tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23586205259595977072024-03-14T06:17:43.562+00:00WOW!Woman On WheelsDiana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358620525959597707.post-52184800239263951302010-06-20T13:37:00.005+01:002010-06-20T13:54:38.937+01:00The WOW Factor<div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">WOW has turned all Simon Cowellish!</span></b></div><div><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/TB4N_yXdYFI/AAAAAAAAAro/gEQZ1CK9-Qg/s400/Dance+for+life+Finchley+007.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 186px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484836785686929490" /><div style="text-align: justify;">She is currently judging some of the regional heats in the fantastic Dance For life programme, run by the British Red Cross. Mind you, the tables will turn if WOW and Mark Foster put in a performance at the Grand Finale at the O2 venue in July. (Press release follows.)</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><b>O2 Hosts British Red Cross Dance for Life final</b><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Over 5000 young people have signed up to take part in Dance for life this year creating Dance on Moving and thought provoking Global issues such as Child Soldiers, Haiti, HIV and climate change to name just a few.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Primary schools, secondary schools, colleges, dance groups and youth groups from across the UK have signed up to be part of Dance for Life 2010. Young people from have been battling it out in heats across the country and finalists will be performing at the IndigO2 Rooms at the prestigious O2 Dome on July 18 for a chance to be crowned winners of the Dance for Life 2010. The events supported by Britain’s Got Talent Winners Diversity are open to all young people who love to dance, regardless of their ability.</div><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/TB4M1jofBFI/AAAAAAAAArg/N_-XPotY5hc/s400/red+cross+diversity.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 190px; height: 150px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484835510421488722" /><div style="text-align: justify;">Dance for life Project Manager, Laura Deacon, said: “By taking part in Dance for Life you could join the young performers from across the country who have already come together to do something amazing for charity and celebrate the work of the Red Cross through dance. This year the competition has gone nationwide so we hope to raise even more money for vulnerable people in crisis in the UK and overseas.”</div><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/TB4OAuKmoXI/AAAAAAAAArw/48PFL_BxLFU/s400/Dance+for+life+Finchley+008.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 400px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484836801739137394" /><div style="text-align: justify;">Tickets are now on sale for the event at Ticketmaster.co.uk and there is still time to get involved in the most enjoyable fundraising dance event of the year and raise money for the lifesaving work of the British Red Cross.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Young performers can enjoy dancing while raising money for the world’s largest humanitarian network. Dance for Life is part of Youth Dance England’s national U.Dance programme, which aims to give every child and young person in England the opportunity to take part in a dance performance each year. Since 2006 over 10,000 young people have taken part in Dance for Life and have helped raise £165,000 for the Red Cross.</div><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/TB4OBFhUF-I/AAAAAAAAAr4/W16vc2jEhNg/s400/Dance+for+life+Finchley+010.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484836808008407010" /><div style="text-align: justify;">The British Red Cross helps people in crisis, whoever and wherever they are. We are part of a global voluntary network, responding to conflicts, natural disasters and individual emergencies. We enable vulnerable people in the UK and abroad to prepare for and withstand emergencies in their own communities. And when the crisis is over, we help them to recover and move on with their lives.</div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for subscribing to Dancing On Wheels!</div>Diana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358620525959597707.post-78524577498007169322010-06-20T13:09:00.006+01:002010-06-20T13:54:49.681+01:00Dance Launch in Manchester<div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Wheelchair dancers are masters of spin</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/TB4HB0pYUQI/AAAAAAAAAq4/sDmmX6mOu5E/s400/Manchester+049.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484829124077310210" />A spectacular wheelchair dancing showcase is being held this Saturday (15 May) at Wythenshawe Forum. The showcase is the culmination of a series of classes taught by Wythenshawe resident Ray Bulpitt, who was also one of the consultants to the recent BBC3 Dancing on Wheels series.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />The ballroom and Latin dancing classes were open to wheelchair users and their able-bodied friends or relatives and the course was the first of its kind in the north of England. 'Strictly Wheelchair Dancing' was open to all ages and abilities, but was aimed at people who wanted to progress to a high standard and perhaps go on to become wheelchair dance coaches themselves.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/TB4HDUBBDqI/AAAAAAAAArQ/C-yrCsZ1noU/s400/Manchester+057.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484829149677817506" />And now, after 10 weeks of training, the dancers are ready to demonstrate their skills in the main hall at Wythenshawe Forum from 1pm to 4pm on Saturday. Di Morgan-Hill, who was runner-up on the Dancing on Wheels series will be in the audience, along with Sue Cummings, president of the Wheelchair Dance Association.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ray Bulpitt said: "The participants have put in a tremendous amount of effort and will be going on to national competition level. To dance in a wheelchair takes a great deal of control, co-ordination and determination. But, the results are worth it and the exhilaration from being at one with the music is incredible."<img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/TB4HC2NDfZI/AAAAAAAAArI/Ey12grRzVOs/s400/Manchester+056.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484829141675244946" />Councillor Mike Amesbury, Executive Member for Culture and Leisure at Manchester City Council, said: "I think the audience on Saturday will be blown away by how graceful the dancers are. This has been a fantastic course and it's great that Manchester has been leading the way in a sport which is also an art form."<br /><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/TB4HCsHHnBI/AAAAAAAAArA/pDJ1i5hvjUA/s400/Manchester+062.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 351px; height: 400px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484829138965994514" />Disability Sports UK has backed the Strictly Wheelchair Dancing project, which has been jointly funded by Manchester City Council and NHS Manchester. Laura Roberts, Chief Executive of NHS Manchester, said: "Saturday sounds like it is going to be an exciting day. I'm certain that the dancers will not only be entertaining, but will really enjoy it themselves. I'm delighted to hear that so many people both able-bodied and disabled have taken part in the course."</div><br />(Manchester City Council news feed, 14th May 2010.)<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for subscribing to Dancing On Wheels!</div>Diana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358620525959597707.post-78637181810391061212010-06-20T12:46:00.003+01:002010-06-20T13:08:12.205+01:00Dance Champions Press Release<div style="text-align: justify;">Olympic gold medallist Mark Foster, who stars in BBC 3’s <i><b>Dancing on Wheels</b></i>, championed dance for people of all abilities at the UK’s first Dance Summit, in London.<br /><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/TB4CUjsZ8sI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/BA96XFnX-8c/s400/dance+Summit+23+Feb+10+004.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 400px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484823948385972930" />He’s part of the Dance Champions Group (www.dancechampions.org), an alliance of the nation’s top dancing and exercise personalities working towards a goal of inspiring 100,000 people of all abilities to take up dance by 2012.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Mark, and his TV dance partner Diana Morgan-Hill, attended the Dance Champions Dance Summit, at which dance and exercise experts from across the country devised a strategy to increase public participation.While the main aim is to improve public fitness, the Champions are also keen to emphasise the general benefits gained through dance and its ability to breakdown social barriers.<br /><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/TB4CVXtRvUI/AAAAAAAAAqY/3zKjJ01ZTG8/s400/dance+Summit+23+Feb+10+007.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484823962348272962" /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Geoff, Diana, Mark and James</i></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In a recent YouGov survey on behalf of the Dance Champions Group, 68% of those questioned believed dance was a good way to bring people together. 64% stated that they would happily dance with a partner from a differing religion, culture or physical ability.<br /><br />Mark Foster commented: <i>“Dancing on Wheels was an amazing and humbling experience for me. After a few minutes on the dance floor with Di, I had completely forgotten her disability and it was just a connection between two people. I absolutely loved dancing with her and she taught me a lot. I realised how much more thought Di had to put into every daily action and realised how lucky I am</i><i>.”</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i></i>Mark’s <i><b>‘Dancing on Wheels’</b></i> dance partner Diana Morgan Hill commented:<i> “After nearly 20 'dance free' years to be given the opportunity to dance again has been, and will continue to be, one of the most wonderful experiences in my life.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br />”Dance brings me so much joy and this incredible experience has in turn re-ignited my love for music and creative movement, along with the happiness and fulfillment from learning something new.”<br /></i><br />The Dance Champions Group includes TV broadcaster Angela Rippon</div><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/TB4CV2GkPdI/AAAAAAAAAqg/s5dP-iD7EoU/s400/dance+Summit+23+Feb+10+008.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484823970507406802" /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Angela and Diana</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Capital Radio presenter Lisa Snowdon</div><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/TB4CWRSD37I/AAAAAAAAAqo/CrUOPizy45s/s400/dance+Summit+23+Feb+10+012.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 400px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484823977803374514" /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Diana, Mark and Lisa</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">professional dancers Darren Bennett and Camilla Dallerup, Olympic swimmer Mark Foster, Choreographer Wayne McGregor, Janet Archer from the Arts Council and is chaired by Rod Aldridge, Chair of the Aldridge Foundation</div><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/TB4CWuM5RLI/AAAAAAAAAqw/-wyIWUn7rzU/s400/dance+Summit+23+Feb+10+017.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484823985566336178" /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Rod and Diana</i> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">with the Physical Activity Alliance leading on delivery of the Dance Champions initiatives.<br /><br />For further information visit www.dancechampions.org</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for subscribing to Dancing On Wheels!</div>Diana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358620525959597707.post-64496121119984962072010-05-25T12:40:00.007+01:002010-05-25T14:33:05.087+01:00You've Got A Friend<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S_vQK4_If3I/AAAAAAAAAqI/nPUITohUaVk/s1600/Mark+and+Boris+037.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 236px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S_vQK4_If3I/AAAAAAAAAqI/nPUITohUaVk/s400/Mark+and+Boris+037.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475198657513422706" /></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span><div style="text-align: center; display: inline !important; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">When you're down and troubled and you need a helping hand </span></span></span></i></span></div></span></i></div><i><span><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">And nothing, whoa nothing is going right.<br />Close your eyes and think of me and soon I will be there<br />To brighten up even your darkest nights.<br />You just call out my name, and you know whereever I am<br />I'll come running, oh yeah baby to see you again.<br />Winter, spring , summer, or fall, all you have to do is call<br />And I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah. You've got a friend.<br />If the sky above you should turn dark and full of clouds<br />And that old north wind should begin to blow<br />Keep your head together and call my name out loud<br />And soon I will be knocking upon your door.<br />You just call out my name and you know where ever I am<br />I'll come running to see you again.<br />Winter, Spring, summer or fall - all you got to do is call<br />And I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.<br />Hey, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend?<br />People can be so cold. They'll hurt you and desert you.<br />Well they'll take your soul if you let them.<br />Oh yeah, but don't you let them.<br />You just call out my name and you know wherever I am<br />I'll come running to see you again.<br />Oh babe, don't you know that,<br />Winter Spring summer or fall, Hey now, all you've got to do is call.<br />Lord, I'll be there, yes I will.<br />You've got a friend.</span></span></span></i></span></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">as sung by</span></i></span></div></i></span></i><div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7RPCFfudmU"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF0000;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">James Taylor & Carole King</span></i></span></b></a></div><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Mark’s 40th Birthday Party, end of April, 2010</span></b>.