Skip to main content
Intellect

Professor's art is 'Google Doodle' for a day

If you’ve seen the viral video Thought of You, by BYU professor Ryan Woodward, there was something familiar about Google’s home page Wednesday, May 11.

A 12-second “Google Doodle” celebrating the 117th birthday of influential dancer and choregrapher Martha Graham was created by none other than Woodward.

"It's kind of fun because a lot of people are reaching out to me and saying, 'I saw the Google thing and thought, hey, they ripped off Ryan Woodward,’" said Woodward. “Then they see it was actually me and they are excited."

Woodward said email is now flowing into his accounts like a constant digital river. Both of his websites have also crashed today. (They’re back up now.)

Woodward said the way the whole thing went down was quite the coincidence. Google reached out to Woodward in March, a couple weeks before the Martha Graham Dance Company was slated to visit BYU for a performance.

When Woodward agreed to do the animation, Google offered to fly him out to New York to meet with the dance company. Then Woodward realized the company was going to be at BYU.

“The Google guys were like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’” Woodward said.

So, instead, the Google people came to BYU and Woodward was able to work with the Martha Graham Dance Company dancers and choreographers in BYU’s Harris Fine Arts Center to create the animation.

Woodward said the animation includes just less than 300 frames, or 24 frames for each of the 12 seconds of the piece.

Founded in 1926 by dancer and choreographer Graham, The Martha Graham Dance Company is the oldest and most celebrated contemporary dance company in America.

google.PNG
Photo by Jonathan Hardy/BYU Photo

Related Articles

data-content-type="article"

Save your tears for another day — BYU researchers can use them to detect disease

December 05, 2024
It’s been said that angry tears are salty and happy tears are sweet. Whether or not that’s actually the case, it is true that not all tears are the same. Tears from chopping an onion are different from those shed from pain – like stepping on a Lego in the middle of the night — as are those special basal tears that keep eyes moist all day. Each type of tear carries unique proteins that reveal insights into health.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

BYU study shows that even one act of kindness per week improves wellbeing for individuals, communities

November 25, 2024
Have you felt uplifted through a simple smile, help with a task or a positive interchange with someone — even a stranger? Kindness works both ways. A new study conducted by BYU researcher Julianne Holt-Lunstad finds that offering a single act of kindness each week reduced loneliness, social isolation and social anxiety, and promoted neighborhood relationships.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

From Tony Hawk Pro Skater to Minecraft, these humanities professors want students to study (and play) video games

November 21, 2024
Humanities professors Michael Call and Brian Croxall have introduced a new video gaming initiative to BYU’s campus. With the support of the College of Humanities, students gather each Monday at 4:00 p.m. in the Humanities Learning Commons for a short faculty lecture about the video game of the week. The game is then available to play throughout the week. Beginning with Stardew Valley and Minecraft, the highlighted games and analyses are continuing through the semester.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText=