Tangos, Tarantellas and More Trivia Quiz

Answer: Italy

The tarantella is a dance done by couples. It is flirtatious and light hearted with quick, light steps. There is also a version danced solo that is fast and frenzied. Legend has it that this dance was done by victims of a tarantula bite, who needed to dance very fast to avoid death. Across Italy there are various versions of the dance.

Some are courtship dances while others depict sword fights.

Answer: Czardas

The czardas, performed by couples, starts off quite slowly, then turns into an exhilarating, whirling dance. The music is often performed by a gypsy orchestra, and the dance has roots in an earlier folk dance. There is also a ballroom version that is popular across Eastern Europe. Liszt incorporated the czardas rhythm and themes into his "Hungarian Rhapsodies".

Answer: Square Dance

The square dance is popular throughout the United States. Danced in sets of four couples, the various movements are regulated by a "caller", who calls out the next movement. The dance incorporates elements found in the dances of the various countries from which people have emigrated. Elements of Scottish country dancing can be found, as well as reels and jigs from Ireland and the Morris dance from England.

Answer: Flamenco

The flamenco comes from the Andalusia region of southern Spain. The purest form of it is done as a solo dance. Foot stamping, clapping, the use of castanets, and dramatic arm movements all form part of the dance. The dancer is usually accompanied by a flamenco guitarist.

When done as a theatre performance the dance can be solo, a group dance, or done by a couple. Most theatre performances will feature all of these.

Answer: Cuba

The rumba, or rhumba, is a Cuban dance whose origins lie in the music and dance of African slaves taken to the island. These mixed with the music of the Spanish to form a very distinct style. The name comes from the Spanish for party. The Latin American ballroom dance is done to much slower music and is influenced by the music of Spanish gypsies.

Answer: Samba

The samba is the national dance of Brazil. It can be heard in every Carnival procession, at every party, in every dance hall. Samba schools can be found in every region of the country. It needs to be danced with joy, and a lot of hip swivelling.

The Brazilian football team usually play to the accompaniment of a samba band in the crowd. Their unofficial nickname is "The Samba Boys".

Answer: Argentina

Although instructors give some basic steps the tango is a dance that relies heavily on improvisation. It is danced by a couple in a constant embrace, and has been described as walking to music. Experienced dancers incorporate leg and foot flicks and kicks, with the legs of the dancers often intertwining.
Anyone who has ever tried to dance the Argentinian tango will tell you it is deceptively complicated and many dancers spend years perfecting their technique.

Answer: Strathspey

A strathspey resembles a hornpipe in the movements, but is slower and more controlled than the traditional dance done by sailors. Any traditional Scottish dance party or competition will include a mix of the four dances.

Strathspey also refers to the type of music played for the dance, and was originally played on the violin. There is a type of strathspey music written especially for bagpipe competitions. In competition pipe bands are expected to play a strathspey, a march and a reel.

Answer: Austria and Strauss

Although the Strauss family were all known for their musicality it is Johann Strauss II who gained the nickname "The Waltz King". His melodies, such as "The Blue Danube" and "Tales from the Vienna Woods" took first Vienna, then the rest of Austria, and then Europe by storm. The Viennese Waltz is always associated with Austria and can be regarded as their national dance.

Answer: Romania

The hora is a circle dance in which any number of people can participate. The dance originated in the Balkans. The circle usually moves anti-clockwise and the dance is a simple three steps forwards, one back, combination. At large gatherings, such as weddings, there can be several individual circles, or one big formation of circles within circles.

There are different versions all over Eastern Europe. In Bulgaria, for example, the formation is often a curved line rather than a circle, and they have up to a hundred different step combinations.