Li Jin Mae - BBC2 - The Mekong River with Sue Perkins

I hesitate to spell this brilliant ladies name because it was only said aloud on the program, but I think it might be Li Jin Mae. She is an Aini woman in China trying to keep the traditions of her people alive in the midst of a rapidly changing culture that pursues the new and modern. I like how she doesn't completely vilify technological advances, they're kind of ok you know? There's pros and cons. It's the way we live now and it's moving so fast we don't always have time to get used to the changes or to sit down and work out what is worth preserving of the old ways of doing things, and what is fine to throw out with the bathwater. Or Mekong River water in this case. 

I like Sue Perkins as a travalogueer, and I enjoy how tall she looks in China and how polite and jovial she is, like a young Steven Fry. I do miss her presence on the the Comic Relief Bake Off though. 

Katy Brand on Pop's Greatest Dance Crazes

So I was just watching an old talking heads dance program on iPlayer which was recommended to me after I ran out of new episodes of The Voice to watch (sad times) while I drew this castle or something for this women who is paying me. 

And I really wanted to draw this quote from Katy Brand, perhaps I should have drawn her in full on Beyonce gear, because they played the clip from when she did the Single Ladies dance for Sports Relief, do you remember that? I'm not sure why I do but I do. 

I love this quote because it reminds us of how truly democratic artistic expression is, that ANYONE can do amazing things. All they need is time and impetus and, presumably in this case, first rate tuition. Dance is almost up there with poetry as the most accessible of artforms, some people are naturally talented at moving their hips or turning a phrase, or were lucky to grow up in an environment that encouraged them to shake their booty from a tender age, or read the Nation's Favuorite Poems. But even people that are really not talented or lucky can still do these things. 

I mean, Katy Brand was really good at the Beyonce dance. So maybe she is talented and lucky. But her charmingly British self effacing talking head bit suggests not. So there's still hope for you!