This week on Dancing On Ice saw the remaining 9 couples battle it out during Dance Week.
The emphasis on the routines was about the dance this week as each couple took on a different style of dance. With Todd Carty having left last week the competition was even tougher as the standard of skating is incredibly high.
Kicking off the show tonight was Kyran Bracken and his partner Nina Ulanova. Last week Kyran was criticised by Jason Gardiner for not dancing enough with his partner. In his intro VT Kyran said that he was worried about dance week calling it his ‘worst nightmare’. Did the extra hours in rehearsal do him any favours? Kyran and Nina skated to Great Balls of Fire as they infused rock’n’roll into their routine.
That was a decent start to the show. We do think that Kyran is one of the weaker skaters left in the show but he’s fun to watch.
Kyran and Nina were awarded 31.5 from the judges.
Robin said that Kyran was ‘on the money’ and that he wasn’t expecting it. Jason said he applauded Kyran for putting in the choreography but said the transition from the lifts to the moves slowed the routine down. Ashley said Kyran upped the bar from last week but told him she wanted to see him let loose a bit more. Karen said she though Kyran danced up a storm and told him he kept the performance level up.
Second onto the ice was actress and singer Suzanne Shaw with her partner Matt Evers. After a stellar first week, Suzanne faltered a little bit last week and dropped down the leaderboard. In their routine this week Suzanne and Matt had to put ballet into the choreography and they weren’t getting on the best in rehearsal. As a surprise Suzanne flew Matt’s parents over from the US so they could see him dance live on the show for the first time. Suzanne and Matt skated to The Flower Duet.
We thought that was a pretty stunning routine if we’re honest and this couple are definitely ones with a chance of winning the whole show.
Suzanne and Matt were awarded 33.0 out of 40 from the judges.
Ashley said that the ballet translated well onto the ice telling Suzanne the performance was there. Jason called it ‘stunning and sublime’ before labelling the routine ‘poetic’. Robin said it was technical simple but told Suzanne he wanted to see more flow in the solo skating. Karen said one of the lifts went completely wrong which is why she scored them lower.
Third onto the ice was performer Gareth Gates and his partner Brianne Delcourt. Gareth has consistently been towards the bottom of the leaderboard and was told last week that he played it too safe with his skating. For this week’s routine Gareth and Brianne were given street dancing as their dance style for the week. Last week’s 4.5 score from Jason was a shock and Gareth admitted he was disappointed with it. Gareth and Brianne skated to Hot In Herre.
We thought this was a fun routine and even though Gareth didn’t particularly look street, it was a very entertaining performance.
Gareth and Brianne were awarded 28.0 out of 40 from the judges.
Ashley told Gareth ‘A+ for effort’ and said he performed the choreography to the best of his ability. Jason said Gareth was ‘about as street as Sesame Street’ and told him there was no pop during the dance. Karen said she enjoyed the performance and told him he brought the entertainment to the ice.
Popular entertainer Bonnie Langford has been giving it her all this series but she hasn’t been pulling in the most stellar marks. This week Bonnie and her partner Andrei Lipanov had to infuse their routine with a Waltz. During training Andrei admitted he’s not much of a dancer whilst Bonnie said she’d never done ballroom before. Did they pull it together? Bonnie and Andrei skated to What The World Needs Now Is Love.
Despite the rather visible mistake during the routine we thought Bonnie gave a beautiful performance.
Bonnie and Andrei were awarded 27.5 out of 40 from the judge.
Robin said Bonnie never has an ugly bone in her body but told her the skating and flow was tight. Ashley said Bonnie had the poise and grace of the Waltz. Jason said he expected to see more from Bonnie as she’s a dancer which led to the actress fighting back and explaining that dancing is a broad spectrum that she can’t do all of.
Taking a break from the evening’s performances, Torvill and Dean skated a beautiful routine as Rebecca Ferguson sung In My Life. The routine was definitely an emotional moment and the iconic pair skated beautifully.
Back to the skating Sam Attwater and Vicky Ogden were hoping to continue their climb up the laderboard. After being in the skate-off already this series, Sam has been working hard to ensure that he doesn’t end up their again. Sam and Vicky’s dance style this week was Bhangra which looked like it could be a lot of fun. Did Sam pull it out of the bag? He and Vicky skated to Kelly Rowland’s Work.
