Jamar Roberts saw the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater perform in his home city of Miami just once - but it was enough for him to know this was the company for him. Jamar, now aged 27, began dancing when he was just ten years old, but initially saw it as a hobby rather than a career option.
We have officially one city down on our UK tour. Let me say, London, you were on fire and thank you, because the beginning of a tour is always harder than the rest. Your applause motivated me through tough times, and I loved that, at every performance, before the final curtain came up, the crowd would roar with enthusiasm. Such a great feeling!
We have finally arrived, although still a little jet lagged. The audience has definitely awoken us. Tuesday was our opening performance. For those who weren’t able to make it out, we performed Suite Otis, The Hunt, Dancing Spirit, and In/Side, followed by Revelations.
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.
"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.
Yes, it is almost that time for us to get on a plane and head for the UK. However, we must make a stop in Washington, DC on Tuesday to congratulate our Artistic Director, Judith Jamison, who will be honored by First Lady Michelle Obama at the first of a series of White House tributes to the art of dance in America.
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.