Typically, most of the dancing done in the White House takes place during the grand balls and galas. But the First Lady continues to take refreshing steps forward in the White House. Clearly a woman of many talents, First Lady Michelle Obama invited a dance party into the White House’s East Room Tuesday to celebrate some of the nation’s best ballet, modern, Broadway, and hip-hop dancers.
The exciting event honored the renowned director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Judith Jamison, as part of an ongoing effort encouraging participation in the arts, engagement in fitness, and with any luck, eating healthy. (Read about Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" initiative to eliminate childhood obesity.) Jamison is soon retiring after serving as the acclaimed company's director for nearly two decades.
The White House's post of the event on Facebook read, "The White House Happening Now: The White House Dance Series: Student Dance Workshop. Watch live at http://wh.gov/live. And tune in at 5 PM EDT for A Tribute to Judith Jamison Performance."
The event started with a series of workshops providing students from around the country with the opportunity to learn from the pros, who then put on a thrilling, hour-long show for the students.
At the afternoon workshops, young girls in leotards with their hair tightly wrapped in buns spread out on the gleaming floor of the East Room to stretch and warm up. Smiling, Jamison watched current Ailey dancers teach excerpts from Ailey's "Revelations," one of the most acclaimed works in all of modern dance, to about 100 boys and girls from across the country. "Slow! Slooooow," guided teacher Nasha Thomas-Schmitt at one point for the students to take their time with a stretch.
"Wow," said Damian Woetzel, director of the event and a former star of New York City Ballet, after the Ailey workshop. "Now you've danced in the White House!" he told the kids, in case the prospect hadn't quite hit them yet.
The 67-year-old Jamison is an icon of the dance world, having joined the Ailey company in 1965 and soon after, becoming the choreographer's muse, her powerful portrayal as a dancer epitomized in the unforgettable 1971 solo piece "Cry." In 1989, after Ailey's death, she took over as Artistic Director. She has scheduled her resignation in 2011.
"What a rare opportunity to be invited by your country's first lady to be honored like this," Jamison expressed in a weekend interview. "I've been to the White House a couple of times before, but this event is totally unique. It's so terribly important to recognize this art form and to understand how important it is to the fabric of this country."
"This will be another clarion call to people: Pay attention to your arts!" Jamison voiced. "My dancers are so excited."
Michelle Obama certainly hasn't failed to demonstrate a passion for arts, and dance in particular. Jamison noted proudly that the Obamas with their daughters spent one of their first nights out as First Family attending an Ailey performance at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
"They came backstage, took pictures — the dancers were thrilled," she said.
Tuesday's event also featured the Paul Taylor Dance Company, The Washington Ballet, Super Cr3w, and the New York City Ballet.
The students came from dance schools around the country, including the Alvin Ailey School, Ballet Hispanico, Cab Calloway School of the Arts, Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Chicago Multicultural Dance Center and others.
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