Bellydance workshops in Oxford
OMEDS regularly host Middle Eastern dance workshops in Oxford with both local and international teachers. We aim to cover a range of styles and techniques that aren't taught in depth in out regular classes. We typically have two days of workshops each term, which are a great opportunity for students to widen their dance horizons, challenge themselves, and of course have fun!
If you are a dancer with a suggestion for a teacher you'd like us to bring to Oxford, or a teacher who'd like to be hosted by us, please get in touch with us - we'd love to hear from you!
Our teachers are available to teach bellydance workshops and taster classes at all kinds of events - contact us on secretary@omeds.org.uk for more details.
Workshops with Ozgen - Turkish Oriental & Romany style!
For all of you who couldn't make it to our workshops with Ozgen this summer, or who came and had so much fun you can't wait to take more classes with him, we have invited him to come back to Oxford this winter! He will be teaching 2 workshops, & will also be the star performer at our winter hafla in the evening! The workshops will be a little earlier in the afternoon to give you time to eat and get yourselves ready in time for the hafla - it promises to be a fantastic day & a highlight of Oxford's bellydance calendar!
Date: Saturday 3rd December
Venue: Main Hall, West Oxford Community Centre, Botley Road, Oxford
Ozgen has performed, taught, choreographed & directed for the last 15 years. His reputation as a male belly dancer & teacher has taken him across the world. In Istanbul, he joined the cast of Night of the Sultans combining contemporary dance, ballet and oriental dance. Ozgen taught for several years at the Tolgahan Dance School in Istanbul, and is now based in London, teaching and performing Turkish Oriental & Romani (Gypsy) dance internationally.
Workshop Timetable
12:30 - 2:30pm Oriental technique & choreography (improver/intermediate) In this workshop we'll be learning some basic and necessary steps for Turkish dance as part of a choreography, focusing on technique as well as dramatic and elegant style from Ozgen! See Ozgen dancing Oriental style on TV here... - skip to around 0:30 to get straight to the dancing!
3 - 5pm Turkish Romany (open level) Ozgen will introduce the 9/8 rhythm, and teach some of the most important movements and steps of Turkish Romany dance. He'll also be discussing Romany culture and how this is expressed in their dance, including some of the hand gestures that are used. Watch Ozgen performing Romany style here...
Note: For those of you who attended the previous workshops - the choreographies we learn in these classes will be completely different from the ones we did last time, although we will be going over some of the same technique in the Romany workshop.
Prices and Booking
- Early bird advance bookings - received before Sunday 6th November: One workshop £22, or £40 for both workshops.
- Late bookings - after Sunday 6th November: Workshops £25 each.
Book online via Paypal - all bookings will be confirmed by email.
Booking by post: Please send your name and email address, the workshops you would like to book, and a cheque made payable to Oxford Middle Eastern Dance Society to: Oxford Middle Eastern Dance Society, 243 Cowley Road, Oxford, OX4 1XG. Receipt of all cheques will be confirmed by email.
Past Workshops
Since beginning to host workshops in Autumn 2010, we have had a really wide range of teachers from all over the world, teaching subjects from American Tribal Style and Indian classical dance to modern Egyptian, Saiidi and Oriental... This Spring, we were priveleged to host a day of workshops on Egyptian dance with Outi, a Finnish dancer who lives and works in Cairo and whose teaching is internationally renowned. Outi's workshops were really interesting and challenging, and left us exhausted in a good way, with lots of dance inspiration. Then in July, we had Turkish Oriental & Romany dance workshops with Ozgen - these were such a success that we've invited him back to teach and perform at our Winter Hafla on the 3rd of December!
