On Sept. 20, Gurdeep Pandher came to Bishop’s to teach a workshop on Bhangra dancing. Organized by Bishop’s office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion with a reception afterwards at the Indigenous Students Support Centre, the event was open to all and welcomed members of the Lennoxville community, Champlain college, students, faculty, staff, and administration from Bishop’s. 

Pandher arrived from the Yukon territory and started filming videos dancing bhangra in different locations and posted them online during the pandemic. He’s a teacher for the third grade, but when the pandemic hit, he felt “the world was changing”. He chose to turn to social media, posting “A message per day of positivity for Canada and beyond”. He received beautiful letters saying that joy and positivity were missing in his audience’s lives and expressing their appreciation for his content. 

He stresses the importance of cultivating joy. He states that joy plays a pivotal role in therapy, healing, productivity, and community-building. His motto “joy, hope, positivity” was chanted by community members who attended the workshop as they learned two basic steps to bhangra dancing. He reminded them that mastery of bhangra is not only about mastery of the movements of the upper and lower body but also the happiness that comes straight from the soul.

Happiness is a key element in Bhangra dancing. As explained by Pandher, Bhangra is a Punjabi folk dance, originally practiced by farmers and influenced by the movements made during farming activities. It involves coming together to have a good time. Pandher’s focus is on bringing joy to people. 

Those in attendance of the workshop reflected on the importance of such an event. Kaden Steffen noted “it’s special for me because I’m studying agriculture.” It is also of deep significance to the South Asian community at Bishop’s.  Coming to Bishop’s, students from minority communities can experience isolation and feel loss of culture in Lennoxville, away from their families and community ties. To have such an event that not only celebrates Punjabi traditional folk dancing, but also shares it and teaches it, we experience a step towards valuing the diversity of cultures that exist at Bishop’s. 

After the dance workshop, Pandher joined participants for a vegetarian potluck hosted in the Indigenous Student Support Centre. There, they had discussions surrounding education, representation, and caring for oneself and others. Sharing food and wisdom was a fitting closure for such an event.

Pandher’s visit was one of joy, learning and community – all values we cherish at Bishop’s.