Episode 9 Strictly - It Takes Two

It's Thursday. Coming up: Big improvements - Lulu and Brendan and

Holly and Artem are here to tell me if they can deliver another sell-

out performance. Harry was criticised for his posture. Can

Aliona set him straight? I get the first look inside the Strictly

costume cupboard to find out what the celebrity also be wearing for

Broadway week. This is It Takes Two. -- celebrities will be wearing for

Live from Television Centre, this is Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes

Two. Here's Zoe! Hello. Welcome to It Takes Two. 47

hours 53 minutes and 15 seconds until show time. We can officially

get excited about the weekend. A seven different dance styles are

being showcased this weekend. Every routine will have a Broadway twist.

In a moment, I will be talking to Harry and Aliona. Before that,

let's look at how the boys are It's Broadway week. This is my

backyard. I have never played in Broadway. It will be a bit camp.

It's going to have strength, body, passion. I want to map out again

from here. Jason is a perfectionist. He works so hard. He is so

dedicated. He is wearing me out. One... Two, three, four. I have

never had a student like him. I'm so happy that we work well together.

It has to be entertainment at the end of the day. That is what I am

interested in. Petrified! We will try our hardest to be the best.

Camp, entertainment, lots of fun. Job done! It is the first time ever

on Strictly they have done a Broadway week. Ah! He is musical.

He has to relax. You have to let everything out that is in your mind

and leave it outside. Count. aware she is challenging me this

week. That is why I get so disappointed. Arms up. Rory is

starting to get it. This is my week, if I can get it right. I have to

get it right first! Yes! A little This week, it's tango to Mama Mia!

We raised the bar last Saturday. We need to make sure we do another

amazing dance. The judges' scores have given me confidence. I know I

can do it now. No, not around me. It is quick. I felt so ill today.

One, two... That's horrible. Struggling. I can't spin. I am

horrendous at spinning around. That was horrible. Is he throwing up?

I can be the first person to be So far so good. Some similaritys to

the waltz. Characters will hopefully come from the story.

going to try to get Dan into the character of the dance. I want to

do it justice. You can go like... As well as doing Katya justice of

course. Like what? I can act, look at this. Worried. Scared. It was

good. Horror! That will be a challenge to get to the acting

levels that I will need to really sell it. Good. I felt the passion

This week, I'm doing the quickstep which is Natalie Lowes' favourite

dance. I am driven not to be in that bottom two. I will be working

around-the-clock to learn the dance routines. It will make us pull our

finger out. This is Natalie in focus mode. Up and toe and toe...

I'm fighting my way through with that motivation. I will try and

clean myself up a bit so I look more polished. That is one of my

focuses. It will be fantastic. I'm making him work. It is not going to

be easy. I'm working so, so hard so I'm not in the bottom two. I got

This is our first ballroom dance this week, Broadway week. It's a

fabulous number. We are doing the foxtrot. I am very nervous about

this. It is a different technique. It is a different style. I want him

to dance, which he's been doing. I want there to be some technical

element. When you get to foxtrot, it is more contained. It will be a

hard one for me. I don't know if this is the week I'm born to do

Broadway week. Museically, it is. Not sure about the dance. I want to

be where the music takes me -- musically, it is. Where does it

take me? To a theatre, the West End! We are dancing the jive. The

problem is the technique seems to be the complete opposite to the

first Latin dance. I feel like Bambi. We are doing Grease. I'm

sure he can pull off the character. Getting into the character help mes.

Yeah. If you look -- Getting into the character helps me. Yeah.

you look silly, you can blame it on the character. This routine is cool.

