Martha Graham, “Letter to the World” (Kick)

In 1935 Barbara Morgan saw a performance by modern dancer and choreographer Martha Graham. At that time they were both just beginning their artistic careers. Morgan was so inspired by the dance performance that she introduced herself to Graham, and the two artists agreed to work together on creative projects. This was the beginning of an artistic collaboration that lasted more than 60 years.

Morgan was commissioned by the Martha Graham Dance Company to photograph dancers in motion from 1935 through 1940. Her first book of photography, Martha Graham: Sixteen Dances in Photographs, features Letter to the World (Kick). The kicking sequence Morgan is performing in this photograph is from her 1940 ballet performance based on the love life of American poet Emily Dickinson. The title of the work comes from Dickinson’s poem, “This is my letter to the world.” In her poem Dickinson expresses feelings of loneliness and disconnection from the rest of the world. Graham’s pose and facial expression express these same feelings, and Morgan captures them in her photograph. She also creates a sense of movement that seems to extend beyond the photograph itself.