<br /><br />My pressie for the Birthday boy:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S_vOXYtXDnI/AAAAAAAAApw/UQMygS003_0/s1600/Marks+Birthday+cakes+021.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S_vOXYtXDnI/AAAAAAAAApw/UQMygS003_0/s400/Marks+Birthday+cakes+021.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475196673163988594" /></a></i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"></span></i><div style="text-align: justify; display: inline !important; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">cakes (created with Web Mistress) and an album of all pix taken over the entire duration of the training, the shows, and afterwards with Boris Johnson and kids at Kingsdown School. Think he was pleased! I am so pleased to have met him – and everything I thought about him in those first impressions is true. We think alike on some of the important stuff – from everything to ‘muscle memory’ – when you have to make the body practise over and over so that it retains the memory of sometimes difficult moves – in dance, swimming, tennis – right through to try to be kind and thoughtful in action and word.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S_vOX10M7VI/AAAAAAAAAp4/xxaHl-24qm8/s1600/Marks+Birthday+cakes+009.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 360px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S_vOX10M7VI/AAAAAAAAAp4/xxaHl-24qm8/s400/Marks+Birthday+cakes+009.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475196680977313106" /></a></span></span></i></div></div></i></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for subscribing to Dancing On Wheels!</div>Diana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358620525959597707.post-2303662773574401462010-05-25T12:00:00.009+01:002010-05-25T12:40:08.832+01:00The Little Mermaid<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S_u19Qy0_EI/AAAAAAAAApU/kZuzwRo8j_k/s1600/blog+mermaid.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 279px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S_u19Qy0_EI/AAAAAAAAApU/kZuzwRo8j_k/s400/blog+mermaid.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475169836083772482" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I wanna be where the people are, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><div style="text-align: center; display: inline !important; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I wanna see</span></i></span></div></i></span></span></i></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Wanna see 'em dancin', w<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><div style="text-align: center; display: inline !important; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">alkin' around on those</span></i></span></div></i></span></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">(Whad'ya call 'em?) oh - feet</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Flippin' your fins you don't get too far</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Legs are required for jumpin', dancin'</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Strollin' along down a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><div style="text-align: center; display: inline !important; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">(what's that word again?) street</span></i></span></div></i></span></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Up where they walk, u<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><div style="text-align: center; display: inline !important; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">p where they run</span></i></span></div></i></span></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Up where they stay all day in the sun</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Wanderin' free, w<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><div style="text-align: center; display: inline !important; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">ish I could be</span></i></span></div></i></span></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Part of that world</span><br /><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Part of your World<br />The Little Mermaid, Disney</span></b></span></i></span></div></i><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF0000;">18 May 2009</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">OMG! OMG!</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span>Neil R from Fever Media phoned this morning – I was grunting my way through another tortuous stretch on power plate – when he started phoning and kept phoning until I answered…The powers that be at Fever M and BBC3 have changed their minds – still only six contestants (was originally due to be 7) but they want me in the final six! Cannot believe it – I had cried on phone with N when he called to say hadn’t made it through on Friday but soon got over it – esp as got trip to Los Angeles and Las Vegas to look forward to with P – but now…well I’m going to be learning to wheelie dance – with the fabulous Brian…</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Loving the dancing bits already – not sure about having cameras around all the time though – and worried about partner to be – am petrified that if it is strictly professionals I will get Brendan bad boy of ballroom Cole, instead of the lovely Ian Waite who seems, well to be a nice person, and patient…and patience is def a prerequsitie – had underestimated how difficult it is to learn to dance – the counts (maths never my strong point!) and trying to understand exactly what Brian (and Pippa) want…</div><div><br /></div><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF0000;">21 May 2009</span></b><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Just when you thought life couldn’t get any better – it Does!</span><br /></b><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Surely, today one of the best days of my life. The weather was glorious – full bodied Spring day, air heavy with delightful perfumes of nature and I was training with Pippa in a tiny church hall – and she took me for a waltz to lovely music, and it was so lovely, brought tears to my eyes. And then was picked up by Fever Media to go to meet my new dance partner. <b>OMG!</b><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As we (Howard, the cameraman, and I) pulled into the grounds of the Harrow School, my heart began beating really, really fast, past the sporting fields, past the cricket score-board and my brain started to pull up all these images from previous Strictly Come Dancing, images not of the pro-dancers (which is all I had been concentrating on) but of the ‘celebrity partners’. Especially the cricket pavilion and scoreboard. . .</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Mark Ramprakash. . .</span></b></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S_uvXoTva-I/AAAAAAAAAok/j0dzdgSKVGo/s1600/Mark+and+Karen.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 125px; height: 85px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S_uvXoTva-I/AAAAAAAAAok/j0dzdgSKVGo/s400/Mark+and+Karen.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475162592491039714" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Darren Gough…</span></b><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S_uwu9UHyqI/AAAAAAAAAo8/sidhnBZvDHM/s1600/Darren+and+Lilia.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 81px; height: 114px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S_uwu9UHyqI/AAAAAAAAAo8/sidhnBZvDHM/s400/Darren+and+Lilia.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475164092778400418" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">. . .my personal history…my love for cricket! <b>(Ed: cricket-<i>er</i>?)</b> Began to feel so nervous started to perspire, felt a tad nauseous. Staggered from car, got wheelie out, all in a bit of a daze. Went to loo to try to compose myself, forgot I was miked up. Cursed a fair bit. Only when came out did I smell the chlorine and said to David the director – <i>‘swimming pool - is that a bit of hint then?’</i> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It dawned on me only then how very clever the Fever Media team have been in keeping this such a surprise, but the pure fact of the situation only occurred to me at that instant – us competitors had been told what the ‘prize’ is for the winners – to compete in the Wheelie Dancing European Championships – an IPC regulated sport, which meant that it is for amateurs only, and our dancing partners couldn’t possibly be Professionals.</div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As I wheeled through to the pool area, I thought of the very gorgeous<b> Mark Foster</b>, celebrity contestant on SCD last year – he of the much discussed black mesh/see-through top.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S_uvYGc48UI/AAAAAAAAAo0/19YDcf8Qg18/s1600/mark+in+strictly.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 85px; height: 128px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S_uvYGc48UI/AAAAAAAAAo0/19YDcf8Qg18/s400/mark+in+strictly.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475162600582476098" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">And there he was! My Mr Neptune!</span></b> In the swimming pool armed with nothing more than a pair of speedos and a winning smile! <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Gorgeous! And it was, <i>LIKE AT FIRST SIGHT</i>!</span></b><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S_ux1HPirPI/AAAAAAAAApM/wJrSBzt8BNk/s1600/diandmark+hug.jpg"><br /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S_ux0_6l3mI/AAAAAAAAApE/tMPD15vA9Vc/s1600/Mark+and+Di+meeting+first+time.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 279px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S_ux0_6l3mI/AAAAAAAAApE/tMPD15vA9Vc/s400/Mark+and+Di+meeting+first+time.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475165296067468898" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">I remember wanting to hug him, but he was so wet from the pool, inside I was sooooo relieved. If it had been a cricketer, well, I very possibly would have fainted out of my wheelie at the co-incidence. First impressions? As beautiful inside as without. Warm, friendly, personable, just a natural, gentle-giant type of person. My cup runneth over, truly, I am blessed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So we are literally two fishes out of water (he Mr Neptune, Me, the Mermaid) on the dance-floor, can we join together in dance and create a little bit of magic? The odds seem to be stacked against us but right now don’t really care. Think I have struck lucky with Mr Neptune, have a feeling that we are going to be friends and that is just wonderful.<br /><br /></div><b>PS</b> Have discovered already that Mr Foster ‘gives good hugs’ – in fact he is one the best!<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S_ux1HPirPI/AAAAAAAAApM/wJrSBzt8BNk/s1600/diandmark+hug.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 197px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S_ux1HPirPI/AAAAAAAAApM/wJrSBzt8BNk/s400/diandmark+hug.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475165298034388210" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for subscribing to Dancing On Wheels!</div>Diana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358620525959597707.post-24120027617072861182010-04-26T19:29:00.002+01:002010-04-26T21:56:44.760+01:00Fametastic - WOW Warning:<div align="justify"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">Name Dropping Alert approaching ….<br /></span></strong><br />WOW is going to really go for it on NDA in this post so be prepared!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 288px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 235px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449691714010444834" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6ExvXz7dCI/AAAAAAAAAks/QXi4R67LbA0/s400/wow+fame.jpg" /></div><strong>Lady Gaga</strong> has sung about it. . .<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 318px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449687658098818626" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6EuDSXPfkI/AAAAAAAAAj0/CpmmL4jYg2s/s400/lady+gaga.jpg" /> <p align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">"All we care about is runaway models<br />Cadillacs and liquor bottles<br />Give me something I wanna be<br />Retro glamour Hollywood,<br />Yes, we live for the<br />Fame"</span></em></p><p align="justify">And so has <strong>David Bowie. . .</strong> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 385px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449688351765542274" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6EurqeRtYI/AAAAAAAAAkE/cYd9W15spgE/s400/david+bowie.jpg" /></p><p align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">"Fame, Fame, fame…<br />What’s your name…"</span></em></p><p align="justify">And as the infamous dance <strong><em>‘Fame’</em></strong> song goes:<br /><br /><em>Fame, I’m gonna live forever,<br />I’m gonna learn how to fly<br />I feel it coming together<br />People will see me and cry….</em><br /><br /><strong>WOW</strong> would like to talk about Fame (not her own which so far is limited - thank goodness - to two autograph seekers in her local village); no, the fame that is for <strong>Brian <em>Flaming Fantastic</em> Fortuna</strong>, and <strong>Mark <em>Flipping Gorgeous</em> Foster</strong>….<br /><br />You may have caught on that <strong>WOW</strong> is an experienced <strong>Woman Of the World</strong> (<em>ie</em> long in the tooth and short in the leg), and has - over her extensive career in the media - done the following:<br /><br />. . .<strong> WOW</strong> has interviewed such ‘luminaries’ as <strong>Silvio Berlusconi</strong><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 378px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449688830298905810" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6EvHhJhXNI/AAAAAAAAAkc/Rn3qm4m6ASI/s400/wow+silvio+berlusconi.jpg" /></p><p align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">(Note: interview took place pre his current ‘sleaze’ era)</span></em></p><p align="justify">. . .the divine <strong>Peter Gabriel<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449723695244602770" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6FO07MVbZI/AAAAAAAAAnU/dBJD3ZSxze0/s400/peter+Gabriel.jpg" /></strong></p><p align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">(<strong>WOW</strong> so impressed that got writer’s block,<br />wrote rubbish feature on him<br />and had to send him grovelling letter of apology)</span></em></p><p align="justify">. . .