Gurdeep Pandher returns to Victoria with a message beyond bhangra

Yukon educator brings movement, reflection and mental wellness to James Bay on July 17

Gurdeep Pandher returns to Victoria with a message beyond bhangra Published 4:30 pm Wednesday, July 15, 2026 Award-winning Yukon educator and community builder Gurdeep Pandher is returning to Victoria this week, inviting residents to step away from daily pressures and spend an afternoon focused on movement, reflection and human connection. Pandher will lead a community gathering at 1 p.m. on Friday, July 17, at Irving Park in James Bay Village. The pay-what-you-can event will combine gentle, beginner-friendly movements inspired by bhangra with conversations about mental well-being, finding balance and building stronger communities.

While many Canadians know Pandher through his energetic dance videos, he said the Victoria gathering is about much more than dancing. “It’s not just dancing. It’s more than dancing.

It’s a path to find joy while honouring sadness, and a way to build bridges and bring the community together,” he said. Throughout the session, participants will take part in stretching, simple movement and guided reflection. Pandher said the goal is to encourage people amid busy schedules, take breaks from social media and reconnect with themselves and those around them.

He believes communities everywhere are feeling the effects of stress, division and polarization, making opportunities for positive connection more important than ever. “When we think of togetherness and unity and rise above those divisions, it creates peace, trust and is very helpful for mental health,” he said. “When our mindset is positive, we are better able to care for ourselves, our families and our communities.”

Rather than ignoring difficult emotions, Pandher said his message encourages people to acknowledge them. “My work is not about cancelling sadness,” he said. “Sadness stays with us.

We need to honour it while also finding balance, grounding, joy and hope.” Pandher first gained national attention during the COVID-19 pandemic by sharing uplifting bhangra videos filmed outdoors in Whitehorse, where he has lived for the past 15 years. He said the work grew naturally from community programs he began leading more than a decade ago after discovering how movement improved his own mental well-being.

“It started from my own personal journey,” he said. “I was feeling very down and not seeing any ray of hope. Then I started sharing these movements with children in Yukon, and it inspired me to believe in movement as a way to support mental health.”

His work has since taken him to communities across Canada, spreading messages of hope, cross-cultural understanding and inclusion. Earlier this year, Pandher received the Meritorious Service Medal from the Governor General in recognition of his efforts to build bridges between communities and promote positive conservation across the country. “I’m grateful to Canadians because this medal is a reflection of their love for my work,” he said.

“It showed me that people recognize the importance of bringing communities together.” Pandher has visited Victoria two times so far, in 2020 and 2021, when hundreds of people joined him for a public bhangra celebration on the B.C. legislature grounds. He also met with local MLAs and led a dance session with Victoria police officers.

He remembered Victoria as a welcoming community and hopes to see another strong turnout this week. “I found Victoria to be a very friendly community,” he said. “I’m looking forward to coming back.”

No registration is required for Friday’s event, which is designed to be accessible to people of all ages.