Did you catch the Kennedy Center Honors telecast this weekend?

Garth Brooks was celebrated along with actress-dancer-choreographer Debbie Allen, singer-songwriter-activist Joan Baez, violinist Midori and beloved TV and film star Dick Van Dyke.

In a show filled with awesome moments and performances, it was Kelly Clarkson‘s version of “The Dance” that has people talking…

When it came to picking a song to sing to honor her friend and musical hero, Kelly says “Honestly, they asked me to do…to do this and I was like, ‘Which song do I pick?’ I was like, ‘There are so many! I could go so many different ways!’ I thought about, you know, going big – I didn’t know what to do. But I love ‘The Dance,’ and I thought it was a special thing ’cause we just shared this moment on my show, so I thought it would be cool.’

Watch the performance here…

Photos Courtesy of Kennedy Center Honors