Today's Google Doodle Celebrates International Women's Day with an Iconic Indian Dancer

March 7, 2017

Happy International Women’s Day, dance friends! It feels more important than ever to celebrate talented female dance artists, who’ve repeatedly revolutionized the field—but who aren’t always given the credit they deserve.

The folks at Google decided to celebrate #IWD2017 with a Google Doodle slideshow featuring 13 remarkable women from history. And we give them lots of props for including a trailblazing dancer in the mix: Rukmini Devi, who popularized the classical Indian dance form Bharatanatyam.

Before Devi, who was born in 1904, stepped in, Bharatanatyam was only performed in temples. Devi brought it to theaters, and to vibrant theatrical life, despite protests from some critics who considered her shows “vulgar.”

Fun fact: Google also featured Devi in its February 29, 2016 Doodle, honoring what would have been her 112th birthday.

Who else is included in today’s Doodle roundup? Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, American astronaut Sally Ride, English mathematician Ada Lovelace (also known as the world’s first computer programmer), and French tennis champion Suzanne Lenglen, to name just a few.