SILHOUETTES AND SHADOW SHOWS

There was a dance with the name “Silhouette” back in the very early 1960s … or maybe it was the very late 1950s. 

Okay, looked it up again — 1957 was the original by The Rays, but other groups put out versions of it too — Herman’s Hermits and the Ronettes — both 1965. And the Nylons in 1981. I missed the 1981 version — I was in Israel by then.

It was a line dance. It may have been the very first of all line dances. I liked it because I could actually perform it and you couldn’t say that about me and other dances — of any kind. It had steps that anyone who could walk could probably master, except most of the guys I knew who barely managed walking without stumbling. It wasn’t drinking, either. They just had problems with managing their feet.

I seem to have found a lot of non-dancing partners through the decades.

These days, “silhouette” is a type of black & white photograph.

When I was a child, though, it meant a shadow show, fingers and a bright light behind a white sheet. Every kid learned to make a rabbit and maybe a horse. And of course, a silly talking face.

Sometimes, on a bad day as I try to have an intelligent conversation with one of the dogs, I feel like I’m one of those “pretend” talking shadows.

You know what I mean?



Categories: #gallery, #Photography, Music

Tags: , , , , , , ,

35 replies

  1. I see a little silhouetto of a man,
    Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango?

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  2. Such a nostalgic feel!

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  3. beautiful pictures representing in the most blunt way today’s prompt! loved it!

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  4. Striking photos. I noticed the other day that the shadows cast by a small lamp made my hands seem much bigger than the cats and tried to make animal shapes with them, but the cats didn’t care at all. Oh well–

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    • I think our animals go entirely by smell. Shapes are only interesting if they are programmed to be interested — like birds and mice. And certain sounds. Occasionally, our dogs watch TV for a few minutes if there are dogs on it, but they know they aren’t really dogs, so unless they bark, they lose interest in a couple of seconds. They are not easily fooled 🙂

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      • I thought my pair might be susceptible, since the one has shown interest in animals and motion outside the closed window, and the other has some odd quirks that respond to things in ways I don’t understand.

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        • We’ve tried too. They love the sound of barking and lord knows they do enough of it. They will look up when they hear some barks on TV, but lose interest almost immediately. I think if it doesn’t smell like a live creature or trigger some innate response to hunt — like mice to terriers and cats, for example — they aren’t interested. Basically, they want food. Or something that might become food.

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  5. Shadow pics are amazing. Loveee it!

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  6. YES, I know what you mean about the song, the dance, the boys and their feet and the dogs (except, mine are currently cats…)

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  7. All worth framing Marilyn.
    Leslie

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  8. Reblogged this on Ancien Hippie and commented:
    Love that car at the top Think Oldsmobile. Buick would have 3 or 4 “holes” in the side

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  9. Love the stark contrasts!

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  10. Today’s prompt brought up the same song by The Rays for me. I think I scheduled it to be published in about 15 minuets from now.

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  11. I love the shadow pictures. Perfection!

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