Mariah Carey gives first performance since giving birth to twins

After taking over a year off from singing and performing to have her twin babies and get back into shape, Mariah Carey returned to the stage last week and gave her first performance since the birth to her twins in April.

Carey showed off her post-baby body in a tight black dress that showed how hard she worked to get back into shape after the birth of her twins. According to The Associated Press, Carey performed in an intimate setting for a crowd of a few hundred people at New York's Gotham Hall Thursday night.

"I didn't realize it was such a big deal," Carey said of her return.

Carey took the stage for an event held by Caesars Entertainment called "Plot Your Escape: Four Concerts. Countless Celebrities. 1 Epic Night," and performed several fan favorites, including "It's Like That," "We Belong Together," "Obsessed" and "Shake It Off," as well as a cover of the Jackson 5 song "I'll Be There." Carey also performed her single "Always Be My Baby," which she dedicated to her babies Monroe and Moroccan.

According to Pop Crush, only 50 tickets were released to the public, and the performance was short and sweet, presumably so Carey could ease back into performing after her hiatus. Toward the end of her set, Carey gave a shout out to her hubby Nick Cannon, who has lately been battling an auto-immune disease which affects his kidneys.

"Nick, I love you," Carey said. "I know you're out there somewhere."