Breakdance! Trivia Quiz

Answer: LAUGH

HULA + G = LAUGH

Seemingly every Polynesian culture has its own characteristic dance, but the hula of Hawaii is most recognizable. (Or maybe not - the traditional hula is performed by men, and can be as intense as a Maori haka.) Many hulas exist as part of Hawaii's oral tradition and are accompanied with special chants to describe prayers, mythology, and genealogy.

And which, dear reader, came first: the hula hoop or the hula girl ornament? The ornaments were first produced following World War 1, but Wham-O didn't make hula hoops until 1958.

Answer: KINDLY

LINDY + K --> KINDLY

Named in honor of aviator Charles Lindbergh, the Lindy hop is characterized by its extreme fast pace and "aerials," that is, flipping your partner backwards over your shoulder. It emerged in Harlem as an innovation on the Charleston. The dance scene performed by Whitey's Lindy Hoppers in the black and white musical "Hellzapoppin" showcases how extreme the style can be.

Answer: ALIEN

LINE + A --> ALIEN

Line dancing refers to a broad category of two-step dances where everyone faces the same direction. In fact, line dancing owes as much to disco as it does to country: poppy dances like the Electric Slide were important in developing line dancing's form. As an exercise and hobby, it's spreading as an enjoyable pastime, far beyond its spurs and Stetsons associations.

Answer: HAMBURG

RHUMBA + G --> HAMBURG

Rhumba (also spelled rumba) is the slowest of the five competitive Latin dances, at about half the speed of pasodoble. It's one of several Latin dances that became a craze in the 1930s, though unlike the tango, it was better-liked in America than Europe.

It's not really true that Berliners would have understood "Berliner" to mean "doughnut," as I was taught. But I wonder if Kennedy could've stood to proclaim, "I am a Hamburger."

Answer: NETBALL

BALLET + N --> NETBALL

Originating in France, ballet was an especial favorite of Louis XIV, who founded multiple ballet schools. In fact, the Sun King danced in 40 different ballets, predictably awarding himself roles like Apollo or the Sun. Although there is obviously an "Emperor's New Clothes" situation in the historical record here, many scholars suspect Louis was probably a decent dancer considering he liked doing it so much.

Answer: QUAKERS

SQUARE + K = QUAKERS

Square dancing is the official state dance of twenty-four U.S. states, from Louisiana to Massachusetts to Washington. The dance is a group dance where people stand in a square, performing instructions issued by a caller. Although he was not the reason for its popularity, Henry Ford did promote square dancing on his radio stations as an antidote for that unwholesome modern cacophony called jazz.

Answer: GOJI

JIG + O = GOJI

French "gigues" originated in the 15th century, became popular in England, and crossed to Ireland in the 17th century. Jigs are fast-paced dances performed in 6/8 time. When they still accepted submissions for the category, the Guinness World Record for most taps in one second stood at 38 (a number I struggle to exceed on my computer mouse), with jiggers Michael Flatley (of "Riverdance") and James Devine trading the top spot.

Answer: BALSAM

SAMBA + L --> BALSAM

The modern samba evolved in Rio de Janeiro out of a fusion of the dance cultures of freed black slaves and Portuguese settlers. The Brazilian government tried to ban samba at first, due to its association with African witchcraft; but, by the 1920s, the tide of samba was unstoppable. Radio play introduced samba to a global stage, spurring popular subgenres like bossa nova.

Answer: COGNAC

CONGA + C --> COGNAC

The conga line was brought to Cuba by slaves, who may have been mocking their shackles with the dance. No, it's not true that Desi Arnaz invented it, but he did popularize it. As silly as the conga line is, some dance historians thank it for preparing Americans to receive other Latin dances through its sheer simplicity.

Answer: FOSSIL

FLOSS + I --> FOSSIL

The Floss is an emote you can earn in the game "Fortnite," and you've probably seen a middle schooler doing it somewhere, even if you didn't know what it was. Imagine miming "flossing" in between your legs, and you've pretty much got it. "Fortnite" has since added several notable Floss variants, including Windmill Floss, No Sweat, and the essential No Sweat Remake.

Answer: NOUGAT

TANGO + U = NOUGAT

Tango dances exploded in South America and Europe during the 1930s. Tango comes from Argentina, but do you know what unlikely country also claims to hold the world's largest tango festival? That would be Finland: "Tangomarkkinat" has drawn thousands of participants and millions of TV viewers every year since 1985.

Answer: MOBILE

LIMBO + E = MOBILE

Limbo began as a funeral rite performed in Trinidad and Tobago. The modern rules require the players to take turns bending under a lowering bar, without ever touching the bar or falling back onto the floor. In fact, the original game started at the lowest height, with the bar raising as the game proceeded. This symbolized rising from the dead... but certainly makes for a much shorter party game.

Answer: FARRO

AFRO + R = FARRO

The term "Afro dance" can refer to any traditional African dance, but a typical Afro dance class will take you through the modernized, "Afrobeat" style popularized by musician Fela Kuti (and informed by traditional West African styles). Afro dance is gaining in popularity, and with the 2024 addition of "Breaking" to the Paris Summer Olympics, there's also been a push to bring Afro dances to the games as well.

Answer: LAWSUIT

WATUSI + L = LAWSUIT

The Watusi craze (named for the Tutsis of Africa, and otherwise having nothing to do with them) spread thanks to "American Bandstand's" promotion of The Orlons' 1962 doo-wop hit, "Wah-Watusi." 1962 was two years after Chubby Checker's "The Twist," and the two dances are pretty similar. The Watusi is a little more involved and a little less... gyrational.

Answer: REBOOT

ROBOT + E --> REBOOT

The Robot remains a staple of the West Coast's hip-hop dance scene, and technically speaking "robotting" refers to an entire category of dance (a.k.a "popping"). I came into this expecting to crack wise about the Robot; then I looked up performances by Mr. Wiggles and Poppin' John, and now I'm just impressed.