I have the same complaints about Leunis as people on here have described. However they tend to fade away when I watch them compete live. I sat in the front row at the UK Open this year and I went in thinking that they had become much too clinical. I had just seen a video of them competing - think it was Worlds - and their rumba just looked like showing off to me, rather than any storytelling or emotion.

Anyway, I went thinking that I woudn't like them so much anymore, but I was completely swept away by their dancing. They have buckets of charisma when you're close to them and it's the little things they do that keep your eyes on them.

I do feel they lack a bit of emotion and characterisation when I watch them dance, plus I wish they would freshen up some of their routines. Not a fan of their rumba half the time, but sometimes they really use the music and feel it. They are definitely not my favourites (I'm a Slavik fan and also love Yulia and Riccardo, Sergey and Melia and Franco) but I can't watch many competitions and argue against Leunis and Malitowski winning when I see them dancing side by side to the others. They look at another level technically and they have charisma, even if they don't have emotion. Yulia and Riccardo are getting better though so hopefully they will challenge them a little more next year.


Hi everyone! Hope you've all had a good week. Really excited about Strictly now, can't wait to see how Martina and Matt gel on the floor!
[List][*]Admin Edit: This thread is a continuation of Team Cutler Appreciation (part 12)[/List]

OOOOOeeeeerrrr!

Tugs on pink sparkly rope so that all the Bra girls can make the leap from Part 12.....

Was it something we said?

Why does this have to be part 13? (not that I'm superstitious about he number given that I was born on the 13th - and a Friday too - explains a lot...). They could have made it 12a or 14 - just to avoid any possibility of putting a jinx on Team Cutler...


Jump aboard girls, I won't be able to hold it for long!


SM
XXXX

*tugs and swings on pink sparkly rope with her*

*gives her a sparkly grin as they swing into number 13*



think of it this way.....13....1 + 3 = 4. Matt has been in 4 series of Strictly so far!

And a new start - perverse luck with number 13 - perhaps this means he will win!

AND his first initial letter is 13th in the alphabet......

so..........its a good omen!

*whizzes back and forward through the Bra with SM, wheeeeeing as they go*

wheeee's
wii's
wheeze?????????

*isn't sure so carpets the Bra floor with TenaLady, just in case*

Yes, weeeees is probably as likely as wheeze, and much more likely than wiis (as my stupid telly has a dodgy connection inside that won't allow pictures from the wii, and I really cannot persuade myself to brave Boy Smuppet's bedroom to exercise....) Good excuse for new flatscreen TV I think!

Slightly convoluted way of thinking that 13 is lucky, but good all the same!!!

How's the tidying going? I'm just having a bit of a lie-down after having been forced to get rid of some of my books......

Still, I do have a bit of room for some new ones now.....


SM
XX

LOL !!!

with all this, you don't happen to think we are both indulging in sparkly procrastination do you LOL!

the tidying is going.....that's it lol.

I hate it after a while - start off all enthusiastic then I start reading things and not getting on with it then it goes on for ages and ages....

*sucks on some sparkly crisps as she swings with SM*

Shall we have a MBTS whilst we're procrastinating?

Right now, I'm game for any sort of encounter with the Dancy God, so a MBTS would be great!

I'm meant to be off crisps now - trying to cut down on the fat, so I bought rice crackers yesterday - ate a whole pack, only to find out that they may be low fat, but there are 800 calories on a pack! Eeeeek!!!!!!

Still, to make myself feel better, I've eaten the other pack today......

Hmmmm, should get back to cleaning really, but hey, the company here is good, so maybe not!

*sits and slurps a MBTS companiably with her*

mmmm crisps!

When I walked back through town at 8.20am this morning, the only shop open was Baker's Oven - I never normally go in there, but given my shopping compulsion....in I went!

And came out with 6 jam doughnuts, 2 scones, and a large plain bloomer

WHY?

*looks at her and twinkles at her with jam all over her mouth*

*spills her MBTS on her duster and wonders how it would do for polish*

Oh no!! If I'd known my post was going to be the first one in a new part of the thread, I wouldn't have written something almost completely off topic!!!

noooo its all right lovely!

At least yours was about dancing, AND you mentioned Matt!

more than mine was or that I did in MY last one! x

Cutler Love to all - back to that wretched playroom!

Thomas the Tank Engine, anyone????? noooo?

Swings in Tarzan stylee!
Thanks SM, got a bit lost there for a min wondering what happened to the thread!

Just think, in three weeks Strictly will have started and we'll be looking forward to the first Sat show
Not long to wait now girlies!!
Fab to think M&M will have begun rehearsing together, hopefully they will get on well and a great partnership will form

I'm skimming over the whole technical dance discussion as I am totally lacking any knowledge in that area! So I'm not joining in purely because i can't add to it but it's very interesting reading everyones opinio0ns and thoughts (even if a lot does go over my head!lol)

Chauncy; Greenwich Park sounds a lovely place to run in, I have to make do running along the river or the canal, I'd love to live near a big open park.

Jammy; Hope you had a lovely time away and that the weather didn't let you down to much.

Happy Wedding Anniversary Pips!

TQ - 7o'clock?! Jeez, that's early on a weekend!
What were you having done?!
Hope the tidying goes well.

SM (and anyone else who loves a good book) if you're after any new ones I read two on holiday which captured me. They're not 'happy' books but very thought provoking and kind of inspiring too. They've been out for a while and I'm always a little step behind the new 'bestsellers' so you might have seen them but a good read.
"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak.
"The Other Hand" by Chris Cleaver.

Right, am off to find a snack, I was trying to not eat all day because I'm going to an all you can eat Chinese buffet tonight and I know I'll come out of there with a little pot for a belly!

On that lovely note!lol
xxx

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee loving this trapeeze lark




Has TQ been a little dirty stop out.

Guilty conscience, maybe.

Hey everyone, hope you're enjoying a nice bank holiday weekend

Things here are not going so well... I just found out from my Dad that my Grandma just died... not quite sure what to say to him

helllooooooooooo my lovely - did you get my FB message the other day?

is lovely to see you back in here albeit in not very good circumstances.

Am really sorry to hear your news my darling x

I know it sounds like a silly thing to say, but were you close to your Grandma? Even if you weren't, it's so sad to hear news like this, and to know how much your parent will hurt.

Just say whatever comes into your head....and it will be ok.

and am sending great big hugs and lots of special wishes an thoughts to you and all your family xxxxxxxxxxxx

take care my love x everyone's here with an ear xxxxx

No problems Veeg, I have anchored the old thread to the lamppost outside the new Bra, so no-one should get lost!

I have read The Book Thief, but not the other one. As you say, a thought provoking book unusually written. I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure it would be for everyone!

I've just read C.J. Sansom's 'Shardlake' series - starts with Dissolution. They are a sort of whodunnit in Henry VIII's times - Shardlake is a lawyer who gets to do a bit of sleuthing! There are four books in the series, and although they are not my usual 'thing', I really enjoyed them!

I've also ploughed through Ken Folett's Pillars of the Earth (out as a film or TV series next year, starring the lovely Rufus Sewell) and World Without End - both HUGE books about the building of cathedrals and life in the 12th century. Sound boring, but weren't!

Now working my way through Edward Rutherford's Sarum, which is another weighty tome about the development of Salisbury (Sarum) from prehistoric times!

Mind you, I have several others on the go at the same time.....

Hi Lisey

Just to say sorry to hear your bad news - can't say anymore than TQ has really....

Take care - (((((hugs)))))

SM
X

hello my little chick xxxx

*ducks as she swings in*

YES not long now! I always feel a bit "bleugh" about it before it starts - but once it does, I'm right in there!

HA! running - you and I have had this conversation on the phone lol - if I was running near the canal with you, you know I'd be right in it lol since am so hopeless (I actually started to type "hopeful" there which would have been better!). Was thanks to you and all your fantastic encouragement that I managed to do the RFL at ALL!

Hairdresser - LOL! I had a whole head transplant lol!

*glitters at her with her weave's split ends glinting in the sunlight*

I always go every 4 weeks for a cut and blow dry - and it was my fault I forgot to make the appointment! My hairdresser is so lovely, she doesn't like you to get "off track" as she puts it, so she makes the effort for you to make sure you stick to your cutting timings! I have the world's worst hair in terms of needing to be cut -its so straight, and goes out of shape so quickly, I have to have it cut every 4 weeks - eldest son is the same! but one of my friends can go 8 weeks without hers looking vile! am envious in a nice way!

Thanks hun so much for posting more books for the Bra's Book List. I have read the Book Thief and that is on the list, but I haven't read the other, nor heard of it. So will add that one as well - and will look forward to looking into that one! Always love to hear about new books....but I could do with a few months in a padded cell to get through all the ones I've got to read, currently!

Whilst we're on the subject, I have another to add to the Book List - whilst on holiday I read "The Water Horse" by Julia Gregson - is about a young girl in Wales who spends her childhood racing ponies with her childhood friend - she runs away to London and secures a position in Florence Nightingale's home for sick governesses - then goes to nurse in the Crimean War..and meets him again there. Is a wonderful story - I loved it. Don't want to give too much away!

The two books I bought recently are:

The Sleeping Buddha - Hamida Ghafour

This is a memoir of the author - tells how she and her family fled Kabul (Afghanistan) in 1981 and how she goes back in 2003 as a journalist to cover the country's post 9/11 reconstruction - and in doing so, she discovers her family's past - and in that past, she finds Afghanistan's future.

Other one is:

Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

This is a story of the author Greg Mortenson who makes a terrifying and disastrous attempt to climb K2, and he drifts, cold and dehydrated, into an impoverished Pakistan village in the Kakoram Mountains. He receives so much kindness, he promises to return and build a school. He does so and builds 55 schools in Pakistan/Afghanistan - just as the Taliban rise to power - is a story of the power of the humanitarian spirit.

So goodness only knows when I'll get to read these! Am currently reading Rose Tremain's "The Road Home", kindly bought for me by the lovely Slinks! x

sorry for going off topic - can we be forgiven since its kind of "no-man's land" before Strictly starts! lol!

aaahhh can just see you getting a little pot belly (since you don't have one usually!) - you will look sooooo cute! Eat up, lass!




*is dismayed she has been found out*

*smiles at Jammy and offers her a doughnut and hopes she is distracted from naughty stop outs *

am sinking fast with the tidying - am on the crisps and soon it will be the wine! another half hour.... LOL!

hope everyone's having a lovely Saturday x

really special hugs Lisey though, for you, my lovely x

oops sorry just seen SM's post!

so sorry anyone who isn't into books! and if there's any repetition, it wasn't intentional!

x

Come On Andy Murray..........bring Uk Home Its First Slam............

Oppps.........i Mean........matt Wiggle Them Hips Boy....lol

*scrambles ungracefully into the thread via SM's pink sparkly rope*

Phew, you'd think they would give us some warning, wouldn't you?


Ooh, I love the Shardlake novels, at least the first one. The second one is sitting on my bedside table, waiting to be read, as it has been since CH was born! Can't wait to get stuck in soon though.

As for the bit in bold... *goes off to thud quietly and happily in a corner at the very thought*

And, to get a bit more back on topic with all this book chat, the latest novel by Salley Vickers is about ballroom dancing and apparently very good. It is currently on my 'to read' list so I can't give a personal recommendation, but it may be one for the Bar book list.

Lisey, I'm so sorry to hear about your grandmother. Just let your dad know that you are there for him whenever he needs you. And give yourself time to grieve too. These things are very hard. Take care of yourself and your family. Am thinking of you.

Cutler love and hugs to all, especially Lisey.

Lisey,

I am very sorry to hear about your Grandma. Sending hugs and love to you, your Dad and Family.

Evening! I see we have been split again


Hi Veeg!
The Book Thief is one of my favourites - I absolutely loved it, so different in style but very moving, have to admit to sobbing at the end my mum phoned as soon as I had finished it, to ask what I thought of it, as she had read it and then lent it to me, and I couldn't speak on the phone!

The Chris Cleave book - I have just bought that today! I had my regular little panic when I finish my last book in the pile.... so I went to Waterstones and rather took liberties with their 3 for 2 offers
I have read his other book 'Incendiary', had no clue what it was about when I started it, and really liked it, hopefully the one I bought today will be as good.

I am currently working my way through Patrick Gale's books after enjoying Notes from an Exhibition, liked them all so far and getting a bit panicked that I will have read them all before he has written any more!


ooooh I've read that one................ is that the one about Lev? I liked that book, you see immigrants in a very different light when you see things from his perspective, he's a very sympathetic character.

Another book I bought today was The Time Traveller's Wife, never got around to reading it before, so thought I would before seeing the film.

Lisey, I can only reiterate what TQ posted and send you some hugs xxx

Hi THG

The other novels are just as good as the first! Hope you'll get time to read soon them if CH lets you.....(as if!)

Thought you'd like the Rufus S snippet - hopefully it won't be tucked away on some minor channel where there'll be no warning of its arrival!

Were you able to see the recent series 11th Hour? It was on Living - maybe it'll get wider airing at some time - he was pretty tasty in that - playing a very intelligent but slightly quirky FBI expert in all things mysterious!

Here's a taster (or tasty, depending on how you feel about our Rufus...)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8N9qZVYkU8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgTJrc2pdmg&feature=fvst


I just love his voice! (no, actually, I don't JUST love his voice, but hey ho!)

Back to topic! WE WANT MATT ON THE TELLY! (or on the hostess trolley - wherever!)

Hope everyone is sparkly today! Iwas meant to be going to visit my old man and stepmum today, but have woken up with some sort of gutrot, so I think I may cancel .....

Poo.

(in more ways than one!!!!)

SM
XXXX

hello lovely! x

just to say

Agree on the Book Thief - and awwww to you sobbing ! - I have to admit it DID make you feel that way! Loved it.

When Veeg posted about the Cleave book, I went into Amazon to see the description - I didn't know it, or I didn't THINK I did!

And there it sat, in my "Save for Later" list! I do not remember putting it in there AT ALL or anything about it! Same with another book entitled "Swallows of Kabul" - I'd put that in there as well and I don't remember anything about that one either!

So.........naturellement, I ordered them both! Love the sound of them both on re-reading the descriptions so they will go on my ever-growing pile!

LOL at you panicking and having to go to Waterstones! I do envy you being able to read so much - it takes me months to read a book - would love to be able to just sit and read the bloody thing straight off, uninterrupted........

Yes the Road Home is about Lev - I guess that seeing the way people are in their own country and as immigrants is part of my job...so I'm enjoying it but it isn't "gripping" me...am not feeling the urge to constantly pick the book up. I read the Acosta book and in comparison, I could not put it down - read it everywhere! Did you feel the same about The Road Home or not?

Be interested to see how you find the Time Traveller's Wife - I really could not get into it - and yet I liked the first 20 mins of the film I saw lol!

Have read Notes From an Exhibition and kind of liked it but didn't think "wow" - am not quite as keen on the author and don't feel compelled to buy anything else by him, but I did think the book was good.

I put all my "to read" books in the bookcase in the playroom yesterday - and it was so tempting to stop and just mentally wander through them all, anticipating what to read next! I love doing that and could spend hours just "meandering". Operative word being "could" since the sodding playroom I SWEAR is increasing in size as I work on it! It HAS to be finished today!

What are you going to read next, NS?



hello hun! x

am so sorry you're feeling grotty - big rest for you today! look after yourself hey hun xxx

You can have Rufus, happily lol - isn't it funny how there is just something about someone that gets you - he doesn't get me at ALL! When I look at him, I just see a very weak mouth and goggle eyes! Still, there's more of him for you and the rest of the world who may like him!