<strong>David Puttnam, Michael Winner, Ted Turner, Robert Maxwell</strong> (pre-pensions, and pre-death, obviously!)…<strong>Bob Geldof</strong>. .blah blah blah <strong>you get the picture…</strong><br /><br /><strong>. . .WOW</strong> has worked with <strong>Sue Johnson, Amanda Burton</strong> (from her good old Brookside days) and <strong>Paul Usher<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 364px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 274px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449688658601664018" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6Eu9hhtXhI/AAAAAAAAAkU/eLFDpkuKzqM/s400/wow+brookies.jpg" /></p></strong><p align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">(aka <strong>Barry Grant</strong> - most of you too young to remember?)</span></em></p><p align="justify">. . .<strong>WOW</strong> has met and spoken with a flotilla of famous folk including <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 306px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449688655456611010" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6Eu9Vz3qsI/AAAAAAAAAkM/X0I9GuvHJLc/s400/wow+simon+cowell.jpg" /><strong>Simon Cowell</strong> (lovely, emanates warmth, met in 2004);</p><p align="justify"><strong><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449695402767155986" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6E1GFgEAxI/AAAAAAAAAk0/S96_uW4Yb9I/s400/david+beckham.jpg" />David Beckham</strong> (very slight in weight, no wonder his poor wife allegedly starves herself);<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6E1GzKNzAI/AAAAAAAAAk8/7o3_Q8qpYYY/s1600-h/ozzysharon.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 271px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449695415023553538" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6E1GzKNzAI/AAAAAAAAAk8/7o3_Q8qpYYY/s400/ozzysharon.jpg" /></a><strong>Ozzy </strong>and <strong>Sharon Osbourne; Charles Bronson</strong> (<strong>WOW</strong> was a tad overawed, Hollywood royalty and all that); <em>etc etc</em>…<strong>Piers Morgan</strong> blah blah blah. . .<br /><br />Anyhoo, the point to all this vicarious name dropping that, aside from ridiculous crush on <strong>Donny Osmond</strong> and <strong>David <em>‘How Can I be Sure’</em> Cassidy</strong> when <strong>WOW</strong> was not a <strong>WOW</strong> but 14 year-old pillow snogger, <strong>WOW</strong> is not in the least bit fazed by ‘celebrity’ or ‘Fame’.<br /><br />However, <strong>WOW</strong> was (and continues to be so) very impressed with the two <strong>Mr F’s</strong>.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Foster</span></strong> and <strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Fortuna</span><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:0;">.<br /></span></span></strong><br />And the way they conduct themselves through the rather tricky field of being very very good at what they do, in the public eye, with the fickle tricky hand of Fame always tapping on their shoulder…there follows a post from WOW’s diary with her first impressions of Mr Fortuna…and then Mr Foster. WOW is posting these extracts cause they are proof that one’s first impressions are often correct….</p><p align="justify"><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">PS</span></strong> <strong>WOW</strong> is reliably informed that while the following picture allegedly enjoyed a little massage c/o photo-shop. . .<br /></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 130px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 96px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449725040621183410" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6FQDPHG4bI/AAAAAAAAAnk/GiXLuvatNyA/s400/david%2520beckham%2520in%2520his%2520trollies.jpg" />This one <em>did not. . .</em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 137px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 109px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449725048170963874" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6FQDrPHY6I/AAAAAAAAAns/12TjI6NC3GU/s400/marky%2520in%2520his%2520trollies.jpg" />And then final pic of Beck's response:<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 247px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449725054906726434" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6FQEEVC-CI/AAAAAAAAAn0/-CHpdBNfvhI/s400/imitation.jpg" /><em><strong>Flattery, as they say, will get you everywhere....</strong></em><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for subscribing to Dancing On Wheels!</div>Diana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358620525959597707.post-78427155951045228952010-04-26T19:28:00.005+01:002010-04-26T22:01:50.571+01:00Di’s Diary: The 2nd/Final Audition<div align="justify"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">Wednesday 13 May 2009<br /></span></strong><br />What a day! Am exhausted with adrenalin burn-out but exhilarated as well. Dearest Jax borrowed her ex’s convertible Mercedes and drove us to Brunel Uni in style… overwhelming feeling again was age – rest of final auditionees just seem so young. And even mentioned this to Kaaj – who said BBC duty bound to spread age-range as part of their diversity remit. Yeah, well, we will see won’t we...<br /><br />Overwhelmingly the best section of the day <em>(and there was a great deal to be overwhelmed with – everything from half hour session with a psychotherapist who specialises in reality tv – he asked if I were chosen to be one of the contestants, how would I deal with the possible media coverage – I could reply with confidence that having dealt with the world media as CEO of Limbless Association when I brought Ali Abbas to the UK for ongoing treatment</em></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464547206037068386" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S9X4u0IxWmI/AAAAAAAAAoc/gpFqQXp4ssY/s400/di+ali+book+front+cover.jpg" /> <p align="center"><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2936357.stm"><span style="color:#ff0000;">click this link to read<br />an early newspaper report about Ali</span></a></p><p align="justify"><em>– think I could handle any press flung my way should I be picked as one of the contestants)</em> to being ‘classifed’, to more interviews, endless paper work, and of course the dancing… but the dancing with Brian Fortuna was just, well, fantastic. It was brief, and like most of the day, filmed – my first thoughts on seeing and then meeting Brian were that he was much better looking in real life. And this is unusual, as most ‘celebrities’/people who are in film/tv, are from my experience, can be rather, well underwhelming… </p><div align="justify">Actually met Brian ‘by accident’ went in main sports hall door as indicated – and Brian was there, as arranged to meet me – pleasant warm handshake and winning smile (but not cheesy – as I had called him last winter during the watching of<strong><em> Strictly Come Dancing</em></strong> – my daughter Lara thought he was rather lovely – I just responded – nah, too American and way too cheesy!).<br /><div align="center"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464547200782652738" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S9X4ugkBVUI/AAAAAAAAAoU/ECZgTW9RmtU/s400/di+brian.jpg" />pass us the cheddar Mr BF, please!</em></div><br />We then had to do this whole meet and greet palava again for the cameras – which made both of us giggle and put on airs of ironic acting….another plus for Brian F – he gets irony. And comes over as very bright, focused and very polite in a rather sweetly old fashioned way. Someone said he was 26 and just couldn’t believe this having met him – he has the head of someone considerably more mature..anyhoo, he took me by the hand and guided me through some basic steps for the foxtrot – and I just loved it. It’s official: have fallen in love with wheelchair ballroom dancing. Er, and everything that could come with it? </div><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">I have to get into the final 6 now, keep getting one of my ‘destiny’ feelings about it, which happen so rarely and tend to happen. </div><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">But it would be too much, wouldn’t it, now that I am back with fiancée, to get this would just be too much, wouldn’t it?</div><br /><p align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">*</span></strong></p><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Friday 15 May 2009</span></strong><br /></span><br />Yes, it is all too much – just spoke with Neil<em> Rubes</em> Rubenstein: I am not in the final 6.<br /><br /></div><div align="justify">A "first reserve" as Neil puts it. But that’s just not good enough.<br /><br />Am sobbing as I write this. I honestly thought it was my destiny.<em> I was so very wrong.<br /></em><br /><em><strong>So bye-bye to Brian and ballroom dancing.</strong></em> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for subscribing to Dancing On Wheels!</div>Diana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358620525959597707.post-52182325893925845242010-03-17T20:13:00.020+00:002010-03-17T22:33:07.787+00:00Boris Dancing<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6FJWDtEkEI/AAAAAAAAAnM/btvSmJQA3VE/s1600-h/greek%2520goddess.jpg"></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6FJVmqMK2I/AAAAAAAAAnE/ZD-ew-L6Vtw/s1600-h/chariot+Di.jpg"></a> <div align="justify"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">WOW on meeting Boris Johnson</span></strong> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 102px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 120px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449699256201093106" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6E4mYqTn_I/AAAAAAAAAlE/UL9nuZjyEzg/s400/wow+boris+thumbs+up.jpg" />Immediately impressed with his wit, intelligence and seemingly genuine curious take on wheelchair dancing…<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 278px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449715266691430818" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6FHKUYqeaI/AAAAAAAAAm8/lPhMZDvJkxw/s400/wow+Mark+di+dance+for+Boris.jpg" />Demonstrating his love of all cultural, Boris suggested that <strong>WOW</strong> and <strong>Mark Foster</strong> - in full tango finery - reminded him of a picture by that Scottish painter. . <em>.is this is a Culture Vulture test</em>, WOW thought at the time?. . . Then she declared, <em>"Do you mean Jack Vettriano, Mr Mayor?"<br /></em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 178px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 262px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449714298414595746" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6FGR9RefqI/AAAAAAAAAmk/4cEgiDjGOXU/s400/vettriano2.jpg" /><strong>WOW</strong> left Boris (who<strong> WOW</strong> could imagine was still humming tune to Tango, hopefully) with the distinct impression that, rather than there being something of the political<em> ‘night about him’*. . .<br /><span style="color:#000000;">.</span></em></div><div align="center"><em>aka Michael Howard. . .<br />(*as declared Ann Widdecombe MP,<br />after the latter's failed attempt at<br />Conservative Party Leadership)</em> </div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 131px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 78px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449715091252268306" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6FHAG0tTRI/AAAAAAAAAm0/N0OSb2gzuck/s400/michael%2520howard%2520something%2520of%2520the%2520night.jpg" /> <div align="center"><em>(**she meant Howard was dracula)</em></div><br /><div align="justify"><br /><strong>. . .there is something<em> ‘of the day’</em> about Boris…<br /></strong><br />He really is amusing, and clever, and <strong>WOW</strong> also loves the fact that he holds S-Levels in his education. <strong>WOW</strong> herself has an ‘S’ <em>ie </em>‘Special’ in English Lit… (S-levels were taken at same time as A-levels in ye olden school days.) </div><br /><div align="justify">And oh, BJ is so seemingly politically powerful…which <strong>WOW</strong> finds sexy. <strong>WOW</strong> can confirm that Boris is sexy in the Victoria Wood <em>"Let's Do It"</em> way. .<em> .<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 225px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449699277294602818" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6E4nnPZCkI/AAAAAAAAAlU/p1zgcIFN5ng/s400/wow+womans+weekly.jpg" /></em></div><div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">"Beat Me On the Bottom with the Woman’s Weekly</span></em>…"<br /><strong><em>sort of sexy!</em></strong></div><br /><div align="justify">And he could use ‘compression’ through the hands immediately to dance when WOW asked him… <strong>(and we know what we know about men who can dance, don’t we ladies?)</strong><br /><br />Is any of this making any sense? <strong>WOW </strong>is off now to purchase copy of the Woman’s Weekly….<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 105px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 126px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449704001316612802" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6E86lmAasI/AAAAAAAAAmU/4nKHt9IDa6Q/s400/wow+wweekly.jpg" />(<strong>Ed</strong>: It is hoped that this will be followed by a very very very cold shower.)</div><br /><p align="justify">However, before WOW delves into her latest copy of WW to read all about the Obamas, she is musing upon all things Olympic. . .<br /><br /><strong>Boris, intense lover of all things Greek. </strong><strong><em><span style="color:#ffffff;">Check.<br /></span></em>Olympics, created by the Greek Civilization.</strong><em><strong> </strong><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>Check.<br /></strong></span></em><strong>Diana, name of Greek Goddess.<em> <span style="color:#ffffff;">Check.</span></em></strong> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 329px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449717667395309634" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6FJWDtEkEI/AAAAAAAAAnM/btvSmJQA3VE/s400/greek%2520goddess.jpg" /></p><strong>Boris in a toga. <em><span style="color:#ffffff;">Check.</span></em></strong> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 203px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449714406146710290" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6FGYOm0GxI/AAAAAAAAAms/0D4vwAfdhSs/s400/boris_toga.jpg" /><strong>Diana in a chariot.