Fastest Dancer in the West

Brisket, boots and bad dancing. This was partying Texas style as nearly 50,000 revelers turned out to celebrate the presidency of George W. Bush. They endured gridlock, long lines and a steady, soggy downpour that turned into snow to attend eight balls Saturday night.

At least 12,000 of them packed into the biggest dance hall of all at the Texas and Wyoming Ball, where rabid applause greeted Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife, Lynne.

Like a zealous crowd at a rock concert, well-wishers crowded shoulder-to-shoulder on the dance floor for a better view of the President and first lady, the latter wearing a floor-length, long-sleeved red beaded dress designed by Michael Faircloth of Dallas.

Bush spent only about five minutes at each event, his dances with the first lady ranging from 29 to 56 seconds. When he danced with one of his twin daughters, she nearly popped out of her gown during an attempted twirl. In an interesting explanation of his dancing, the President jibed, “If there’s any worse dancer in America than me, it’s the governor of Florida,” poking fun at his younger brother, Jeb.

And when most partyers were just beginning to boogie, the President gave up early, arriving back at the White House before midnight, more than an hour ahead of schedule.

At the double-hitter Texas and Wyoming Ball, guests found a cash bar and a buffet consisting of 6,000 pounds of brisket, turkey, ham and pork, 300 pounds of Texas crab and 250 pounds of goat cheese, prepared by chief Kent Rathbun of Dallas’ Abacus restaurant. Only thing missing were the plates.

“Oh yes, the plate situation,” said Rathbun. “We’re having a little challenge with the plates because we have no plates--and if you look around there are also very few trash cans.” Apparently, the powers that be at the convention center didn’t allow plastic plates or utensils for security reasons, he said. And without the plates and utensils, why worry over trash cans? “We even tried to prepare the food small enough to put on napkins.”

Still, that didn’t stop some partyers from finding plates on their own, such as Steven Kenton, 31, of McLean, Va. Kenton, a vice president of a local association of commercial builders, got to the ball early with his wife, Robyne, and eight other friends and poked around until he found a box of plates “in a room somewhere” and stuffed them in his cummerbund.

The group jokingly appointed Bill McFarland “the protector of the plates” since McFarland is the director of security for the House Intelligence Committee. “These plates are valuable tonight,” McFarland said as he kept his eyes on them.

Eventually, more than two hours after the party was in full swing, plastic plates were set at all the buffet tables because of guest demand.

Although the presence of the President was a highlight for some, the evening gowns definitely provided interesting talking points for many. The styles ranged from casual to haute couture, with a lots of contemporary shirt-and-skirt sets providing a counterpoint to the more traditional ball gowns.

There were splashes of color amid the usual array of black dresses--many women favored red, the color of the gown worn by the new first lady.

With all eyes on the gowns, one item of apparel that went comparatively unnoticed was shoes. While traditional evening shoes peeked from beneath the gowns of most of the women, at least one woman wore tennis shoes and another--in a practical nod to the predictions of foul weather--wore a pair of snow boots.

Partyers came dressed to kill--women in everything from full-length sequined gowns to backless black sheaths to animal prints and lots of fur coats, and men in basic black tuxes or blue business suits with patriotic red ties.

“I’m so excited about being here. I feel like Cinderella in this dress,” said Teresa Andrews, 36, of Lubbock, Texas, about her first inauguration. “I feel like a V.I.P.”

So did Eleanor Clark, 69, president of Freestone County’s Republican Women’s group in Texas, who wore black cowboy boots with gold heels to match her two-piece black and gold-lace outfit. “I wanted to be here because of George W. I feel like a proud mama because he’s our Texas son.”

The Driskill brothers of Wyoming came dressed in matching rented tuxedos and brocade ties and vests. “We had to be here because Cheney has been a longtime family friend,” said Jesse Driskill, 44, who attended the bash with his brothers, Ogden, 41, and Matthew, 39, and their wives. “Only thing is we’ve been mistaken for Texans all night long,” said Jesse.

Ann Clanton, 35, isn’t from either state. A black Republican woman from Rhode Island, Clanton said she wasn’t excited “but rather, more perplexed” at being at her first inaugural ball. “I heard Sally Quinn say on TV that the balls are ‘no big deal’ and that they’re ‘only for out-of-towners.’ Well, Sally, I went to the swearing-in, the parade and a reception today and here I am at a ball. And I’m glad to say that there were people of color at all these events. And it’s been great.”

