Reflection
As befits a poem that unfolds in front of a mirror, one of the foremost themes of "Danse Russe" is reflection. The speaker finds himself in a moment of calm and uses it to joyfully look upon himself as he dances in the mirror, apart from his sleeping wife and baby. Underneath the comic overtones of the piece, there is a clear implication that he is only afforded this brief window because he is alone. Briefly undefined by his relationship with the people around him, the speaker is free to dance, sing and watch himself in the mirror. Reflection becomes an essential aspect of the poem as the speaker is given a moment to perceive himself entirely alone.
Body Image
Williams neatly uses the image of a mirror to allow the speaker of the poem to more acutely take note of his body. One of the poem's primary themes is body image. As the speaker is literally naked in front of the mirror, the speaker is free to study his physicality. The poem derives a great deal of its lightness from the humor and positivity with which the speaker writes about himself. He is neither admiring nor disparaging; he is simply joyful as he sings and dances. The speaker is engaging with his body image in a manner that is playful.
Domesticity
One of the poem's other main themes is domesticity. The speaker finds himself alone right around sunrise. He immediately situates the poem in time by describing the sun and mentioning the fact that his wife and child are sleeping. At the poem's conclusion, he says that he is the "happy genius" of his household, seemingly referencing his state of solitary elation. He appears to be both happy to be in his home, and also happy to have some time to himself to dance before his mirror. He enjoys his role as husband and father, but appreciates this moment in which he can step outside of it and perceive himself entirely apart from anyone else.
