Diljit Dosanjh: Celebrating and Uniting All

By Ohm Patel

Never did I think I would be dancing in front of 20,000 people, with one of the biggest stars of Punjab, Bollywood, India, and now the world. He has performed in superhit movies, sung hundreds of songs, each with millions of streams, and now he has brought Indian culture to the world. Even though I was a background dancer, the joy, happiness, and ecstasy I had hearing the roars and cheers of thousands of people was nothing short of magical.

Backstage Pass

Preparing for the show was a hectic experience. Nearly an hour of choreography to learn in just 2 weeks, coordinating travel with 24 dancers, hours of late-night practices with exhaustion and sweat filling the room, just to do it all over again the next day. The day of the concert was full of mishaps and mistakes from the concert crew and us.

Then came the time of the concert. His introduction video plays as we wait beneath the stage, hearts beating with fear, anxiety, and anticipation of what the stage will be like, all waiting for Diljit to give the cue and the beat to drop. We can’t see the stage or Diljit, but we can feel the crowd screaming their lungs out to see this man. Once the beat dropped, I cannot describe in words how it felt to run onto stage and start dancing. Lights and fire everywhere, the bass pumping through your body, the blood rushing in your veins, and your eyes filled with nothing but 20,000 people, ready to have the time of their lives.

When dancing on that stage, the only word that could describe what it was like was fun. “This is the most fun I have ever had! My cheeks hurt from smiling, and I don’t want this night to end,” my friend Shinika said while we were waiting for the next song. The two hours went by so fast, and it was the most memorable moment of my life.

Doing it for the Culture

Joy, happiness, and excitement were all emotions I expected to feel while dancing on the stage, but the most intense emotion I felt that night was pride. Pride for my culture, for this dance form, for this team, for this experience, for everything that led up to this. I am not Punjabi and only recently started dancing Bhangra, but seeing Diljit bring his Punjabi culture to the world, showcasing it and uniting people of all races, ages, religions, and backgrounds under one roof, brought a new sense of pride I have never felt before. For as big a celebrity and artist as he is, he still took the time out of his shows to give gifts to little kids dressed in traditional Punjabi attire. He gave time to respect the fans who came out for him. He made time to honor people, such as my Cuban friend Alex, who was also a background dancer and had no connection to Punjabi or Indian culture beyond pure love of it. And most importantly, he took the time and put in the hard work to bring Punjabi culture to a stage where people wouldn’t be shy about proudly embracing and respecting it.

A Historic Legacy

Dancing for Diljit Dosanjh is an experience I will never forget and will always cherish. Every single second of that night is something that all of my friends and I who danced on that stage will forever look back and rejoice in. The impact he has had on not just us but on everyone who has heard his name is incredible. I am so grateful for this experience and the opportunity to dance and meet Diljit Dosanjh. Diljit is a reflection of what Sanskar Savvy stands for: to Celebrate, Explore, and Connect. Dancing for him has only ignited more passion in me to take the stage, be proud of the culture I showcase, and have fun every single beat.

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