Obamas shake a leg with children to celebrate Diwali

Mumbai, Nov 7 (PTI) Imparting a touch of informality, US
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Sunday danced
spiritedly to a foot-tapping Marathi folk song as they
participated in symbolic Diwali festivities with children at a
school in the west Indian city of Mumbai.
The US first couple took a break from their formal
engagements to savour dance presentations by youngsters and
visit a science exhibition at the Holy Name High School, close
to the Hotel Taj Mahal where they are staying.
"Hello! Namaste! Good Morning!", said a beaming
49-year-old Obama to the media as he entered the venue wearing
black trousers, a matching tie, a spotless white shirt with
folded sleeves and without the formal jacket.
The Obamas, who lit a lamp to mark the celebrations, were
greeted by the students in traditional Indian attire as they
interacted with the children, shaking hands and posing for
photographs. The students were seen gleefully clicking the
couple's pictures using cellphone cameras.
Both Obama and Michelle, 46, attired in a pink top and
grey-check skirt, sat through the dance performance by the
students and could not resist the temptation to join them to
shake a leg when invited.
Sporting broad smiles, the visiting dignitaries watched
with keen interest the foot-tapping 'Koli' song and dance, a
folk art form of coastal Maharashtra, clapping and cheering
the children. The fun-loving Kolis (fishermen) are known to be
the first inhabitants of the Mumbai city.
At first, it was Michelle who showed her dancing skills
by matching the steps with the children. When Obama told the
children in a lighter vein that he had not been asked to join
the celebrations, he was pulled in by the students and he soon
began swaying on the floor of the hall bedecked with fresh
flowers and leaves.
The couple mingled freely with the children, their
parents and teachers for a good five minutes, happily signing
autographs and posing for photographs.
Salman Khurshid, Indian Minister of State for Corporate
Affairs and Minister-in-Waiting for Obama, was seen explaining
the significance of performances to the US President.
Obama had become the first US President to celebrate
Diwali at White House last year.
Earlier, the US President and the First Lady were taken
around an exhibition by the students based on themes on
environment, including dangers of global warming, the benefits
of wind energy and rainwater harvesting.
"A tree a day keeps global warming away," Obama said to
the waiting media.
One of the students later said Obama liked their dance
and called it "graceful, nice and beautiful". "Mr Obama liked
our dance very much. He danced with us, he also did the Koli
dance and 'diya' dance," he said. PTI