Google pays homage to modern-dance legend Martha Graham
The late Martha Graham, one of the preeminent pioneers of modern dance, received a birthday animation tribute Wednesday from Google on the occasion of her 117th birthday. Born in 1894 in Pittsburgh, the American dancer and choreographer introduced a severe but also sensual modernism to the field of dance. The Martha Graham Dance Company, founded in 1926, continues to tour internationally.
How do you decipher Google's dancing hieroglyphs? On its website, the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance offers a breakdown of each letter. The "G" comes from the 1935 solo piece "Frontier"; the "oo" is a signature Graham contraction move from "Daughters of the Night," from the chorus of "Night Journey," which premiered in 1947; the "g" is from the 1944 piece "Appalachian Spring"; the "l" is from "Satyric Festival Song" from 1932; and the "e" is from "Lamentation," arguably one of Graham's most famous works.
Google's animation was created by Ryan Woodward. The Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance said on its website that Woodward was inspired by Blakeley White-McGuire, a principal dancer with Graham's company.
In February, the Martha Graham Dance Company performed in Southern California at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa. Dancers performed "Appalachian Spring," a collaboration between Graham and artist Isamu Noguchi.
RELATED:
Dance review: Martha Graham Dance Company at South Coast Repertory
The Martha Graham-Isamu Noguchi collaboration
Today's Google Doodle? It's a 170th birthday present for Tchaikovsky
-- David Ng
Photo credit (top): Google
Photo (bottom): Members of the Martha Graham Dance Company perform in Costa Mesa. Credit: Ringo H.W. Chiu / For The Times
Awesome, awesome Google animation in tribute to Martha Graham!!!
Posted by: Marni | May 11, 2011 at 10:16 AM
hey this is a cool design for google happy birthday martha
Posted by: zac | May 11, 2011 at 10:18 AM
thanks i remeber seeing her copany on public tv when i was young it's good to see that pop culture has more culture than many thought!!!
Posted by: cece | May 11, 2011 at 10:20 AM
im gay
Posted by: jacob valdez | May 11, 2011 at 10:44 AM
Martha Graham was outstanding.
Google is.
Posted by: Barbara Kelly | May 11, 2011 at 10:44 AM
A SPLENDID tribute to Graham! Very effective use of animation!
Thank you, Google!
Posted by: JBLee | May 11, 2011 at 10:49 AM
who cares
Posted by: troll | May 11, 2011 at 10:50 AM
She had summer workshop introducing her modern dance to cornish school of arts, seattle in the 1930's...Syvilla Fort and Merce Cunningham and John Cage greats were soon to follow
Posted by: flintstoner80 | May 11, 2011 at 10:53 AM
i like this
Posted by: izzy | May 11, 2011 at 10:54 AM
amazing she is a dance legend happy birthday Martha!
Posted by: izzy | May 11, 2011 at 10:55 AM
love this Google Design... brilliant for Martha G. ;D ...great art work!
Posted by: eva | May 11, 2011 at 11:04 AM
like
Posted by: sara | May 11, 2011 at 11:05 AM
Very cool.
Posted by: Robin | May 11, 2011 at 11:05 AM
So beautiful! I even posted this on my FB to encourage more people to check it out. Very eye-catching, what a lovely tribute.
Posted by: Emily | May 11, 2011 at 11:05 AM
Very Cool!
Posted by: Robin | May 11, 2011 at 11:05 AM
this is really cool!!!!!:)
Posted by: aby | May 11, 2011 at 11:06 AM
This was rearlly cool, I saw it twice... Happy B'Day Martha Graham...
Posted by: Keishla | May 11, 2011 at 11:07 AM
amazing
Posted by: Collette M. Hopkins | May 11, 2011 at 11:09 AM
I knew it was in honor of Martha Graham the minute I saw it move! I know nada about modern dance, and little about M.G. but she is iconic and you captured the ability to honor her PERFECTLY! Bravo!!! This one is THE BEST!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT AND THE REMINDER OF THE TALENTED MG!!!
Posted by: Julie Horwin | May 11, 2011 at 11:12 AM
Huh? Who?
Google is getting carried away. George Washington, Susan B Anthony... fine... but this is getting a bit eccentric.
I see Graham is whom I can blame for having to sit through bizarre dances of "expression".
Posted by: Bernard Shakey | May 11, 2011 at 11:18 AM