The Malawi Cultural Troupe will perform traditional dances, share the stories behind them, and then invite the audience to join in at Wilburton Hill Park on Saturday, July 25, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The event, called "Experience Malawi Through Dance," is organized by Heritage Malawi, a Washington State-based nonprofit founded by Charles Simango.
According to the organization's website, Simango grew up in rural Malawi mastering dances, music, and cultural practices, and later worked with USAID, UNICEF, and the World Bank using performing arts in development programs.
He went on to found and train the Malawi Seattle Association Cultural Troupe, which became a recognized performance group in the Pacific Northwest.
Heritage Malawi received a $10,000 grant from the City of Bellevue's Community Programming Fund to stage the dance series, according to the city's 2026 CPF award allocations published May 21.
The fund, now in its second year, is distributing up to $200,000 across 37 community-led programs in Bellevue's public spaces. All funded events must be free and open to the public.
The city describes the series as "community-led, city-supported." Heritage Malawi organizes the event; the city funds it through its Community Development department, administered by Emily Sherman, Public Space Management Specialist.
Attendees watch the performances, learn what each dance means, and then step in alongside the dancers, according to the event's Eventbrite listing.
The nonprofit runs three programs: the Khalidwe Cultural Academy for training and heritage preservation, the Khalidwe Cultural Troupe for live performances, and an annual Heritage Malawi Festival celebrating Malawian culture in the diaspora.
The July 25 event is one of several free cultural programs on Bellevue's summer calendar funded through the CPF. Others include a Kisii Traditional Dance Cultural Celebration at City Hall Plaza on Wednesday, July 1, and Capoeira Summer Rodas at Downtown Park on Friday, July 24.
If you go
- What: Malawi Traditional Dance Series: Experience Malawi Through Dance
- When: Saturday, July 25, 5–7 p.m.
- Where: Wilburton Hill Park, 12400 Main St., Bellevue
- Cost: Free (register on Eventbrite)
- Bring: Chairs, picnic blankets, family and friends
- Parking: First-come, first-served; carpooling encouraged
- Accessibility: For alternate formats, interpreters, or reasonable modification requests, call 425-452-6800 at least 48 hours in advance or email [email protected].
