Virginia McLaurin, 106, dances with the Obamas, is the embodiment of joy

Viginia McLaurin, 106, dances with the Obamas

(Image credit: White House/Twitter)

last updated 17 March 2016

The first black president is having a pretty touching final Black History Month in the White House, at least as captured by White House photographer Pete Souza and his staff. On Sunday night, the White House posted this short video of President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama meeting with an admirer. The caption is "this is one dance party 106-year-old Virginia McLaurin will never forget." But everybody in the room seems to be having a pretty memorable time:

"What's the secret to still dancing at 106?" the president asked. If McLaurin answered, it was lost in her dancing. But from her brief interaction with the first couple, joy would be a pretty good guess. Obama's encounter with Clark Reynolds, 3, last week prompted the Twitter hashtag #ObamaAndKids, but Obama and centenarians seems like it might have legs, too.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.