I have to say I'm extremely disappointed with the election results in Maine last Tuesday regarding same-sex marriage. This was the first time that the American populate repealed actual legislation regarding same-sex marriage; last year's measure in California was in response to a court ruling, not law. The legislation that would have granted gays the right to wed was defeated with a vote of 53%-47%.

Now, why am I posting this on a dance blog? Good question. Yes, I want to vent and luckily I have a forum to do so, but it's more than that...

FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA TO ATTEND OPENING NIGHT GALA AT AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE MONDAY, MAY 18 AT METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE

First Lady Michelle Obama will attend American Ballet Theatre's Opening Night Gala on Monday evening, May 18 at the Metropolitan Opera House.  Mrs. Obama and President Barack Obama are Honorary Chairmen of ABT's 2009 Spring Gala.

American Ballet Theatre's Opening Night Gala, which begins at 6:30 P.M., kicks off the Company's eight week season at the Metropolitan Opera House and features ABT's Principal Dancers in highlights from the season, a special guest appearance by jazz pianist Herbie Hancock and a performance by the students of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre.            

Just received the following press release from ABT and thought it was definitely worth posting:

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AND MRS. MICHELLE OBAMA TO SERVE  AS HONORARY CHAIRMEN OF AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE'S 2009 SPRING GALA, MONDAY EVENING, MAY 18, 6:30 P.M. AT THE METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE

EVENING TO INCLUDE SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCE BY JAZZ ICON HERBIE HANCOCK AND A PIECE D'OCCASION FOR NINA ANANIASHVILI CHOREOGRAPHED BY ALEXEI RATMANSKY

More information after the jump!

Last night, after one of the most significant days in American history, Barack and Michelle Obama shared their first dance as President and First Lady at the Inaugural Neighborhood Ball, broadcast live on ABC. As soon as Beyonce's mellifluous voice sang the words to the Etta James classic "At Last," the crowd began cheering. Soon, though, all was silent and viewers were captivated. The President and First Lady were wrapped in each other's arms, looking like they belonged on the top of a wedding cake or in an old Hollywood movie. Michelle was beaming and Obama was humbled in her presence. It was one of the most beautiful, pure and honest dances I have ever seen. Both Beyonce and the audience were moved to tears.

If you missed the dance last night, make sure to watch it. You will surely be touched.

George W. Bush's long, long, long tenure as president will soon be over. While most Americans are glad to see him go, there are some things about him (surprisingly) that I will miss. Okay, maybe just the one thing:

His dancing.

Read on to check out a hilarious slideshow of Bush's great dance moves, along with other quirky antics.

Rahm Israel Emanuel, a top Democratic Congressman from Illinois who served as an aid to President Clinton, has just accepted President-Elect Barack Obama's offer to be White House Chief of Staff starting on January 20, 2009. Emanuel's political career began in the early 1980s as a local activist in the state of Illinois, but many do not know about his rather intriguing past... as a ballet dancer!

Last night, November 4, 2008, was something I will never forget as long as I live. I was home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, glued to my go-to news channel, CNN. It was 7pm and the first polls were about to close. The points started to come in. Barack Obama had 3 electoral points, John McCain had 8. It was still so early, but my initial reaction was of fear and anxiety. What if the Bradley Effect happened? What if the young people didn't turn up at the polls? What if Sarah Palin becomes VP and is just a heartbeat away from the most powerful job in the free world?

You can probably guess that I am a Democrat. And you'd be correct. Initially, I was a Hillary Clinton supporter - I believed she had the resume, the experience and the guts to be an amazing Commander in Chief. And I loved her stance on the arts, art funding, and arts education. After all, Chelsea was a dancer herself and now serves on the board of School of American Ballet. I rallied for Senator Clinton and happily voted for her in the primaries. When she lost, I was devastated. But I knew what I had to do. I had to support Senator (now President Elect!) Barack Obama.