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Subtitle created via GreatDreamers.cn

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Mrs. Obama:
Welcome to my home.

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Welcome to the White House.

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(laughter)

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And thank you, Damian, for
that wonderful introduction.

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Damian has made so many
outstanding contributions in the

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arts, from his time as a
world-renowned dancer to the

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work as Artistic Director of
the Vail International Dance

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Festival to his service as
a member of the President's

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Committee on the Arts
and Humanities today.

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So I thank you for
your pirouettes --

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(laughter)

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-- but for all that you've done for the arts and for all of the

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hard work that you've put in to
pulling together today's program.

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I'd like to just take a few
moments and recognize some

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people -- first of all, the co-chairs of the President's

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Committee on the Arts and the Humanities: Margo Lion and

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George Stevens, Jr.

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I want to thank them and all of the members of the committee for

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their work on behalf of
the arts and the humanities.

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I want to recognize
Representative Chaka Fattah and

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his wife Renee, who
are here, as well.

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It's good to have you both.

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And of course I want to give a
warm welcome to all the young

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dancers who are here today.

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Let's give them a
round of applause.

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(applause)

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So, we could hear you
a little bit upstairs.

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(laughter)

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Did you all have
fun this afternoon?

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Dancers:
Yes!

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Mrs. Obama:
Did you work up a good sweat?

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Dancers:
Yes!

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Mrs. Obama:
Well, good.

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That's a good thing.

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I'm also doing "Let's
Move," so that's good --

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moving, dancing, all that stuff.

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These young men and women are
from Michigan, and New York,

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Philadelphia, Delaware, Chicago -- South Side! --

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(laughter)

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-- and right here in Washington, and they just finished,

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as Damian mentioned, an
hour-and-a-half workshop with

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some of the most distinguished
dance companies in our country.

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And I am so thrilled that they
could all be here today as we

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kick off our new White
House Dance Series.

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Now, this is something that
we've been thinking about and

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talking about doing for awhile.

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And you probably already heard
a little bit about our music

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series where we showcase a whole
range of different genres of

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music -- from classical to country,

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to the music of the Civil Rights movement.

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But we're pivoting
off that theme today,

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but instead of hearing
the beauty of song,

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we'll witness the
glory of movement.

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It's a good thing.

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(applause)

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And we've got a little
something for everyone.

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The Alvin Ailey American
Dance Theater is here.

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(applause)

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"Billy Elliott the
Musical," they're here.

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(applause)

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The New York City Ballet.

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(applause)

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Paul Taylor Dance Company.

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(applause)

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Super Cr3w.

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(applause)

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And the Washington Ballet -- they're all here today;

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it's very exciting.

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(cheers and applause)

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So from ballet to
Broadway to hip-hop,

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today is a celebration of some
of the most beautiful, powerful,

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and emotional aspects
of American dance.

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But today isn't simply about
these performances or the new

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dance series or even these
talented, young dancers.

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What brings us together today is
the extraordinary career of an

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amazing, phenomenal,
fly woman --

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(laughter)

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-- the renowned dancer, choreographer,

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and artistic director
Judith Jamison.

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(applause)

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So let's embarrass Judith a bit.

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Would you please
stand, my dear --

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I know, I know, it's the lights.

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(applause)

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Thank you, Judith.

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Thank you so much.

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(applause)

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This amazing woman,
born in Philadelphia,

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she was onstage in New York with
the American Ballet Theater by

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her early 20s.

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Ten years ago, right?

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(laughter)

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After just one year, she joined
the Alvin Ailey American Dance

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Theater, where her shooting
star connected with Alvin's.

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And their artistry continues to
shine brightly to this very day.

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Judith, as we all know,
was Alvin Ailey's muse.

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He crafted pieces just
for her, including "Cry,"

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which we all know is
a 15-minute solo work,

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and we're going to see a portion
of that piece in just a moment.

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It's a good thing.

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(applause)

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After 15 years as lead dancer,
she branched off from Alvin

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Ailey's company in 1980 to
perform and choreograph on her own.

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But in 1989, in failing health,
Alvin named Judith as his successor.

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In the years since, she has
earned the National Medal of the

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Arts and an Emmy.

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She has become a
Kennedy Center Honoree.

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And she has distinguished
herself as a true visionary in

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the world of dance.

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Her work has been an inspiration
to me personally and to the President.

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Let me tell you, your picture in
"Cry" was the only piece of art

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we had in our house.

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(laughter)

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And the girls remember it.

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They're like, is that
the lady in the picture?

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(laughter)

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That's her.

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So we're thrilled to host her
here at the White House in our home.

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After my husband's inauguration,
our family's very first trip to

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the Kennedy Center was for the
Alvin Ailey 50th anniversary performance.

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That was great.

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And for years I have gone to
watch Judith's company whenever

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and wherever I can.

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And I always try to bring these
two little women with me because

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I want them to see
Judith's gifts on display,

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because I want them to witness
the grace and the beauty that

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stirs our souls and connects us
to each other like nothing else can.

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And in her biography,
entitled "Dancing Spirit,"

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Judith wrote -- these are her words: "Dancing is bigger than

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the physical body.

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Think bigger than
that," she said.

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"When you extend your arm, it
doesn't stop at the end of your

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fingers, because you're
dancing bigger than that.

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You're dancing spirit."

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In so many ways, Judith Jamison
embodies that spirit --

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a spirit that is alive in all the dancers she's inspired,

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in all the pieces
she's perfected,

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in all the audiences she
has moved and uplifted.

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And today, we honor Judith for
all she has achieved and all she

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has contributed not just to
our country but to the world.

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And now, I can think of no
better way to begin the White

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House Dance Series than with an
excerpt from "Cry" by the Alvin

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Ailey American Dance Theater.

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It was a gift from
Alvin to his mother,

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and Judith made it famous.

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Now, it is a gift
from us to her.

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So enjoy.

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And thank you all
for being here.

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(applause)