Camels in the Night
About the troupe
The OMEDS troupe, Camels in the Night, is made up of student dancers of intermediate level and above. We are available to perform at a variety of events including cultural events, parties, festivals, carnivals, charity events, balls, college dinners, garden parties and many others besides! Events we have performed at in the past include Oxford International Festival 2010 & 2011, Oxford International Women's Festival, Teddy Hall 'Eastern Promise' Ball, Balliol MCR Garden Party, Love Your Body Garden Party, guest dinners at colleges including St Hildas, St Johns & Harris Manchester, and many events within the dance community.
Our name: In Middle Eastern dance, a 'camel' is an undulating movement of the lower body. It is also, in the words of Wikipedia, "an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits, known as humps, on its back". We are mostly named after the first sort of camel.
Booking the troupe
Camels in the Night are able to adapt our performances to all kinds of event, and we strive to always provide a fun and entertaining show for our audiences. If you are interested in having a bellydance performance at your event but aren't sure quite what you want, please feel free to contact us, and we can both provide suggestions for troupe performances and put you in touch with local professionals who can cater to your event's needs.
As a rough guide, we normally prepare between one and three sets of dances, with each set no longer than 15 minutes. Each set can include both choreographed group dances, which can have an impressive visual impact, and solo dances by the individual troupe members. Solo dances can include the use of props such as a silk veil, and different musical styles (upbeat Middle Eastern pop music, classic orchestral Egyptian pieces, exciting and dynamic drum solos, or atmospheric instrumental pieces (taqsim)) which can be combined to create a diverse and fascinating performance.
OMEDS can also teach fun 'taster' bellydance classes, either at an event as part of the evening's entertainment, or as a standalone event including a lesson from one of the OMEDS teachers and a dance demonstration from the troupe. These taster classes are ideal for college arts weeks, cultural festivals, women's events, school fetes, slimming groups, and anything else where you are looking for fun, creative activities!
In order for us to provide the best possible show at your event, we suggest that you consider the following when booking the troupe:
- Please try to give us as much advance notice as possible - we generally need to know about a show at least three weeks in advance to ensure sufficient rehearsal time. We can't guarantee that we will be able to perform at shorter notice, although sometimes this may be possible.
- We will need to know the dimensions and floor surface of the performance area. Group choreographies may not be possible if the available space is small - in this case we may suggest a series of solo dances.
- You will need to ensure that a sound system is available in the performance space, with the ability to play CDs. It is important that the sound system is powerful enough to be heard above background noise at a crowded event.
- We normally charge a fee in line with that charged by professional performers - this will typically be between £60 and £200 depending on the number of sets required, and the total time that we are required to spend 'on duty' at the event. The proceeds from troupe performances are used to invest in props and costuming for the troupe, and to support the other activities of the Oxford Middle Eastern Dance Society.
If you are an intermediate student or above with some performance experience, and are interested in joining the troupe, please email Sarah on secretary@omeds.org.uk. for more details.