Also known as the Copacabana Countdown...so far we're at four...but we know
that there's definitely going to be more!

Winkler and Lohse GER
Drool buckets are poised and ready....and she's in her flapper dress....he's
in tails...drool....and there's red...and he looks like Aunt Sally I'm
sorry...red waistcoat and sparkles....Charleston then quickstep....nice
somersault to steps....red garter belt for her....nice steps to the HOt
Honey Rag....still too easy.....dance spin....straight line step....bit out
of kilter at the end...good use of the edges....lots of fun here.....come to
the cabaret.....anytime if you're there babe.....nicely done....speed up
again....running steps...diagonal step sequence in dance hold is nice...lift
where she's upside down and they're done, and they keep the act up until the
end!....really nice....and we see the replays and they just kept it in
character right the way through...facial expressions were very big...larger
than life....
marks...5.1-5.5....5.4-5.6.....all first...

Lang and Tchernyshev USA
Floaty pink dress from her....tails for him....foxtrot and
quickstep.....sequins on the dress...she looks like candyfloss....cut your
hair, man or at least wash it...nice straight line step to begin including
knees turns on the ice...fly me to the moon....great twizzly turns.....as
she holds his hand.....and a swingy lift....steps...nice deep
edges....lift.....hydroblading move, no hands!..change of music...much
faster....and they are flying across the ice...dance spin....straight lines
step in dance hold....their speed is great....and she slaps his face and
they're done! wow, that was great!...and the Americans stand...Chris raves
about the first section and I have to agree with him, it was something
else....synchronisation on the straight line step was great, and the speed
across the ice never slowed....ice coverage was great and she sold
it...Zhulin in K&C
marks 5.0-5.3....4.9-5.6....all seconds except for a fourth

Grushina and Goncharov UKR
Red dress for her...with no back and very little front...real deep
v...foxtrot and quickstep....tails for the frizzy haired one.....she vamps
to begin....steps....they're selling it a lot,...but they look t obe slower
than the Americans....lift where her leg is wrapped around his neck....dance
spin, her leg on his shoulder...stop change of music...Sing Sing
Sing....striaght line step....far apart but get closer...synch ok but not
great...didn't look as polished as some we've seen....diagonal step....lift
and twirl to finish....and they're done...Simon is damning with faint praise
and says it doesn't have the magic...and I concur. Didn't do a thing for
me....a busy program, perhaps too much so thinks Chris. Scrappy through the
final section...a good word for that straight line step, actually , I was
looking for that!
marks...5.1-5.4...5,2-5,5,,,,thye're ahead of the Americans??? the heck???
how????

FusarPoli and Margaglio ITA
And that is one yellow dress..out with the sunglasses!..with green sequinny
ivory things on it....yuck...and tails for him....undefeated this
season....little hoppy steps to start....flying along in trad dance
hold....she twizzles, he looks.....straightr line step....scrappy and more
than a little frenetic...putting on hte ritz...dance spin...stop, change of
music...slower bits, mug at the judges....dance sequence...which is quite
nice...can't take that away from me.....move where she goes inder his leg
and that was dodgy looking.....diagonal step in dance hold...she slides
under his arm....around the corner and down the other side...they're flying
alonf the ice on to the finish and they're done....and they look
happy...they feel they've done it says Simon...didn't quite work for
Simon....not so sure it worked for me either ,the slow was better than the
fast IMO....Chris says she seemed to overpower him, he really looked like he
was working...I've been saying that for years...Chris doesn't think it's
going to be enough to lead....and the crowd scream for Shae and Vic...
marks...5.7-5.8...and there's room there , double doors in fact!....3 5.9s
the rest 5/8s...

Bourne and Kraatz CAN
Shes in a nice understated black dress....and Vic's all in tails and I don't
like the slicked back hair. Oil is for heaters Vic,not your hair!...and the
crowd roar as they start....and great speed already....straighrt line
step...wow on the twizzles....that's so great!...so fast!...out of synch
simon says who care say the crowd!...dance spin her in camel....Big
SPender....and he moves away from her....flying leap back...from her! he
could catch me anytime!...steps around...this is great!...little stumble
from Shae but nothing much...lift where seh's all over him...diagonal
step...all in the one direction....hydroblade...no hands!>..stop...andt they
fly around the ice....more hydroblades again no hands!....spins to finish!
yes! yes yes yes! that was so great...and Vic says thank you very
much.....that was fantastic! Simon wonders if they could have tried
harder....a couple of little trips here and there Simon says. Altogether
now, shut up Simon! Most difficult so far he says...ok, you're
forgiven!....Simon wonders if it was all too close together..isn't that what
the judges wanted????? Vic, I love you but do something with the hair....
marks...5.4-5.7...let the boos commence....Vic tries to calm them
down....5.6-5.8...and a row of twos. Should have been higher. As Simon says
these aren't top three marks...but they couldn't have done more.

