'Dancing' disaster

The cast of SABC 2’s 'Strictly Come Dancing' last night, 20 November, pulled out all the stops to deliver a nail biting quarter-final episode that saw bulky Gladiator, Garth Collins, being weighed but found to be too lightweight...

Collins came head-to head with 5FM’s Anele Mdoda, the darling among followers of the show, after she fell flat on the floor during her first dance.

This was the first occasion where the final five were expected to bring two flawless attempts to the dance floor, from a selection of styles chosen from the Latin and Ballroom genres.

When the judges’ scores and viewer votes were tallied, the two couples who failed to impress the judges also seemed to have not made an impression on the voting public.

After the dance-off, the judges chose to keep the following of the two celebs in the competition:
Tyrone Watkins: Anele Mdoda (for her natural rhythm)
Salome Sechele: Anele Mdoda (for her discipline and timing)
Dave Campbell: Anele Mdoda (for understanding exactly what is expected in this competition)
Head adjudicator, Lillian Phororo, did not have to excercise her deciding vote; immediately eliminating Collins and dance partner Hayley Bennett from the competition.

Viewers’ votes account for 50 percent of the final scores. As per usual, when judges’ scores and viewer votes were tallied, the two couples with the lowest combined scores had to perform their routines again during a dance-off.

The judges’ scores (before viewer votes were added) were as follows:
Tessa van Duuren & Grant Esterhuizen - First Dance: 37, Second Dance: 37 (Total: 74)
Rob van Vuuren & Mary Martin - First Dance: 30, Second Dance: 32 (Total: 62)
Cindy Nell & Jonathan Broadway - First Dance: 29, Second Dance: 30 (Total: 59)
Garth Collins & Hayley Bennett - First Dance: 26, Second Dance: 25 (Total: 51)
Anele Mdoda & Brandon Eilers Le Riche - First Dance: 24, Second Dance: 26 (Total: 50)

Collins and Bennett brought a Cha Cha and Ramba to the floor. When commenting about the first, judges agreed that, although there had been a vast improvement in his skill, he was still lacking technical refinement. They did manage to capture the fire the style prescribes. As always, there was consensus that the couple’s extravagant and over-the-top outfits was a ploy to draw attention away from their shortcomings. Their second attempt with the Ramba left the judges ice cold.

Tessa van Duuren is a dance phenomenon — she effortlessly manages to get her head around new challenges in the rehearsal studio, and it is here that her strength lies. Her Ramba with partner, Grant Esterhuizen, got the show’s highest score to date — 37 out of a possible 40. Even the judges applauded. Their confidence and victorious attitude remained during the Waltz, equalling the Ramba’s score. With the trophy in sight, Watkins suggested they dig deep to rekindle the “sizzle”.

Rob van Vuuren and Mary Martin’s eye on the prize was again illustrated by their Cha Cha Cha, which was fun and playful and enjoyed by all the judges — except for Watkins who got jaws dropping by his experience of it as “spastic”. Their Rumba did manage to embody the passionate Latin-lover the style is supposed to depict in a delicate, sensitive and intense dance to Kelly Clarkson’s 'Because of You'. Phororo was in tears. This consistent performer is a man on a mission, and judging by the audience reaction to his efforts, we can expect to see him in the final.

During season 3 of the show, club songstress Tamara Dey dramatically injured a knee ligament while performing with dance partner, Brandon Eilers Le Riche. This extremely skilled professional, however, once again chose Evanescence’s 'Bring Me To Life' for his Ramba with current partner, Anele Mdoda. And once again the seemingly jinxed track accompanied her falling flat on her face. Judges applauded her courage and professional conduct when she got up to “let the show go on”, but also found her paces bland. Dressed in a creamy dreamy gown for her second dance, the Waltz, she redeemed herself completely.

Cindy Nell and partner Jonathan Broadway chose a convincing Waltz for their first dance. Their second was a delightful Quickstep, and the judges loved it… except for Watkins who thought she “will have to pull a rabbit out of a hat if she wants to see the final”. Presenter Sandy Ngema tried to get Nell’s opinion about the adjudicators’ comment, but the beauty queen opportunistically chose to rather punt her new slimming salon…

The heat is on for next week’s episode… the producers also hinted at a surprise twist to the proceedings. The Tango, Paso Doble, Jive and Foxtrot are the options for the dancers, and they will have to do the two they haven’t yet attempted during the series. Gang of Instrumentals will be the show’s special guest act.