Test your knowledge and see how much you know about ballroom dance trivia, with this super-fun quiz, originally published on Discovery.com.
1. This early form of ballroom dominated the dance scene from the 17th century to the 19th century.
A. Minuet
B. Waltz
C. Reel
2. Which 3/4 count ballroom dance style represented a transition from historical sequence dances to the modern ballroom style?
A. Tango
B. Waltz
C. Cha-Cha
3. Which traditional dance style is believed to have inspired the modern Tango?
A. Spanish Flamenco
B. African Tango
C. Viennese Waltz
4. These early American Broadway show dancers helped popularize swing dance styles, ranging from the Charleston to the Foxtrot.
A. The Rockettes
B. The Ballroom Dancers
C. Ziegfeld Follies
5. This 1930s swing dance was introduced in Harlem by the famous Shorty George Snowden.
A. Jive
B. Lindy Hop
C. Quickstep
6. What’s the easiest way to distinguish between American and International smooth dance techniques?
A. By the costumes
B. By the hold
C. By the style of shoe
7. The Foxtrot, combined with regional variations like the Black Bottom or the Shimmy, gave rise to this dance style in 1923.
A. Quickstep
B. Lindy Hop
C. Cha-Cha
8. This Latin dance style is a combination of the Mambo and the Rumba.
A. Tango
B. Flamenco
C. Cha-Cha
9. Ballroom dancing gets its name from what Latin term?
A. Ballo
B. Ballet
C. Ballare
10. Which of the following is NOT a common dance in International Latin Ballroom competitions?
A. Tango
B. Rumba
C. Salsa
11. Which husband and wife team became stars of the European dance scene at the start of the 20th century, before going on to conquer the Americas?
A. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
B. Irene and Vernon Castle
C. The Baryshnikovs
12. Which famous ballroom dancer partnered with a Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner long after his death?
A. Charlie Chaplin
B. Fred Astaire
C. Gene Kelly
13. Which of the following is not part of an American Smooth Ballroom competition?
A. Waltz
B. Tango
C. Bolero
14. This Latin dance style is the official dance of the Dominican Republic.
A. Cha-Cha
B. Merengue
C. Bolero
15. This 1921 film helped to popularize the Tango in Europe and the Americas.
A. The Last Tango
B. Tango in Paris
C. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
16. This 1935 film was among the most well-known of the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers films.
A. Singing in the Rain
B. Top Hat
C. Show Time
17. This BBC television series on ballroom dancing aired for more than 50 years.
A. Come Dancing
B. Dancing in England
C. Shall We Dance?
18. Which 21st-century US TV show helped to revitalize public interest in ballroom dancing?
A. Shall We Dance?
B. Tango for Two
C. Dancing with the Stars
19. This award-winning show by the Utah Ballroom Dance Company includes group dances set to classic ballroom tunes.
A. Simply Dance
B. Strictly Ballroom
C. Simply Ballroom
20. This ballroom style is inspired by the traditional Spanish bullfight.
A. Flamenco
B. Tango
C. Paso Doble
No matter how well you did (or didn’t do!) on this ballroom dancing quiz, you’ll be a star on the dance floor after only a few lessons at Fred Astaire Dance Studios!
ANSWERS: 1)A 2)B 3)B 4)C 5)B 6)B 7)A 8)C 9)C 10)A 11)B 12)B 13)C 14)B 15)C 16)B 17)A 18)C 19)C 20)C