Membership

• In our inaugural year, we welcomed 59 members to the Guild—27 general members and 32 professional members. This growth is a promising sign of the community’s enthusiasm and belief in our mission.

Workshops

• We successfully hosted a workshop with Kido Sun, providing our members the unique chance to learn from a highly respected dancer.
• Additionally, we organized workshops with Sadira, Yuka, and Nefabit at Gilded Raqs, giving dancers of all levels and styles a chance to grow and refine their skills.

Performance Opportunities

• Our first festival, Gilded Raqs, was a tremendous success, featuring 74 performers, 22 vendors, and over 100 attendees! This event showcased the diversity and creativity of our belly dance community.
• In December, we hosted the Christmas in the Park Dance Showcase in San Jose, bringing the spirit of belly dance to the holiday season and offering our members another opportunity to perform.

Social Media and Website

• We launched our website, a hub for both the public and our members. It includes resources, articles, and exclusive content for our members, with a focus on supporting our community's growth and learning.
• Our social media presence has grown significantly, with more frequent posts and shares from our members, allowing us to stay connected and engage with a broader audience.
• We've also created a form so that Professional Members can request social media promotions.

Event Calendar

• We created a community calendar where Professional Members can post their own events and classes. This publicly available calendar provides a comprehensive list for anyone looking to find a class to take or an event to attend, making it easier to stay connected to what’s happening in the belly dance world.

Merch Store!

• The Guild has just launched our Merch Store... so now you can proudly wear The Belly Dance Guild logo!

The Belly Dance Guild has decided to align its fiscal year with the calendar year, running from January 1 through December 31. Since the Guild was founded in mid-2023, there were minimal financial activities during the initial setup phase leading up to the official launch.

As a result, this year’s financial report will cover activities from the Guild’s inception through September 30, 2024. Moving forward, the next financial report will be adjusted to reflect activities for the 2024 calendar year exclusively.

Summary

The Belly Dance Guild is thrilled to announce that our first year has resulted in a positive bank balance! These funds will enable us to secure a venue deposit for next year’s Gilded Raqs festival and cover general operating expenses, ensuring a strong foundation for our continued growth and activities.

Looking ahead, we have exciting plans for the Guild to continue its growth, outreach, and impact, including ways to make the Guild more beneficial to our members. However, as a membership-driven organization, we need your help to make these plans a reality. Here’s what’s in store for 2025:

Grow our Membership

• We will be launching a membership drive soon to reach out to prominent members of our community and their students across Northern California. By connecting with more teachers and students, we can ensure that the Guild becomes a more inclusive and representative community for all dancers, musicians and artisans.

Performance Opportunities

• Gilded Raqs will return in September 2025, and we are expanding it into a two-day festival! We plan to continue offering member discounts and priority dance slots.
• We are also working to secure monthly performance opportunities at local venues in Northern California, which will be exclusively available to our members.
• In addition, we are exploring opportunities to bring belly dance to the wider public through pop-up events in parks and special appearances during National Dance Week.

Workshops

• We plan to host even more workshops in the coming year, with a mix of traditional and innovative styles to cater to dancers of all levels, focusing on centering and promoting source origin dancers.  

Resources

• Our website will continue to evolve, with more resources and materials for members. 
• We will also be working more closely with our Professional Members to make sure that they are getting support and engagement from our Community Calendar and Social Media.

Board Elections

• The Guild plans to hold elections for new officers in Fall 2025. More information on eligibility and the election process will be provided soon. This is a great opportunity for those who want to take a more active role in shaping the future of The Guild.

Social Media

• Our marketing team is developing regular social media campaigns to feature our members and promote their work.
• We are also working on a series of video reels titled “What is Belly Dance?” to introduce the general public to our community and increase engagement in classes and events.

The Guild thrives on the active involvement of its members! Whether through volunteering, sharing ideas, or simply spreading the word about The Guild, your participation is essential to our growth and to supporting the belly dance community. Every bit of engagement helps us strengthen and expand our impact!

• If you have ideas about people you'd like to see involved in our efforts or know anyone who might be interested in becoming a member, we encourage you to reach out to them or share their contact information with us!

• Help us find performance spaces! If you know of any venues that would be open to hosting regular shows, please get in touch—we’re eager to explore new locations.

• Have a dream dance teacher you'd love to learn from? Let us know! We’re always looking for recommendations for workshop hosts and would love your input.

• We also want your suggestions for our website! Whether it’s resources, articles, or new features, we welcome your feedback.

• Curious about how to make the most of our community calendar or want to use our professional event software for your own event? Reach out—we’d love to partner with you to make your event a success!

• Finally, we’re looking to involve more volunteers in various aspects of running and growing the Guild, so if you’re interested, we’d love to have your support!