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The History of Ballet Trivia Quiz

Whether you're a dancer or just an admirer, take this quiz to test your knowledge of the history of ballet!

A multiple-choice quiz by breakthesky. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
breakthesky

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
341,661

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
387

Last 3 plays: Guest 108 (5/10), Guest 195 (7/10), Guest 68 (1/10).

One at a Time - Single Page

Question 1 of 10

1. In which country did ballet originate? Hint

France

Italy

Russia

England

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Question 2 of 10

2. Which King Louis popularized ballet in France? Hint

Louis XVI

Louis XII

Louis XV

Louis XIV

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Question 3 of 10

3. Which of these ballet companies is the oldest? Hint

Bolshoi Ballet (Russia)

Royal Danish Ballet (Denmark)

The Royal Ballet (England)

Paris Opera Ballet (France)

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Question 4 of 10

4. Which ballerina is credited with being the first to dance en pointe? Hint

Fanny Elssler

Marie Taglioni

Anna Pavlova

Carlotta Grisi

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Question 5 of 10

5. In what ballet did the first professional female ballerina debut? Hint

Le Ballet de la Nuit

La Sylphide

Le Triomphe de l'amour

Acis et Galat�e

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Question 6 of 10

6. Which of the following is considered the first ballet? Hint

Le Triomphe de l'amour

La Sylphide

Ballet Comique de la Reine

Swan Lake

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Question 7 of 10

7. Who is credited with defining the 5 positions of the feet? Hint

Pierre Beauchamp

Jean-Baptiste Lully

Marius Petipa

Pierre Rameau

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Question 8 of 10

8. Which ballet marked the start of the Romantic Age? Hint

The Sleeping Beauty

La Bayad�re

La Sylphide

Giselle

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Question 9 of 10

9. Who was the choreographer that helped make St. Petersburg the next capital of ballet after Paris? Hint

Sergei Diaghilev

Marius Petipa

Michel Fokine

George Balanchine

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Question 10 of 10

10. Who is best known for bringing ballet to the United States? Hint

George Balanchine

Agnes de Mille

Michel Fokine

Antony Tudor

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Most Recent Scores

Oct 19 2024 : Guest 108: 5/10
Oct 07 2024 : Guest 195: 7/10
Oct 06 2024 : Guest 68: 1/10
Oct 06 2024 : Guest 180: 7/10
Sep 26 2024 : Guest 109: 2/10
Sep 17 2024 : Guest 107: 4/10
Sep 12 2024 : Guest 86: 7/10
Sep 11 2024 : Guest 47: 6/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In which country did ballet originate?

Answer: Italy

Ballet originated during the Renaissance. Catherine de' Medici brought it to the French court when she married Henry II.

2. Which King Louis popularized ballet in France?

Answer: Louis XIV

Louis XIV was also known as the "Sun King" for his role in "Le Ballet de la Nuit".

3. Which of these ballet companies is the oldest?

Answer: Paris Opera Ballet (France)

The Paris Opera Ballet was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV. It is the oldest ballet company in the world in the early years of the 21st century.

4. Which ballerina is credited with being the first to dance en pointe?

Answer: Marie Taglioni

Marie Taglioni danced in an early version of pointe shoes in "La Sylphide" in 1832. The ballet was choreographed by Marie's father Filippo Taglioni.

5. In what ballet did the first professional female ballerina debut?

Answer: Le Triomphe de l'amour

Mademoiselle de Lafontaine debuted in "Le Triomphe de l'amour" in 1681. Before then, women's roles were usually danced by men.

6. Which of the following is considered the first ballet?

Answer: Ballet Comique de la Reine

"Ballet Comique de la Reine" premiered in Paris, France in 1581. The ballet was choreographed by Balthasar de Beaujoyeulx and lasted over 5 hours.

7. Who is credited with defining the 5 positions of the feet?

Answer: Pierre Beauchamp

Pierre Rameau's writings credit Pierre Beauchamp with this very important aspect of ballet. Pierre Beauchamp was both a dancer and choreographer, who was the dance teacher of Louis XIV.

8. Which ballet marked the start of the Romantic Age?

Answer: La Sylphide

The Romantic Age of ballet began with "La Sylphide". Marie Taglioni danced in the early version of pointe shoes to make her look ethereal and fairy-like, the qualities that defined Romantic Age ballets.

9. Who was the choreographer that helped make St. Petersburg the next capital of ballet after Paris?

Answer: Marius Petipa

Marius Petipa was a French dancer and choreographer who moved to Russia where he collaborated with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to choreograph the ballet classics "Swan Lake", "Sleeping Beauty", and "The Nutcracker".

10. Who is best known for bringing ballet to the United States?

Answer: George Balanchine

George Balanchine founded the School of American Ballet in 1934 and the New York City Ballet in 1948 along with Lincoln Kirstein.

Source: Author breakthesky

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
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