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PEOPLE across ages hit the dance floor at a Bhangra workshop led by international dancing sensation Hardy Singh, who visited Bahrain this month as part of his Middle East tour.
Bhangra is a high-energy Indian folk dance style native to the north Indian state of Punjab. The workshop was organised by Aura Arts Centre in Adliya, and Punjabi Virsa, a new expat community, decided to grab the opportunity and offer its members a chance to meet the artist and get to know him.
Punjabi Virsa was founded in 2023 with the idea of bringing the Punjabi community together by exploring and promoting their culture and traditions – ‘virsa’ means heritage. The platform also conducts various activities, including Punjabi language classes for children, public speaking sessions and more.
“I am thrilled to be here for the first time, but it’s definitely not going to be my last,” Hardy told GulfWeekly. “It’s endearing to see such a thriving Punjabi community here and also to witness the importance given to art particularly dance. The energy of the workshop is a testament to the vibe of this island,” the dancer and professional trainer for more than 15 years added.
Hardy is no stranger to the Gulf and grew up in Dubai where he currently lives with his wife Sarbjeet Kaur. While he has been dancing since the tender age of 10, he formally established Pure Bhangra, arguably the only ‘happening’ Bhangra crew in the Middle East, in November 2011. He has led dance workshops in the UAE and around the world, and also travelled to judge various competitions, including Bhangra Dance Off in Malaysia, Bhangra Auckland Da in New Zealand, the Youth Fest for Middlesex University in London, and many more.
“Dance and music is such an integral part of Punjabi culture. Bhangra is in my blood and so, I decided to take my love for this art form to the next level and started Pure Bhangra with just seven crew members. Today, we are more than 30 of us and together, we have hosted numerous workshops in the UAE, Muscat, and Delhi,” he said.
“Seeing the enthusiasm in Bahrain, I would love to have similar workshops here and I live right next door (in Dubai), which makes it all the more tempting,” he added.
The social media sensation, who holds degrees in mechanical engineering, interior design, and finance and marketing, has close to 75,000 fans on Instagram alone where he posts videos of his workshops that he conducts with Sarbjeet, and collaborations, including with viral dance group Quick Style earlier this month.
Sarbjeet, also well-known on the dance scene, is a Bhangra and Giddha instructor – both widely known Punjabi dance forms.
“In Punjabi culture, Bhangra is performed by men and women but Giddha is a women-only dance style,” Preety Praveen, a founding member of Punjabi Virsa told GulfWeekly.
The dance workshop at Aura Arts Centre, an institution conducting stage performances and cultural events, and teaching musical instruments, singing and dancing and other art forms, saw participation from 30 people between the ages of six and 50.
For more details, follow Hardy on @itshardysingh and Sarbjeet on @sara_khippal on Instagram.
