Michelle Obama at the Ballet
EmailABC News’ Yunji de Nies reports: The First Lady continued her New York City tour with an evening at the American Ballet Theatre for the opening spring gala at the Metropolitan Opera House. Caroline Kennedy introduced Michelle Obama, praising her commitment to family and community service. According to the pool report, Mrs. Obama took the stage for roughly three minutes. She spoke about the importance of arts in education. "My husband and I believe strongly that art education is essential for building innovative thinkers who will be our nation’s leaders of tomorrow," she said. "It’s our hope that we can all work together to expose, enrich and empower Americans of all ages through the arts." "Learning through the arts reinforces critical academic skills in reading, language arts and math and provides students with the skills to creatively solve problems." Seated in the First Lady’s box: Dr. Jill Biden, Caroline Kennedy and husband Ed Schlossberg, Blaine Trump, Desiree Rogers, Susan Sher and the America Ballet Theater’s Rachel Moore FLOTUS fashion watch: Mrs. Obama wore a black sleeveless Alaia dress with a Thakoon jacket.
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I liked the ballet when we crossed from Buffalo to Canada.
Posted by: DontGet818OnMeNow | May 19, 2009, 9:12 am 9:12 am
hmmm wonder if Mrs#1 have been in ballet before she moved to White House.
Does she think that in order ” to expose, enrich and empower Americans of all ages through the arts” tickets to the ballet, opera and concerts should be affordable.
They are the most expensive in here.
Posted by: Marina | May 19, 2009, 11:48 am 11:48 am
Did you know that there has never been a black female principal in the ranks of American Ballet Theater or City Ballet?
According to Virginia Johnson, Dance Theater of Harlem, the disparity stems from three issues: artistic vision, economics — ballet is expensive and competitive among women no matter their skin color — and culture.
Without principal dancers at major American companies, Ms. Johnson and others maintain, young black students have no role models.
Posted by: Elitism? | May 19, 2009, 12:34 pm 12:34 pm
Certainly this can go under the gossip/entertainment section with John&Kate+8!!!!!
Posted by: Mike_C | May 19, 2009, 12:51 pm 12:51 pm
Look how they sit there and talk about the arts when they are slashing money for education, especially arts education, left and right. Obama cut 200 million in education funding from the stimulus package, but somehow there is always billions available for the war and the corrupt bankers and the growing prison industry.
What a bunch of hypocrites. I have never been more disappointed in a democratic administration than I am with this one.
I voted for Obama and got Obusha.
Posted by: goaway | May 19, 2009, 12:52 pm 12:52 pm
Obama cut 200 million in education funding from the stimulus package
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He cut that from his won stimulus package? What sort of logic and memory are you operating under? The cuts in the stimulus plan were the results of concessions to the Republucans. And yes, it’s perfectly credible that you’re a disgruntled, former Obama supporter. I’m selling timeshares for oceanfront condos in Ohio–care to buy one?
Posted by: kat | May 19, 2009, 2:24 pm 2:24 pm
Instead of complaining, contact or write to the President and voice your concern. Separate the person from the issues. Work in your communities to provide arts education. Have you thought of growing a program locally for arts education after school on a volunteer basis? Stop griping and get to work. That’s what most of us are doing. You won’t get things done by complaining. A friend of mine often ends her emails with this quote, “The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it.” HINT!
Posted by: Bea | May 19, 2009, 2:53 pm 2:53 pm
Re: “The cuts in the stimulus plan were the results of concessions to the Republicans.”
Why is he always making concessions to the Republicans? They lost! And education isn’t something that should be bargained away, ever. At the slighest hint of a struggle with Republicans Obusha runs the other way. I thought he was a Democrat, but I was wrong!
Posted by: goaway | May 19, 2009, 2:57 pm 2:57 pm
She’s so fascinating! Or not.
You should actually consider wising up and stopping with the embarrassingly vapid “fashion” reports.
Posted by: paul | May 19, 2009, 7:57 pm 7:57 pm