[Photograph of the attendees watching Scheherazaad Cooper perform Odissi at a charity event hosted by the United Way British Columbia]

Photograph of the attendees watching Scheherazaad Cooper perform Odissi at a charity event hosted by the United Way British Columbia (then United Way of Lower Mainland), and hosted at one of the Ismaili jamatkhanas in Lower Mainland, B.C.

Scheherazaad Cooper is a performer, choreographer, playwright, and dramaturg with over thirty years of experience as an Odissi classical Indian dancer. Her resume is extensive, highlighting a background in theatre, international performances, interdisciplinary collaborations, solo productions, as well as teaching in higher education. She received her PhD in Sociology and Performance from Goldsmith University of London. In 2022, she showcased a dramatic reading for her play, "The Bibliomancer." She has also published her academic work, including a journal article entitled, "The Alchemy of Rasa in the Performer–Spectator Interaction."

Odissi is a classical Indian dance style which originates from the eastern state of Odisha, India. It is one of eight classical dance forms in India. Since the 12th century, odissi has been danced by maharis (people devoted to the dance) in temples. Odissi expresses traditional poetry and songs through movements. Many of the poems performed through Odissi come from the Sanskrit collection of romantic poetry, Gita Govinda, written by Jayadeva Goswami.

United Way British Columbia (United Way BC) is a unified provincial organization with the mission to strengthen vital connections that support people in need in their local communities. Their vision is of creating and supporting a healthy, caring, and inclusive community. United Way BC undertakes many initiatives, such as maintaining a BC wildfire recovery fund, a BC flood response campaign, a campaign for Ukraine, and support for those vulnerable due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jamatkhanas, meaning "the house of the community," is a place of gathering and worship for Ismaili muslims. In jamatkhanas, the values of the Islamic faith are put into practice, including humility, generosity, kindness, compassion, pluralism, search for knowledge, and service to others.