enlarge The Associated Press

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama dance together at the Obama Home States Inaugural Ball in Washington on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON — "At Last" may have been just what President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle were thinking Tuesday night as they glided through their first inaugural dance to the Etta James classic.

The Obamas were the star attraction at the Neighborhood Ball, the first of 10 inaugural celebrations they planned to attend, going into the early hours of Wednesday. The celebrations marked the end of a long day of formal inaugural events and the two-year campaign that put them in the White House.

The president pulled his wife close and they danced a slow, dignified two-step while, offstage, Beyonce sang. The president spun first lady Michelle Obama once in a half-turn.

Obama cut loose in a faster groove a few minutes later, as Shakira, Mary J. Blige, Faith Hill and Mariah Carey sang along with Stevie Wonder to his "Sign, Sealed, Delivered." The song was played at nearly every one of Obama's rallies throughout the campaign.

The president wore white tie, while Michelle shimmered in a white, one-shouldered, floor-length gown. It was embellished from top to bottom with white floral details and made by designer Jason Wu.

Obama asked the crowd of celebrities and supporters alike, "How good looking is my wife?"

The new president said the ball, for people who live in Washington area and which was broadcast live on ABC, best captured the spirit of his campaign.

"We got the idea for the neighborhood ball because we are neighborhood people," he said. "I cut my teeth doing neighborhood work. And this campaign was organized neighborhood by neighborhood."