If I can get the steps, we can have fun. Very good. First on the sofa

tonight, please welcome Harry and Aliona. APPLAUSE Well done on

Saturday night. They like you. Well done on Saturday night. We couldn't

help but notice that Len, who looked a bit upset, that on the

show last week, on this very show, you happened to say that you didn't

listen to what the judges said. Naughty girl! Yes. We have had

words. If Len is watching at home - morning - have you got a message

for him? Well, as I said last week, I do listen. I do respect the

comments. We had a great dance last Saturday. Yeah. We were pleased

with it. The comments were very fair and very supportive, which was

really good. Well done! APPLAUSE Let's hope she's done enough. Len

is here tomorrow. We will see. Harry, there was a lot of chat

about you being undermarked. Any comment on that? Well, that's

lovely to hear. As Aliona said, when we watched it back, we were

pleased. But there were posture issues there. What the judges said,

they were right. Looking back, I was happy. The first ballroom dance

I have ever done so obviously lots of room for improvement. I am

pleased people felt that we did well. It is a good sign. They are

obviously enjoying what you are doing. Craig said he would have

given you one or two more points if your posture was better. Have you

been working on this? I am sat here like that! LAUGHTER This week is

different. Completely different technique. So hopefully if we get

through next week, we will be working hard on the posture. OK. It

is Broadway this week. Harry, we are concerned that you might be

underdressed! Harry needs to remember to play it

up to the audience and to enjoy himself. I need you to smile.

# Smile, smile... # Where's the smile? It is pretty

funny to see him kind of go... # Show us your teeth. #

I'm not used to smiling. I'm not used to dancing! If I start smiling,

it might distract me. You look so serious. What do you want me to do?

Smile! Smile! I always laugh when he's trying to concentrate and he

gets the serious face. You don't want a big cheesy grin either.

LAUGHTER Where have I got this reputation from? You have to follow

Aliona's advice. Look at that. Is it awkward when Aliona is giggling

at you? She laughs at me. When I'm trying my hardest, with my game

face on... It is worse for me! She's gone! The foxtrot last week.

The jive couldn't be further apart. The jive this week. We have some

footage of you in training. You are dancing to Grease. You are doing

Grease Lightning. This is quite a nice tale. Didn't you miss out

playing Danny? Yes, I auditioned for Grease at school to be a T-Bird,

but I didn't make it. I was put in the chorus line. This is my chance.

This is your moment. What did get the part? My best friend who I

ended up living with for four years. He is jealous now. Has he given you

any tips on being Danny? He said you have to give it a bit of that.

I have my leathers on today. are getting into character now. The

hair is going up at the front. Who do you think your main competition

is? The boys - everyone has been saying the boys are very strong

this year. Who are your biggest rivals? I get asked this. I think

everyone, really. Everyone's amazing. The girls, too, are

fantastic. They are all so lovely. Some great dancers, great

personalities in it. It is impossible to say. It is only early

days. It will all change. I was looking around on Sunday, thinking

who is going to go? You can never tell. Exactly. I agree with that.

Everyone is doing great. You have done well for Len. Well done. Good

luck on Saturday. Harry and Aliona. APPLAUSE Earlier today, I managed

to grab a couple of minutes with the Strictly costume department to

get a first glimpse at what the couples will be wearing this

weekend. Hello, this is Vicky from the wardrobe department. Possibly

the hardest working part of the Strictly family. Broadway week this

week. Is that exciting for you to dress them in Broadway themes?

really exciting. It is a good week. We are working with choreography,

production and our skill designing the costumes. Great skills you

have! Let's talk about Nancy. Is she fun to dress? Yes, I love Nancy.

This is Nancy's dress. She is doing This is Nancy's dress. She is doing

the tango? Look at that. She is in her hot fiery red. We have a corset

detail running down the dress with open sides. Open sides? She had

mesh before. Is there no mesh? mesh. She is going meshless! Let's

look at the material. She will be in red. Yes. Looks quite sexy. It

isn't a corset. She needs to be able to move. And are there lots of

fittings for each costume? Nancy has had the most fittings thus far.

Why does that not surprise me?! week she was very quick. She knew

from one This week she was very quick. She knew from one look. Who

is going for the most daring this week? Holly. It is bra cups,

elastic and a lot of mesh. Wow! The thing is, she is doing a number

from Chicago. If you think of the stage show, the girls did wear very

little. Yes. What about the boys? Jason is not going to shy away from

a fancy number. He is doing tango. We have a classic number where he

will have a tux and a pink shirt! We have another option which is a

lot of pink. Two options for Jason. He is doing something from

Priscilaa. It has to be the pink. I am loving the fact he has not made

a decision yet. How close to the wire do you work with the costumes?

We say Wednesday. It is never Wednesday. It is always Thursday.

