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First Couple Hits All 10 Official Balls
First stop: the first-of-its-kind, publicly accessible Neighborhood Ball
By Rebecca Smith Hurd
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Posted Jan 21, 09 7:25 AM CST
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(Newser)
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The new first couple danced their way through all 10 official balls last night, keeping with tradition and the desire to make yesterday’s inauguration the “most accessible” in history, CNN reports. Barack and Michelle Obama began the evening at the public Neighborhood Ball with Beyoncé’s rendition of “At Last.” The ball held special significance for the president, a former community organizer who took heat during the campaign for it.
Next up was the Home State Ball honoring Hawaii and Illinois, followed by the Commander-in-Chief and Youth Inaugural affairs. After the Home State Ball for Delaware and Pennsylvania, VP Joe Biden’s turf, the Obamas quickly hit the remaining regional balls. Everywhere she went, the first lady turned heads in a bedazzled silk chiffon gown by designer Jason Wu.