The two to leave this week are Alastair Postlethwaite and Mandy Montanez who were also partners for this round. Together they danced a Contemporary routine telling the tale of a breakup – a domestic dispute. It was a very smooth performance; each move flowed showing the natural chemistry between them. Their performance used a number of props which made it very believable but Nigel thought they could have done a bit more. Arlene said that in this routine Mandy was stronger than Alastair calling her phenomenal but also commented on Alastair’s constant improvement. Despite their solos being as good as ever, equally as expressive and beautiful to watch, their second dance the Paso Doble killed them both. Nigel called it the worst dance of the night. They lacked passion, intensity and aggressiveness. Despite Alastair showing his undeniably amazing strength; lifting Mandy as if she weighed nothing, the routine was not as strong as it should have been. It looked as if they were over-thinking the moves instead of attacking it and showing the drama through their bodies. It was definitely not their dance and was most likely the reason they are now both out of the competition.

Lizzie and Robbie opened the show with a bellboy themed Broadway routine. It was fun, exciting and very entertaining. The jumps and splits were so large that they stood out. Arlene said that the routine demands a cartoon like quality and their performance was full of facial expressions which is exactly what is required which made their characters come out. Their second performance was a Hip Hop routine. The last time Robbie performed a Hip Hop routine, it did not go well. However this time, he had swagger, control and showed a major improvement. The fantastic choreography by Simeon Qsyea allowed them to play on the lyrics and show them with each move. They were in unison throughout. Lizzie, being a Hip Hop dancer, could have outshone Robbie but instead she worked with him and made him look at ease in the routine. Her solo was quite different from her usual popping ways; she used the floor more and incorporated different moves that showed pure body strength and emotion. Robbie’s solo also used the stage advantageously and his performance was very upbeat and full, however, the judges wanted to see something a bit different to his usual style.

A Hot Jazz routine was performed by Tommy and Charlie, and my oh my, was it hot! Each element of the dance showed sexy: from the red leather outfits to the choreography. It was very high in energy and extremely fast paced but Louise said she wanted more of an explosion. Arlene commented that Charlie cannot keep in time with the music so does not get the rhythm right which is a big problem for a dancer. However, the routine by Sean Cheesman did provide a challenge with its incorporation of Hip Hop. Yet the couple lived up to it and performed it well. Tommy got noted to be one of the most versatile dancers. Their next performance was a Quickstep. As soon as it started, their cheeky personalities came through and the lively entertainment began. Tommy used Charlie as an air guitar at one point which just stood out. The judges also noticed how Charlie managed to turn a malfunction of her dress getting caught on her heel into part of the routine. The whole performance blew the judges away. Charlie’s solo showed her growing maturity as a dancer said the judges. Judges said it seems as if Tommy can do anything, he even included classical music and ballet in his performance with a number of intricacies and tricks.

Overall it was an incredible semi-final with only one performance not up to scratch. Now the final is here and let us hope it is better than ever. Only one will be crowned Britain’s favourite dancer, who it will be is up to you.

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