Former US first lady Michelle Obama showed off her dancing skills when she paid a surprise visit to Children’s Hospital Colorado along with Santa Claus.

During the visit, a child taught her a dance move from popular online game Fortnite, named “orange justice”.

Mrs Obama performed the move to the children and, even though Santa claimed “Mrs Claus says I cannot dance”, he joined in with the fun as well.

The visit included a reading of The Night Before Christmas, as well as autograph signings and questions from the children.

Mrs Obama was in Denver, Colorado, to promote her memoir Becoming when she surprised the children with a visit.

Becoming was published in November, and sold more than 725,000 copies on its first day.

(Andrew Harnik/AP)

Current US First Lady Melania Trump also visited a children’s hospital on Thursday.

At Children’s National Health System in Washington DC, Mrs Trump read Oliver The Ornament to children, and was seen hugging and greeting patients.

The tradition of a Christmas visit to the hospital close to the White House dates back to former first lady Bess Truman, more than 60 years ago.