<em><span style="color:#ffffff;"> Check.</span></em></strong> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 188px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449717659598596962" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6FJVmqMK2I/AAAAAAAAAnE/ZD-ew-L6Vtw/s400/chariot+Di.jpg" /> <p align="center"><em><strong>Talk about Chariots of Fire!<br /></strong>It's a sure fire winner for 2012, isnt it. . .<br />So come on Mr Mayor, how's about a cheque*?<br /></em><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6FWwWWDRHI/AAAAAAAAAoM/sWdinn6yYUI/s1600-h/wow+boris+Mark+and+di.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 335px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449732412726789234" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6FWwWWDRHI/AAAAAAAAAoM/sWdinn6yYUI/s400/wow+boris+Mark+and+di.jpg" /></p></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6FWwWWDRHI/AAAAAAAAAoM/sWdinn6yYUI/s1600-h/wow+boris+Mark+and+di.jpg"><p align="justify"></a>*<strong>WOW</strong> needs to ask Boris for cash to develop Wheelchair dancing projects. </p><p></p><p align="justify">(Ed: but perhaps she is just thinking about renewing her subscription to Women's Weekly magazine?)</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for subscribing to Dancing On Wheels!</div>Diana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358620525959597707.post-58855761740674223292010-03-17T20:00:00.000+00:002010-03-17T22:13:08.283+00:00Let's Do It!<div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6FTJ2xsRuI/AAAAAAAAAoE/Lj-oIxAWM0U/s1600-h/wow+womans+weekly.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 225px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449728452882876130" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S6FTJ2xsRuI/AAAAAAAAAoE/Lj-oIxAWM0U/s400/wow+womans+weekly.jpg" /></a> if you're not familiar with this brilliant song. . .<br />click on the link below!<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZCIKjYDf1g"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Victoria</span> <span style="color:#ff0000;">Wood</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for subscribing to Dancing On Wheels!</div>Diana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358620525959597707.post-26971379890443178432010-03-16T20:33:00.006+00:002010-03-16T20:59:18.296+00:00WOW has gone AWOL!<span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;"><strong>Or perhaps she's Morris/Boris Dancing?</strong></span><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 209px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 301px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449333637813873218" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5_sEmB7qkI/AAAAAAAAAjk/AabRv-GU0cQ/s400/di+and+boris.jpg" /> <div align="justify">So I (her Web Mistress) am taking over to bring you what our shy Di (you know her as <strong>WOW</strong>!) won't. . .<br /><br />The following video was created with a true vision of love, by Lady Latina (<strong>WOW</strong>, I can confirm was last spotted heading for the hills on her mobility scooter, still sobbing) - click the link to watch:<br /><span style="color:#000000;">.</span></div><div align="center"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EDaA-Kt5RY"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Vision of Love<br /></span></strong></a></div><div align="justify"><br />And while I'm here, I'm going to slip in these wonderful words, which were written by <strong>Jennie Kravitz</strong> of<span style="color:#ffffff;"> </span><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;"><a href="http://blog.simplydancingpartners.co.uk/"><span style="color:#ffffff;">Simply Dancing Partners</span></a></span></strong>:<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">"You don't need legs to be a Dancing Queen - just the will to thrill on the floor.<span style="font-size:78%;"><br /><br /></span>"I’ve never seen anyone take to the floor with more exuberance or sheer joie de vivre than Diana Morgan-Hill in this week’s final of Dancing On Wheels. She doesn’t have any legs to dance with - she lost them 19 years ago in the prime of her life - but boy, did she dazzle partnering Olympic swimmer Mark Frost in the quickstep.<span style="font-size:78%;"><br /><br /></span>"Ironically, as one of the judges pointed out, this was the first performance in the whole competition that brought the able-bodied audience to their feet. Diana and Mark flashed their arms and bodies in synchronicity, demonstrating a wonderful chemistry and warmth, and she was positively radiant.<span style="font-size:78%;"><br /><br /></span>"Her performance was all the more poignant given that the BBC producers saw fit to bring Diana back to Wandsworth Common, the railway station where a misjudged sprint for a train changed her destiny in a split second. As she said herself of the time before that fateful day in 1990: <strong>'Another person...another life.'</strong><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /><br /></span>"No wonder Diana faltered a little in training in the days ahead - as Mark said:<strong> 'When Di gets into one of her dark moments, we don’t take a lot in.'</strong> She often felt Brian Fortuna was patronising her, and is ruthlessly self-deprecating about the contrast between her 49-year-old broken body and that of her athletic young partner: <strong>'I’m the old bag, and he’s the stick insect!'</strong><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /><br /></span>"The couple have been the great tryers and improvers in this competition, compared to James, who lost his own legs at 19 and is still a young man, and his partner Caroline. The pair have been criticised throughout the contest for slacking off in training. What James has over Diana, though, is natural technical brilliance, not to mention an awesome amount of upper body strength. At the end of his final and very virile Jive, he leapt out of his wheelchair into a one-arm stand - just try following that. No surprise, then, that this athletic chap who can literally make his wheelchair hop, skip and jump, is the contestant going to the European championships in Tel Aviv.<br /><span style="font-size:78%;color:#000000;">.</span> </span></em></div><div align="justify"><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em></div><div align="justify"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">"But it is the look of rapture on Diana’s face as she raced across the dance floor which will stay with me for a long time.<br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color:#000000;">.</span><br /></span></div></span></em><div align="justify"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">"As she put it herself: <strong>'Just learning to dance was the winning ticket.'</strong> All of us who have spent decades in a dance-free zone before coming back to the floor will know what she means. And there is no excuse for anyone with or without legs who longs to move to the music to put it off any longer."</span></em></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for subscribing to Dancing On Wheels!</div>Diana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358620525959597707.post-69096436080883969752010-03-14T20:29:00.011+00:002010-03-15T08:01:42.453+00:00Mother's Pride<div align="justify"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">A wonderful Mother's Day Gift</span></strong> for all on DOW from one the Fantastic Fortunas - Picamix:</div><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 160px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 100px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448593843955873426" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S51LO7JetpI/AAAAAAAAAic/do5wWR8dww4/s400/wow+brian+screen+cap.jpg" /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sptwMN5YXbo"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">this fabulous</span> <span style="color:#ff0000;">video</span></strong></a></div><div align="justify"><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Happy Mom's Day</span></strong> to the <strong>lovely <span style="color:#ffffff;">Mrs Fortuna</span></strong>, <strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">WOW</span></strong> just knows how proud she is of her son. . .</div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 307px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448594052129565458" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S51LbCp9KxI/AAAAAAAAAi0/muU5cG3vfvc/s400/wow+brian+flowers.jpg" /> <p align="justify">Here are the full lyrics to the song used in the video, <strong>Heather Small's</strong> <em>Proud,</em> with some photos of Brian taken during the training for Dancing On Wheels:<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 178px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448593827424664402" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S51LN9kIe1I/AAAAAAAAAiE/g2ULz-Qs8-U/s400/wow+Brian.jpg" /></p><div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">I look into the window of my mind<br />Reflections of the fears I know I've left behind<br />I step out of the ordinary, I can feel my soul ascending<br />I am on my way, can't stop me now<br />And you can do the same</span></em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448594047411230674" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S51LaxFBF9I/AAAAAAAAAis/i_HWlH_fbxM/s400/wow+brian+and+sandra.jpg" /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Still so many answers I don't know<br />Realise that to question is how we grow<br />So I step out of the ordinary<br />I can feel my soul ascending, I am on my way<br />Can't stop me now, and you can do the same<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448594045840146930" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S51LarOcQfI/AAAAAAAAAik/r2vyBaX8VaM/s400/wow+brian+and+sandra2.jpg" /></span></em> <em><span style="font-size:85%;">We need a change, do it today<br />I can feel my spirit rising<br />We need a change, so do it today<br />'Cause I can see a clear horizon</span></em> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448593830446776850" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S51LOI0qQhI/AAAAAAAAAiM/2_f2FXOQ1s8/s400/wow+brian+and+sandra+and+di.jpg" /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">What have you done today to make you feel proud?<br />So what have you done today to make you feel proud?<br />'Cause you could be so many people<br />If you make that break for freedom <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 296px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448593834798673154" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S51LOZCO7QI/AAAAAAAAAiU/CcI2I5VwjR4/s400/wow+brian+tears.jpg" />So what have you done today to make you feel proud?</span></em></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for subscribing to Dancing On Wheels!</div>Diana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358620525959597707.post-18346293307408879772010-03-14T08:00:00.000+00:002010-03-14T11:59:53.816+00:00IT'S A WRAP PARTY part three (final one!)<div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 367px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447389121079793346" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5kDi0tJ1sI/AAAAAAAAAgY/Lr6HSGIrbHs/s400/wow+mark+clap.jpg" /><br /><div align="center"><em>lovely smiling and clapping Mark and Martin<br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">*</span></strong><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448137345778425794" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5usDO6pn8I/AAAAAAAAAhU/TGM_0phF27g/s400/wow+wrap+hug.jpg" />group hug!<br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">*</span></strong><br /></em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447389699762158562" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5kEEgdx--I/AAAAAAAAAgo/-Je4EUXaNkg/s400/wow+wrap+brian+and+K.jpg" /><em>the very gorgeous Mr F and Ms R<br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">*<br /></span></strong></em></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 307px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447388020049067202" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5kCivC-PMI/AAAAAAAAAf4/bo4rW2bhsgc/s400/wow+wrap+brian.jpg" /><em> flowers from Mr F<br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">*<br /></span></strong></em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447389125846640674" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5kDjGdqKCI/AAAAAAAAAgg/krW0VHHNbTs/s400/wow+flowers.jpg" /> <em>flowers the next day<br />(the sight of these helped WOW’s hangover)<br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">*</span></strong></em></div><div align="justify"><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">And finally:</span></strong> </div><p align="justify"><strong>Dancing On Wheels. . .<em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447388181324093602" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5kCsH172KI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/EqeI-Z4eyaw/s400/wow+wrap+set.jpg" />It’s a Wrap,</em> but it's not the end…</strong></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447388176369965378" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5kCr1Yx2UI/AAAAAAAAAgI/j3q-Rxz4h_o/s400/wow+wrap+wheels.jpg" /><strong>Next time (next week on DOW)<br /></strong><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 351px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447388171120834098" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5kCrh1SdjI/AAAAAAAAAgA/Tm1BchxqAx8/s400/wow+boris.jpg" /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">WOW </span>goes Morris, sorry<span style="color:#ffffff;"> Boris</span> dancing….</strong><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for subscribing to Dancing On Wheels!</div>Diana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358620525959597707.post-62309175468667764752010-03-13T08:00:00.002+00:002010-03-13T08:00:04.784+00:00IT'S A WRAP PARTY part two<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447384866650191410" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5j_rLuF9jI/AAAAAAAAAfI/K74roU_Mk3k/s400/wow+wrap2+4.jpg" /> <p align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Not Where’s Wally..</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>more like where’s Marky?<br /></strong>Can you spot Mark? Is he hiding from James and Ola!