“A Punjabi wedding is a multi-day celebration, and dancing is the soul of the entire event,” shares Ishwinder Kaur (Ishwin) and her younger sister Jaggmeet Kaur (Jaggy). Together, they are wedding dance choreographers at Punjabi weddings where guests, families, and the newlyweds would dance their hearts out for nights.
As a child who grew up with Bollywood movies, Ishwin would dance in front of the TV, memorising the steps and never shying away from performing in front of her family. With an eight-year gap, Jaggy quite literally followed her sister’s footsteps closely. “As the younger sister, I would mimic her, but eventually, I knew that dancing was something I would be passionate about. Music and dance are intrinsic parts of our culture,” says the 30-year-old. As they became default dancers at family weddings, the self-taught dancers decided to venture out, offering choreography services to the community. “We see the demand, especially since not everyone can dance. This is where the choreographer and the coach come into the picture,” Ishwin explains, stating that even though hiring professional dancers is an option, the sisters believe that having everyone at the party involved would easily become the most treasured highlight for the families.
As they grew, their distinct personalities and dancing styles became more apparent—which they both perceive as a merit instead of a spanner in the works. While the expressive Ishwin thrives in the Bollywood style, Jaggy’s takes root in Bhangra. As choreographers, their diversity in dancing styles are an added value, especially since wedding dances are usually performed along a medley where variety is appreciated. Upon agreeing to a project, a consultation is crucial to understanding the couples’ visions—how many performances they are looking to have, types of songs, or any special ideas they would like to include. The duo will proceed with song mixing, choreography and schedule training sessions that align with everyone’s availability—virtually or physically—it can be a tedious process that would take anywhere from two to eight weeks.
Despite the focus being choreography and coaching, the sisters also explain that they would try to be as helpful as they can in terms of styling—what complements the performance better and which trustworthy vendors to turn to. “It’s part of the service. But with all the time we spent together, it’s only natural for us to bond—some would treat us like family—especially since we all share the same cultural background, or simply just the same preferences in music,” Ishwin marvels.
Since Bollywood is known for being filled with intense emotions and interactive storytelling, special requests, such as couples asking for choreographies that delineate their love stories, are common. “There are also occasions where parents would prepare a dance for their child. It’s a tailored experience like these that keep us going, because this is how we started our journey—for our families—so we know how valuable these thoughts are,” Jaggy gushed. For Jaggy’s wedding, Ishwin teamed up with the siblings and cousins to surprise her sister with a flash mob performance that they recreated from the very first performance they did together. Ishwin reminisces as she lets out a small laugh and concludes: “Yes, you can hire dancers to perform at your wedding, but it will never feel this personal and dear to your heart.”
For the sisters who excel in their respective fields, being a wedding choreographer while balancing their day jobs is, as Jaggy puts it, “a work in progress”. “I don’t think there’s a solution to that,” Ishwin shrugs nonchalantly. When the duo decided to share their dancing videos on social media, it was merely to show their love for dancing. Little did they know, it was the start of their side hustle. “And ironically, it only started growing after Ishwin moved to Singapore,” the younger of the duo says.
The distance between them makes taking on wedding projects even more challenging, resulting in late-night rehearsals, extra hours during the weekends, and additional videos made to share with the clients. “But that never felt much like a burden, because we enjoy doing it—it’s an escape for me, from my daily stress, and it gives me a sense of self-fulfilment,” Ishwin beams. This side career as a wedding choreographer, for Jaggy, is what keeps the sisters together. “We are miles away, and like many siblings, we will eventually drift apart as we grow older. But now, we have something to look forward to every time she is back in Malaysia—we’d practice together, pick our outfits together and record more dance videos together,” Jaggy professed. The wedding gigs sprouted, after all, from the love they have not just for dancing, but also for the culture, and ultimately, for family.
Photography: Ng Joe Ee
Creative Direction: Joseph Cheng
Producer: Lorraine Chai
Hair: Zac Lee
Makeup: Eranthe Loo
Photography Assistant: David Ong
Styling Assistant: Sarah Chong
Styling Intern: Adrianna Haris
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