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Who was Erick Hawkins and how did he work with Martha Graham?
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Martha Graham
Martha Graham performing “Letter to the World” (also called “The Kick”), 1940.
Erick Hawkins was a ballet dancer who became a significant figure in the career of Martha Graham.1
Initially, Graham’s dance company consisted exclusively of women, but as her thematic interests evolved to require male dancers, she engaged Hawkins to join her troupe. He made his debut with the company in the 1938 work American Document.1
Beyond their professional collaboration, Graham and Hawkins were married in 1948, though the marriage ended in divorce in 1954.1