Ruth Leon recommends…. Shirley Maclaine – The National Medal of Arts 

Shirley Maclaine – The National Medal of Arts

The National Medal of Arts is an award which was created by the United States Congress in 1984, the most prestigious honour given to artists by their country. There is an annual performance in the Kennedy Center in Washington DC where each of the five nominees is lauded with a separate specially conceived tribute to their careers in the arts. The audiences for these awards are almost as starry as the guests and the presidential box always contains the current president and his wife, in this case President and Mrs Obama.

In 2013 it was the turn of Shirley Maclaine to be honoured with an all-star career roundup, and a loving introduction from her friend Kathy Bates. As she watches the tribute to her work and career, the young dancers and singers performing her signature steps and songs, you can see her pride as well as her desperate desire to be down there on the stage dancing and singing with them. A medal and an honoured place in the audience is no substitute for the joy of the work itself, no matter how prestigious the rewards.

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