It Takes Two To Tango Trivia Quiz

Answer: moonwalk

moon + walk

Although most people automatically associate the Moonwalk with Michael Jackson, the origins of this dance can be traced back to legendary jazz performer Cab Calloway. In the early 1930s Calloway appeared live, through the process known as rotoscoping, in three animated Betty Boop shorts. In one titled 'Minnie the Moocher' he performed his song of the same name and a backwards gliding dance move that he called 'The Buzz'.

Answer: quickstep

quick + step

Developed in England in the 1920s, the Quickstep combined elements of both the Charleston and the Foxtrot but was danced at a more rapid pace. It was originally called the Quick Time Foxtrot and Charleston but for the sake of convenience its name was shortened. A well performed Quickstep should give the impression that the dancers are virtually floating and their feet barely touching the floor.

Answer: Charleston

Charles + ton

When speaking of things synonymous with the Roaring Twenties and Jazz Age, the Charleston is right up there. This energetic dance has many claimants to the title of its inventor. It is versatile in that it can be performed solo, with a partner or as part of a chorus line. Ladies who danced the Charleston were known as flappers owing to the way their arms flapped up and down like the wings of a bird whilst performing it.

Answer: foxtrot

fox + trot

The origins of the Foxtrot are not entirely certain but the popular theory is that it was first performed by vaudevillian actor Harry Fox in 1914 and thus named after him. This occurred at the New York Theatre where, among others, Fox was hired to perform vaudeville acts on stage between film screenings. The trotting steps he performed to ragtime music were referred to as Fox's trot.

Answer: hornpipe

horn + pipe

The Hornpipe originated possibly as early as the sixteenth century aboard English naval vessels and was seen as an effective method for sailors to get exercise in an environment that provided very little space for such. It is danced on the spot and the actions mimic many of the day to day duties of a sailor such as raising the hand to forehead as if saluting or looking out to sea, pulling ropes, rowing and climbing rigging.

Answer: jitterbug

jitter + bug

Technically speaking, the Jitterbug is not a unique dance in itself but rather refers to a number of closely related dance styles, particularly the Lindy Hop, Jive and Swing. Once again Cab Calloway is at the fore of the beginnings of the Jitterbug style. In 1934 he recorded a song called 'Call of the Jitterbug'. This song was written for Calloway by Edwin Swayzee, the trumpeter in Calloway's band, who in turn had overheard the Jitterbug term being used by fellow musician Harry Alexander White. There are a number of theories as to the origin of the Jitterbug name. Most common amongst them is that it derives from the slang term for the delirium tremens - jitters.

Answer: macarena

mac + arena
(macintosh, mac)

The Macarena was a dance that accompanied the video clip for the song of the same name recorded by Los del Rio in the mid 1990's. It involved the performer placing their hands on various parts of the anatomy before turning the body 90 degrees or thrusting the pelvis. This was repeated ad nauseam. Fortunately this dance was fairly short lived.

Answer: quadrille

quad + rille

The Quadrille gained popularity in upper-class France during the eighteenth century. At first it was danced by two couples but later versions used four couples arranged in a square. One of these couples was nominated as the head couple and they would perform a section of the dance on their own. Once completing this the other couples would copy. The origins of the Quadrille date back to the 1600s where French soldiers would lead their horses through a series of movements in a square shaped formation during military parades. I guess the gentlemen found dancing with ladies a much easier task as, unlike horses, they had only one left foot.

Answer: sousta

sous + ta

The Sousta is a traditional folk dance from the island of Crete performed by an equal number of men and women. Through a series of hand and head gestures it tells a story of a man trying to persuade a woman into a sexual encounter with him. She is hesitant at first but eventually succumbs to his charms. Even though it is seen as an erotic dance, everyone is standing up; none of the moves are performed in a horizontal position.

Answer: Lambada

Lamb + ada
(Ada Lovelace is a daughter of the poet Lord Byron)

The Lambada is a fast paced and sensual dance characterised by the close proximity of the hips of the dance partners and the side to side swaying motions they make. It is believed to have its roots in the Brazilian state of Bahia with influences from other Latin dances such as the Samba, Rumba and Merengue.