That was an impressive routine from Sam and Vicky. You can tell they’ve been working to polish up their skating week-on-week.
Sam and Vicky were awarded 34.5 out of 40 from the judges.
Ashley said Bhangra translated well onto the ice and told Sam and Vicky their synchronicity was amazing. Jason said he loved it telling Sam everything about it was great. Karen agreed saying Sam did a fantastic job. Robin said Sam stayed on theme and on style throughout the performance.
Actress Zaraah Abrahams and her partner Andy Buchanan found themselves in the skate-off last week but was saved by the judges. In her intro VT Zaraah admitted that being in the bottom two was a shock. For her routine this week Zaraah had to inject some Jazz into her skating. Could Zaraah stay out of the bottom two this week? Zaraah and Andy skated to putting on the Ritz.
Zaraah is one of the best female skaters on the show and that routine was stunning.
Zaraah and Andy were awarded 32.0 out of 40 from the judges.
Karen said Zaraah gave a great performance and it was clear she enjoyed herself. Ashley said she liked the story in the routine commenting that Zaraah came alive. Jason said Zaraah gave a competent performance but that it didn’t excite him. Robin said he ‘liked it a lot’ calling Zaraah sassy.
Last year’s champion Beth Tweddle was next up with Lukasz Rozycki. Beth has been performing consistently high this series and this week she had to work Scottish Dancing into her skate. In training she looked to be having a lot of fun and admitted she knew nothing about Scottish Dancing. Did she do enough to continue to impress Jason? Beth and Lukasz skated to Hey Brother.
We really enjoyed that routine. It’s nice to see Beth really enjoying herself on the ice and she’s one of the strongest in the competition.
Beth and Lukasz were awarded 36.5 out of 40 from the judges.
Karen said that Beth is blossoming and her confidence is bringing the results. Robin said that Beth’s skating was better than last year calling it ‘charming and slightly magical’. Ashley said it was strong pointing out how in sync Beth and Lukasz were. Jason said he would have a Highland Fling with Beth and told her it was very exciting.
The penultimate couple of the evening was actress Hayley Tamaddon and her partner Dan Whiston. Whilst they scored well last week, they didn’t manage to impress Jason. This week Hayley and Dan were given the Charleston to incorporate into their skate and they admitted they were loving it during training. Could Hayley soar to the top of the leaderboard? Hayley and Dan skated to will.i.am’s Bang Bang.
What a fantastic routine! One of the best of the night with Hayley and Dan giving such an energetic and fun performance.
Hayley and Dan were awarded 38.0 out of 40 from the judges.
Jason said the routine was so good because they didn’t even look like they were skating. Ashley said the timing was intricate and called Hayley brilliant. Karen said the routine was fun, feisty and full of personality just like Hayley. Robin said that Hayley delivered on the light and shade this week.
Last to dance was singer and actor Ray Quinn with his partner Maria Filippov. Ray has been one of the strongest skaters in the competition and after a shaky first week he’s been lavished with praise from the judges. This week Ray and Maria had to add Flamenco into their skating. Was it another good week for Ray?
Wow! Talk about saving the best for last. Where the heck did that confidence, technique and energy come from?
Ray and Maria were awarded 40.0 out of 40 from the judges.
The first 40 of the series! Jason said that Ray was ‘sublime’ and told him he brought everything he needed to bring to the performance. Ashley said Ray’s lines were amazing and told him she wanted to ‘eat him up’. Robin agreed and pointed out that Ray performed to the same standard as Maria.
The leaderboard for the evening was:
Ray Quinn and Maria Filippov – 40.0
Hayley Tamaddon and Dan Whiston – 38.0
Beth Tweddle and Lukasz Rozycki – 36.5
Sam Attwater and Vicky Ogden – 34.5
Suzanne Shaw and Matt Evers – 33.0
Zaraah Abrahams and Andy Buchanan – 32.0
Kyran Bracken and Nina Ulanova – 31.5
Gareth Gates and Brianne Delcourt – 28.0
Bonnie Langford and Andrei Lipanov – 27.5
