Judith jamison

5:10 P.M. EDT MRS. OBAMA: Thank you, everyone. (Applause.) Please, sit, relax. Welcome to my home. Welcome to the White House. (Laughter.) And thank you, Damian, for that wonderful introduction. Damian has made so many outstanding contributions in the arts, from his time as a world-renowned dancer to the work as Artistic Director of the Vail International Dance Festival to his service as a member of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities today. So I thank you for your pirouettes -- (laughter) -- but for all that you’ve done for the arts and for all of the hard work that you’ve put in to pulling together today’s program. I'd like to just take a few moments and recognize some people -- first of all, the co-chairs of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities: Margo Lion and George Stevens, Jr. I want to thank them and all of the members of the committee for their work on behalf of the arts and the humanities. I want to recognize Representative Chaka Fattah and his wife Renee, who are here, as well. It’s good to have you both.