A video of a foreign tourist dancing on a crowded street in Police Bazar, Shillong, recently went viral. It garnered praises from all over, but what we saw was more than just a New Year’s celebration. On a packed street, a woman danced - freely, joyfully, without fear. There were no barricades, no stage, no instructions; just music in the air and a moment unfolding on its own terms.What made this moment extraordinary wasn’t the dance itself, but the quiet, instinctive response of the locals. The