Ballet Mime Trivia Quiz

Answer: Marriage

This mime looks just like what it represents, as engagement and wedding rings are worn in the third finger of the left hand in many countries. In "Swan Lake", Siegfried announces his intention to marry who he thinks is Odette by pointing to this finger.

Answer: The Sleeping Beauty

Carabosse is upset about not being invited to Aurora's christening, so curses her to die when picking her finger on a spindle. The Lilac Fairy, who hasn't given her gift yet, changes the curse to make Aurora sleep for 100 years. After these years, the Lilac Fairy finds a prince to kiss Aurora and awaken her.

Answer: Beauty

When Carabosse curses Aurora in "The Sleeping Beauty", she mimes that the princess will grow up beautiful and full of grace. Many a male lead uses this mime to show a reason why he loves his sweetheart, such as when Prince Desire (also called Florimund) first has a vision of Aurora in the same ballet.

Answer: Love

This is a very common mime. Even when a man and woman have just met, they may use this sign to convey the depth of feeling they have for each other. Love declarations are taken very seriously. In the anime series "Princess Tutu", the title character cannot speak of her love for the prince or she will vanish in a speck of light, so she uses dance to convey her feelings, ending with the love mime.

Answer: She is the Queen of the swans.

She tells him that an evil magician cursed her to become a swan by day. She becomes human again at night. If someone will pledge her eternal love and won't forsake her, she will become permanently human again.

Answer: Circling the hands above the head

This mime might be used at a ball, wedding, or engagement party to incite dancing. In "Princess Tutu", the title character uses this action often. She uses the power of dance to heal people of emotions that shouldn't be theirs and uses the mime to invite others to dance with her.

Answer: Anger

Someone could respond to my anger with the sign for fear, which is hands raised, palms out, with the back of one hand by the side of the face, which is turned away. The mime for kill takes the anger mime a step further: you raise an arm above your head and pull your fist down to your chest.

Answer: La Sylphide

James is supposed to marry Effie that day. Instead, a witch who reads fortunes says that Effie will marry Gurn, who loves her. James banishes the witch from the house, but the old woman is right: he becomes infatuated with a sylphide and leaves right before marrying Effie.

Answer: Holding up two fingers

A promise to love can be indicated by raising the two fingers of the right hand while holding the other hand over the heart. Like declarations of love, promises are sacrosanct in ballet. Tapping the forehead indicates remembering or forgetting. Putting the palms together and extending the arms shows begging and pleading.

Answer: Death

This is another mime that Carabosse uses in "The Sleeping Beauty" when cursing Aurora. The witch in "La Sylphide" uses the sign to tell the audience that her scarf will cause death.