First Lady Obama Brings Together Dance Professionals And D.C. Students To Celebrate Black History Month

The White House
This year, the theme of Black History Month at the White House is “Honoring the Past While Celebrating the Present; 7 Years of Living African-American History.” As part of this celebration, First Lady Michelle Obama recently highlighted the contributions African-American women have made to dance by hosting a day-long dance workshop for local students. 

The First Lady welcomed 51 local Washington, D.C. students to the White House.  These students worked with iconic leaders in dance, including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Judith Jamison, Debbie Allen, the Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Virginia Johnson, and Hip-Hop choreographer Fatima Robinson.  Each of these women has played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of African-American women and girls in dance.

In the afternoon, the First Lady joined Judith Jamison, Debbie Allen, Virginia Johnson, and Fatima Robinson for a panel discussion.  The panelists answered questions from the students in the audience on a variety of topics including self-confidence, health, hard work, and overcoming adversity.  
Later In the evening, the First Lady delivered remarks and introduced a student presentation where these young dancers told the story of African-American history and culture through dance.