Viral Bhangra dancer looks back on Atlantic Canada tour

Gurdeep Pandher Bhangra dances to the bagpipes at Peggy's Cove, N.S., during his cross-Canada joy, hope and positivity tour. (GurdeepPandher/Twitter)

When viral Bhangra dancer Gurdeep Pandher began his tour of spreading hope, joy and positivity across Atlantic Canada, he only anticipated spending one week in each province.

Now over two months later, Pandher is packing up and taking his cross-country tour to Quebec with a suitcase full of memories.

Pandher, who has taught Bhangra lessons for several years, went viral on social media in 2016 and never looked back. With more than 50 million views, Pandher’s videos have been featured in newscasts across the globe.

“I met them as strangers and I left them as friends,” he said of the connections he made with residents of Atlantic Canada, noting that the east coast brought Pandher a sense of belonging and a “mighty human connection.”

Walking along the Halifax boardwalk in July, Pandher was stopped by a woman who recognized him. She told Pandher something that brought him to tears — that his videos weren’t only sparking joy for people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the positivity he fosters ultimately saves lives.

It was a significant moment for Pandher, who realized his videos were touching the lives of Canadians thousands of miles away.

Another special moment for him came during his visit to St. Andrews, N.B., when he met a woman battling cancer.

“During her treatment, she discovered my videos online and she started watching them,” he explained, adding that she found the motivation to get through her cancer treatments through the magic of Bhangra dancing.

And in Fredericton, Pandher met an older gentleman who relied on a wheelchair for mobility.

“He said to me that although it was very difficult for him to visit me because he's in a wheelchair, he said that he wanted to make this effort to tell me face to face how important it was to receive my messages through social media,” Pandher recalled.

His conversation with the man also showed Pandher just how powerful his work can be.

“It not only touched me to my core but also created an enlightenment about how important these types of messages are, especially these days when there's so much sadness in the world, and there's a lot of complexity,” Pandher said. “A lot of modern lifestyles are material, but there's not enough hope and happiness and joy.”

The Atlantic Canada tour also allowed Pandher to learn more about the geography, cultures, and communities he says “are thriving in this region.”

During his trip, Pandher performed alongside a Nova Scotian bagpiper and a highland dancer in New Brunswick. He learned about the legacy of Anne of Green Gables on P.E.I. and got “screeched in” — becoming an honorary Newfoundlander after kissing a cod.

“All these cultures together make this region a beautiful region,” he said.

One of the most memorable experiences from Pandher’s tour came when an indigenous community on P.E.I. invited him to sing and dance. He says it was an opportunity he’ll remember for the rest of his life.

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, a woman sent Pandher a hooked rug from Newfoundland to the Yukon. For Pandher, meeting the woman who gifted him the rug and staying with her family marked a highlight of his trip.

“I started feeling like, it’s not just a little dance video that I’m putting on social media,” Pandher said. “It’s more than that. The impact is more than — in fact, it’s much deeper and wider.”

Pandher’s tour took him along the coast of Nova Scotia, visiting the Yarmouth lighthouse, the picturesque South Shore beaches, and the beauty of Cape Breton island. He also learned about the history of the Acadians and spent a night in Kejimkujik National Park.

While his cross-country tour has taken Pandher to Quebec, a return to Atlantic Canada is already in the cards for 2023.