He had to have known it was at least a possibility. Theres no way the President of the United States could expect to sit in the front row as the West African Dance Company performed in his backyard and hope that enthusiastic clapping would be enough to keep him safe.
But, when the inevitable happened and he was led on stage he looked surprised and made a valiant effort to boogie along with the Senegalese dancers.
Of course Reuters photographer Jason Reed and his colleagues made the most of the opportunity. The resultant images are full of fun; the President appears a good sport without looking undignified, which is a great result for all concerned, photographers, President and the organisers of the Malaria Awareness Day event at the White House rose garden.
By complete contrast Stephen Hird caught British Prime Minister Tony Blair looking distinctly unamused as he waited on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street for the arrival of the Georgian President. Not much chance of any dancing in the Downing Street rose garden then.
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The White House press schedule look extraordinarily dull and devoid of any meaningful pictures on Wednesday, with just two “throwaway” events not expected to generate any news and even less, an unusual picture or two - a rose garden event on malaria awareness day and later, some remarks on fiscal literacy. Fiscal what??
After some remarks to the assembled audience and press gathered in the Rose Garden to mark Malaria Awareness day, a Senegalese dance group arrived to provide some entertainment with west African drum beats and high-energy dancing. The first inkling that this was not going to be an ordinary White House event unfolded when the lead performers gave the audience a set of seated dance moves and choruses to chime in when prompted. Watching on in the front row, President Bush, first lady Bush and other officials eagerly joined in, obviously infected by the driving musical beats. At the end of the show, Bush customarily gathered on stage for a group picture, but was not to be let off so quickly, with a little more pariticipation than he bargained for!
The press were already snapping away on their 70-200mm lenses for the group photo as President Bush’s self-restraint quicky gave way when the music started again and he revived the choruses and dance moves that he had just learnt as a member of the crowd. He also leant over and played some drums strapped to the nearest performer! We couldn’t believe our viewfinders!
First lady Laura Bush joined in, and as we were snapping away, hoping our digital camera buffers would not hit their limit as the 8 megapixel cameras crunched out 8 frames a second, several photographers could be heard laughing hysterically as it sunk in that this was not just another day at the White House.
Back in the press filing room, normally a boistrous and noisy place, it was for once eerily silent - except for the clickety click of photographers’
- Posted by Jason Reedcomputer mouses as they furiously cropped the best pictures and computer keyboards banged out the colourful captions in a frenzy to get the first images of a dancing U.S President to the wire and around the world.