Little ones often showcase their first dance moves - swaying, bouncing and clapping their hands - before they take their first steps. As they grow, many kids show an interest in further exploring dance, whether classical ballet, modern dance, tap, jazz, hip hop or ballroom.
Though it was the day after Labor Day, "The White House Dance Series: A Tribute to Judith Jamison" began with a summer-camp air. Youngsters from nine arts programs around the country entered the crystal chandelier-hung East Room, often known for its grand state occasions, wearing a variety of T-shirts, workout clothes and tights.
Sure enough, someone hit the chandelier. You want to avoid it when you're dancing in the East Room of the White House, but as the many dancers who have had the distinction of leaping and spinning there can attest, it can take tricky choreography to ensure that airborne bodies don't graze the low-hanging crystal.
"Dance is the soul of this nation!" Judith Jamison, artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, exclaimed on Tuesday afternoon in the East Room of the White House, at the end of a performance in her honor.
In the end, it was a wonder the three massive chandeliers gracing the White House East Room remained intact, given the high-voltage expenditure of human engery taking place beneath them.
Jamar Roberts has danced in 48 states, 71 countries and on six continents. But that doesn't mean he's not nervous to perform at the White House Tuesday.
First Lady Michelle Obama has launched a new program at the White House paying tribute to the art of dancing.
Broadway, jazz and country music have all been the focus of cultural events at the WHite House, and now dance will take center stage.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has announced the appointment of two new co-directors for the Ailey School, its training academy.
Fab Factor: She showed Black girls they belonged at center stage - and in the corner office.