SNOLAB scientist takes a break from studying the cosmos to Dance with the Stars

Congratulations to SNOLAB’s Vijay Iyer for participating in the 14th annual Dancing with Easter Seals Stars – A Magical Night!

Vijay is a University of Toronto post-doc working at SNOLAB as part of the SuperCDMS collaboration engaged in the global search for Dark Matter.

After months of tireless practice, Vijay and local dance partner Dawn Condon finished third in the competition, but perhaps more importantly, came in second in fundraising.

The all-or-nothing dance competition showcased 10 Sudbury celebrities and their professional partners. They each performed two dance routines that were voted on by both an enthusiastic live audience at the Caruso Club, as well as online. The event raised funds for children, youth, and young adults with physical disabilities.

Iyer moved to Greater Sudbury from Mumbai, India, about three years ago, and immediately threw himself into Sudbury, both indoors and out. In addition to taking ballroom dance lessons at the YMCA and Argentinian tango lessons at the Moose Lodge on Frood Road, Iyer leads SNOLAB’s softball team in the summer, and is learning to skate this winter.

And ever the scientist, Iyer says he wrote a code to help him with his dance routines.

“You know how Google Maps tells you, turn left, turn right and so on? I made use of those modules to write a code that gives you the counts,” Iyer said. “I wrote a code that actually tells me when to go slow and when to go quick, when there’s a drop or a lift. That way, I can practice my steps to the right count or to the right beats of the music. I wrote a code for that, as well.”

He even went a step further, and “used AI to help me choreograph our dance,” he said.

Iyer said he was happy to help raise money for Easter Seals.

“There are no losers in this, right? I felt like the stakes were not as high, because all 10 couples are working towards the same thing,” he says. “They want to raise money for Easter Seals. Even if you win, it’s more like bragging rights. Even if I make a fool of myself on the dance floor that day, it would still be for someone’s benefit, and I’m OK with that.”