Michelle Obama Hosts First-Ever Salute To Dance At The White House

WASHINGTON (CBS/AP) Dance took the center stage at the White House Tuesday when first lady Michelle Obama celebrated the art form in a special evening honoring Judith Jamison. 

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Jamison, the Alvin Ailey company's artistic director and an iconic figure in the dance world, will step down in 2011 after two decades leading the company after Ailey's death in 1989.

Michelle Obama, who acted as host of the event, brought along daughters Sasha and Malia - just home from their first day of school - and mom Marian Robinson, too.

The event included performances by members of Alvin Ailey, Paul Taylor Dance  Company, the Washington Ballet, Super Cr3w and New York City Ballet and featured several different kinds of dance by students from dance schools around the country.

The first lady clapped along to some of the dances but leaped to a standing ovation when Dayton Tavares, one of Broadway's high-flying Billy Elliots, finished his song, "Electricity," with a virtuoso set of turns.

Jamison has  long been considered one of the best choreographers in the country. Mrs. Obama called Jamison, 67, "an amazing, phenomenal, 'fly' woman."

Though the Obamas have spotlighted many varieties of music since they came to the White House - there have been events celebrating Latin music, rock, jazz, country, classical and Broadway show tunes - the dance world might have felt ignored, until now.

Woetzel, who is on the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, says there will be future performances in the dance series, but won't give details. "Let's just say there will be more dance," he said. Tuesday's event  was beileved to be the first -ever honoring  dance at the White House.

Mrs. Obama had the last word on Tuesday, telling the young people present that "If you've done it in the White House, you can do it anywhere!"

And, she said with a smile, "They didn't break the chandelier!"