Dancer Who Tangoed With President Obama Was Initially Forbidden From Doing So

Mora Godoy says she was initially forbidden from dancing with Obama.

ByABC News
April 1, 2016, 12:04 PM

— -- It was the dance seen around the world, when President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama took to the dance floor to do the tango with professional dancers during a state dinner in Argentina last week.

Now, the dancer who coaxed the president out onto the dance floor has revealed that the now famous tango was never supposed to happen at all. In fact, she says she was prohibited from asking the president to dance but got a surprise blessing to do so from Argentina's President Mauricio Macri.

“It was protocol, I was prohibited from asking him [Obama] to dance, to tell you the truth,” professional dancer Mora Godoy told the Farandula Show in Argentina.

“That’s why it was a huge surprise,” she added. “President Mauricio Macri supported me when I invited him [Obama] to dance, he said ‘a bailar,’” meaning "Let's dance."

President Obama at first demurred Godoy’s invitation to dance but was ultimately swayed to partake.

“He was totally surprised, and said, ‘Okay, okay, but I can’t dance, but I will follow your lead,’” Godoy recalled, adding that the president proved himself to be a capable dancer and that she “ended up following his lead.”

“He’s an exceptional dancer,” Godoy said of the president. “And he has a great physique, he danced very well.”

Godoy said jokingly that the president asked her repeatedly during the dance "When does this end?" but relaxed when he saw his wife enjoying herself as she simultaneously tangoed with Godoy's partner. "When he saw Michelle, he said, 'Okay, I’ll keep going.'”

Godoy said First Lady Michelle Obama was “the star of the night” and repeatedly thanked her for the dancing.

“She kept thanking me and was so grateful to have danced, Michelle,” Godoy said, “and she told me that it was stupendous.”

ABC News' Paola Chavez contributed to this report.