<br />Also pictured: Lucy and Clara from Fever Media</span><br /></em><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">*</span></strong></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447384863188984018" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5j_q-04INI/AAAAAAAAAfA/BmNV7yR-oI0/s400/wow+wrap2+5.jpg" /> <p align="center"><strong></strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>David Tibballs</strong> has a really good time with</span><strong><span style="font-size:85%;"> Kristina<br /></span></strong></em><span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>*</strong></span></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 323px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447384879065569058" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5j_r5-JlyI/AAAAAAAAAfY/m2wDWRoS1DA/s400/wow+wrap2+1.jpg" /> <p align="center"><em><strong>Di</strong> with one of BF’s – </em><strong><em>Jane</em><br /><span style="font-size:180%;">*</span></strong></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447385198411246034" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5j_-foF6dI/AAAAAAAAAfo/Jl9Xm5tz1_E/s400/wow+wrap2+2.jpg" /> <p align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Di</strong> thanking<strong> Kaaj</strong> – one WOW’s ‘Karma police’<br />– Neil Rubenstein is the other…<br /></span><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">*</span></strong></em></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 302px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447386012774521010" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5kAt5XbWLI/AAAAAAAAAfw/0m0m_6lcZuQ/s400/wow+wrap+1.jpg" /> <p align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Shock Horror! <strong>WOW</strong> caught bang-to-rights drinking!<br />Nothing escapes the<strong> Boss Brian</strong> though!</span></em></p><p align="justify">(Ed: I heard on the grapevine that WOW, without her wheels, had to be ‘carried’ to the taxi by her dance partner at 3am.)</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for subscribing to Dancing On Wheels!</div>Diana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358620525959597707.post-62179794559944490672010-03-12T08:00:00.001+00:002010-03-12T09:07:56.967+00:00IT’S A WRAP (PARTY) part one<div align="justify"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">Thought you wonderful WOW Watchers</span></strong> might enjoy some views of the <strong>Dancing On Wheels</strong> wrap party:<br /></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447381044683554162" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5j8MtyPPXI/AAAAAAAAAeY/vWBU7Q_39Vg/s400/wow+wrap+3.jpg" /></div><p align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>WOW</strong> decides to pay her own personal tribute<br />to <strong>Michael Jackson</strong> (RIP) in glitter jacket,<br />with <strong>Neil</strong> Rubi<strong> Rubenstein</strong><br />(Ed: We could always hang her up from ceiling<br />and spin her round<br />– a new take on the disco ball?)<br /></span><span style="font-size:180%;">*<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447381048669662322" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5j8M8ombHI/AAAAAAAAAeg/igr2X4Y9X1M/s400/wow+wrap+5.jpg" /></span></em></p><p align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Brian</strong> with WOW’s gorgeous daughter,<strong> Lara</strong><br /></span><span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>*<br /></strong></span></em></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447381748187127602" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5j81qij3zI/AAAAAAAAAew/4QF-1p9JTb0/s400/wow+wrap+4.jpg" /> <p align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">dance contestants pass judgement on<br />WOW’s DOW photo memory album<br />created by <strong>WOW</strong> especially for<strong> Brian</strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">*</span></strong><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 331px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447381757653457842" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5j82Nzgm7I/AAAAAAAAAe4/FQPLpWMAk3k/s400/wow+wrap2+3.jpg" /></span></em></p><p align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">David Tibballs, Exec Producer on DOW,<br />with <strong>Pippa, Brian</strong> and<strong> Kristina</strong></span></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for subscribing to Dancing On Wheels!</div>Diana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358620525959597707.post-72458797847749884032010-03-12T07:07:00.000+00:002010-03-14T12:00:51.749+00:00Di and Mark's last dance for the BBC's<div align="justify"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Dancing On Wheels:<span style="color:#ff0000;"> </span></span></span><span style="color:#ffffff;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">The Joy, The Joy</span></span></strong><span style="color:#ffffff;"> of this dance is <em>so </em>clear - topped off with a standing ovation!</span><span style="color:#ffffff;"><br /></span><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 209px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448077163402087490" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5t1UKF_zEI/AAAAAAAAAhM/fIVMBgv7bSQ/s400/wow+mark+and+di.jpg" /></div><div align="center"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgtwsO8q_cI&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=9FC929D8780F98F9a"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">click here to watch the video</span></strong></a></div><div align="justify"><br />(WOW thinks the audience clapping all the way through could be due to the speed we get up to, which won't come over so well on this visual - when you see the professional dancers like Brian and Kristina, their perfection of timing with incredible speed combined 'live' is breathtaking.)<br /><br />This Quickstep is out of their professional league of course, but <strong>Mark</strong> and <strong>WOW</strong> were moving so fast, all five wheels of the wheelchair came off the floor!<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 236px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448075089156919650" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5tzba7aUWI/AAAAAAAAAhE/QQgBNagWrC8/s400/wow+mark+and+d+after+final.jpg" /><strong>Didn't call Mark <span style="color:#ffffff;"><em>Daddy Long Legs</em></span> for nothing!</strong></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for subscribing to Dancing On Wheels!</div>Diana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358620525959597707.post-92091683789803891352010-03-11T22:18:00.000+00:002010-03-13T15:54:22.327+00:00WOW: Woman Outside (the) World<div align="justify"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="font-size:130%;">WOW </span><span style="font-size:100%;">just loves well made science fiction films</span></span></strong> some favourites from a very long list include: Contact, Sunshine, Star Trek (unconfirmed 'Trekie'), Serenity, Total Recall, The Fifth Element, Pitch Black, Solaris...<br /><span style="color:#000000;">.</span><br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><strong>and so it goes on adinfintum...<span style="color:#ffffff;">just like space!<br /></span></strong><br />so <strong>WOW</strong> was stunned and delighted to discover the following news - this is a post from my gorgeous 'Web Mistress' I,LTV. . .</div><div align="center"><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>guess who has been star gazing in our midst!</strong></span></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 341px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446986693313053746" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4DGbC4uKJ9I/S5eVicc0RDI/AAAAAAAAMpg/SnoOIX1k_mc/s400/NASA.gif" /> <p align="center"><strong>. . . yes: NASA! (NASA!!)<br />(shall I write it one more time? NASA!!!)<br /></strong>now, we're all familiar with the good people in Houston<br />and the fine work they do on our behalf. . .<br /><span style="color:#000000;">.</span><br /><em>. . .launching rockets<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446986287482637794" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4DGbC4uKJ9I/S5eVK0nTjeI/AAAAAAAAMo4/GzQNMCjfUC4/s400/nasa+rocket.jpg" /></p></em><em><p align="center"></em></p><p align="center"><em>. . .gazing back at our blue planet</em><br /></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446986687417114146" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4DGbC4uKJ9I/S5eViGfHXiI/AAAAAAAAMpY/DnolQ4xY5zs/s400/nasa+earth.jpg" /> <p align="center"><em>. . .and its solitary moon<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 396px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446986668356025538" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4DGbC4uKJ9I/S5eVg_emPMI/AAAAAAAAMpA/0x5JnYyrR7I/s400/nasa+moon.jpg" /></em></p><p></p><p align="center"><em>. . .peeking into the secrets of our sun</em><br /></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 193px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446986685551928866" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4DGbC4uKJ9I/S5eVh_ia5iI/AAAAAAAAMpQ/gMG9fgmsC_4/s400/nasa+sun.jpg" /> <p align="center"><em>. . .seeking out the hidden facts<br />of our galaxy and the universe<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446986669551380642" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4DGbC4uKJ9I/S5eVhD7l6KI/AAAAAAAAMpI/V0wKFqhj468/s400/nasa+space.jpg" /></p><p align="center"></em>but, now those good folk down in Texas<br />have sought out and found<br />the new star of the blogging world. . .<br /><span style="color:#000000;">.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.dianadancingonwheels.blogspot.com/"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>WOMAN ON WHEELS</a></span><br />VISITOR ANALYSIS</strong><br /><strong>Search Engine Phrase:<br /></strong>"Diana Morgan-Hill"<br /><strong>Search Engine Name:</strong> Google<br /><strong>Search Engine Host:</strong> www.google.com<br /><strong>Host Name:</strong> host.jsc.nasa.gov<br /><strong>Country:</strong> United States<br /><strong>Region:</strong> Texas<br /><strong>City:</strong> Houston<br /><strong>ISP:<br /></strong>National Aeronautics And Space Association</span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">.<br /></span><strong>I,LTV</strong> always suspected that<br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">WOW </span></strong>would be famous one day,<br />her blog went global within hours of its launch<br />- never thought she'd go intergalactic!<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ffffff;">*</span></p></strong><strong><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ffffff;"></span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ffffff;"><div align="justify"></span></strong><strong>So, <span style="color:#ffffff;">dearest NASA</span>, never mind first non-astronaut in space</strong> - what about your first disabolo in space?<br /><br />(Ed: Tough luck, WOW - <strong>Stephen Hawking</strong> will beat you to it. And he deserves it with his Big Bang background.)</div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 294px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447370932322449442" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5jzAGTeOCI/AAAAAAAAAdI/HjzDCiEN-Mw/s400/Stephen_Hawking.jpg" /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for subscribing to Dancing On Wheels!</div>Diana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358620525959597707.post-63844128287994646252010-03-11T22:00:00.005+00:002010-03-11T22:04:30.753+00:00Wow On (not) Winning<div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>So, dearest WOW W<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">atchers</span>, now you know.</strong></span><br />Please believe me when I say that I was so happy <em>not </em>to have won. And normally, like World Class Olympian competitor Mark, this would<em><strong> not</strong></em> normally be the case.<br /><br />The standing ovation that we received for our Quick Step:<em> Almost Like Being in Love</em>, was, and is still to this day, one of the most wonderful moments of my life.<br /><br />Do I think the judges made the right decision? Yes – at that time (July 2009) for the following reasons, which include what I consider to be the reasons behind their decision:<br /><br />James and Ola are both Latin Ballroom dancers (they are, of course, brilliant at ‘ballroom’ dances) – they are professionals after all, but their principle field is Latin.<br /><br />James Jordan, (although I believe him to be a ‘good’ friend of Mark's) did not ‘like’ Mark's dancing from the outset. The production have cut many of the James’ comments about Mark’s dancing from the final edits.<br /><br />Backstage we had a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">tv</span> where we could watch – and the few occasions that I could see James and Caroline dance, realised that I did not take my eyes off Caroline – she has the ‘it’ factor visually – and when I first saw wheelchair dancing on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">youtube</span> before the first audition, realised back then, that it looks better ‘visually’ if there is little height discrepancy between the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">combi</span> couples.</div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 209px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447375372094999234" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5j3ChvvCsI/AAAAAAAAAdg/ZhsNkkQyASo/s400/wow+mark+and+di.jpg" /> <p align="center"><em>(Mark Foster - 6'6" – hello!)</em></p><p align="justify">This, of course, again, is a ‘visual’ factor – v imp for <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">tv</span> – not so important for competitions where the judges would base on ability and connection of and between the couple. And as Pippa (dance trainer) Roberts kept saying: <em>‘Mark’s height would be an advantage in wheelchair dance competitions – on the tightly packed <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">dancefloor</span>, all the judges would have no problem in seeing him!’<br /></em><br />It was regarded (so I believe) that I was the most proficient mover/dancer in the dancing wheelchair from the outset.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447391826577719154" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5kGATeH_3I/AAAAAAAAAgw/xlJzF_Zjp9s/s400/wow+ade.jpg" /></p><p align="center"><em>comfirmed by Judge<strong> Ade Adepitan's</strong> comments<br />on all of my performances</em> </p><div align="justify">These skills developed not from using a wheelchair – I mainly use prosthetics – but because of my 3 years training in wheelchair tennis – and therefore having a good idea of what difficult high speed movement can be achieved in the chair. Combined with the learned ability to move my body into initially ‘difficult’ positions – again, acquired from learning to walk in two prosthetics where you are forcing the body to adapt to difficult body movement.