Midnight Breeze to bring all-day culture, dance & arts fest back to San Marcos
Music, motion, camaraderie and culture await this summer with the return of a long-time San Marcos tradition: The Sultan’s Fest. Presented by Midnight Breeze Bellydance Company, the 2025 Sultan’s Fest will feature a full day of dance workshops, a variety of vendors and an evening dance showcase with exciting guest performances.
“We are thrilled to be back to present this fabulous bellydance event to the San Marcos community,” Krystal Todd, troupe leader of Midnight Breeze, said. “We are working hard to revamp this community event with instructional workshops and a night of dance entertainment.”
Previously known as The Sultan’s Feast, the annual event typically capped off the summer with a daylong celebration of artists, musicians, dance and a themed dinner. The festival went into hiatus during the COVID-19 quarantine, but is returning now with a revamped format, going from feast to fest as orga-
We’re definitely looking forward to sharing our love for dance and the arts with the community we love so much.
— Krystal Todd,
Midnight Breeze Dance Company nizers have shifted focus to the gala dance showcase rather than serving dinner.
“However,” Todd pointed out, “It is bring your own food and beverage.”
Todd, who teaches the bellydance class at the San Marcos Activity Center, expressed her excitement about the festival’s return.
“We’re definitely looking forward to sharing our love for dance and the arts with the community we love so much,” Todd said. “I’m also looking forward to offering the workshops for the first time in this event. We have some majorly talented guest instructors coming in to teach. We will also have vendors for the first [part] as well. This will be an all-day affair concluding with a fabulous two-hour show at the end of the day. There is so much to look forward to.”
Todd and fellow Midnight Breeze Dance Company members have been working together with previous festival organizers — Jamie Lynn and Midnight Breeze founder Virginia Davis — to bring The Sultan’s Fest into its new form.
“I know we did Sultan's Feast from 2010 to 2019,” Anne Law, a Midnight Breeze dancer and Sultan’s Fest organizer, said. “We were actually planning to take it over from [Lynn] in 2020 before COVID happened. In addition to Krystal and myself, the main troupe members working on organizing the event this year are Christian Weigand, Scarlet Emrys Galloway and Ayssa Altahif.”
“We are thrilled to finally be bringing it back,” Todd said. “We are excited about the change and hoping it will be a success.”
One of the things Todd said she was looking forward to the most was the addition of the four dance workshops offered at this year’s Fest. “I have learned so much from taking workshops,” Todd said. “They will all mainly be bellydance but different styles and levels…from beginner to advanced.”
Scheduled workshops include: Aya’s Bellydance Basics from 10:30 a.m. to noon. This workshop serves as a gentle, fun introduction to the world of bellydance for the beginner. Participants will learn common bellydance moves, muscle isolations and techniques as they are introduced to popular Middle Eastern rhythms and music. Aya will also briefly discuss the cultural context and history of bellydance.
Jamie Lynn - Emotion in Motion from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
Learn to dance with the veil as a partner, not a prop. Jamie Lynn will teach essential veil techniques as well as how to conceptualize veil work beyond the basics. All levels are welcome to participate in this workshop.
Liora - Altered Ego from 12:15 - 2:15 p.m.
This workshop aims to help participants tap into another persona while dancing on stage. Whether it's a brooding vampire or a mischievous mermaid, Liora will lead dancers in one-part guided discussion, one part movement in order to help participants find and express their alter ego. Dancers are encouraged to bring a pen and paper to this creative safe space in order to discover that persona that longs to live on stage.
Devin - Arm-Wave Alchemy from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.
A Fusion Bellydance workshop designed for dancers of all levels, this class will focus on the technique, control and artistry of arm waves.
The Gala Showcase will begin at 7 p.m. with doors opening at 6. Vendors will be present for shopping opportunities, so visitors are encouraged to arrive early.
The Sultan’s Fest will take place on Aug. 2 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the San Marcos Activity Center. Tickets are on sale now through Eventbrite and on the Midnight Breeze Dance Company’s Facebook page at facebook. com/MidnightBreezeBellydance. Find more details about the festival at its event page on Facebook by searching Sultan’s Fest 2025.
Interested in performing? The Sultan’s Fest still has spots available for guest performers in the showcase. Fill out the online application via this form: https://forms.gle/ k7wCo9DBfzdUaH5s7. A workshop purchase is required.
