Strictly Review: John Whaite and Johannes Radebe

Last Saturday, Strictly Come Dancing contestant John Whaite looked ecstatic after his Charleston performance with dance partner Johannes Radebe. The pair were the highest scoring performers of the night after dancing the Charleston to, “Milord” by Édith Piaf.

John and Johannes have made history being the first male same-sex couple participating in Strictly. With their Charleston set in a French Bakery, they delivered a cheeky and entertaining number which secured them a high score of 38, but do you agree? 

The choreographer for this routine was Jenny Thomas, alongside her assistant Sean Moon, who also choreographed Tom Fletcher and Amy Dowden’s Salsa that same evening. The choreography chosen was well-suited to John’s dancing abilities and complimented the music beautifully.

The routine opens with both John and Johannes setting the scene working in a French bakery. After a few bars of music, they break into, what Anton called “Baquette-ography,” swivels, a Can-Can sequence and a perfectly synchronised Cartwheel. At 0:37, we see the pair move smoothly into a series of swivels followed by a lift. At 0:50, the tempo of the song changes which results in the pair completing a series of the basic Charleston step in slow motion, one critic mentioned that, “this change in tempo made it all the more impressive.” They then went into a series of pushes, or as Johanne’s called them, “check your nails,” Tick Tocks, Side-to-Side Charleston and assisted Cartwheels. The routine ended with a comical scene with John pushing a pie into Johannes’ face- providing further entertainment for the audience.

For me, I really enjoyed watching this routine. The characterisation that John and Johannes portrayed was phenomenal and the routine included a well-balanced mixture of solo-steps, partner work and tricks as well as lots of Classic Charleston steps amalgamated with non-Charleston moves; therefore, adding an element of originality into the mix. The syncopation of the last section in particular left one critic stating, “it was hard to differentiate between Professional and Celebrity.” It was also a joy to witness this dance being adapted to suit the modern, progressive world without losing the original 1920s flare.

As a result, the comments from the judges were overall very positive. Head Judge Shirley stated that their routine was absolutely, “flawless” alongside Motsi who said they were, “spectacular” and how she wanted to, “take [them] off to Broadway.” Even Craig managed a smile and complimented John saying he was, “amazing” and how he loved, “the French vibe.”

Do you agree with these comments or was there anything you thought John could have improved on?

John and Johannes swivelled their way to success with their leader board-topping score of 38; therefore, securing them a spot in next weeks Halloween special.

Scores:

Craig Revel Horwood – 9

Motsi Mabuse – 9

Shirley Ballas – 10

Anton Du Beke – 10

MyCharleston – 9

 Author: Eleanor O'Donnell

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