World Dances: Flamenco and Beyond Quiz

Answer: Spain

This elegant Spanish dance is all about clapping patterns (palmas), graceful hand waves, and complex foot stomps. The women wear red or black clothes and high heels and hold fans while they move to the rhythm. The musical instrument that accompanies the dance is the classic flamenco guitar.

Answer: New Zealand

The New Zealand Haka dance in its non-aggressive form evolved from the aggressive Haka war dance which the Maori performed before battle. Nowadays, the characteristic strong arm movements, facial gestures, stomps, and vocal chants build confidence and celebrate cultural identity during athletic games, weddings, graduations, and other ceremonies.

Answer: Nigeria

Atilogwu is a celebratory dance with strong beats, claps, hops, and acrobatics performed by young Igbo people in Nigeria to the beat of drums and rattles. The dancers wear bright costumes with beads and sometimes palm leaves.

Answer: Greece

Syrtaki is a famous Greek dance that starts slowly and then becomes faster and more exciting. People dance it in a line or circle with their arms on each other's shoulders. They take small steps, then bigger steps, and finally quick kicks and hops as the music speeds up.

It is danced at celebrations and festivals in Greece and it was made famous worldwide because of the 1964 movie "Zorba the Greek."

Answer: Russia

Kalinka is a Russian folk dance whose name comes from a popular song written in 1860. Its speedy tempo includes squat kicks and jumps with side steps in a circle. The costumes are colorful and wide to allow for the movements. Kalinka translates to "little snowball tree."

Answer: Italy

Tarantella is a lively Italian folk dance from Southern Italy with quick side steps, claps, and turns, performed by couples or groups. Its name comes from the spider "tarantula" and, according to legend, the dance is a remedy for the spider's bite which was believed to cause a frenzy.

Answer: England

Morris Dance is a traditional dance from England where people dress in white clothes with colorful ribbons and bells tied to their legs. They often dance in groups, stepping and hopping to cheerful music while waving handkerchiefs or sticks. The bells jingle as they move, making the dance lively and fun to watch.

Answer: Turkey

Very similar to Syrtaki, Halay is the national dance of Turkey where people stand in a line or a circle holding hands or each other's shoulders. They move their feet side to side in a special pattern and sometimes stomp the ground to the beat of the music.

A leader usually holds a colorful handkerchief (mendil) and guides the group. It is usually performed when many people are present, as in festivals and local celebrations.

Answer: Japan

The Bon Odori is a circular dance with claps and simple hand gestures which is performed during the Obon festival in Japan.
Its pace is slow and calming and the dance symbolizes the welcome of the ancestral spirits during the festival and seeing them off at the end of the celebration.

Answer: Mexico

Jarabe Tapatio or Mexican Hat Dance, as it is better known, is a traditional Mexican dance where the female dancers, dressed in colorful wide skirts, clap and dance in circles around their male partners' hats (sombreros) to music played by a "mariachi" group.