WASHINGTON?Before buckling down to steer a superpower out of war and an economy out of ruin, they danced all night.

US President Barack Obama showed off some nifty moves on Tuesday as he and his first lady got into the groove following his inauguration as the nation?s first black president.

The couple capped their historic day with a speedy tour through 10 inaugural balls before retiring, at last, for their first night in the White House.

?First of all, how good looking is my wife?? Obama cooed to wild applause from the crowd gathered for the very first ball ushering in the Obama era.

Clearly enjoying their moment, the couple kicked off their first dance of the night to Beyonce singing ?At Last,? the signature song of blues singer Etta James, at what was dubbed ?the Neighborhood Ball,? where ordinary Americans like community activists and grassroots organizers had come from far and wide to take part in history.

The president pulled his wife close for a slow, dignified two-step to the song that marked the end of a long day of formal inaugural events.

Obama confided to USA Today before the balls that he was a bit worried about the dancing.

?Michelle keeps knocking my dancing in public in ways that have hurt my feelings, so I probably should practice just ?cause she?ll tease me mercilessly if I step on her toes,? he said.

?The way he moves?

?You can tell that?s a black president, by the way he was moving,? joked actor Jamie Foxx as the first couple finished after twirling and waltzing, while Beyonce serenaded them from one side of the stage.

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 ?Signed, Sealed, Delivered.? The song was played at nearly all of Obama?s rallies throughout the campaign.

?We got the idea of the neighborhood ball, because we are neighborhood people. And I cut my teeth doing neighborhood work,? Obama, looking dapper in a black tuxedo and white bow tie, told the crowd.

?If you think about the word, neighborhood starts with neighbor because it indicates a sense that Americans are bound together by what we have in common, much more than what drives us apart.?

Some 2,000 people gathered in the ballroom were treated to a rare lineup of stars, who also included will.i.am, Mariah Carey and Maroon 5.

At most of the balls that followed, the Obamas spent little more than the length of a song greeting supporters and whirling for the crowd. But the two seemed to share intimate moments nonetheless, smiling and laughing as Michelle pulled her dress out of the way.

Box-stepping sergeants

At the Commander in Chief Ball, the first couple swapped partners to dance with Sgt. Margaret Herrara and Sgt. Elidio Guillen.

Both sergeants admitted they had been practicing the box-step after discovering they were to dance with the first couple. ?But almost as soon as we got going then the music seemed to be over,? Herrara told CNN.

Obama also shared some banter with six servicemen and women based in Kabul, who beamed into the ball via live video link. All were from Obama?s hometown of Chicago, but much to his chagrin most supported the Cubs baseball team instead of his favored Chicago White Sox.

Obama and Vice President Joe Biden each saluted the nation?s military men and women via satellite while at the Commander in Chief Ball.

Reality of war

Jon Bon Jovi was entertaining the troops, including some 300 wounded from Walter Reed Medical Center, with a rendition of ?Who Says You Can?t Go Home? when the new president arrived.

?I?ll have to go off then come back because there?s someone who?s upstaging,? Bon Jovi announced, drawing a roar of approval, including Army ?hooahs? and Marine ?Semper Fis,? from the military crowd.

And though the mood was celebratory, the reality that the country remains at war hung over the festivities.

?Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers today, every day, forever,? Obama told the troops. ?Tonight, we celebrate. Tomorrow, the work begins... Together, I am confident we will write the next great chapter in America?s story.?

?Old school? moves

At the Youth Ball which had already been warmed up by Grammy award-winning rapper Kanye West, Obama got a rock-star reception and showed the 18- to 35-year-old audience what he called some ?old school? moves.

?Anytime a president can get a bigger ovation than Kanye West it?s got to say something,? said Sam Berger, 26, a student at Yale law school.

Kid Rock belted out songs as well-dressed 20-somethings mingled about. One of them walked up to a bartender, gave him a high five and said, ?Barack Obama is president!?

Other official balls celebrated the home states of the Obamas as well as Vice President Biden. And there were scores of unofficial balls competing for attention, turning the chilly night streets into a sea of stretch limousines.

?Gorgeous first lady?

Michelle also showed off her white, one-shouldered flowing gown, studded with applique embroidery and accessorized with thin diamond bracelets, a huge ring and dangling earrings, with peep-toe white shoes.

The dress was designed by young Taiwanese-born designer Jason Wu, 26, who has been in the fashion business for just three years.

?She?s a gorgeous first lady,? gushed Kiana Moore, 24, from New Jersey, who was attracting admiring glances for her floor-length pleated gown splattered with bursts of orange, yellow and purple.

The new US president did manage to avoid stepping on toes as he slowly danced and twirled the first lady, but that train was a problem.

Right from the first dance, the first lady found herself flicking the hem to keep it out of reach of the first foot.

VP?s two left feet

Biden joked about his two left feet and made one thing clear at the balls: He can?t dance.

?The thing that frightens me the most (is) I?m going to have to stand in that circle and dance in a minute,? he said at the Commander-in-Chief Ball. At that, he laughed and did a quick sign of the cross.

At the Western Ball, he said: ?Now you are going to see I can?t dance.? And at the Neighborhood Ball, he joked about killing time to avoid dancing.

?The last thing you need is to have a vice president sandwiched between a brand-new president and all his star power up there. I learned a long time ago when to hush up. If you turn around and look at that screen, they?ve got me down to 22 seconds. The reason I want to keep talking is because I can?t dance,? he said.

But dance he did, stiffly, with wife Jill to ?Have I Told You Lately That I Love You??

Sign of tough times

Despite the formal attire and celebrity entertainment, the balls were not overly fancy affairs. Lines were long to get in, and the food was heavy on vegetables with dip and cheese cubes.

In a sign, perhaps, of the tough economic times, guests who already paid anywhere from $75 for a ticket to thousands more for a package deal had to buy their own drinks served in small plastic cups. Beer went for $6, cocktails for $9 and champagne for $12.

People were standing in line outside Union Station to get into the Eastern States Ball an hour and a half after it started. Because of very limited seating at the Western Ball, a number of attendees in long gowns and fancy dress plopped cross-legged on the floor.

?This is what happens in a down economy. No chairs, no highboys?it?s the floor and plastic cups,? commented ballgoer Brig Lawson, 38, of Las Vegas.