First Lady’s Dance Moves Catch Fire on the Web

Lloyd Bishop/NBC Michelle Obama with Jimmy Fallon, in a wig, performing “The Evolution of Mom Dancing,” which has become a YouTube hit.

Michelle Obama may have drawn some criticism, especially in conservative circles, for showing up a week ago to hand out the Best Picture award at the Oscars. But interest in the first lady is surely intense, as proved by the continuing phenomenon of her guest appearance on NBC’s “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.”

Mrs. Obama came to New York on the Friday before the Oscars to perform a comedy sketch with Mr. Fallon called “The Evolution of Mom Dancing.” It was an instant hit, picked up and replayed by numerous other television shows.

But the sketch’s real impact can be assessed by its popularity on YouTube. As of Saturday, a video of it had racked up nearly 13.6 million viewings. (It also appeared on numerous other Web sites, including NBC’s.)

Michael Shoemaker, the executive producer of “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon,” said the appearance by Mrs. Obama grew out of the show’s previous contact with the first lady. She had recruited Mr. Fallon a year ago to take part in a comedy moment to promote the second anniversary of her “Let’s Move” initiative. In that instance, Mr. Fallon traveled to the White House for a recorded sketch in which he competed against the first lady in events like tug of war and a sack race.

Mr. Shoemaker said his show, like all of its competitors in late-night television, had been trying to secure Mrs. Obama for a formal guest appearance since her husband was re-elected. With the third anniversary of the “Let’s Move” initiative approaching, “Late Night” contacted Mrs. Obama. The White House asked what the show had in ind. “Jimmy had done a previous piece about dad dances, and he said maybe we could do one on mom dances,” Mr. Shoemaker said.

“She loved it right away,” he said. “She even suggested some of the dances.”

But the sketch called for a series of synchronized dances performed by Mr. Fallon â€" dressed in a wig as a mother â€" and Mrs. Obama. She could not be expected to come to New York for rehearsals. So the show recorded a tape of one of its writers doing the dances and asked Mrs. Obama to learn them.

She showed up on Friday ready to perform. “She did no rehearsal with Jimmy,” Mr. Shoemaker said. “She just came in about 2 o’clock for the taping. She pretty much did it all in one take.”

Among the dances Mrs. Obama worked on enthusiastically with Mr. Fallon: the “Go Shopping, Get Groceries,” the “Driving the Station Wagon,” the “Just the Hands Part of ‘Single Ladies’ ” and “the Dougie.” (Mr. Fallon gave up and let her do that one on her own! .)

! “The first lady is really game,” Mr. Shoemaker said.