Today we cut a new frock for someone. You won't say who? What is

under the gold cloth? We have lots of sparkle. It is beautiful! Looks

like a Princess. Somebody is going to be wearing that on Saturday?

They are. I can't tell you who it is. Russell?! I think I might know

who will be wearing that. It is beautiful. We can't wait to see

what they are wearing on Saturday, especially Holly. Good luck. Thank

you. See you next week. Thank you very much. Now we all

breathed a huge sigh of relief when Lulu and Brendan got through their

routine on Saturday night. They will be joining me in a second.

First, let's take a look at how they did it. So much better than

last week. You look much more focused and in control. Now you

have to work on the polish. Your feet need a bit more conviction.

Your posture needs to be a bit stronger. You played it with the

emotional fragility of a teenager in love whose heart is about to be

broken. What an improvement on last week! I think they were very

generous to me tonight. I feel relieved that it wasn't ones and

twos and threes. I love you Alesha and even Craig wasn't so bad! Yes!

Lulu and Brendan are here. APPLAUSE We are here! We are not home.

done, that girl. I can't tell you! She did it! I got through.

nervous were you? Before going on and doing that dance that you would

forget the steps again? I was nervous about everything. He was -

before I was going... Don't focus on anyone, keep focused. Just

before we do the live show, when the music starts, Lulu is like this

talking to the crowd. "Can you please focus on your dance?!"

was beautiful. You made it through it. That is the most important

thing. Brendan, did you choreograph it with Lulu's ability to get

through it in mind? Not so much... Yes, you did! That is the trick.

listened to the music and I don't know why but the mirror came to me

and seeing each other in the mirror. I wanted to do it justice

emotionally. I love dance that is really emotional and attached to

the music. I think we achieved that. We had lovely comments on Twitter

and Facebook. It's a lovely little thing to keep you going for the

next week. Yes. Jon said, "Lulu was amazing, she will keep getting

better and better." Isn't it sweet when people have that optimism?

did demonstrate such vulnerability. Did you have to dig deep to convey

those emotions? He did! I did. I tried really hard. I think after

the first week, it was such a mess. I'm finding it difficult this week,

too. This week is worse! It doesn't get easier! The song we are dancing

to, the way we are doing it, it is very emotional. He has done the

most beautiful choreography that I actually feel like I'm Jennifer

Gray and he is Patrick Swayze! Before we talk about that because

you are doing the rumba, we have a lovely moment from Saturday night.

This is where you are in the studio and you are getting ready to do

your dance. This is moments before and this is when we are watching

the story of your training and this is what was happening in the studio.

To your spot, nice and calm. Focus on the beginning. Focus on the

mirror. Look at each other and it will be beautiful. Knock them dead.

You can do it. Whatever happens, I'm here to hold you! You and me.

No audience. Just you. It is a real touching moment. The things you get.

A side of Brendan you don't get to see! I look after my girls, if I

can. Rumba this week, it is Broadway, what techniques are you

using to remember your steps? remember the steps? Practising with

him! I video him on my camera and try to copy him. If I can get

anywhere near as good, look... is looking good. Nice legs. It is

controversial. I have bruised ribs. We are doing a dance that's - it is

Broadway week. To do it justice, it can't be a simple rumba. I haven't

got that much rumba content in it. I never saw any rumba in there.

Craig will love it. Len might not. I am hoping the audience will love

it. I don't know any other girl who would want to do that dance with

him! How is it, transferring it from the dance studio into the

television studio, which you do tomorrow? Where am I?! It is mind-

blowing to get on that stage because there's all the history

with the show and everything. Then you go, where was it we did it?

is an amazing feeling to be doing what you have worked so hard for.

You have one chance to do it and the audience are anticipating what

is... It is amazing. You know how it feels! I'm getting clammy palms.

Good luck on Saturday. Lulu and Brendan! APPLAUSE Oh. Before I chat

to Holly and Artem, let's take a trip back to the training rooms

where the girls are working hard to embrace the leading lady within

them. This week myself and Alex are dancing the Viennese waltz. It is

from Cats. The difficulty we have got is theming our dance to the

musical. We have been crawling around like cats. Can't dance as a

cat! The dance is kind of atmospheric and quite dramatic.