The Texas and Wyoming Ball certainly was an improvement over the Texas Boots and Black Tie Ball that Paul and Dody Wood and their friends attended the night before. For starters, their limousine wasn’t allowed near the hotel and they had to walk several blocks in the rain. After forking over $4,750 for several tickets from scalpers, the group wasn’t allowed into the main ballroom. “Police wouldn’t let us in because it was filled to capacity, so we left about 10 p.m. This party here tonight is much better planned,” said Wood of Arlington, Texas. And, added his wife, “I didn’t have to walk six blocks uphill in high heels to get here.”

Floridians feted Bush at the state’s own ball at the National Building Museum. Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, who played a critical role in the troubled vote count in that state, was mobbed by people kissing her cheek and taking her picture.

“It was a magnificent day,” said Harris, who was wearing a black satin strapless dress with a black scarf and tiny silver evening bag. “To watch President Bush being sworn in, it was an extraordinary day.”

The most embarrassing moment of the evening for the first family may have come at the Florida ball, when Bush danced first with his wife and then with each of his twin 19-year-old daughters.

As he attempted to twirl his daughter Jenna, a freshman at the University of Texas, the top of her dress loosened.

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The California ball was a shared affair with other states in the cavernous main hall of the Ronald Reagan Building and had a definite Texas flair. As the crowd swayed, plenty of cowboy hats, bow ties and fur coats were in evidence.

The ball was kicked off by guest hosts Marie Osmond and Meat Loaf, adding a touch of Hollywood to the event. After they were introduced, the crowd of nearly 4,000 began mingling and dancing to the band, the Dennis Samsa Orchestra, while they awaited the arrival of the president.

“The most exciting part of the whole evening is seeing George W. Bush,” said Brooks Travis, who works in the automobile industry in Mission Viejo. Being so close to the president in such a close setting--compared to the huge crowds at the inauguration--was “the greatest and most historic part of the whole inaugural week,” he said.

The only lines longer than those to get through the security clearances were the lines for commemorative photographs. Couples could have their pictures taken for $125, as long as they paid by cash or credit card--no checks accepted.

Linda Saxton of Placerville, Calif., was waiting in a silver sequined top and matching gray floor-length skirt to get a picture taken with her husband. “My husband picked out the dress after he found out we had been invited. He saw it in a local store window and said ‘That’s what I want you to wear.’ So now I want a memory of it.”

As they waited for the new president, partygoers found things besides dancing to occupy their time. There were three other bands in smaller ballrooms, and hors d’oeuvres of vegetables and cheese.

As the time for the President to show up neared, some Californians could barely handle the excitement.

Betty Nadridge 67, of Rancho Bernardo, Calif., said, “I am so thrilled Bush was elected, I would have crawled here on my hands and knees if I had to.” Luckily, Nadridge’s boyfriend got tickets and her granddaughters helped her pick out a black dress with a mesh overlay.

The evening’s climax came, of course, when the president and first lady showed up around 8:30 p.m. The president kept his remarks short, thanking all his supporters and concluding, “Now, it’s time for dancin’!”

To the delight of the crowd, he then grabbed Laura for a quick whirl across the stage dance before taking off for the next ball.

There were little problems amid the revelry. At the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, partyers who excused themselves to visit the restrooms were left standing outside looking in. Angry guests argued with police to let them back in.

Walter C. Jernigan III of the fire marshal’s office said the ballroom was closed temporarily “to make sure that everyone inside is safe.” But his explanation didn’t sit well with those who paid $125 apiece to attend.

“They told us we could go out to the bathroom to get back in and now we can’t,” complained Susan Pearson, 21, of Columbus, Miss.

A fire department captain insisted they weren’t shutting the ballroom down, eventually letting new people in as others left.

At the Ohio ball, actor-comedian Drew Carey, wearing his trademark horn-rimmed glasses, admonished the crowd not to complain about the weather.

“It could have been worse. It could have been a parade for [Al] Gore,” he joked.

Other celebrities at the balls included Marie Osmond, Las Vegas entertainer Wayne Newton, actress Delta Burke, her husband, actor Gerald McRaney, boxer Evander Holyfield and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman.

The nonstop marathon of balls--mostly noisy, massive dances with long lines for coat check-ins, drinks, food and restrooms, not to mention scant chairs to park weary feet--didn’t end at 1 a.m., official cut-off time for the events scattered throughout the district. Several “after balls” and private parties ensured that the city danced till dawn--come hell or high water, of which there was plenty of the latter.

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Times Staff Writer Katie Howe contributed to this report.