautiful routine and were rewarded with eights across-the-board. Alex

and James are here in a second but let's relive their memories of the

weekend. James, I think you are being very clever. It was

uncomplicated. Loved it, really, really loved it. It was simply

beautiful. For me, you are the most improved dancer. You look elegant

and dreamy. It was like watching a magical bird stretching its wings

for the first time ready to take flight. It was, as Len said,

absolutely beautiful in its 32! I'm absolutely for the first

time ever I think speechless. Loved it. Is that going totive you

confidence? Yes. Sure? Yes. Thank you. Please give a warm welcome to

Alex Jones and her partner James Jordan.

It's just given me a big blow seeing you come out there. Alesha

said you were the most improved dancer. Well done, that must feel

fantastic? It was a highlight on Saturday and I suppose that's what

this competition is all about, getting a bit better. There was

nothing there to begin with, let's be honest. You could beg to differ

there! I suppose a bit of improvement every week is what it's

all about and just having a brilliant time doing it. It must be

nice for you, James, because Craig call yod clever. True. Surely

that's a first from Craig for you? I thought you meant it was the

first time I've been called clever. It's the first time he said

anything like that to me. But I the routine very simple. You don't need

intricate choreography to create a story or power. Because of the

music being so nice, the dress was so nice, the choreography was very

emotional, I think it sold it. So yes, you can keep things simple.

Broadway week, some might say that's a risky strategy to take,

throwing in props and all kinds, but it was effective. We spoke

about it. We were dancing to memories and didn't want to have

the wagging tails. I did wonder at one moment if you were going to be

Mr Mestopalies and come out with the whole chabang. We kept it

simple. On Facebook, you have had so many lovely comments. Kenny said

James is turning Alex into a serious contender. Look at that!

Loads of comments about how moving and emotional it was. A greet

student. She's teachers' pet at the moment. She is, but it's God to see

though because you are obviously loving it. I'm having the best time

ever. Saturdays are scary, Zoe, they are, they're terrifying.

been there, I know exactly how scary they are. But during the week

building up to Saturday, we have just a great time, pleasing James

and improving a bit, for me, that's what it's all about. Just taking it

week-by-week. I don't think every week it's possible to improve at

the level she has been, you are eventually going to plateau and one

of the dances may not suit her. All the time she's giving me 100% and

trying, that's all I care about and she is, she's very trying!

Oh! In the training room, occasionally, there are three

people in there, we've noticed. Have a look at this! Really. James

says do a step and I'll automatically think step, literally

and go wow and do a huge step like that. She has this thing where she

lifts her feet so high off the floor to take a step. I genuinely

look a bit like Basil Fawlty which is not the look James was going for.

There was a bit of Basil in there. There was. We don't want to

completely lose him, we'll miss him. Hopefully I'll become Darcy

Bussel.: I hope so. Won't happen. Basil. He comes back every Monday,

doesn't he? I fear he may be back for the rumba, to be honest.

have the rumba, it's a tough dance, the dance of love. How are you

finding it? Hm. That good, eh? have only done a couple of hours so

far and it's all new. Like ten hours! Really?! How do you get all

the training in because you are doing the One Show and strictly as

well, you must live here at the BBC. Well, I don't know why I'm paying

rent, Zoe, to be honest. Just get a duvet under the sofa. It's OK, it's

a routine, we meet in the morning and then I do the One Show, and if

I've not been good in the day, we meet in the night after the One

Show, so you can always gauge how the session's gone in the morning.

We are going training after this. You are good students. Good luck

with the rumba. Look forward to seeing Basil on Saturday if we are

really lucky. Alex and James! On Saturday night, the fashion bar

was raised higher than ever before, as the celebrities embraced their

Broadway characters. Some of the girls got wigy with it. Here is a

reMaundyer of who wore what at the Joining me now to cast their expert

eye over the costumes, please welcome fashion designer Bruce

Oldfield and fashion lecture oo that O'Hagan.

