Puerto Rico Bellydance Fusion Fest 2025 brings three days of dance, music, and cultural exchange to San Juan from Friday to Sunday, October 3–5, centered at the historic Teatro Francisco Arriví in Santurce with a Friday night hafla in Old San Juan and a full weekend of workshops, competition, and gala showcases. The official festival site confirms venue, dates, and a bilingual program concept that blends Arab dance lineages with Puerto Rican rhythms and identity under the theme Borikén, while ticketing and media posts lock key curtain times for the Saturday competition and Sunday gala at Arriví. Artists, teachers, and troupes from Puerto Rico and abroad gather for technique intensives, cross‑genre fusions, and storytelling‑driven stage productions designed by creative director Karlos Khalil and collaborators.
Dates, venues, and what’s included
- Dates: October 3–5, 2025; three program days that flow from community celebration to master training to stage performance.
- Core venue: Teatro Francisco Arriví, Santurce, for Saturday competition and Sunday gala; site listings provide addresses on Ave. Ponce de León for wayfinding.
- Friday opener: A free‑entry hafla and bazaar kicks off the festival at La Malquerida in Old San Juan on Friday evening, setting a welcoming, participatory tone.
- Tickets: Competition and gala tickets are sold through island ticketing in Spanish and English, with published start times and general admission prices for each night.
Confirmed schedule highlights
- Friday, Oct 3 (Old San Juan): Hafla Bazaar by Natalie Nazario at La Malquerida from 7:00 p.m., free to the public.
- Saturday, Oct 4 (Santurce):
- Day workshops at Centro de Bellas Artes de Santurce with Angel Bellydance on Latin‑Bellydance and Reggaetón‑Bellydance fusion, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. and 1:00–3:00 p.m.
- Competition night at Teatro Francisco Arriví, curtain 8:30 p.m.; general admission $15 plus taxes and service.
- Sunday, Oct 5 (Santurce):
- Day workshops with Nercy Córdova Rodríguez on Cultura Ancestral Loiceña (Bomba) 12:00–2:00 p.m., and Natalie Nazario’s Mejance: La Gran Entrada 2:00–4:00 p.m.
- Gala show at Teatro Francisco Arriví, evening curtain; published start 6:30–7:00 p.m. window depending on listing.
Theme and artistic direction
- Borikén: The 2025 theme honors Puerto Rico’s indigenous name and celebrates how Arab dance forms converse with the island’s living traditions, from bomba’s barriles and call‑and‑response to contemporary urban beats and stagecraft.
- Creative leads: Founder and director Karlos Khalil and the EYFA collective craft narrative‑driven staging that fuses acting and dance, with a jury of international artists adjudicating Saturday’s competition and the winner joining Sunday’s gala.
How to register and attend
- Workshops and competition: Registration for technique intensives and competition entries is open via the festival website in English and Spanish, with limited capacities and detailed contact info for questions.
- Show tickets: Purchase competition and gala seats through the local ticketing portal; listings publish exact times, theater address, and general admission pricing.
- Social confirmations: Festival Instagram posts reiterate dates, venues, and the competition and gala times to help attendees plan the weekend flow.
Teachers and formats
- Technique tracks:
- Angel Bellydance: Latin‑Bellydance and Reggaetón‑Bellydance format that layers salsa, merengue, and samba patterns with oriental technique and urban musicality.
- Natalie Nazario: Mejance, the classic Egyptian grand entrance that refines stage presence, musical phrasing, and audience connection.
- Nercy Córdova Rodríguez: Cultura Ancestral Loiceña, a bomba immersion that connects canto, drum, and dance vocabulary to Puerto Rico’s Afro‑Boricua heritage.
Practical travel notes
- Where to stay: The festival recommends a boutique partner hotel just a short walk from Arriví, with a published 20 percent discount code for attendees; Santurce’s arts district and nearby Condado and Miramar offer easy access to venues.
- Getting around: Teatro Francisco Arriví sits on Ponce de León in Santurce; rideshare and taxis are plentiful between Old San Juan, Miramar, Condado, and Santurce for the Friday‑to‑Sunday moves.
- What to bring: Dance shoes or barefoot pads, a hip scarf, water bottle, small towel, and a notebook for combos and musicality notes; for shows, smart‑casual attire suits the historic theater setting.
Cultural context and why it matters
- Fusion with roots: The program balances innovation with respect — pairing bomba’s ancestral pulse and Mejance’s classical form with modern fusions — illuminating dialogue rather than dilution.
- Community stage: The Friday hafla lowers the barrier to entry for newcomers, the Saturday competition builds a professional pipeline, and the Sunday gala uplifts island and international artists together.
- Access and pricing: With competition tickets at $15 and gala at $30 plus taxes and fees, the festival remains accessible while delivering high production value in a landmark venue.
Sample festival itinerary
- Friday: Land in San Juan, check in near Santurce, and head to La Malquerida by 7:00 p.m. for the free hafla and bazaar; meet instructors and performers in a relaxed setting.
- Saturday: Take one or two fusion workshops at Centro de Bellas Artes; break for a Santurce lunch; return to Arriví for the 8:30 p.m. competition and cheer the finalists.
- Sunday: Dive into bomba with Nercy and polish Mejance with Natalie; close the weekend with the gala at Arriví at 6:30–7:00 p.m., capturing a full arc from community jam to refined stage.
Verified details at a glance
- Dates: Oct 3–5, 2025.
- Venues: La Malquerida (Old San Juan) for the Friday hafla; Teatro Francisco Arriví (Santurce) for Saturday competition and Sunday gala; daytime workshops at Centro de Bellas Artes de Santurce.
- Tickets: Competition Sat Oct 4, 8:30 p.m., $15 GA; Gala Sun Oct 5, 6:30 p.m., $30 GA, plus taxes and service.
- Theme and direction: “Borikén,” led by Karlos Khalil and EYFA, merging Arab dance with Puerto Rican heritage; competition winner performs in the gala.
- Registration: Workshops and competition sign‑ups via the festival website (English/Spanish); social posts confirm weekend times.
Secure workshop spots, grab show tickets, and plan a dance‑filled weekend that moves from Old San Juan’s cobblestones to Santurce’s storied stage. With accessible pricing, world‑class instructors, and a gala that tells Puerto Rican stories through the language of bellydance, Puerto Rico Bellydance Fusion Fest 2025 is an invitation to learn, to witness, and to celebrate Borikén in motion.