Southern Raqs Festival

Southern Raqs Festival Southern Raqs Festival is a weekend of dance, music, and wellness held in St. Marys, GA. Follow along for updates, lineup info, and early bird passes.

More info coming soon! 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 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!

Save the DateSouthern Raqs Festival 2026July 31 – August 2, 2026This year was our very first Southern Raqs Festival, and...
08/13/2025

Save the Date
Southern Raqs Festival 2026
July 31 – August 2, 2026

This year was our very first Southern Raqs Festival, and we’re so thankful to everyone who joined us and made it unforgettable. We’re excited to bring it back in 2026 a weekend of connection, wellness, and the vibrant energy we create together.

Mark your calendars now and stay tuned to our website for updates as the journey unfolds, we’ll be adding details along the way.

🪬 Apryl Grace

www.southernswaybellydance.com

#

Enjoy the beautiful energy of the Southern Raqs Festival through the lens of Lucy Noriega Photography A huge thank you ...
08/13/2025

Enjoy the beautiful energy of the Southern Raqs Festival through the lens of Lucy Noriega Photography
A huge thank you to her for coming out and capturing the beauty of the show!

Feel free to use the pictures, tag yourself, and share the love.

Thank you to everyone who came out and made it such a magical night and to Theatre by the Trax for allowing us to host one of the last shows in the theater..It was truly beautiful.

A heartfelt thank you to all the incredible schools and dancers who brought their talent, passion, and artistry to our professional gala show. You made the night unforgettable.

Looking forward to seeing you all again next year as we plan for Southern Raqs 2026 and as we begin the exciting search for a new location to host our next chapter! 💃✨

A little late, but worth the wait ✨We’re still riding the high from an unforgettable weekend at Southern Raqs Festival 🪬...
08/07/2025

A little late, but worth the wait ✨
We’re still riding the high from an unforgettable weekend at Southern Raqs Festival 🪬 what a show!

This moment captured our final bow on stage, giving a huge thank you to the incredible Matias Hazrum for his powerful live drumming and musical magic. And to every single dancer who graced the stage, you were absolutely stunning. The energy, the artistry, the connection... it was beautiful from beginning to end.

I'm currently going through all the footage, and I can’t wait to share the highlights with you.
THANK YOU to everyone who came out and made this weekend so special.

Stay tuned right here for recap clips and updates on next year’s Southern Raqs, it’s already in motion!

Just a preview Here’s just a little sneak peek from our incredible three-day weekend at the very first Southern Raqs Fes...
08/06/2025

Just a preview Here’s just a little sneak peek from our incredible three-day weekend at the very first Southern Raqs Festival! ✨ What an unforgettable experience with so much energy, connection, and joy.

Stay tuned more highlights are coming soon, along with details for next year’s event!

We're inviting Camden County and anyone around to come shop for the day at Southern Raqs Festival . It's set up inside F...
08/03/2025

We're inviting Camden County and anyone around to come shop for the day at Southern Raqs Festival . It's set up inside From the Ground Up Therapy and Wellness . It's our last day. Come see what we have. We have amazing jewelry, costumes, skirts from Egypt and India. 2322 Osborne Rd. St. Marys

Today from 11:00 - 6:00

Sunday workshops are going to rock it!!!! Starting soon!!! Yvonne at 10:30
08/03/2025

Sunday workshops are going to rock it!!!! Starting soon!!! Yvonne at 10:30

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St. Marys, GA
33518

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