Delightful to have you both here. - - Oonagh O'Hagan. Chelsee first in

her cha-cha-cha number. What did you make of her little number?

amazing. The fact that you can put anything on this young girl, you

know, and she'll go for it yourbgs know, she'll just wear it, I loved

it. Looked like something from the '20s or even the '60s. A bit like a

swim suit, '50s like Esther Williams. Yes. Pity there was no

hat to match. Give us some fashion facts about what is going on in her

outfit there? It's 1,500 bugle beads. They're long thin beads,

looking a bit like macaroni and they are each threaded on by hand,

so it's really intense a job in beautiful oranges and pinks.

Beautiful warm, liquid colours here. Why is that particularly good for

the cha-cha-cha? What effect is that going to give? The bugle bead

is used because it's a tube on the thread, it spins and moves. So

rather than using a tassel like you would use for maybe the jive or

Charleston which is a very up and down movement, the bugle beads spin

so it's very much more the twists. I want some attached to me right

now! Come over here. We'll start now!

Anita. She was doing the number from Hairspray. Now, Bruce, when

you saw this outfit, you pulled a funny face. You weren't a big fan?

Bows I don't really like and two bows I really don't like. Is that a

rule never to be broken. Yes, it was Minnie Mouse but right for hair

spri. It was originally going to be a blue colour but they went for

this candy floss pink to make it more camp to tie in with hair spri.

The hemline as well. What is going on with it -- Hairspray. It's wire

to make it stand out like that. It's put on a zig-zag, then they

thread the wire through as it goes and it forces it to do that. It's

got underneath it four layers of pettycoats. That was four different

fabrics, so they moved because they had soft characters, nylons, satin

and fashion fact, six metres of fabric. On each layer? No, she

wouldn't be able to get up. Shield be like a puff Fay. We've got

Lulu's outfit in the studio -- puffe. Black-and-white representing

the Phantom, dancing to a number from Phantom Of The Opera, but

quite '60s as well with the monochrome. Did you lake that,

Bruce? I did. There was a lot of fabric there on rather a petite

woman and it could have been a bit of a tent... Overwhelming. Yes. But

it worked because there were parts that were see-through so you got a

bit of body showing and leg showing, so it kind of worked. It worked foe

me. This is Lulu in the '60s and look at her on Saturday night. She

just looks glorious, doesn't she? Amazing. The same. What is your

secret, Lulu? We all want to know. She looks gorgeous. Tell us about

what is it made from, the dress? The knowledge about the dress. It's

a crepe base, then the scarves of Georgette to give it the romantic

silhouette. Apparently, they were doing that to the last-minute, the

layers and Lulu was discussing how much she wanted because it would be

affect by the actual dance as well. A lot of work went into it. So even

as she was running on to the stage, they're sewing it on. It's like a

fashion show. Very contemporary, this black-and-white as well, very

Chanel. Let's talk about Holly's outfit. We saw the beginning of it

last week which was virtually a cup and a bit of strap and that's how

it ended up. Absolutely stunning. You dress her, don't you? From time

to time, yes. It's very, very nice. She has got a figure, you know,

she's not a stick insect. She's a woman with shapes and curves.

That's why we all love her. She's got curved. And as a result of that,

she can wear this outfit which has this whole sort of, we were saying

it's like underwear's outerwear, very Gaultier, reminded me of

Madonna's videos for Vogue. Yes, now you mention it. Why is this

dress good for tango? If you look at the slashes on the leg, it's

nude net which makes her legs look like they go on for miles, even

though they do and it means you can see the leg work which is so

important in the tango as well. she felt so confident going out

there in what seems to be very little really. Yes, and she was so

confident that she actually managed to dance through getting her heel

caught. She dealt with it like a pro. She did, she was fantastic.

are huge fans. Thank you so much both of you for coming in. Bruce

and Oonagh! Thank you to all my guests tonight.