Quiz of the Day
Dance Around the World
Wednesday, 29 April 2026
International Dance Day — dance styles, famous dancers, dance in culture
1. Which country is the tango most associated with?
- Mexico
- Spain
- Brazil
- Argentina
Tango originated in the working-class ports of Buenos Aires in the late 1800s, blending African, European, and indigenous influences. It was considered so scandalous that it was initially banned in many European ballrooms.
2. What is the traditional Maori war dance performed by New Zealand's All Blacks rugby team?
- Poi dance
- Haka
- Siva
- Kapa haka
The 'Ka Mate' haka was composed around 1820 by warrior chief Te Rauparaha while hiding from enemies in a food storage pit. The fierce facial expressions and tongue-out gestures are meant to intimidate opponents.
3. Who is known as the 'King of Pop' and revolutionised dance with the moonwalk?
- Fred Astaire
- James Brown
- Prince
- Michael Jackson
Jackson first performed the moonwalk on the Motown 25 TV special in 1983 during 'Billie Jean'. The move was actually taught to him by street dancer Jeffrey Daniel, but Jackson made it globally iconic.
4. Which classical dance form originated in India and tells stories through elaborate hand gestures?
- Kathak
- Flamenco
- Bharatanatyam
- Kabuki
Bharatanatyam dates back over 2,000 years to Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu. The dance uses over 108 different hand gestures (mudras), each with a specific meaning, creating a sophisticated visual language.
5. What style of dance involves spinning on your head and back on the floor?
- Contemporary
- Tap
- Breakdancing (breaking)
- Jazz
Breaking originated in the Bronx, New York in the 1970s as part of hip-hop culture. It made its Olympic debut at the 2024 Paris Games as an official sport, though it won't return for 2028.
6. Which Spanish dance is characterised by passionate foot-stomping and hand-clapping?
- Samba
- Salsa
- Flamenco
- Paso doble
Flamenco was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2010. The rhythmic foot-stomping (zapateado) can reach speeds of 16 beats per second — faster than the eye can follow.
7. In ballet, what does 'en pointe' mean?
- Dancing backwards
- A ballet position
- A type of spin
- Dancing on the tips of the toes
Dancing en pointe requires years of training and immense strength. A ballerina's entire body weight is supported on an area roughly the size of a small coin. Pointe shoes typically last only 10-20 hours of dancing.
8. Which energetic Brazilian dance is synonymous with Carnival?
- Samba
- Capoeira
- Forró
- Lambada
Samba has African roots brought to Brazil by enslaved people. During Rio's Carnival, samba schools with up to 4,000 dancers compete in elaborate parades. Some dancers' costumes cost over $10,000.
9. Who was the legendary ballet dancer who defected from the Soviet Union in 1961?
- Mikhail Baryshnikov
- Vaslav Nijinsky
- Rudolf Nureyev
- George Balanchine
Nureyev defected at Le Bourget Airport in Paris by running towards French police, shouting 'I want to stay!' His partnership with Margot Fonteyn became the most celebrated in ballet history.
10. What traditional Irish dance form features rapid leg movements while the upper body remains still?
- Highland fling
- Irish step dance
- Ceilidh
- Morris dancing
The rigid upper body tradition may stem from dancing in crowded spaces, or from defiance during English rule when Irish culture was suppressed. Riverdance brought it to global fame in 1994, watched by 300 million people.
11. What year was 'Strictly Come Dancing' first broadcast on BBC?
- 2006
- 2002
- 2004
- 2000
Strictly has become the BBC's flagship entertainment show. Its format has been sold to over 60 countries as 'Dancing with the Stars'. The show has been credited with a surge in adult dance class enrolment across the UK.
12. Which African dance style became a global sensation through Beyoncé and others in the 2010s-2020s?
- Coupé-Décalé
- Kizomba
- Azonto
- Afrobeats dance
Afrobeats dance encompasses moves from across West Africa — Ghana's azonto, Nigeria's shaku shaku, and South Africa's amapiano are all part of the broader movement that has reshaped global pop dance culture.
13. What does the 'Nutcracker' ballet traditionally celebrate?
- Halloween
- Christmas
- Easter
- New Year
Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker premiered in 1892 in St. Petersburg. It now accounts for roughly 40% of many ballet companies' annual revenue. In the US alone, over 3 million people attend Nutcracker performances each holiday season.
14. What is a 'flash mob'?
- A viral dance on social media
- A dance marathon
- A group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place to perform then disperse
- A type of street dance battle
The first flash mob was organised in 2003 at a Macy's department store in Manhattan. The concept was created by Bill Wasik as a social experiment about conformity and has since evolved into a global phenomenon.
15. Which ballroom dance is performed in 3/4 time and originated in Vienna?
- Quickstep
- Waltz
- Cha-cha-cha
- Foxtrot
When the waltz first appeared in European ballrooms in the late 1700s, it was considered wildly indecent because couples danced face-to-face with arms around each other. One London newspaper called it 'an obscene display'.