The biggest star at the American Ballet
Theatre's opening-night gala wasn't a performer but a
guest. As everyone knows by now, Michelle Obama
was on hand—in black sleeveless Alaïa—to enjoy a program that
included excerpts from Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet and a jazz
number featuring Herbie Hancock on piano. Of the
night's many curtain calls, none matched the standing ovation
the First Lady received when she took the stage; if there was a
no-flash rule inside the Met, it certainly went down the tubes
during her brief remarks at the dais. And to the delight of
opera-glass gawkers, Michelle O. took in the proceedings from a
very visible parterre seat, alongside fellow honorary chairs
Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg and Carolina
Herrera, who co-sponsored the evening.
Thanks to the guest of honor and the abundance of seasonal frocks,
this black-tie evening was about fashion as much as dance.
Veronica Webb and Rachel Roy
paused to discuss Michelle's best wardrobe picks on their way
in. "I love her in Alaïa, and I love her in her cardies with
her belt," Roy offered. Webb chimed in, "My favorite
fashion moment for her was that she wore her Tracy Feith dress more
than once."
Kelly Ripa denied that the guest of honor had
anything to do with her decision to show biceps. "It's
springtime—good luck finding a dress with sleeves!" Ballet
certainly tops the other fine arts as a way to firm up arms and
just about everything else, noted Dree Hemingway, the model and
former student at the School of American Ballet . "My body has
always been really toned because of ballet," said the
21-year-old, who was there on the arm of Francisco
Costa. "I don't think I'll ever have to work
out—until I get really old. Talk to me in a couple
years."
Click here to see more gorgeous gowns from the ABT Gala
By Darrell Hartman
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