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 199px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447375378765496610" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5j3C6mGwSI/AAAAAAAAAdo/X55V9gktr8Y/s400/wow+mark+and+di+cuddle.jpg" /></div><p align="justify">However, skills aside (please notice that during the Quickstep, Mark and I are moving so fast, all five wheels of the wheelchair come off the floor!) this year I will turn 50. There, I have said it, one of the possible key factors in the final result is age.<br /><br /><strong>And this is my party/blog so I will cry/make statements if I want to.</strong><br /><br />We were told from the beginning that BBC3’s remit (amongst others) was to produce programming for the ‘difficult to reach’ audience of 18-34 year <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">olds</span>. (Look back and one of first posts to see how I felt at the first audition.)<br /><br />And this fact was re-enforced throughout the whole of making of DOW. During the break backstage, before we were due to go out to receive the judge’s deliberations, Harry <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Lansdowne</span> (BBC3 Commissioning Editor) interviewed me on camera – and from what I recall, every one of his questions related to age. Perhaps he was worried, that due to the reception to our Quickstep, the Judges would announce us the winners. Certainly, that was the ‘backstage’ vibe.<br /><br /><strong>But it was not to be.<br /></strong><br />And all I can say that not to win –<em> the relief was incredible</em>. Mark and I had done our best, in the circumstances, and that is good enough for me.<br /></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 238px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447376210409930594" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5j3zUtlv2I/AAAAAAAAAdw/L0FADiGutps/s400/wow+mark+di.jpg" /> <p align="justify">Let's boil it all down to the most important key fact: Mark and I were adept at Ballroom, but not at Latin. <em>James and Caroline were excellent in each <strong>– they deserved to win.<br /></strong></em><br />I was on a high for two weeks after the finals. Never before (apart from giving birth to my beautiful daughter, Lara) have I felt such a sense of achievement.<br /><br />So, dearest WOW Watchers, and to those of you who still feel that we should have won – wait till you see next week’s episode the ‘final’ final.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 270px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447375364273622786" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5j3CEm-TwI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/7zH_42RMELI/s400/wow+smiling+mark+and+di.jpg" /></p><em>And then you will hopefully understand why, <strong>although we <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>’t win the competition. . . <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447375370572432818" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5j3CcEuhbI/AAAAAAAAAdY/8PnX2duduvQ/s400/wow+all+smiles.jpg" /></strong></em> <strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">. . .both Mark and I feel like The Winners</span></strong><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for subscribing to Dancing On Wheels!</div>Diana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358620525959597707.post-71281443059169133142010-03-10T20:41:00.008+00:002010-03-13T11:16:13.911+00:00Just in, on YouTube<div align="justify"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">Those fabulous FFs. . .</span></strong><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 206px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447109996140558770" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5gFrnRv-bI/AAAAAAAAAdA/2H8wZs5cfg4/s400/FF+bracelets.jpg" />otherwise known as. . .<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 220px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 115px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447109433886186306" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5gFK4t3G0I/AAAAAAAAAcw/tm6yZNigdKU/s400/team+awesome+tshirt.jpg" />have produced the most beautiful video, dedicated to all involved in<strong> Dancing On Wheels</strong>! <p></p><p align="center"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llNW3Ib-qHg"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#00cccc;">Follow this link<br />to view the video.</span></strong></a></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for subscribing to Dancing On Wheels!</div>Diana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358620525959597707.post-83244487090427258812010-03-08T12:33:00.008+00:002010-03-12T09:09:44.486+00:00Murder off the Dancefloor<div align="justify"><strong>James O’Shea is an adorable twat.</strong> No, no dear readers, am not maligning my dance rival in a bid to win the top prize.<br /><br />No, James, from my v personal perspective is just that – an adorable twat. And I say this from the bottom of my v full heart. (Quite a few people have said by the way, that they like the way I have ‘worn my heart on my sleeve’ – for the record I haven’t. At no point in the entire process do you see me explaining the real reasons for my being a tad emotional at times during training and filming).<br /><br />Us wheelie competitors had a number of group discussions – most of which sadly, have not made the final cut. These were often interesting – especially the exchanges between Simone and me – (Ed: obviously not interesting enough to make the final cut). One discussion that stands out is when all six of us chatted about who our dance partners might be. At this point us girls knew – and we were sworn to secrecy. James, unlike, Harry and Paul, didn’t seem to be that bothered.<br /><br /><em>‘I hope I get Jade Goody.’</em> Was his only comment.<br /><br />Cue sharp intakes of breath from the rest of us disabalos. This was April last year. Three months after Jade’s v sad death.<br /><br />Never mind the X Factor eh, James, you adorable twat. More like the Shock Factor.<br /><br />Or another O’Shea quote, on introducing himself to the rest of us:<em> ‘My name’s James and I’m a carer. Only I don’t care very much.’ </em>This made me howl with laughter – and respond:<em> ‘Yeah, I freelance for the charity sector, but hardly ever feel charitable.’<br /></em><br />Only joking folks – although it does remind me when I interviewed <strong>Bob <em>‘Saint’</em> Geldof</strong> back in 1989, in Cannes. (<strong>WOW Namedropping Alert.</strong>)<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 392px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446251165049910722" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5T4lEJbdcI/AAAAAAAAAb4/01zKvxURbds/s400/Bob+Geldof.jpg" />His presence was making my knees shake. (I had two knees, back then.)<br /><br />Looking at my media pass badge, those fierce Irish eyes of his seemed to bore down into my stomach, and he said: <em>‘Don’t ask me about charity Diana. Who gives a fokking fok for charity?’</em> I had an exclusive on my hands. Never used it though.<br /><br />I first encountered James in the first audition – in Stratford. And to be frank, well, he scared me a bit. There was a point in the audition process where all 25 of us had to freestyle disco dance on the dance floor, altogether (cue fair bit of arm waving, executing wheelies and wheelie spins and feeling like a bit of twat). David Tibballs asked us to head for someone to ‘duo dance’ with. I headed for James – and he for me – not because, I hope, of our being double leg amps but both sensed good dancing in our midst?! – but at last second of scooting up to James, I swung away into Grant’s path. (Grant was another one of auditionees and my girlfriend Jax who had been observing indicated he seemed quite good). I couldn’t help but register the hurt on James’ face – he probably won’t even recall this tiny moment in the whole<strong> DOW</strong> process – and James, if you’re reading this, I am sorry if you were hurt. But you did scare me a bit.<br /><br /><strong>First instincts. <em>Always right?</em></strong><em><br /></em><br />Certainly, in this case.</div><br /><div align="justify">Note in this pic the concentrated look on my face as I attempt to deliver a prosthetic kick to James without attracting the attention of the others. . .<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446235603275788850" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5TqbQBWsjI/AAAAAAAAAbo/t1XBkdWnU5I/s400/modf4.jpg" /></div><div align="justify">. . . but while I tried to poison my toughest competitor (have always been fascinated by the Borgias). . .</div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 368px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446235601219083522" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5TqbIW_3QI/AAAAAAAAAbY/g4GchP4GFSw/s400/modf2.jpg" /> <p align="justify">. . .James, in typical James fashion, moved in for the ‘Murder off the Dancefloor’ move – at 120 mph. . .<br /><br /><strong>That’s all am saying at this point.</strong><br /><br />Watch <strong>DOW</strong> on 11 March to find out how. That’s if the Exec Producers and Editors have seen fit to put in the footage I have in mind. (Ed: if there is swearing involved, of course they will include!)<br /><br />For all of you who can’t see <strong>DOW</strong>, I apologise. But will post something immediately after the show goes out 10pm to put you in the crime picture.<br /><br />In the meantime, here are a couple of the adorable twat’s beautiful guns….. Bruno – eat your heart out!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446235602979420418" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5TqbO6seQI/AAAAAAAAAbg/rNBN45d1giw/s400/modf3.jpg" /></p><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Gorgeous face, shame about the legs, eh James?<br />Now, only</em> <strong>WOW</strong> <em>could get away with such a statement.<br /><strong>Or can she?</strong></em></span><br /></div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;">.</span><br />Lovely lads – Elstree hotel, night before show 2. </div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 189px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446235597843914466" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5Tqa7yS3uI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/sfSQUd0fklY/s400/modf1.jpg" /> <p align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Paul, Howard, Harry and James<br />(Howard is a Senior Researcher at Fever Media)</span></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for subscribing to Dancing On Wheels!</div>Diana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358620525959597707.post-804706209644676022010-03-08T11:55:00.008+00:002010-03-08T13:45:53.074+00:00Wicked Soul<div align="justify">One day - soon - I hope to be able to create and perform a dance to this stunning song: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnRpchHbfMo&feature=related"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Wicked Soul</span></strong></a>, by Kubb.<br /><br />During training I suggested it to Brian - and Kristina - and they both loved it as well - there was then a discusssion as to what type of ballroom/latin dance should be applied. Brian thought the hustle or a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merengue_(dance)"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">merengue</span></strong></a>.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446232106179171090" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5TnPsUjExI/AAAAAAAAAbA/I8kJt4KLlwo/s400/brian+and+k2.jpg" />Of course I have to agree with the Boss, but tango moves keep coming to mind. Is there such a thing as a 'Tustle'? in the dance world?<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446232110405630882" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5TnP8ENu6I/AAAAAAAAAbI/PB7OjrMoDqM/s400/brian+and+k1.jpg" />So all you dancers out there - especially experienced males who think they could leap into the wheelie dancing world and whisk me off my rhinestone wheels...</div><div align="justify"><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">. . .I am waiting.</span></strong></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for subscribing to Dancing On Wheels!</div>Diana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358620525959597707.post-7875804232754300182010-03-07T12:57:00.006+00:002010-03-08T12:41:06.509+00:00A SMILE IN A WHISPER<div align="justify"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Some Final Thoughts*, Di’s Diary, July 2009</span></strong><br /><br />(*as in thoughts from my diary, not <strong>WOW</strong>’s final final thoughts. You didn’t think I would go that easily, did you?) </div><div align="justify"><br /><strong>So Mark and I are in the Final. </strong></div><div align="justify"><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Surreal.</span></strong></div><div align="justify"><br /><strong>To think I wasn’t even in the ‘contest’ initially.</strong> And then to be paired with Mark, who, from what I can gather, received some scathingly Judgemental comments about his performances in Strictly. And I am 20 years older than any of the other contestants. Well, on those facts alone we were the rank outsiders at the beginning.<br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 237px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445871823333809154" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5OfkeIe3AI/AAAAAAAAAaA/uk2QfMIx1UI/s400/w5+Boris+meet.jpg" /> <p align="justify"><strong>But I remember the turning point so clearly</strong> that hot day, just weeks ago, in the hottest dance studio when Brian and I were dancing so fluidly and then Mark and I did and Brian whispers to both of us, <em>"You know guys, this was possibly only a one or two horse race, I think all that’s changed now."<br /></em><br />And then he shouts (Bronx style): <em>"<strong>I am pumped!</strong>"</em></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445872131840745986" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5Of2baRIgI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/CgU8npsXcNw/s400/W5+laughing.jpg" /> <p align="justify"><strong>It wasn’t only Mark and I connecting on a friendship level</strong> immediately, that helped. I think it was the laughs we had on that day that, to me, turned the whole difficult process around.