A group of Halifax bhangra dancers have gone viral after a video was posted showing their moves on Nova Scotia’s Peggy Cove.
The dancers call themselves Maritime Bhangra Group and are originally from India. Bhangra dance is a popular music genre originating in the mid-to-late 20th century in the Punjab area, which is northwestern India and northeastern Pakistan. The dance is performed by Sikh and Muslim men during the spring harvest. The dance involves kicking, leaping, and some body contortion.
Sikh Men Go Viral in Dance Video by the Bay[/tweetthis]
Martitime Bhangra Group wants to break stereotypes about Sikh men and showcase the beauty of Halifax. The 26-year-old founder of the group, Hasmeet Singh, says he didn’t expect the video to be so popular. “Whenever we go out and dance, we just upload it. We want to show people how beautiful this province is. When people think about Canada they know Toronto or the West, but we have so many beautiful locations people don’t know about,” he said.
This group of Sikh men from #Canada just want to share their culture and give you a smile! https://t.co/CqTVlPAbIq vía @YouTube
— Think Inside Me (@Think_Inside_Me) October 20, 2016
Another member of the group, Kunwardeep Singh, explained “It is these little things like your culture and your dance that keep you home away from home.”
Hasmeet says they often get stares and they “feel like there is a need for us to educate them.”
One of their videos now has over 1.1 million views on Facebook. The attention is unexpected, but the group is happy to bring joy to people’s lives, even if it’s only for a couple seconds. “We never thought people would relate to the video in such a way,” Hasmeet said. “Someone said, ‘It gives me hope in my life.’”