Meherjaan
Engro Excellence Awards
Omar choreographed the opening and closing ceremonies of the Engro Excellence Awards, Pakistan's equivalent of the Nobel Prize at a glittering ceremony at the Mohatta Palace Museum in Karachi, Pakistan on January 8, 2011. Awards were presented to outstanding achievers in the fields of science, literature and humanitarian work. For the opening, Omar worked with composer Shahi Hasan on an original score featuring up-and-coming Sufi vocalist Sanam Marvi and the great Qawaali master Farid Ayaz. The ensemble cast consisted of folk dancers, modern and kathak dancers as well as inline skaters. The theme of the work was resilience, as embodied by the people of Pakistan facing one challenge after another. The closing featured an equally diverse cast in multiple dances choreographed to the hits of Reshma, Arif Lohar, Farid Ayaz and Atif Aslam. The evening was shot for television and broadcast primetime on Pakistan's GEO channel.
Review links:
www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=24398&Cat=1&dt=1/7/2011
www.jang.com.pk/thenews/jan2011-weekly/nos-16-01-2011/instep/mainissue.html
www.dawn.com/2011/01/16/celebration-redefining-the-role-model.html
www.tribune.com.pk/story/101799/raising-the-bar-and-setting-the-standard-for-quality-entertainment/