Hawkins Won’t Appear With Troupe

Choreographer Erick Hawkins, whose New York-based company is scheduled to dance tonight at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, will not appear with the troupe as announced, a company official said Tuesday.

Hawkins, 82, was hospitalized for tests earlier this month after reportedly collapsing from exhaustion. He is “doing fine,” said the company official, but “we just feel it’s better he rest” at home before a planned tour of Asia with the troupe May 10-29.

Tonight’s program was to have featured Hawkins narrating some of the text he wrote for “Divine Hero,” a new modern dance piece based on Southwest Indian myths. The part will be read instead by a company member. His appearance here was to have been part of the sixth annual Imagination Celebration arts festival for children.