What is difficult is the tempo changes. I'm going hell-for-leather

around the studio. All of a sudden in the zone. I don't know which

country I'm in let alone which step This week we are doing the jive.

I'm ecstatic about doing this dance. The jive is another mad, busy dance.

We could both go for the hairspray! Yes! It is going to be fun and

fabulous. We have got a lift - two lifts I suppose in the jive. Some

are scary and some are not so scary. It's great fun. I'm loving learning

This week I'm doing a slow rumba. Whatever that is. I'm really

excited about this week. The song we've got is fantastic. Yes. Turn.

Between the feet. Like a clutz! This dance is about the emotion. I

want to have Craig crying his eyes out at the end of the number. There

was not enough... I can't get it. I'm worried. Very worried. Get your

head up and get over it! Here it is. There. Oh that's different, Lulu!

Isn't it?! If she trusts me, I will get her through it. If she doesn't,

it will be tough. I don't know if I This week, we are doing cha-cha. A

little bit similar to salsa. A lot of hip action. We can take a lot of

comments which judges gave us and put them into dance right away. It

is about your position, it is all about your body movement. I will

try and tone it down a little so it is not as full-on. One, two - stop.

That was so much better. It feels like last week was a breaking point

for Chelsea. Now she got into the groove and she becomes a dancer.

She is like boom, boom! Sorry. love it. You are putting energy

into it. I'm picking the steps up quicker than I have done for the

past two weeks. The first part was This week it will be a tango. The

truth is, who knows! I will do something to you that will surprise

you. Told you. Good. Absolutely brilliant. Nice. Then we go... I

like that. I said nothing. You kick-off. Why you kick-off? We will

serious today or not? Don't start. Get over there. When I leave you,

you go home and do you sleep? Things are getting better.

This week, we are doing a tango from a musical Chicago. The

standard of that song is so high that we will have to push the bar

further. Broadway week is just not my bag. This is my payback for

never going to musicals. I can't stand them. Why are you stepping?

Ow! We need to nail the timing of it. The problem we had was the

timing. Not eight - seven. It's a brain-teaser with the footwork.

Five, six, seven. Why am I getting there for seven? This is super-hard.

Give it up for Holly and Artem. APPLAUSE Obviously the training is

paying off. Did I see you biting him there? Quite possibly! That was

probably not the worst thing I did to him that day. Great scores once

again. The judges seem to want you to let go? This week is easier. It

is Broadway week. It is easier for me to play characters than be

myself. I feel exposed. This week I can have more fun. Your acting

skills must come in handy? They do now, I hope. Fingers crossed. We

must mention Len on Saturday said the limbo bit was like a mechanic

checking for an oil leak. What did you think of their comments?

loved it. I try to make exciting routines. If it works, it works.

worked for us. We loved it. We were quite excited to spot a

reappearance of The Terminator on the BBC One show on Saturday night.

Look at this. It is really quick. Thank you for that. That was such a

gift. Holly, you have shown you are confident in the Latin. How is it

different with the ballroom? Well, I wish I could say I knew the

difference. I thought I was doing Latin until yesterday. Posture and

holding my head a certain way, that's been difficult. A frame.

frame. I'm working on my frame. are learning a new word each day.

Sometimes it is too much to take on board. We can see a bit of your

training here. Oh God! Timing is critical in the tango, I am told.

Craig was pointing out your timing last week. How is that going?

going! LAUGHTER It is going great. That was the beginning of the week.

Yeah, you know... You have got an incredible set, can you reveal a

bit about your set... Of what? Studio set! Sorry. This is a family

show! Thanks, Zoe! Bring it back, Artem! Anyway, we have - because we

are doing this song, it's from Chicago, we are getting this cell

cage... There's a cage?! She has been a bad student so if she is not

doing a good job, she is staying in the cell cage! I'm loving the idea

of this. Let's check out the outfit. Your Holly - temperatures will be

rising. That is what Holly is wearing. Artem, we are worried they

might not finish yours in time. We have this for you should you need

it on Saturday night. Thank you very much. Give it up for Holly and

Artem. Good luck this weekend. That is all we have time for tonight.