Kennedy Center Honors and Meeting President Obama
The second major event of this year was dancing at the Kennedy Center Honors! When Damian Woetzel asked me if I would be a part of the tribute, my jaw dropped! He asked if I would perform a solo from Other Dances, a Jerome Robbins’ pas de deux that he created for Makarova and Baryshnikov. I was more than honored to be a part of the tribute for honoree Natalia Makarova. The tribute included dancers David Hallberg, Julie Kent, Marcelo Gomez, Angel Corella, Veronika Part, and Alina Cojocaru. To be among such a talented group of dancers was an honor itself. Not only did I have the opportunity to dance on such a special occasion, but I also had the chance to meet President Obama, the First Lady, former First Lady and former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, David Letterman, and the Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emmanuel. Meeting the president was an out of body experience. I shook his hand and he greeted me with such an incredibly personable welcome, I gushed, “It is an honor to meet you Mr.President. I will be dancing for you this evening in honor of Makarova.” He immediately replied, “Oh you are one of the dancers! We are so looking forward to seeing you this evening at the Honors. Michelle, meet one of the dancers, Tiler Peck. ” The First Lady added, ” I can tell these are the dancers because of the way they carry themselves.” Both the President and Mrs. Obama were extremely nice and afterward, I could not believe that I had just been to the White House and met the President of the United States. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world!
My rehearsal at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Invitation from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to a reception at the Department of State
Me and Robbie on the balcony of the State Department during the reception hosted by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
The President and First Lady in their box at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts with honorees Natalia Makarova and Dustin Hoffman
My performance at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts honoring Natalia Makarova
Invitation to the White House reception
Robbie & I outside the White House
Being greeted by President Obama at the White House
Me with Kennedy Center Award Honoree David Letterman
Me at my table with guest, Mayor of Chicago and past White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanual
