The best anyone can judge at this stage is potential and we do have a good cluster in the series group
For me our gymnast has the lot, shape, rhythm, personality and above all due to his hours and hours of finely focused training sessions in gymnastics the ability to make every hour count
On ITT tonight movement and focus came across and Flavia touched on the importance of drive (floor coverage) and style in ballroom, this young man is going to be very interesting in his development

Being easy on the eye helps too.

Why do people keep referring to Louis as "the gymnast"? Is his actual name a swear-word or something? Does saying "L***s Sm*th" earn an immediate trip to Bognor?

NOOOO!

LOL!

IMO the name "louis Smith" is a little bland. Mind you "Smith" is a difficult one to pair a first name with as its so ubiquitous!

Also- I dont like his facial hair, bit too preeny for me, I like men looking a bit rougher and readier

But he seems a nice enough chappie personality wise and looks like he could turn into a great dancer!

I think it's just the OP. He has started 2 threads calling Louis the gymnast I think.

I actually find the gymnast less annoying than "Lewis".

He does have an incredible body, he's worked so hard for it, it's our duty to admire it.

I agree - it's Loo-ee, ffs (although, to be fair, it's his name so he can pronounce it any way he likes, I suppose ).

I don't find him the least bit attractive I'm afraid, in fact there's a distinct lack of male totty for me this year *sigh*.

edit: just checked - the other thread was started by a different poster and referred to L***s as "that gymnast" which is even worse than "the gymnast"

No I mean some people spelling it Lewis on here rather than Louis. Sorry I wasn't clear.

Doesn't the person you're talking about have a name?

Oh I see! No worries. I hadn't actually noticed that people were doing that, but yes that would annoy me too.

But not as much as flippin' Toss calling Ola "Oh-la"

Or "I've-ate-er" for the new pro. I think Ola was feeling her pain.

Oh and sorry pabird you didn't start the last thread about "the gymnast" enidan did.

P'raps someone should tell her it rhymes with Ryvita.

I'm sure she's probably eaten plenty of those in her time.

You don't have to be a gymnast to do ballroom dancing. People of all shapes and sizes and ages can do ballroom dancing.

I'm feeling very positive about Louis' potential. Hard work will not faze him, he showed his agility last Saturday and I'm confident that given a couple of weeks more we'll see him shed his reticence and the full package will emerge.

He'll certainly know the importance of using every corner of the floor; although not a floor specialist he is well aware of the need to use every inch of the floor having competed in both floor exercises and individual all round competitions.

According to the Daily Mirror Louis is quoted as having been offered a singing scholarship at the age of 8 and though rejecting it in favour of gymnastics he actually auditioned for X Factor, getting as far as the first televised round when along with other hopefuls he met Cowell and the other judges for the first time. He didn't get any further - but it seems safe to say that Louis can hold a tune so timing shouldn't be an issue.

Louis does have a cheeky side to his personality and is a bit of a showman so I'm hoping we'll witness that soon.

I don't think it does though, I think it's pronounced Iv-eh-ta.

If i'm wrong though... apologies to Iveta

I really cant take to him and Im not sure why, something that I cant put my finger on atm and I dont see any chemistry between him and Flavia - I didnt enjoy his cha cha on saturday night but again I am not entirely sure why.....

I am hoping that as he relaxes and gets more into it then his personality will start to come through because I do think he has the potential to go all the way

EDIT - I feel the same way about Denise as well - cant warm to her and I dont know why

Im with Olive I dont find him the least bit attractive, and there is something about him that I cant put my finger on, I felt exactly the same when he was actually being a gymnast. The hair doesnt help (take note Pasha) he is far too precisely groomed for me I bet he spends hours in front of the mirror getting that precise facially hair just right. I prefer my men a little less self aware, or if they are vain then they need a bit of self parody to counter balance it *coughs* Gavin Henson *coughs*.

I'm with Darcey on this one - I didn't look at his face much

Dr Pamela Stephenson

I liked the documentary a while back about the devotion between him and his mother. Not that it would make any difference, but it's a bit of nice background. He gets my vote for his dancing. I think him and Denise and possibly Colin as a third are the contenders.

Apparently Hitler was very good to his mother too. He was a real phenomenon in the paso doble, I can tell you. His waltz was pants, he could only lean to the right.

That is admirable courtesy, an example to the BBC Pronunication Department paid to do the job and not doing it.

Iveta was born in Lithuania and at age 16 moved to USA, her day job is teaching in Arthur Murray Studios off 5th Avenue in NYC I believe.

Russian and other languages of that ilk pronouce "i" as "ee", e.g. Eevahn the Terrible with emphasis on the second syllable. So it is "Ee-vett-a" with emphasis on vett.

When Russian language does use the sound of English "eye" (not often) they use the double vowel "ai", as in Tchaikovsky, or Kitai (China). The "i" following the "a" is softer, prolonging and softening the double vowel like a dancer swaying at the waist, not like the crisp hard anglo-saxon sound "kitkat".

The only question is how much ilk there is between Russian (which uses Cyrillic) and Lithuanian (which uses the Latin alphabet). What I'm saying is that if her name were transliterated from Cyrillic then the vowel values would give some clue to pronunciation, but as it is... Lo-ooord knows!

Any way, however she says her name, I like her. She can stay. Though I don't want anyone else to go.

Agreed but please let me state again, I was suggesting he has great potential which needs development
But
As a world class gymnast he understands focus and application,he has demonstrated high level musicality and added to his schooled flexibility etc he is going to be a most interesting project in that development