Press Release: D.C. Native, and Dance Theatre of Harlem member, Alexandra Hutchinson celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library

For Immediate Release:

September 27, 2021

Media Contact:

George Williams, Media Relations Manager

Library Reimagined: A Tour in Dance

(Washington, D.C.) – Alexandra Hutchinson grew up in Southwest Washington, D.C. She frequented the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library and the Southwest Library. Now a member of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Hutchinson and her ballet partner Derek Brockington perform throughout the District’s central library in a new piece, entitled “Library Reimagined: A Tour in Dance.”

Choreographed by Hutchinson, “Library Reimagined: A Tour in Dance” was unveiled at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library Festival. The piece shows what a magical place a library can be, especially to a young ballerina. The dancers perform throughout the building and discover the possibilities throughout the newly-modernized library. Areas featured include:

• The monumental staircases.
• The Great Hall.
• The new Grand Reading Room.
• The new auditorium.
• The new rooftop reading garden.

Commissioned by the MLK Library Friends, the piece contains the music of composer William Grant Still (1895-1978), the first African-American to have a symphony performed by a professional orchestra in the United States.

Hutchinson and Brockington executive produced the now-viral “Dancing through Harlem,” a choreographed work featuring members of the Dance Theatre of Harlem promoting mask wearing during the summer of 2020.

“Library Reimagined: A Tour in Dance” can be viewed on the Library’s YouTube channel. 

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