QUICKSTEP

History

Originating from the Foxtrot, as during the 1920's, band starting playing faster and faster music to the dance, making it harder for couples to keep up. So with Charleston elements incorporated into the foxtrot, the Quickstep was born.

The dance

The Quickstep should be fast (50 bars to the minute compared to 30 bars to the minute of the Waltz), and therefore full of energy and should travel at speed across the floor. Expect to see the classic gliding movement with lots of skips and chasses, and some very fancy footwork including locksteps and Charleston flicks and kicks. Because of the speed of the dance, most of the routine will be up on the toes and on the balls of the feet, and to move above the dancefloor, appearing to barely touch it.

Classic ballroom costumes, but the ladies dresses are likely to include floating panels and a layered skirt to create movement around the dancers legs to emphasise the speed of the dancers movement.

The best of Strictly

Unsurprisingly, the best Quicksteps in Strictly have been from the sports stars, with both Darren & Lilia in the Series 3 Christmas special and Colin & Erin in the Series 4 Christmas special receiving the perfect score for their routines. Denise & Ian also impressed the judges with their performance in the Series 2 final being awarded 38 points with 10's from both Arlene and Bruno.

The worst of Strictly

You have to be fit to really perform a Quickstep, so injured Kate Garraway was never going to be a shining star of the ballroom with her routine in Series 5 along with her dancing partner Anton. With so much of their choreography having to be changed so that Kate could even dance on the programme, and Kate barely able to walk without crutches, let alone dance, their Quickstep was pretty bad, and scoring 15 points, you had to wonder how many of those were for sympathy!

In series 2, Diarmuid & Nicole's Quickstep received only 12 points and comes in joint third which his Cha Cha Cha out of the lowest scoring routines in the entire history of Strictly Come Dancing. One of the slowest Quickstep's we've seen, with Len saying that the Quickstep should be light like a souffle, but Diarmuid's dance was like a spotted dick!

Scores for all Quickstep performances:

