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 | Craig | Arlene/ Alesha* | Len | Bruno | 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 | Craig | Darcey | Len | Alesha | Bruno | Total |
| Ricky & Natalie | Down With Love | Series 7, Week 14 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 50 |