Drobiazko and Vanagas LTU
Orange dress....orange waistcoat for him....oh no.....not their finiest
costumes....nice steps for charleston to start.....little runny steps from
her as he holds her...very T&D....dance spin with her leg behind his back,
much travel....straight line step....gets further apart as they go...but
synchronised...up to 5 on the Dancing Fool count....spinny steps ,with her
leg over his hands....lift....steps....diagonal step....lots of changes of
direction.....around the corner to the middle.....liftly spin and upsidedown
and spin.....and steps and they're done, right on the music!...and they look
happy...
marks....5.3-5.6....harsh our boys agree...5.4-5.8...and they're third.

Chait and Sakhonovski ISR
Froofy peach confection for her...tails for him....ugly dress I must
say....and sing sing sing.....little runny steps to start....and boy can she
spin under his arms!...straight line step.....perfect synch and very
busy....great changes of positoin....great step!...and they're done....Bie
Mir Bist Du Schon...second time tonight for that.....dance spin.....he spins
her under the arms on the wayt out ...more steps....lift and twirls....music
gets faster slowly....and back to sing sing sing for the diagonal
step...just as good as the first, lots of changes of postion and
direction....twirly lift...dancey steps on the spot to finish and that was
great! Their footwork is just incredible....must be seen to be
believed....Simon says hes' straight out of the Rocky Horror Show - it was
not me this time!...
marks....5.3-5.5...5.4-5.8..and they're fourth, a couple of seconds...

Anissina and Peizerat FRa
And hello to the orange....not good with her hair...him in tails...steps on
the spot to start...skirt requires its own zip code...straight line
step....not as hard as others we've seen....more slow moves...one with her
in spreadeagle....nat king cole....very smooth very flowing....and not much
else...lift...high lift....hydroblading kinda move...dance spin with change
of hold in the middle....to the barrier for the diagonal step....not as fast
looking either....not much change of direction...a carry lift where he spins
her all over...and they're done.....it was good Simon says...I don't
know,... I must say, I preferred the Italians...I never thought I'd say
that, it must be the lack of sleep...Simon says the Italians look tight ...I
didn't see that all ...but Simon and Chris think this was better than
FP&M...I could name a few that beat both, but that's just me....
marks...5.6-5.8..similar...but lower....don't think so....5.7-5.9...6 to 3,
they're second. I thought they might be.

Denkova and Staviyski BUL
Pink Panther the Jungle Book...jungle print outfits....weird are
they.....dance spin to start...nice spins and twirlds....Simon recounts the
story of their withdrawal from worlds last year....not able to walk for
6mth...travel on dance spin nearly sent them into the baords...straight line
step super...great flow over the ice from the two of them....and they
stop...I wanna be like you...not if you're dressed like that mate, and cut
your hair man....swing around...diagonal step....very nice....lots of little
hops and spins...nice speed....this is really enjoyable....lifty spin where
she's holding onto his leg and I really liked that....it didn't look out of
place...he's got the one who sings that song on his too! just saw
that....Chris says it's a picture of Simon!...
marks 4.9-5.3...5.2-5.4

Lobacheva and Averbuhk RUS
That is orange. And she still has the pink bits at the end....he's still got
goatee....she looked better as a brunette....slow
start....schmoosey...dancey runny steps...into dance spin, well
held....diagonals steps.....s/s....and we go to 6 on the dancing fool count,
I think.....straihght line steps....in a dance hold...around the
corner....and they're really moving...very fast feet here....diagonal
steps...in adance hold....lift wher eshe changes position and is spin a
million times...and somersault to end and they're done!...good finale Simon
says......
marks...she needs to lose the hair...5.4-5.7...5.6-5.8...6 have them in
3rd...and thats' where they are...crowd are booing....oh well....

Break for the free...and the caffeine search begins!