A ton of Obama insiders (as well as the Obamas themselves) were invited to the 50th Anniversary Gala for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, but … gosh durn it … they were too busy making change, so I had to settle for this picture of DC Mayor Adrian Fenty and his wife, Michelle.

It was intermission at the 50th Anniversary Gala for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. As two friends in black tie passed each other on the Kennedy Center red carpet one said to the other, “Well, is change keeping you busy?” The other answered brightly, “Yes, exhaustingly and beautifully so.”

Maybe the “exhaustingly” part is why the Tuesday night celebration had a lighter than expected turn out from the Obama inner circle. For example, the President’s box was occupied by the Vice President’s wife, Jill Biden, and First Lady Michelle Obama’s mother, Marian Robinson, but both departed after the performance. White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett and Social Secretary Desiree Rogers both cancelled in the afternoon. Deputy Chief of Staff Mona Sutphen, according to a source, “just could not get there.”

(Source: New York Social Diary)