A Step Back

Curved streams of light beams down from bulbs on the very high ceiling of a ballroom in this black and white photograph. A black couple dances in the spotlight though the woman is much bigger and more blurry than the male dancing partner. She is wearing a dark halter dress and up swept hair.The gray scale hues make the woman a shadow almost in the foreground, but her partner is clearly seen in the mid ground. Light reflects off his slicked back black hair and suit shoulder pads as he dances to the left of his partner. His mustache covered mouth is opened wide with a wide smile showing his teeth. The white crisp shirt contrasts with his tie and suit coat. His legs are bent as he dances on his toes, but they are extremely blurry, like the woman's hands. Beneath his feet and short black shadow splays on the otherwise completely white light splashed floor. The audience watches the couple dancing from the background. It looks like they are observing in two different levels. Directly to the man's left, on the dance floor level, a blond haired girl, with the only light colored shirt noticeable among the women in the audience, watches the dancing, though I can't tell if she's seated or standing. Above her are a couple of men in suits, white shirts and ties. A white sign above the men and behind the dancing man's head clearly says, "CESAR" but the rest is too blurry to make out. To the right of the woman, a man in the floor level of the audience is bending over. Above and behind him more people stand facing the dancing couple.