How would you introduce yourself?
Hello! I'm Jasbir Singh and I'm passionate about helping people grow. Professionally I work as a leadership consultant to help MNC's identify, assess and develop top talent to succeed in senior roles in the organization. Outside of that I'm actively involved in youth development in the Sikh Community as it is always thrilling to see a spark light up in the faces of young people. To recharge, I go in search of the most beautiful places on earth to dive, trek and cycle.
Tell us more about your artistic journey.
I started dancing bhangra in 2002 when a few friends came together to establish SherePunjab Bhangra. We wanted to create something different. In those days the bhangra scene had a bad reputation - often associated with too much alcohol and fighting and so the art and the troupes involved were viewed almost negatively. We wanted to establish something completely contrary - demonstrating that bhangra dancing could be part of an individual's greater pursuit of all round excellence and a means to unite the community and bridge racial barriers in the process.
A big milestone on this journey was to introduce Bhangra Open Sessions and establishing our SherePunjab Bhangra Classes. We opened our training doors and had weekly introductory classes for free. We had 25 - 30 people at each session with many new faces each time. This then led to us being invited into schools, corporations and fitness clubs to promote this art form as a fun way to keep fit. The best part was that by just being there, teaching and connecting through dance, we were breaking down barriers and sharing intimate details of our culture and heritage with Singaporeans at large.
I stopped dancing and teaching classes in SherePunjab in December 2012, so as to focus on work, and started dancing again when S.W.A.T. was formed in late 2015.
How has your involvement with the arts changed your life?
It's a source of energy, focus and confidence! Having recently started dancing again I noticed that I carry a greater sense of purpose and discipline when I'm part of a bhangra team than when I am not. Previously in being a part of SherePunjab - there was strong purpose of dancing to share our culture. Now in S.W.A.T. we dance to do well and win at competitions. Either way, the discipline to work diligently towards clear purpose invigorates me and challenges me to be better and this carries outside to other places in my life as well.
What is the best moment in your artistic journey?
It was in October 2012 and Esplanade had organized 'Bhangra by the Bay' at their outdoor amphitheater that sits in front of the water. We were the only performers that night so everyone turned up on a Thursday night just for us. Our task was to inspire the audience to appreciate our unique culture in a truly experiential way. There were over 500 people in the crowd of all races, the lights and sounds were of pristine quality and in two half an hour segments, we produced a masterclass! We treated the audience to an interactive dhol segment, an 8 minute dance routine with 14 dancers on stage and finally ended of the performance with a mini concert come dance session for the audience. In the final 10 minutes my buddies were singing live, the drummers were playing the dhol and I was leading the capacity crowd in a mass bhangra dance to moves we had just taught them. The energy was electric - everyone was on their feet with their hands in the air as they were dancing, singing and clapping as if they were born for bhangra. The 'oneness' of it all made my hair stand.
Tell us about your role in the performance on 23 july and how have you been preparing for it?
The team is excited about the 23rd - we're all looking forward to showcasing our new routine that we plan to take to competitions later this year. We are all training hard to demonstrate a topl standard of bhangra to the viewers in the audience.
What were some of the challenges or hurdles you faced in your journey?
Starting again after a 3 year break! I'm 31 and about to be the oldest dancer at our next competition where the average age is 25! Keeping up and going beyond is an exciting challenge and I'm loving every minute of it.
What is the best piece of advice you have been given that pushes you to do what you’re doing?
Enjoy the process of working to perfection and don't be obsessed with the competition. Keep bhangra fun.
If not for art, what do you think you would be doing?
I have one personal project that I have kept on hold because I choose to be a part of S.W.A.T right now. Perhaps winning a top tier competition would call time on this and let me switch my focus back to that project.
What advice do you have for the future generation of artistes?
Keep your eyes open - there are always better ways of doing things out there. Be humble to learn from others, especially from your competitors, and don't get stuck in your own idea of what is right
If you could re-start your journey from scratch, what are some of the changes you would have done?
I would have paid more attention to how other teams ran themselves. I was very focused on the team I was part off that I ignored some good practices that our local competition had.
