Southern Raqs Festival

Southern Raqs Festival Southern Raqs Festival • A celebration of belly dance, community & connection. Returning Fall 2027. Welcome to the First Annual Southern Raqs Festival!

Get ready to immerse yourself in a weekend of dance, music, and community at the Southern Raqs Festival—a celebration of belly dance in all its forms! In our inaugural year, we’re bringing together dancers, instructors, and enthusiasts for an unforgettable experience featuring:
✨ Workshops with top-notch instructors (to be announced soon!)
✨ Friday Night Welcome Show – Kick off the weekend with a dazzling performance showcase
✨ Saturday Night Hafla – A vibrant evening of dance, music, and celebration
✨ Specialty Workshops in historic St. Marys, GA, hosted by Apryl Grace & Southern Sway Belly Dance
✨ Community Connections to grow and support the art of belly dance
✨ Shopping & Vendors with dancewear, jewelry, and more

Whether you're a seasoned dancer or brand new to belly dancing, Southern Raqs welcomes you to move, learn, and celebrate with us.

📅 Mark your calendars and stay tuned for instructor announcements!

Southern Raqs Festival returns in Fall 2027. 💜The next chapter is already in the works. We're creating something fresh w...
07/20/2026

Southern Raqs Festival returns in Fall 2027. 💜

The next chapter is already in the works. We're creating something fresh while staying true to the heart of what Southern Raqs has always been, community, connection, and a love of dance.
More details will come when the time is right.
Until then... stay tuned. ✨

- Apryl Grace

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Southern Raqs FestivalReturning in 2027Southern Raqs Festival began as a vision rooted in connection, wellness, creative...
12/29/2025

Southern Raqs Festival
Returning in 2027

Southern Raqs Festival began as a vision rooted in connection, wellness, creative exploration, and collective energy. Our very first year was an incredibly meaningful experience, and I am deeply grateful to every dancer, instructor, musician, vendor, and attendee who showed up and helped shape the foundation of what Southern Raqs has become.

As this community continues to grow, I’ve made the intentional decision to pause the festival in 2026. This is not a step back, but a conscious step forward. Taking this year allows space for thoughtful expansion, deeper planning, and alignment with both personal life transitions and the larger vision I hold for Southern Raqs. Rather than rushing to repeat what we’ve already done, I want to give this festival the time and care it deserves to evolve into something even more impactful.

I’m incredibly excited about what I’m building for 2027. The next Southern Raqs Festival will return with a reimagined format, expanded offerings, and a shift away from the summer season to a time of year that better supports the experience we’re creating together. This pause allows for research, refinement, and the opportunity to bring forward new ideas, collaborations, and elements that elevate the festival as a whole.

Southern Raqs has always been about more than a weekend of workshops and performances. It’s about presence, intention, artistry, and shared energy, and that spirit continues to live on through this community.

If you have memories, photos, videos, or reflections from our first year, please feel free to share them here. We would absolutely love to see and celebrate the moments that made Southern Raqs special for you.

Plans are already underway, and as soon as details for the 2027 dates are confirmed, I will be sharing that information here. I invite you to stay connected through our website and social platforms as we move into this next chapter together.

Thank you for being part of the journey. I cannot wait to welcome you back in 2027.

🪬 Apryl Grace

Saidi with Faaridah 🌿Southern Raqs Festival was honored to welcome Faaridah of Atlanta Fusion Belly Dance She came down...
08/25/2025

Saidi with Faaridah 🌿
Southern Raqs Festival was honored to welcome Faaridah of Atlanta Fusion Belly Dance She came down from Atlanta to share her Saidi workshop with us, bringing both knowledge and artistry to the weekend.

Her presence added so much to the festival, and we are grateful she joined us to be part of our very first year.

Her Troupe absolutely rocked it at the Show!!!

One of the most powerful parts of the Southern Raqs Festival was the chance to dance with live music, the energy, the s...
08/24/2025

One of the most powerful parts of the Southern Raqs Festival was the chance to dance with live music, the energy, the spontaneity, the connection between dancer and musician. 🌟

We were lucky to have a workshop on How to Dance Drum Solo to Live Music, guided by Matias Hazrum with the beautiful J. Oriana Brooks assisting. It was informative, inspiring, and full of those “ah-ha” moments that only happen when the music is alive in the room.

Workshops like this remind us why live music is such a treasure in our dance community. Everyone left energized and deeply connected and that’s what Southern Raqs is all about. 💜

Finally catching my breath after the whirlwind of the festival (and everything that came with it) which means it’s the ...
08/24/2025

Finally catching my breath after the whirlwind of the festival (and everything that came with it) which means it’s the perfect time to start sharing some of the magic that happened in the workshops!

Yvonne gave us two unforgettable sessions:
💃 American Vintage Cabaret she brought us into the world of the Salimpour School, weaving history, lineage, and classic cabaret style into an experience that connected past and present.
🥁 Drum Solo Technique she explored a Hagala style that dancers can build on and carry into so many different situations, leaving us with strong foundations and inspiration.

Her teaching lit up the room and gave dancers so much to take home. I’m grateful she shared her expertise and love for the dance with our community and honored to have her not only as an inspiration, but as a friend & mentor. 💜

Check out more Southern Raqs moments captured by Lucy Noriega Photography Thank you, Lucy, for your work!
08/20/2025

Check out more Southern Raqs moments captured by Lucy Noriega Photography Thank you, Lucy, for your work!

Southern Raqs FestivalReturning in 2027This past year marked our very first Southern Raqs Festival, and we are deeply gr...
08/13/2025

Southern Raqs Festival
Returning in 2027

This past year marked our very first Southern Raqs Festival, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who joined us and helped make it such a meaningful experience. We are already looking ahead to the next chapter, with plans underway to bring the festival back in 2027 for another weekend of connection, wellness, and the vibrant collective energy we create together.

Details will be shared as planning continues. Stay connected through our website and social channels for future updates.

🪬 Apryl Grace
www.southernswaybellydance.com

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St. Marys, GA
33518

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