Sunday night, the Kennedy Center honored popular culture icons in various fields. The honorees for this year’s event included the living members of Led Zepplin, David Letterman, Dustin Hoffman, Natalia Makarova and Buddy Guy.

Makarova is a professional ballerina who came to the United States from the USSR in 1970, while the nation was under Communist rule. Buddy Guy is a blues musician from Chicago.

Before the gala and performance at the Kennedy Center there was a reception at the White House. 
Many notable figures, in addition to those being honored, were present at the White House event. These included, but were not limited to: Alec Baldwin, Ray Romano, Aretha Franklin, Yo-Yo Ma, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, and Jack Lew.

President Obama spoke during reception and explained how all the people in the room make the United States unique. Obama said, “And it speaks to something that has always made this country great -- the idea that here in America…we are free to follow our own passions, explore our own gifts, wherever they may lead us.”

He also commended those being honored by saying, “Tonight’s honorees didn’t just take up their crafts to make a living. They did it because they couldn’t imagine living any other way.” 

President Obama then said a little about each of the honorees. Toward the end of his speech, the president remarked, “We may not always think about the importance of music or dance or laughter to the life of this nation, but who would want to imagine America without it?”

Erik Wasson, a staff writer for The Hill said, “The atmosphere…definitely electric. People are clearly having a blast." 

At the Kennedy Center later Sunday night Obama had his own box that he shared with important people in the business world. The First Lady sat next to those being honored.

For each of the honorees, people commented on their career and for some of the honorees there was a performance.

 

Reach Staff Reporter Max Schwartz here; follow him on Twitter here.