An International Dance Day Message by Gurdeep Pandher

General

An International Dance Day Message by Gurdeep Pandher

This year our International Dance Day message comes from the inspirational and world-famous Yukon-based Bhangra dance artist Gurdeep Pandher. Initiated in 1982 by UNESCO, International Dance Day is marked annually on April 29 across Canada and around the world.

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My name is Gurdeep Pandher. I am from the Yukon Territory of Canada. I dance Bhangra in the Arctic regions and on frozen lakes for mental wellbeing, healing, optimism, and to build cross-cultural bridges. Bhangra is the vibrant folk dance of Punjab, created by Punjabi farmers long ago. I have been using this movement practice since my formative years.

During the COVID-19, my Bhangra videos gained a wider audience. From my cabin in the Yukon wilderness, I shared daily dance videos to spread joy, hope, and positivity. People sent me hundreds of handwritten letters back to my cabin to tell me these videos lifted their spirits during difficult times. They shared how watching my Bhangra dance videos brought them joy, even in life’s hardest moments.

Dance Holds Deep Meaning:

For me, dance transcends mere entertainment or recreational activity. In my experience, dance embodies profound meaning and commands deep respect, serving as a transformative force that has the extraordinary ability to kindle pure joy in the innermost chambers of one’s soul. I view dance as a powerful medicine — medicine in motion, a living remedy that flows through movement and expression.

The Shared Heart of Dance Forms:

While different dances may appear distinct on the surface, they share fundamental similarities across all regions of the world. I discovered this truth after exploring numerous dance forms beyond Bhangra — from ballet to tap dancing, Ukrainian dance to Irish dance, salsa to Indigenous dance circles, and highland dancing to bachata. Through these diverse experiences, I realized that dance forms differ mainly in their cosmetic details, like specific arm, leg, body and facial movements. At its essence, dance is about touching hearts, sparking genuine smiles, and sharing vibrant positive energy.

Dance: A Force That Unites:

From my perspective, dance possesses a remarkable ability to unite people. It dissolves the artificial barriers we construct between ourselves, delivering a profound message about our shared humanity. Throughout my extensive experience leading dance sessions and workshops across all parts of Canada, I have witnessed countless transformations. People initially arrive as complete strangers, often approaching with hesitation and uncertainty. They join with reserved expectations, perhaps doubting their abilities and feeling hesitant around others. But by the session’s end, something magical occurs. These same people depart as friends, their hearts and minds opened to new possibilities and smiles, their perspectives fundamentally transformed into a sense of community through the shared experience of movement.

Dance Builds Cross-Cultural Bridges:

In our current era of increasing global polarization and discord, where some religious and political figures sometimes spread messages of hate and division to rise to power, dance emerges as a powerful antidote. It’s not merely theoretical; I have seen firsthand how dancing together dissolves all forms of polarization and division, creating genuine human connection. Dance serves as an exceptional builder of cross-cultural bridges. Within my sessions and workshops with people from diverse cultures, I have observed dance working as a catalyst for extraordinary heart-to-heart connection. It seamlessly brings together people from every conceivable background — different races, religions, regions, and nationalities — weaving them into a beautiful and unifying human tapestry.

Dance as Medicine for Mental Health:

During a particularly challenging period in my own life, when darkness seemed to overwhelm me, I discovered dance’s therapeutic potential. Through movement, I found that dance possessed the ability to not only ignite joy but to fundamentally transform wounded souls into healed ones. It doesn’t simply dry our tears; it elevates us to a place where genuine, lasting happiness can flourish and we don’t feel threatened by our fears and shadows. This is what I call sustainable joy — a state of happiness that endures forever even through life’s storms.

There exist two distinct types of joy. The first is what I term “manufactured joy” — the temporary elation we might find in bars, clubs, or instant happiness-creating venues. While this happiness might feel intense in the moment, it inevitably fades quickly. In contrast, the joy that dance creates is something far more profound. When movement springs from the depths of one’s heart, it generates a lasting happiness that becomes woven into the soul of our being.

Dance Is My Protest Against Sadness:

Dance represents my steadfast protest against the darkness that can sometimes cloud our lives. It serves as a beacon of light, a powerful statement against despair and negativity. While it’s natural and perfectly acceptable to experience moments of sadness — indeed, these emotions are an integral part of the human experience — I firmly believe we shouldn’t allow ourselves to become permanently trapped in that emotional state and influenced by negative messages. Instead, we can use dance as a transformative tool to lift ourselves from the depths of melancholy and rediscover the joy that exists within us.

Dance Is a Healer for Body and Mind:

Through my years of dance practice, I have come to understand that true healing requires physical movement, as our minds and bodies operate in perfect synchronization. While movement can take many forms, depending on individual physical capabilities, I have found that dance offers one of the greatest ways to nourish both body, mind, and spirit. It goes beyond mere physical exercise or calorie burning — though it certainly accomplishes these goals. Dance provides something more: it offers essential nourishment for our minds, hearts, and souls.

Like a universal heartbeat that echoes across cultures, dance pulses through our world as a lighthouse of unity, radiating joy, hope, inclusivity, and endless possibility. In my journey, it has blossomed into more than just movement—it has become my soul’s native tongue, weaving a tapestry of connections that spans continents and transcends boundaries, transforming strangers into friends through the simple magic of shared rhythm.

An International Dance Day Message by Gurdeep Pandher

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