March 21-22, 2026; 5631 Cypress Avenue, Carmichael, California 95608, United States
Capital City Raqs 2026 Workshops
Workshops with Master Instructors
Enjoy workshops with Master Instructors Amanda Rose, Pierre Khoury, and Zoe Jakes! There will also be free drumming and dabke workshops, with the opportunity to perform with Pierre Khoury! And Amanda has a surprise announcing soon,,,
Festival Bundle
$250.00
Fri March 20- Sun March 22, 2025
Bundle your festival and save! The Festival Bundle includes all workshops (recordings available), free entry to both festival days, a Benefit Showcase Ticket, and a guaranteed festival performance spot to your choice of live or recorded music! Worried about choosing between instructors? We've got you! Workshop recordings will be available to all Bundle holders for 30 days after the Festival! Bundle holders still must fill out the GOOGLE FORM to reserve a dance spot.
Drum Solo Fire with Amanda Rose
$60.00
Sat. March 21, 2026; 9:30am - 11:30am - Ballroom
Drum Solo Fire - Drum Solo Skills
Every dancer needs these solid skills in their toolkit for drum solos; Isolations, Shimmies, and Attitude! In this class we'll focus on technical execution of clean isolations, a diverse range of shimmies, and how to bring energy and personality to each movement. Then we'll put them together in dynamic combinations that challenges dancers technically while asking them to bring their sass, attitude and charisma to the forefront. Come learn how to leave an impact and have your audience wanting more!
Mejance Choreography with Pierre Khoury
$60.00
Sat. March 21, 2026; 9:30am - 11:30am - Lodge Room
Mejance Choreography
Command the stage with a full raqs sharqi mejance choreography designed to impress. Learn dynamic combinations, musicality, and the essential structure of a powerful opening piece. In this workshop, you will learn a full raqs sharqi choreography (mejance) that is meant to attack the stage and captivate your audience. You will impress in this energetic and refined performance!
Shaabi Choreography with Amanda Rose
$60.00
Sun. March 22, 2026; 9:30am - 11:30am - Lodge Room
Shaabi Choreography
Come along for the ride in a fun Shaabi track focusing on expressing the music, the lyrics, and the fun Shaabi style in contrast to Raqs Sharqi. This choreography will be fun, vibrant, and full of personality.
Tarab with Pierre Khoury
$60.00
Sun. March 22, 2026; 9:30am - 11:30am - Ballroom
Tarab and Emotion
Pierre Khoury will bring you into his key signature choreographies and styling to tarab music. How to dance on stories of breakups or pain from being far from a loved one? This workshop is specifically designed to gain knowledge into interpretation of music and how to dance in a way that is representative and sensitive to what the song evokes. Seizing nuances in dance, and how to 'texturize movement'. Simplicity in choreography, yet impressing with relevant pauses, and variations in energy and tempo. Understanding how to convey relevant emotion through movement and interpretation.
Zoe Jakes
$60.00
Fri. March 20, 2026; 6:00pm - 8:oopm - Thrive Movement Arts
Join world-reknown Master Performer/Instructor/Musician Zoe Jakes for a workshop in her signature style. More information coming soon!
About Our Instructors
About Amanda Rose
Amanda Rose is an internationally acclaimed instructor and performer based in Barcelona, Spain with a passion for helping students feel connected to their bodies, and explore Middle Eastern dance styles. While she holds regular classes in Barcelona, she also travels internationally, inspiring dancers worldwide with her dynamic teaching style and captivating performances. Known for her technical precision, emotionally captivating performances, and insightful instruction, Amanda Rose’s approach to dance, art and pedagogy is greatly shaped by a background in sociology, 2 decades of experience with Middle Eastern dance, and a master’s degree in Dance Movement Therapy from La Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. She has received wide recognition for her online platform Amanda Rose Online, where she has been offering high-quality online instruction for over 10 years. Instruction includes online pre-recorded and live classes, coaching for competitions, and creative and artistic development, intensive long-distance training projects, personalized feedback, and exploratory movement. Amanda Rose also works as a Dance Movement Therapist, facilitating groups and individual sessions online and in-person.
About Pierre Khoury
Pierre Khoury a Syrian-Canadian male belly dancer from Montreal, is renowned for his expertise in Syrian/Lebanese Dabke, Raqs Sharqi, and Whirling. His talents have graced prestigious stages, including the Theatrical Bellydance Conference of New York and the International Bellydance Conference of Canada in Toronto. He recently was a guest master instructor in several venues including Hot Raqs and Cairo Shimmy Quake in California, and his workshops were acclaimed for the quality of their content. Beyond the realm of dance, Pierre brings his unique perspective as a psychology teacher at the University of Montreal to his coaching endeavors, seamlessly integrating his psychological insights into his dance instructions.
About Zoe Jakes
Zoe Jakes began her belly dance journey in 2000 and is known as a pioneer of the tribal fusion style. Zoe’s signature technique of dance incorporates pop and lock isolations, elements of classical indian dance, jazz foot work and modern lines, with abundances of folk belly dance inspiration.
Zoe is a founding member of the electronic and world fusion group Beats Antique, where she composes music and is the lead dancer. Since Beats Antique’s 2007 inception, Zoe has been renowned around the world for her unique form of belly dance.
To share her expertise with the next generation, Zoe is an accomplished teacher and incorporates playfulness and ease to create an engaging training experience. Above all, Zoe desires to create an inclusive environment so all may enjoy the art of belly dance. There is grace that comes with training in this artistry, and Zoe aspires to teach everyone in her classes to embody this fluidity.
Want to Volunteer?
Volunteer Information
Do you want to volunteer to help pull off this fun, community-oriented festival? We would love to have you! Volunteers get free festival and showcase attendance, and a 10% discount on workshops - and have a ton of fun! Fill out this GOOGLE FORM to be a part of the backstage family.