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445871807665171474" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5OfjjwybBI/AAAAAAAAAZw/OmNJ05qhpak/s400/w5+di+and+mark+laugh.jpg" /><strong>I had underestimated the brain strain</strong> of taking so much instruction in, using a ‘different’ language – the language of dance, plus getting my body to move in new ways. (Although this latter part does come more easily to me – nothing could be as difficult as learning to walk again on prosthetics. It took me 6 months – and walking up and down in parallel bars with my walkman on, pacing up and down up and down like a caged lioness, until I had got it right. )<br /><br /><strong>There are also the added pressures</strong> of having the cameras around, and being almost permanently miked up for sound – although it is true, you do forget about them (the equipment, not the people behind them), but the unreal world is very real when it comes to pressure. The stress upon Brian, (choreographing 6 dances for 6 different, very different couples, the demands of the production etc) is extreme.<br /><br /><strong>Brian’s stress was palpable on that day</strong> vibrating in every one of his movements, and frequently in his voice.<br /><br /><strong>We were working hard and I could feel the stress in Brian’s body</strong> but it was Mark, as I recollect, who cracked a few of his subtle jokes, then I did, then Mark (it was stifling in the room) suddenly took his top off and attempted our opening tango move. I laughed so much could hardly get my words out.<em> ‘I …am ..not.. I cannot.. dance with you like that. It's like dancing with a freaking ..a ..an upmarket Chippendale..’</em> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 312px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445872030251993938" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5Ofwg9ny1I/AAAAAAAAAaI/WdBY3ChJtH8/s400/w5+++B+M+D+laugh+tonic.jpg" /></p><div align="justify"><strong>All of us relaxed after that. And the dancing flowed.<br /><span style="color:#000000;">.</span></strong><span style="color:#000000;"> </span><br /><strong>And does, and so does the humour.</strong> Most of which is unprintable. (And certainly not viewable. One infamous moment came last week when Brian yelled something at me and even Neil ‘Rubi’ Rubes put the camera down, his mouth hanging open in shock. Even I was speechless.)<br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5Of2r_zVlI/AAAAAAAAAaY/rfifFT1-qWc/s1600-h/w5+neil.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445872136293144146" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5Of2r_zVlI/AAAAAAAAAaY/rfifFT1-qWc/s400/w5+neil.jpg" /> <p align="justify"></a>It’s is the same with Pippa. She kept (and still does now) calling me Diane. Which I hate. Then she told us that ‘Pippa’ in Polish means the ‘C’ word. So every time she calls me Diane I just shout – <em>Oy, Polish Pippa, what’s my name?<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445871813552947426" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5Ofj5siwOI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/YyiSu9QpSvc/s400/w5+pippa.jpg" /></em></p><div align="justify">So hardly a smile in a whisper, eh Pippa, more<em> Shout Shout, let it all out</em>. By Tears for Fears.<br /><br /><strong>I do have fears <em>(about this final week).</em> And there’s bound to be tears. As long as there’s smiles and laughter as well.<br /></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Bring It On.</span></strong></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for subscribing to Dancing On Wheels!</div>Diana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358620525959597707.post-75304976519851555162010-03-07T12:30:00.000+00:002010-03-08T08:36:07.492+00:00THE SHOW<div align="justify"><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">After much laughter, many tears and a few tantrums</span></strong> Mark and WOW are through to the finals of DOW!<br /></div><div align="center"><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">WOW DOW!!</span></strong> </div><div align="justify"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 207px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444859783654143922" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5AHIAiD97I/AAAAAAAAAZI/FMXC-daXYXc/s400/di+Waltz.jpg" /></div><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 280px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444859781197832242" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5AHH3YboDI/AAAAAAAAAZA/kOflyVBknyM/s400/di+Mark+and+Di+Waltz+backstage.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444859778655694306" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5AHHt6VreI/AAAAAAAAAY4/blI-egb5ttI/s400/di+waltz2.jpg" /> <em><span style="font-size:85%;">(Ed: if you think there were tantrums and tears<br />in the lead up to the final, just wait till next week<br />- will WOW go AWOL?)<br /><br /></span></em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 328px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444859790203471714" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5AHIY7ix2I/AAAAAAAAAZQ/AYHHzAUW2tY/s400/di+Through+to+final+hug.jpg" /></div><div align="center"></div><div align="justify">In the meantime, dear blog watchers/followers, and all those who might think <strong>WOW</strong> is a bloggie/techno genius. . .<em> she's not</em>.<em><span style="color:#ff0000;"> </span></em><a href="http://chiaroscurochiaroscuro.blogspot.com/2010/03/beautiful-music-dangerous-rhythm-its.html"><strong><em><span style="color:#ff0000;">But this lady is</span></em></strong></a>. She is the <strong>WOW <em>'Web Mistress'</em></strong>, (<strong>WOW</strong> writes the words and provides the pix.)</div><div align="justify"><br /><strong>And whilst we're on the subject, <span style="color:#ffffff;">thank you to everyone</span> who has shown such amazing interest so far. Keep on clicking. . . there is quite a bit more to come!</strong> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for subscribing to Dancing On Wheels!</div>Diana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358620525959597707.post-55938564505280231962010-03-07T12:23:00.009+00:002010-03-07T12:33:10.207+00:00Quotes from the Semi-Finals<div align="justify"><strong>Brian to Diana</strong> (while attempting to execute the difficult trick of standing, balancing on the wheelchair footplate, straddling my ‘longer leg’ for balance):</div><p align="center"><span style="font-size:100%;"><em>‘Di, that stump is in the way.’</em><br />(tries to move it out of the way of his legs)<br /></span><strong><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445866803029190722" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5ObAQClqEI/AAAAAAAAAZY/HNVuRiNiB9g/s400/w5+brian.jpg" /><span style="font-size:100%;">Diana:</span></strong> <em>‘Surgeon anyone?<br />Should we call for a surgeon?’<br /></em><br /><strong>(Ed: is there nothing <span style="color:#ffffff;">WOW</span> won’t do for this show?)</strong></p><p align="justify"><strong>Harry:</strong> <em>‘Michelle (Gayle) is wonderful. If I’d got someone who was a push-over, well, I would have pushed them over. . .<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445867480448782226" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5ObnroAT5I/AAAAAAAAAZo/51kISO5LnNc/s400/harry+michelle.jpg" /></em></p><p align="center"><em>. . .but Michelle, she don’t take no shit.’</em></p><div align="justify"><strong>James</strong> (after waterski-ing):</div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 189px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445867393189627170" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S5ObimjzRSI/AAAAAAAAAZg/aJ2wTNjiUMc/s400/james+peeing.jpg" /> <p align="center"><em>‘All of the water’s really warm now.<br />Everyone must have been peeing in it.’</em> </p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for subscribing to Dancing On Wheels!</div>Diana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358620525959597707.post-75146699549296492082010-03-04T11:24:00.026+00:002010-03-04T20:25:56.968+00:00FORTUNA FANTASTICS LOOK AWAY NOW!<div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 358px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444741179151526290" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4-bQUVEqZI/AAAAAAAAAXA/RywXYQmu5n0/s400/week+4+brian+intense.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 318px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444741178805983954" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4-bQTCsGtI/AAAAAAAAAXI/rgLMakeJZ_M/s400/week+4+di+and+brian.jpg" /> <em><span style="font-size:85%;">the things WOW has to do in the name of dance -<br />it’s a tough job, someone’s got to do it!</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">(<strong>Ed:</strong> someone seems to be enjoying this training<br />a little too much...)</span></em></div><br /><div align="justify"><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">TRAINING </span><br /></span><span style="color:#ffffff;">Dance:</span></strong> <strong>The Waltz</strong> (and repeat of <strong>The Tango</strong>)<br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Music:</span></strong> <em>Fascination, </em>Nat King Cole, Pa’ Bailar (Tango)<br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Debrief:</span></strong> Sunday<br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Training Days:</span></strong> Monday - Thursday<br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Training Hours:</span></strong> split between Brian and Pippa, with some help from Kristina.<br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 339px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444741408859362882" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4-bdsDsFkI/AAAAAAAAAXY/OOXVAp7-qW0/s400/week+4+harry.jpg" /> <div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">the things Harry has to do in the name of dance…<br />it’s a tough life eh?</span></em><br /></div><p align="justify"><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Tricky Moves:</span></strong><br />(1) Getting down from the ramp on the floor to Mark in time with the music.<br />(2) Being ordered by The Boss not to let Mark kiss me until the live show. . .<br />(3) Not throttling James, when he - having broken his wheelchair - dismantled the whole thing in one of our training sessions, knowing full well Brian would stop training us in order to fix it (Brian is not only highly accomplished at most everything he turns his hands to, he is also a bit of geek). He fixed it – two hours later (with Mark’s help). Then Mark had a go at my chair:<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 344px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444741184945544514" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4-bQp6eXUI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/mMXJmowT40Q/s400/week+4+di+and+mark2.jpg" /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;"><br />Number of jellybeans consumed this week:</span></strong><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 318px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 318px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444747332931820194" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4-g2g8oGqI/AAAAAAAAAYI/L-RKMzgEkNA/s400/jelly+beans2.jpg" /> <p align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">the trouble with jellybeans is that WOW has quite big hands<br />and once you have developed the ‘scooping’ action required,<br />before WOW realises, the whole lot has gone<br /><strong>(Ed – she also has a big mouth)</strong></span></em><br /></p><p align="justify"><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Back to training:</span><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444748611863464514" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4-iA9VsSkI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/FMbkI_GwGWU/s400/week+for+Brian+di+and+mark.jpg" /></strong></p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4-b9rhNjPI/AAAAAAAAAYA/_N8a5sC4JZM/s1600-h/week+4+di+and+mark.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 255px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444741958470569202" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4-b9rhNjPI/AAAAAAAAAYA/_N8a5sC4JZM/s400/week+4+di+and+mark.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4-bwx0eI9I/AAAAAAAAAX4/Sbo6Q4ZZFvA/s1600-h/week+4+di.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 309px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444741736823661522" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4-bwx0eI9I/AAAAAAAAAX4/Sbo6Q4ZZFvA/s400/week+4+di.jpg" /></a>Pippa shows us how not to hold our arms in separation.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 172px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444741654351181746" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4-br-lf97I/AAAAAAAAAXw/ht5ZLrfEAo4/s400/week+4+pippa2.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 293px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444741418460237330" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4-beP0tzhI/AAAAAAAAAXg/Jt1cY-WnFiM/s400/week+4+pippa.jpg" /> <p align="justify">We have a go.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 244px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444741416689539922" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4-beJOjG1I/AAAAAAAAAXo/kupQqZCv3CA/s400/week+4+pippa+di+and+mark.jpg" /></p><em><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">is it back to the effing Albatross again?</span></em></p><p align="justify"><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Most over-used word of the week/Star of the Show:</span> <span style="color:#ffffff;"><em>Ralph</em></span></strong><em> </em>(who's Ralph? <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X_L1yh0QW8&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=9FC929D8780F98F9"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">click here</span></strong></a>!)</p><p align="justify"><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">WOW sense of achievement:</span></strong> <strong>High</strong> (<em>again</em>) mainly due to getting to practise kissing with two hunks of burning love….<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444758625043253554" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4-rHzVyiTI/AAAAAAAAAYw/936e35CDzFs/s400/week+4+di+and+mark3.