President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama pose with children after dancing with them during their visit to the Holy Name High School in Mumbai, India, November 7, 2010.
Credit: Reuters/Jason ReedMUMBAI | Sun Nov 7, 2010 1:11am EST
MUMBAI (Reuters) - However disappointed U.S. President Barack Obama may be about his drubbing in mid-term polls, it didn't keep him from dancing in India on Sunday.
The president joined first lady Michelle Obama and a group of children for an energetic dance to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights at Holy Name School in Mumbai.
In an auditorium festooned for Diwali in flowered wreaths and strings of lights, the children, dressed in traditional salwar kameez and Koli, or Indian fisher folk costume, swayed and performed intricate steps before the first couple.
Mrs. Obama began the dancing with the children, and seemed to effortlessly pick up the fast-paced steps. Obama joined in less easily, but allowed himself to be dragged into the throng after the first lady took the floor.
Obama had remarked that the children seemed to want to dance with his wife, and not him. Mrs. Obama seemed to pick up the steps much more easily than her husband.
White House aides doubled over in laughter at their boss's rather stiff moves. Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, looked on in astonishment as the president took to the floor.
The ceremony, including the dancing, was shown live on Indian television.
Diwali, celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs, is one of the most important religious festivals in India, celebrating the triumph of good over evil. Obama last year became the first U.S. president to hold a celebration of the Indian holiday at the White House.
Obama is in India for three days, the first stop on a 10-day Asian tour that will also take him to Indonesia, South Korea and Japan. He and the first lady, who is also accompanying him to Indonesia, are working to incorporate Indian cultural experiences into their visit.
(Reporting by Alister Bull, Writing by Alister Bull and Patricia Zengerle, Editing by Krittivas Mukherjee)
No comments:
Post a Comment