Social media dance sensation visits Manitoba
A Canadian social media sensation from the Yukon has reached Manitoba on his cross-country tour of positivity, dance, and education.
It all began during the pandemic, when Gurdeep Pandher started making social media videos from his Yukon cabin demonstrating the art of Bhangra dance. The videos went viral, and Pandher began receiving letters from people across Canada.
He said people were telling him how happy his dancing made them.
"It gave me an understanding that there's lots and lots of sadness in people's lives," said Pandher. "In communities, in the country and beyond. So, I thought I should do something."
Once public health restrictions began to ease last year, Pandher packed up his van and began driving across the country, starting on the east coast and making his way west. He tried to visit as many communities as he could to spread his message of joy, hope, and togetherness.
Pandher has been organizing meet-ups through social media, inviting people to join him in public spaces to dance Bhangra and express themselves.
"People are amazing, they are wonderful," he said. "Wherever I went they met me with happy hearts, they invited me to their places, they gave me food to eat."
He learned the traditional folk dance as a child growing up in Punjab, India. Pandher said dancing has always been a meaningful form of expression for him.
"Whenever I was down and faced challenges in my life, I danced Bhangra to press my reset button, to find my own joy," he said.
"It's a happy dance, it's a positive dance," added Pandher. "And dance and music are a universal language which we all can understand."
Pandher is beginning the Manitoba leg of his tour in Churchill where he'll be hosting a dance event before visiting several northern Manitoba communities.
Later in the week, he will tour several southern Manitoba towns and then return to Winnipeg for a Bhangra dance workshop.
Pandher will be posting updates of his travels online.
He said it's been an incredible journey that has allowed him to see 60 per cent of Canada so far.
"It just makes me happy that through my dance I was able to contribute a small amount of positivity in our country and beyond," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadians are eyeing moves to these cities for more affordable housing
Faced with elevated housing prices, half of Canadians in the country's largest cities are considering moving to places with more affordable housing.
Poilievre says Canadians 'fleeing' to Nicaragua, Liberals say it shows he 'doesn't have a clue'
Liberal parliamentarians are criticizing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre over a new video in which he promotes the idea that some Canadians are 'fleeing' Canada to live in Nicaragua because they can't afford a house in this country.
With DNA break, police ID victim in decades-old Newfoundland case
A skull was found along a backroad near St. John's more than 20 years ago. Now, police have finally identified the victim of the homicide.
'Do not drive': Nissan warns Canadian drivers of explosion risk impacting 48,000 vehicles
Car manufacturer Nissan has issued a do-not-drive warning for some older vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators, due to the risk of explosion during a crash.
Infant dies in ATV crash, N.S. RCMP says alcohol may be a factor
An infant has died and three others, including another child, were taken to hospital following an ATV crash in Forties, N.S., on Monday.
Tessa Virtue reveals she's expecting her first child. Here's what Canadians had to say
Canadian figure-skating icon Tessa Virtue is expecting her first child, she revealed via social media Tuesday.
McDonald's says $18 Big Mac meal was an 'exception' and their prices haven't risen that much
McDonald’s is fighting back against viral tweets and media reports that it says have exaggerated its price increases.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's housing plan defeated in House of Commons
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's housing bill has been defeated in the House of Commons with the Liberals, New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois voting against the legislation.
B.C. man to be extradited to U.S. on charges of sexually assaulting stepdaughter
A British Columbia man will be extradited to the United States, where he faces a possible life sentence if convicted of charges that he repeatedly sexually assaulted his stepdaughter, after losing his appeal of the extradition order Tuesday.