Erick Hawkins: Choreographic analysis

Erick Hawkins (1909-1994) was an important American dancer, teacher, and choreographer. This study analyzes selected choreography by dividing his work into three major periods. For the period 1951-1970 the following works are analyzed: Here and Now with Watchers (1957), Eight Clear Places (1960), and Black Lake (1969). For the period 1970-1980 the pieces discussed are: Classic Kite Tails (1972), and Plains Daybreak (1979). These are compared with three selected works that Hawkins created during the last decade of his life, 1980-1993: Summer Clouds People, Cantilver II and Killer-of-Enemies. Major themes of the periods are discussed, as well as important movement motifs and ideas of each piece. A context for the study of Hawkins choreography is provided with a brief biographical overview. There is also analysis of his philosophy, as shown in the various collected essays in The Body Is A Clear Place and Other Statements on Dance, published in 1992. His work as a dancer in Martha Graham's company is also examined. American Document, Appalachian Spring, and Night Journey were three of Graham's works in which Hawkins played a major role, and which helped influence both his and Graham's artistic directions.