The Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive & Festival

First off, I may be a little biased since I am the Director of Volunteers this year and have been for the past four years. However, before that I was a volunteer and loved the event just as much.
It’s the one big bellydance event in Las Vegas that provides classes and performance for all types and styles of the dance. From classic folkloric, to American Tribal Style, to American cabaret style, to all other fusions in between. The festival and shopping area is also free to all so you can pick up those Melodia pants you’ve been wanting, add to your hair garden with Diva Dreads, pick up that shiny new bedlah, get henna done, and watch some fantastic (and lets be honest, some not so fantastic but that’s what you get with a open to all stage) performances all in the same spot.
And now a brief plug for volunteering (what? I said I’m the Director of Volunteers) You can earn vouchers for classes and the pro shows (not part of the festival so they do have tickets) by volunteering your time. So we help out the community by allowing people to volunteer and get classes who may not have been able to afford them. This year we’re running from ⁹⁄₁₀ through 9/​13, you can check out the website for times.

This festival is amazing!
So many great instructors, vendors and performers!
The intensive has grown from a small weekend workshop series with mostly locals to an international sensation, drawing performers, students and teachers from around the world.
The festival stage features free performances, and tons of shopping!
A great yearly event!
The festival stage and shopping area is free to enter.
The stage features all different styles of Belly Dance: Egyptian, folkloric, ATS, Tribal fusion, skirt dancing, Spanish fusion, and so much more!
I sat and watched performances for a few hours each day, and was blown away! Professional dancers and student troupes alike all performed with great passion and energy.
The layout of the festival is good, and fairly easy to find, although there could be a few more signs downstairs in the Flamingo before you head up to the conference area.
The event is staffed with volunteers who are super helpful in selling official event merchandise (shirts, bags, etc) and who help you find the classrooms for your workshops.
Also, in the evening, there are pro shows featuring dancers from around the world, performing all different styles.
I only attended the Saturday night show, but it was just phenomenal.
I’ve been to this event many times over the last several years, and each year, it just improves. The caliber of instructors, and performers continues to increase.
This is a great local festival, and I can’t wait for next year!