Darshan spent his early years in India, before moving to Leeds with his family. He began dancing at Harehills Middle School in Leeds, under the tutelage of Nadine Senior. He continued dancing under John Auty at Intake High School and completed his training at the London Contemporary Dance School.

Darshan was a member of London Contemporary Dance Theatre from 1979 to 1994, as dancer, rehearsal director, choreographer and teacher. He danced as a member of Siobhan Davies Dance Company in 1993 and was Assistant to the Director of Richard Alston Dance Company from 1994 to 1996.

Darshan has created and directed works for other companies including London Contemporary Dance Theatre, CandoCo, Nordic Dance Theatre, CeDeCe and for Companhia de Bailado Contemporaneo (Portugal). His own company, Singh Productions toured to critical acclaim with Planted Seeds and Recall. In 2000, Darshan created Sita, a duet for Irek Mukhamedov and Company, which premiered at Sadler’s Wells. Schools for which he has created work include Northern School of Contemporary Dance, London Contemporary Dance School, Danshögskolan in Sweden and English National Ballet School.

Darshan has directed numerous dance and music videos since 1985, including The Fall (nominated for a BFI innovation award), Harmonica Breakdown for BBC2 and What About Sky (MTV, ITV Chart Show). He edited David Buckland’s video design for Siobhan Davies Dance Company’s Wild Air. In 2004, he completed Robert Cohan: Another Place - a biographical film comprising in-depth interviews with Cohan and unparalleled access to archive material.

Darshan worked alongside Director Micha Bergese to choreograph and direct the Opening Ceremony for the Millennium Dome. As Assistant Director and Choreographer for Shaolin Wheel of Life, an international production with the masters of Kung Fu, Darshan had the honour to meet and work with the Abbot and the Zen Buddhist Monks of the ancient Shaolin Temple of China. Shaolin Wheel of Life continues to tour worldwide.

Collaborations with other artists, choreographers, musicians and film-makers spanning his 25 years in theatre include Graham Dean, Robert Cohan, Barry Guy, Barrington Pheloung, Jocelyn Pook, John Martyn and Julian Henriques.

Darshan’s relationship with Phoenix can be plotted throughout the company’s history. As a freelance choreographer he has created or restaged five works for the company: Speak Like a Child (1983), Shock Absorber (1990), Interlock (1991), Heart of Chaos (1993) and White Picket Fence (1996). He was Artistic Director of Phoenix Dance Theatre from 2002 to April 2006, creating new works Class (2002), Requiem (2003), Eng-er-land (2005); a restaging of Planted Seeds (Autumn 2003 & 2005); and a reworked duet, Source 2 (2004).