      Judges scores  
Couple Song Week CraigArlene/ Alesha*LenBruno Total
Darren & Lilia Jingle Bells Series 3, Christmas 10 10 10 10 40
Colin & Erin I Get A Kick Out Of You Series 4, Christmas 10 10 10 10 40
Lisa & Brendan Dancing In The Dark Series 6, Week 13 10 10 10 10 40
Colin & Erin Nice Work If You Can Get It Series 3, Final 9 10 10 10 39
Ricky & Natalie Down With Love Series 7, Week 7 9 10 10 10 39
Denise & Ian Sing, Sing, Sing Series 2, Final 9 10 9 10 38
Alesha & Matthew Valerie Series 5, Week 11 9 9 10 10 38
Denise & Ian Sleigh Ride Series 2, Christmas 9 9 9 10 37
Natasha & Brendan The Lady Is A Tramp Series 1, Final 9 9 9 9 36
Colin & Erin Nice Work If You Can Get It Series 3, Week 2 9 9 9 9 36
Zoe & Ian Almost Like Being In Love Series 3, Week 6 8 9 9 10 36
Matt & Lilia (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher Series 4, Final 9 9 9 9 36
Austin & Erin S'Wonderful Series 6, Week 7 8 9 10 9 36
Tom & Camilla Town Called Malice Series 6, Week 8 9 9 9 9 36
Lisa & Brendan Sleigh Ride Series 6, Christmas 8 9 9 10 36
Matt & Flavia We Love To Boogie Series 5, Final 9 8 9 9 35
Lisa & Brendan Yes Series 6, Week 10 8 9 9 9 35
Denise & Ian Sing, Sing, Sing Series 2, Week 6 7 9 9 9 34
Mark & Karen Bye Bye Love Series 4, Week 11 9 9 8 8 34
Matt & Lilia Walking On Sunshine Series 4, Week 9 8 8 9 9 34
Matt & Flavia Is You Is, Or Is You Ain't My Baby Series 5, Week 7 8 9 8 9 34
Gethin & Camilla You're The Top Series 5, Week 8 8 9 9 8 34
Lesley & Anton That Ol' Black Magic Series 1, Week 7 8 8 8 9 33
Emma & Darren I Got Rhythm Series 4, Week 2 8 8 8 9 33
Penny & Ian I'm Sitting On Top Of The World Series 5, Week 2 8 8 8 9 33
Rachel & Vincent Little Green Bag Series 6, Week 4 8 8 9 8 33
Jodie & Ian Mr Pinstripe Suit Series 6, Week 9 7 8 9 9 33
Jill & Darren Get Happy Series 2, Week 6 8 8 8 8 32
Ali & Brian I Get A Kick Out Of You Series 7, Week 3 8 8 8 8 32
Natasha & Brendan The Lady Is A Tramp Series 1, Week 2 7 8 8 8 31
Patsy & Anton Lover Come Back To Me Series 3, Week 6 7 8 8 8 31
Jade & Ian Fascination Series 7, Week 3 7 8 8 8 31
Natalie & Vincent Tu Vuo' Fa' L'Americano Series 7, Week 8 7 8 8 8 31
Darren & Lilia Let Me Entertain You Series 3, Week 2 7 7 8 8 30
Letitia & Darren Walking Back To Happiness Series 5, Week 9 7 7 8 8 30
Laila & Anton Strike Up The Band Series 7, Week 3 8 7 8 7 30
Julian & Erin Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend Series 2, Final 7 7 8 7 29
James & Camilla Luck Be A Lady Tonight Series 3, Week 2 6 7 8 8 29
Will & Hanna You Can't Hurry Love Series 3, Week 2 7 7 8 7 29
Gabby & James Things Series 5, Week 2 8 7 7 7 29
Louisa & Vincent Don't Get Me Wrong Series 4, Week 2 7 8 6 7 28
Aled & Lilia Life Is A Cabaret Series 2, Week 2 7 6 7 7 27
Julian & Erin Diamond's Are A Girl's Best Friend Series 2, Week 2 6 7 7 7 27
Christine & Matthew She's So Lovely Series 6, Week 4 6 6 7 7 26
Carol & Matthew Nine To Five Series 4, Week 2 7 5 6 7 25
Verona & Paul If My Friends Could See Me Now Series 1, Week 2 6 6 6 6 24
Martin & Erin It Don't Mean A Thing If You Ain't Got That Swing Series 1, Week 6 5 6 6 7 24
Jan & Anton When You're Smiling Series 4, Week 2 6 6 6 6 24
Stephanie & Vincent Suddenly I See Series 5, Week 2 6 6 6 6 24
Phil & Katya Put On A Happy Face Series 7, Week 3 5 6 6 7 24
Chris & Hanna You're The One That I Want Series 1, Week 2 5 6 6 6 23
Bill & Karen Do Your Thing Series 3, Week 2 5 6 6 6 23
Heather & Brian Old Man Time Series 6, Week 4 6 5 6 6 23
Chris & Ola Dancin' Fool Series 7, Week 3 5 6 6 6 23
Roger & Camilla Mack The Knife Series 2, Week 2 5 5 6 6 22
David & Camilla Let's Face The Music And Dance Series 1, Week 2 3 6 6 6 21
Craig & Flavia Peroxide Swing Series 7, Week 3 4 6 6 5 21
Rav & Aliona We Go Together Series 7, Week 3 3 5 6 6 20
Jessie & Darren Help! Series 6, Week 4 3 5 5 6 19
Dennis & Izabella I'm So Excited Series 3, Week 2 4 5 5 4 18
Kate & Anton Love Machine Series 5, Week 2 2 4 5 4 15
Diarmuid & Nicole I'll Be There For You Series 2, Week 2 2 3 4 3 12

*Arlene Phillips judged series one to six, while Alesha Dixon judged series 7 onwards.

 

      Judges scores  
Couple Song Week CraigDarceyLenAleshaBruno Total
Ricky & Natalie Down With Love Series 7, Week 14 10 10 10 10 10 50