Beyonce Joins the Let's Move Initiative

Debuting 'Move Your Body'

Beyonce's role in the Let's Move campaign involves using her popularity and influence among children to promote exercise. Her collaboration with Mrs. Obama began with the debut of 'Move Your Body,' a remix of her 2007 song 'Get Me Bodied' that was put together by the Swizz Beatz. Beyonce recorded a dance/exercise routine video to provide kids with a model to follow. Working with the National Association of Broadcasters, the pair organized a nationwide workout dance at over 600 schools in May.

On that day, Mrs. Obama visited Alice Deal Middle School in Washington, D.C. to discuss the Let's Move campaign with students. She then joined the students for the nationally coordinated dance along to the 'Move Your Body' music video. Mrs. Obama made headlines at the event for not only taking part, but for her impressive dance moves. She broke out the Running Man, a classic move, as well as the Dougie, a new dance move whose showcase by the First Lady was a fun surprise.

The Song's Success

Since its debut on YouTube.com, the official Let's Move 'Move Your Body' music video released by Beyonce has been viewed over 11 million times. Various iterations of the video of Mrs. Obama dancing at Alice Deal Middle School have been viewed nearly half a million times.

Beyonce has furthered the song's reach by making appearances to support it. For example, while Mrs. Obama was dancing in the nation's capital, a group of students at P.S. 161 Pedro Albizu Campos Middle School in Harlem were working on their version of the 'Move Your Body' dance moves. Beyonce surprised the students by walking into the gymnasium and joining in the dance. Through events like this, the Let's Move campaign is gaining widespread attention.

Beyond Beyonce

Beyonce isn't the only celebrity supporting Let's Move. Chaske Spencer, one of the stars of the Twilight movie series, has been championing the campaign's Let's Move In Indian Country initiative. Spencer has been active with the United National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY) for years. At this summer's UNITY conference, Spencer and hundreds of Native American youth learned the dance steps from Beyonce's 'Move Your Body' video. He's since been working with Let's Move to fight obesity among Native youth, helping to further the campaign's goal of reducing obesity among all communities.