Strictly Come Dancing Trivia Quiz

Answer: Isadora Duncan

Isadora Duncan, known as the pioneer of expressive and free dance, started ballet lessons at an early age but did not enjoy the strict regime of ballet dancing.

Obviously a "free spirit", she began to develop her own style.

Her family moved to the USA where she was not well received, which also happened in the United Kingdom.

Whilst in the United Kingdom, she began to study Greek sculpture in the hopes of enhancing her dance style, which led to her dance dress and barefoot dancing.

Answer: Bolero

I can remember being totally mesmerised by ice skaters, Christopher Dean and Jayne Torvill, free dancing to Ravel's "Bolero" and receiving a 6.0 perfect score from each of the judges.

Answer: Kalamatianos

OPA! The Kalamatianos is a very popular and entertaining Greek dance consisting of 12 moves with a 7/8 beat.

It has been mentioned that Cat Stevens wrote "Ruby Love" with the Kalamatianos in mind.

Answer: Israel

I bet you are all thinking of the "lady" in the meat dress LOL!

Ohad Naharin, born in Israel in 1952, never danced until he was 22, despite having a mother who is a dance teacher.

Whilst dancing with the Batsheva Dance Company, co-founder Martha Graham persuaded him to join the School of American Ballet. He also danced at Juilliard.

When a Tel Aviv based company's employees said they would like to learn to dance, he came up with the technique which he called "gaga".

"Gaga" is a totally different concept of dance and can be done by non-dancers, elderly and anyone who wants to try something different. In "gaga" no use of mirrors are allowed. "Gaga" is something that you have to feel in yourself and express that feeling in movement, whilst retaining control over your body.

Answer: Miners

Deplorable conditions in the South African mining industry where miners had to work in water owing to the mines being flooded, led to the mine bosses taking the cheaper option of buying knee high gumboots instead of draining the mines.

These miners were also shackled together and due to the rule of "no conversation", the miners invented a way of communicating with each other, either slapping on their gumboots, bodies and rattling their chains.

From these humble beginnings, the "Gumboot dance" was created and is today now a tourist attraction in South Africa.

Answer: Sirtaki

A never to be forgotten scene... Anthony Quinn playing Zorba and dancing the "Sirtaki". Also spelt "Syrtaki".

Unknown to many the "Sirtaki" is not a traditional Greek dance. It is the name given to a combination of various Hasapika dance and was created for the movie "Zorba the Greek" by Mikis Theodorakis, one of Greece's best known living composers.

If anyone is interested, here is a link of Anthony Quinn and Mikis Theodorakis dancing their final Sirtaki together in 2000. Anthony Quinn died on 3 June 2001 at 86 years old.

Amazing man!

Answer: Rudolf Nureyev

In June 1961, while on a ballet tour to Paris, Rudolph Nureyev defected as he was afraid that once he went back to Russia he would be imprisoned. In fact an order to have him killed was supposedly found in the KGB archives signed by Nikita Khrushchev, to that effect.

Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn first danced together in "Giselle" and from there on their compatibility as partners grew.

Rudolph Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn, the King and Queen of ballet!

Answer: Indonesian mask

Topeng is a ritual dance performed by the Balinese and Javanese people. The word "Topeng" means a mask and traditional stories, normally representing a god or hero, are told by the dancers wearing these masks.

Answer: Mauritius

Aaah the wonderful exotic Mauritius where the national dance What does the sega look like? It may sound strange, but to get a clear picture, you have to start with the music. Instruments like the ravane, a wide drum covered with goatskin, and the maravane, a pebble-filled type of rattle, are played in a continuous rhythm. There is no distinct melody.

Dancers move to the rhythm in a series of shuffling steps, hips undulating and arms extended away from their body. Notice that their feet never leave the floor.

Answer: Candle Dance

The Pandanggo sa ilaw, or candle dance, is danced with three candles, one placed on the head and one one the palm of each hand. "Pandanggo" is derived from the Spanish word Fandango.

This dance requires an extreme skill in balance. Don't try it, you may burn the building down. :)