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444758622648353570" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4-rHqazQyI/AAAAAAAAAYo/pgL60mFIHWg/s400/week+4+di+and+brian2.jpg" /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Filming with these crazy people is making us go a bit bananas</span>:</span></strong> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 226px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444740974925528034" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4-bEbhzO-I/AAAAAAAAAWw/Um7R37E690Q/s400/week+4+crew.jpg" /></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Neil <em>Rubi</em> Rubenstein</strong> <em>(Producer/Director) and</em><strong><br />Lucy<em> Lu</em> Bauckman</strong> <em>(Production Assistant)<br /></em></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>can't stop monkeying around</em></span></p><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">THE SEMI-FINAL LINE-UP:</span></strong><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 322px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444740978195170034" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4-bEntWAvI/AAAAAAAAAW4/j0YSUNKlOfc/s400/week+4+all2.jpg" /> <p align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">(with Kristina Rhianoff)</span></em></p><p align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 336px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444740971421872578" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4-bEOedscI/AAAAAAAAAWo/V7eGHzU-hrI/s400/week+4+all.jpg" /><span style="font-size:85%;"> (<em>with Lucy Bauckman, Production Assistant,<br />and Kristina Rhianoff)</em></span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for subscribing to Dancing On Wheels!</div>Diana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358620525959597707.post-64110481099272732002010-02-27T20:49:00.031+00:002010-04-26T22:16:05.203+01:00The Eye of the Tiger<div align="justify"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4mv1W7n08I/AAAAAAAAAUI/Cdm2fS0jjok/s1600-h/pase+doble23.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 345px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443074955877536706" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4mv1W7n08I/AAAAAAAAAUI/Cdm2fS0jjok/s400/pase+doble23.jpg" /></a><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">WOW WARNING!</span> DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME</div></strong><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 312px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443033400830159938" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4mKCiURbEI/AAAAAAAAARA/cjH7Op0pP1Y/s400/pase+doble20.jpg" /><br /><div align="justify"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">TRAINING: Week 3</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">The Dance:</span></strong> The Paso Doble.<br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Music:</span></strong> <em>Eye of the Tiger</em>, Survivor.<br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Debrief:</span></strong> Saturday 4 July (someone stank of drink, someone didn’t show up).<br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Training Days:</span></strong> Sunday 5 July through to Thursday 10 July.<br /><strong><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">Training Hours:</span></strong> Enough to get through dance ok, including a snatched couple of hours on Sunday with Mark, missing a lunch drinks party and the Wimbledon Final.<br /><strong><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">New nicknames this week:</span></strong> Three, Brian on Diana - <em>Little Bo Peep;</em> Brian on himself - <em>Tony</em> (as in Tony Soprano – due to Brian’s vocal delivery in heavy duty Bronx accent, and him seeming to be tougher than ever on all of us, especially with regards to the difficulty level of ‘tricks’); Diana on Mark - <em>Daddy Longlegs</em>.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>No of Liquorice allsorts consumed this week:</strong> </span>One full box (half price from TK Maxx – Woo Hoo!). Even ate the nasty little nubs of pure liquorice. Always start with pink and yellow coconut ones. TMI, sorry.</div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 327px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443059726314581266" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4mh-4Y3LRI/AAAAAAAAATY/CTD9HczTVCU/s400/lic+alls.jpg" /><br /><div align="justify"><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Heated Debate of the Week:</span></strong> Brian and Simone.<br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Most over-used word of the Week:</span></strong> Cambridge.<br /><strong><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">WOW Sense of Achievement Rating (scale of low through to high):</span></strong> High.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Three tricky tricks:</span></strong> Brian pushed Mark and I to the limit for daring, with twists on the standard dance and character themes for the pase doble. . . the bull, the cape, the matador and the flamenco dancer.</div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443060968281229394" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4mjHLEySFI/AAAAAAAAATg/AIx4Q3l1bQI/s400/pase+doble13.jpg" /> <p align="center"><em>Brian to Di:<br />"you'll have a couple of centimetres clearance"<br />(note Brian's right hand!)</em><br /></p><p align="center"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 227px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443033392802571074" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4mKCEaWI0I/AAAAAAAAAQw/cme7cCsjJ4w/s400/pase+doble15.jpg" /><strong>and we did!<br /></strong>thank goodness for Daddy Longlegs</em></p><div align="justify"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443038522947862834" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4mOsrsTATI/AAAAAAAAATQ/wm6fIqhGGoI/s400/pase+doble22.jpg" /></div><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4mkQTeQC7I/AAAAAAAAATo/u40asSmyfsE/s1600-h/pase+doble33.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 380px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443062224665971634" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4mkQTeQC7I/AAAAAAAAATo/u40asSmyfsE/s400/pase+doble33.jpg" /></a><br /><div align="justify"><strong><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443038006457805362" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4mOOnneKjI/AAAAAAAAASw/59jyW70sE_A/s400/pase+doble12.jpg" /><span style="color:#ffffff;">The ‘Ouch’ Factor:</span></strong> Quite a few. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443038003712515922" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4mOOdY8X1I/AAAAAAAAASo/gvyLrLsvimg/s400/pase+doble11.jpg" /></div><div align="center"><em>clearly Mark can feel the strain<br />of my incredible Liquorice Allsorts diet</em><br /></div><div align="justify"><br />Top ‘Ouch’ prize this week however goes to Harry Maule. . .<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4mm9CjFBlI/AAAAAAAAAUA/iMXBESi3Bzg/s1600-h/Week+3+DOW+040.JPG"></div></a><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 262px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443065192240186962" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4mm9CjFBlI/AAAAAAAAAUA/iMXBESi3Bzg/s400/Week+3+DOW+040.JPG" />. . .for dancing beyond his pain boundaries to create the most beautiful, loving Viennese Waltz with Michelle.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 306px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443086907131887378" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4m6tA0s_xI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/z4hw4ERiiuE/s400/harry+and+michelle.jpg" /> Their dancing even made <strong>James <em>‘Dread Judge’</em> Jordan</strong> emotional: Result!<br /><br />This week we all had usual number of sessions with Brian and <strong>Pippa Roberts</strong>.<br /><div align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4mKn266cxI/AAAAAAAAARQ/ficirFVRIpU/s1600-h/mark+and+pippa2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443034042016101138" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4mKn266cxI/AAAAAAAAARQ/ficirFVRIpU/s400/mark+and+pippa2.jpg" /></a><em> Pippa and Mark demonstrate<br />the highs and lows of <strong>separation</strong></em></div><div align="center"><em>the long and short of the <strong>sixteens<br /></strong>and the little and large of the <strong>side steps</strong><br />of the pase doble</em><br /><br /><div align="justify"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4mKnmggzFI/AAAAAAAAARI/OB0FmDu8zQA/s1600-h/mark+and+pippa.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443034037610400850" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4mKnmggzFI/AAAAAAAAARI/OB0FmDu8zQA/s400/mark+and+pippa.jpg" /></a>The fragrant <em>Marilyn Monroe Lookee Likee</em>, <strong>Kristina Rhianoff</strong> joined us. She is lovely – superb dancer, obviously, but also pleasantly empathetic, and also has emotional depth. Good teacher as well.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 333px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443036012014568914" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4mMahvJhdI/AAAAAAAAASI/CHv5u-n8t7U/s400/pase+doble8.jpg" /> </div><div align="center"><em>as you will note from this photo,<br />my eyes should be envious green, not Tiger hazel in colour</em></div><br /><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>The Show</strong><br /></span></span><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Number of Bouquets received:</span></strong> Nil<br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Number of Cards received:</span></strong> 3 – including another lovely Thank you one from Mark. He wrote: "<em>Di, Thank you for being so patient and training so hard. Week 3, let’s see if we can make Week 4 !! Love Mark, Your Matador x"</em> (loving the Matador look Marky)<br /><span style="color:#000000;">.</span><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Wardrobe:</span></strong> Wonderful Wardrobe Mistress Louise Egan, and her support team including the v funny Jane ‘Popper’ Spice have done it again.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 167px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443064678720742482" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4mmfJigJFI/AAAAAAAAAT4/-ercCdDSV-A/s400/035.JPG" />They produced a stunning costume, the colour ways in muted golds, greens, almost simulating tiger fur/and eyes.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 124px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 66px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443037995012986786" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4mON8-0F6I/AAAAAAAAASQ/cpIogCFKMK4/s400/tigers+eye.jpg" />Only trouble is it’s a two piece, v short bolero top and below waist skirt, and all that belly flop space in between. Lou texted me a picture of the outfit, then on Tuesday Jane brought it over. I was holding myself in so much almost turned blue, but hey, with the flesh coloured body stocking, you can't see the odd ripple of flesh or the two tiny holes in my tum where there once was a sapphire belly button piercing. I’d had it done nearly 10 years ago, it looked great, until I put on weight (overdosing on stress and cortisol hormones as CEO of a charity 2003-2005). The belly ring disappeared between two comfy spare tyres of fat. Had to remove it. Could go back in again no trouble now…eurghhhh, WOW wonders if this is just TMI. Sorry.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Make-up:</span></strong> The fabulous Edith is my make-up artist.<strong><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443035999594541010" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4mMZzd-79I/AAAAAAAAARo/5rNCMafFris/s400/pase+doble4.jpg" /></strong></div><div align="center"><em>Edith spray paints me<br />(Ed: what are you? a car?<br />I've seen Skodas with better colour than that.)<br />number of liquorice allsorts WOW wishes she'd eaten: zero</em><br /></div></div><br /><div align="center"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443036003201619986" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4mMaA5-mBI/AAAAAAAAARw/Gcg9HFuS0xA/s400/pase+doble5.jpg" />amount of make-up required: none</em></div><br /><br /><div align="justify"><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Cutting Floor Comment:</span></strong> My comment about the BBC Licence Fee payers. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443036005439359282" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4mMaJPfyTI/AAAAAAAAAR4/bV-YpTSAwUc/s400/pase+doble6.jpg" /></div><div align="center"><em>the devil's in the detail, eh David?</em><br /></div><br /><div align="justify"><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">WOW’s quote of the Week:</span></strong> (as I am about to go onto the dance floor) <em>“Just going to make final check on the seat-belt, otherwise – Di, SPLAT.”<br /><br /></em><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Finally, we're on:</span></strong> Hours and hours of effort for a minute and a half of spine tingling joy. (Now, what does that remind WOW of?)<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 269px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443087140861013634" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4m66niEboI/AAAAAAAAAUo/Z--1iF5Xwbs/s400/show+leap.jpg" /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 228px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443086919501954194" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4m6tu59PJI/AAAAAAAAAUg/2T7NJJB6pBc/s400/show1.jpg" /></div><br /><div align="center"><em><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">and. . .<br />we're through to the semi-finals!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443034047388020674" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4mKoK7rb8I/AAAAAAAAARY/gGRxtX0jjEM/s400/pase+doble2.jpg" /></span></strong></em></div><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">For all you FFs out there!</span> The Eyes of the Tiger. . .</strong><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4nDgbSxEoI/AAAAAAAAAUw/SFVsUc65zTo/s1600-h/Brian+and+the+eyes.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 192px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443096586503656066" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aySWFgAHn94/S4nDgbSxEoI/AAAAAAAAAUw/SFVsUc65zTo/s400/Brian+and+the+eyes.jpg" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for subscribing to Dancing On Wheels!</div>Diana Morgan-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01413910010182118229noreply@blogger.com1