I'm afraid its the French voice/look that does it for me (just LOVE a sophisticated, sensitive, almost feminine, classy European man), or something like Hrithik...down, Rubes! x

And I cannot for the LIFE of me fancy a guy with an American accent OR a totally "proper" English one - just turns me right off. And yet one of my friends has the American accent as an absolute REQUIREMENT lol! Just shows how different we all are!

Still, the one thing that unites us all, whatever our taste in men, is ............the beautiful and wonderful and fabulous and gorgeous Dr Cutler!

aahhhhhhhh all the dreamy romantics are going to LOVE Dr September on Tuesday!

ok. So I had to have a little peek. WELL. I was just dusting Dr August and there was a little tiny corner of the page which was slightly raised...........so I HAD to look!

ahhh not long until we see the Hip Controller in action....will be wonderful to see!

Can't wait to see Martina dancing - I just loved her when she played - saw her at Wimbledon a few times when we used to go.

I haven't gone on the Matt and Martina thread because I can say all I want to say on here - and I don't want to go on a thread where she is being dissed for something she MAY have done/said years ago! Who was so bloody perfect when they were 19, FFS!

Personally, I'm glad she's got passion and fire, and I hope it shows on the dance floor, and that she won't be too nervous to show it. I think they will work fabulously together and I for one am behind them all the way.

She seems such a lovely bubbly person from what I remember from her interviews way back then - and I hope people will stop and think how they might feel if they had some kind of outburst when they were 19 and ten years on, how they'd feel to only be judged on that now.

hmmmmmmmphh!

Right, off my soap box.

I think she is lovely - and I know that Matt is really happy with her.

I know that all of us in Team Cutler will be rallying (ouch, sorry!) round for them, and supporting them to the ABSOLUTE hilt.

Can you imagine how fab it would be to see the best pro on Strictly being the first one to do the double? And for the Glitterball to be a pink glitter tennis ball?

GO MATT AND MARTINA! No pressure then, to win! x

Can't wait to see them - I am sharpening my voting fingers as we squeak!

oops forgot to wish everyone a wonderful sparkly Bank Holiday weekend!

enjoy, everyone! hope you all get some lovely chill time.

SM hope the gutrot is short-lived and you start feeling better a bit later on my lovely.

If I want any chill time tomorrow I need to move my arris off here and get back in the P room lol!

*swoops out, serving an ace with her pink tennis raquet as she goes, and accidentally hits the GlitterBall*



kissies everyone, and lots of love x

PS Special hugs to Lisey again today - and also (although I know it won't be much on her mind at the moment) she is a modest little madam and has done rather well in her ASs - but I'll leave her to tell you all about that! SUPREMELY well done, my love! x

Hi TQ

*cracks sparkly pink whip to ensure that the Queen is working hard in the playroom*

Feeling a bit better now thanks - a combination of things I think - part of the joys of being a ladeeeeeee!

As for Rufus - an acquired taste I think! Mind you, I seem to remember that when we all made a list of all the Mock Docs last year (or possibly two years ago), there was a LARGE variety of men being introduced to the Bra, which as you say, shows that we're all different despite loveing the True Doc of Dance!!!

Variety is the spice of life and all that!

I think the only accents that I find truly are Scouse (sorry to anyone from Liverpool!), very strong Brummie (again, apologies!) and NornIron (a la Ian Paisley) and the very harsh Glaswegian accent.

However, just so as not to alienate half the population of Britain and Ireland, I love the S. Irish a gentle Scottish brogue, (and it seems very popular on the telly these days - quite a lot of commentaries and voice overs - loving Neil Oliver!)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mvlc

for anyone not au fait with Mr Oliver or the Coast programmes - where have you been???

Phew - need to stop now before I start getting thrashed with virtual big sticks!


Can't see Dr September until I get back to work - I keep him there for a bit of inspiration!!!



And well done Lisey on your AS levels!!!!!

SM
XX