Strictly Come Dancing finallist Tasha Ghouri was branded the best dancer the show’s ever had (Image: Getty)
star reached the final this year, before narrowly missing out to – but not everyone was equally impressed by her performance.
Dr Jill Rose Jacobs, a dance educator with a PHD in Music, Dance and Sport Sciences, has made the claim that Tasha doesn’t make the grade when it comes to passionate, “sensual” dances. Contradicting a wowed ‘s suggestion that former Tasha was the best dancer Strictly had “ever had”, she shot back: “I don’t think that’s the case.
” was a much better technical dancer and performer. Tasha had trouble with the deeper, sensual dances,” she argued. “She is an excellent trained dancer, but she lacks that grittiness and sensuality. Layton was much more versatile.”
However, she wouldn’t place ahead of Tasha. She told : “ learned how to dance but is he the same level as a professionally trained dancer such as Tasha? No. He did a great job and I preferred his performances, but what we saw was him performing choreographies well.
“We didn’t see flexibility, great kicks, spins, athleticism, and lifts from him. We just saw him perform his choreography very well.” Of course, a huge part of whether a dancer gets an opportunity to showcase his or her skills is the song and choice of technique – and Dr Jacobs saw some as far better than others.
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Strictly’s Pete Wicks performing a dance dedicated to his grandmother (Image: BBC)
In her view, was awarded the easiest dance in the Couples’ Choice category of the competition, when he paid tribute to his last grandmother to the tune of the Nicotine Dolls’ ‘The Best’.
was in tears as she delivered her glowing verdict, while even , who has a history of notoriously harsh comments, had huge praise for his “storytelling” through the song.
The song, which saw Pete furrow his brow in concentration as he held dance partner Jowita Przystal on his shoulders, was also a huge hit with fans.
“For me, that was the best of the series. It comes down to the connection that he made with the audience, that is the whole point of the arts,” Dr Jacobs suggested.
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Strictly’s Wynne Evans’ Charleston failed to impress (Image: BBC)
“It’s not about fitness or anything else, it’s about connection with emotions. That’s why that was my favourite routine.”
However, she insisted Pete snared not just the best but also the worst dance of the series, as his George of the Jungle themed samba failed to impress.
Dr Jacobs tied it with Go Compare star ill-fated Charleston, which had such a lukewarm reception that it led to the opera singer being booted off the show altogether.
She hit out at the judges as she said: “Why the judges never critiqued that there was absolutely no swivel in the dance, I do not know. I couldn’t even watch it, the dancing was so poorly performed on Wynne’s part,” she exclaimed.
“The worst bit for me was that the judges rarely critiqued him on his technical ability. That number in particular though, in my opinion, was terrible.”