New Delhi: A Belgian content creator has taken over the streets of Pakistan. He is making Pakistan dance. Going by the name of Ed People, the creator walks up to people on the streets of Pakistan asking them to dance. Most oblige happily. His videos have millions of views.
In his latest video from Pakistan, Ed street dances with a policeman, a hawker, and a customer at what looks like a market in Lahore. The customer leaves the shop and joins Ed as the two dance on the hit Coke Studio Pakistan song Pasoori.
In another video, he grooves with a man to a song from Indian spy thriller Dhurandhar, which created a controversy in the country.
‘Bringing joy, building bridges’
Ed, whose real name is Edouard Jacqmin, starts with a simple question: “Can you show me your favourite dance move?”
The question has taken him around the world. He films these spontaneous encounters and shares them online, where his combined following now is six million.
His dance partners span continents and ages: children in Uganda and Nepal, young adults in Cuba and Ukraine, seniors at care centres, even prisoners in the Philippines. Along the way, strangers have taught him everything from the waltz, reggaeton, and bhangra to playful, improvised moves like “washing windows” and “crawling backwards”, he told NPR in an interview.
“We are here to try to really bring joy to people and to build bridges and to show different cultures around the world,” he said. “Dance is a very powerful tool for everything, whether you’re dealing with emotions of joy or emotions of sadness, grief or anger or whatever.”
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An opportunity to enjoy
Pakistanis are enthralled. They are convinced he will settle in Pakistan after this. Others are suggesting him songs. From saree shops to cafes, Ed can be seen dancing everywhere in Pakistan.
“Ye poore Pakistan ko nachwa k hi chore ga,” Ayesha wrote on Instagram. Another user said, “Lahoris are a vibe and a half”.
Another set of Pakistanis had separate concerns. Some asked if the blogger did all his dance acts in a single day, since his shirt remained unchanged. They are now asking him to change his shirt.
Others were simply happy that they had a moment to laugh. “There are so many problems in Pakistan everyday but even with everything, the people are genuinely beautiful and don’t miss the opportunity to spread happiness,” Rafia Ali wrote on Instagram.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)