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Quiz about Go Go Boots
Quiz about Go Go Boots

Go Go Boots Trivia Quiz


When you watch a truly skilled dancer, it often seems as though there's nothing in the world except the music and their body -- but that's not quite true. Let's look at the footwear that helps make the fancy footwork possible.

A multiple-choice quiz by CellarDoor. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
CellarDoor
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
364,297
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
647
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
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Question 1 of 10
1. Go-go boots, fashionable footwear with high tops and moderate heels, showed up in the early 1960s, around the same time that go-go dancers first appeared. Go-go dancers often wear go-go boots, but tell me: is go-go dancing usually done to go-go music?


Question 2 of 10
2. Lots of theatrical productions - especially musicals - involve dancing, and actresses and actors turn to character shoes to balance style and comfort. A woman's character shoe has a wide heel and a strap to keep the shoe on the foot, as well as what feature that makes the shoe unsuitable for outdoor wear? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. In a particular type of folk dance from southern Spain, dancers make part of the music, providing percussion with their feet. Accordingly, the women don't just perform the "baile" in ordinary high heels; their shoes have nails driven into the toes and heels. What type of dance is this? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Some shoes have very specialized roles to play. Which of these dancers is most likely to own a good pair of pointe shoes? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Gumboot dancers take the name of their form from the water-resistant boots they wear, also known as wellington boots; sometimes the basic boots have bells attached. The dancing style, known for its complex rhythms and percussion, originated in the mines of what country? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Ballet slippers are the most basic tool of ballet dancers, from novices to experts - but there are quite a few different kinds of basic ballet flats! Why would a dancer choose a split-sole slipper over a full-sole slipper? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Clogging is another dance form where the sound made by the dancer's shoes is a critical element of the routine. Around the world, clog dancing and clog shoes come in many different flavors. In the Dutch variety, Klompendansen, what are the shoes made of? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. In many ways, a ghillie is built like a ballet shoe, but one difference is hard to miss: they're tied with laces that cross each other all along the top of the foot, with one last tie at the ankle. Which of these types of competitive dance, often involving swords, would most likely be danced in ghillies? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Foot thongs, also known as dance paws, are a godsend to a wide variety of dancers. From a seat several rows back, what does a foot in a dance paw most resemble? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. As tap dancers move across the floor, their heels and toes tap out sophisticated rhythms. Not surprisingly, this takes special shoes! What is it that makes the distinctive sound of tap dancing? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Go-go boots, fashionable footwear with high tops and moderate heels, showed up in the early 1960s, around the same time that go-go dancers first appeared. Go-go dancers often wear go-go boots, but tell me: is go-go dancing usually done to go-go music?

Answer: No

Night clubs, raves, casinos, and other night-life party spots bring revelers in by promising a good time - and go-go dancers help with that. Generally professionals (although some establishments do have amateur nights), go-go dancers move to the beat of whatever music the venue plays, entertaining the crowd and getting them in the mood. Go-go boots (or variants with even higher heels) have been a part of female go-go dancers' wardrobes since the profession's beginnings in the 1960s, when the boots were first starting to become fashionable among clubgoers.

Go-go music, meanwhile, is a type of funk music that developed in Washington, DC, in the late 1960s. With an emphasis on percussion and a syncopated beat, go-go has certainly inspired its share of dancing - but "go-go dancing" was already taken by the pros.
2. Lots of theatrical productions - especially musicals - involve dancing, and actresses and actors turn to character shoes to balance style and comfort. A woman's character shoe has a wide heel and a strap to keep the shoe on the foot, as well as what feature that makes the shoe unsuitable for outdoor wear?

Answer: Leather sole

The leather sole of a character shoe is perfect for spending hours on a wooden stage, which is easy to do when you consider rehearsals, matinees, and evening performances! It's just not tough enough, though, for harsher outdoor environments; asphalt and cobbles will soon destroy the sole. So, as with many other dance shoes, it makes sense to change into character shoes at the theater, along with the rest of one's costume.

Men's character shoes keep the same type of sole, but are otherwise dead ringers for ordinary oxfords. In either case, it's generally easy to add taps to a character shoe, so one pair can be a surprisingly flexible tool.
3. In a particular type of folk dance from southern Spain, dancers make part of the music, providing percussion with their feet. Accordingly, the women don't just perform the "baile" in ordinary high heels; their shoes have nails driven into the toes and heels. What type of dance is this?

Answer: Flamenco

Flamenco comes from the Spanish region of Andalusia, and encompasses guitar playing (el toque) and singing (el cante) in addition to dancing (el baile). Expert flamenco dancers have mastered a very technical art form, with tight control of the arms and body. In addition to fancy, percussive footwork, dancers in many flamenco styles enrich the music with castanets and with hand-clapping.

Special flamenco shoes are generally worn by female dancers; their male counterparts opt for heeled boots, instead.
4. Some shoes have very specialized roles to play. Which of these dancers is most likely to own a good pair of pointe shoes?

Answer: A ballerina

From a distance, a pointe shoe looks simple, dainty and elegant, wrapped in satin and held on by ribbons that curve gracefully around the ankle. In reality, though, this is one tough shoe, and without it ballerinas wouldn't be able to dance en pointe (that is, on tiptoe) for scene after seemingly effortless scene. First, the toe of the shoe contains a hard paper box that surrounds the toes of the dancer, supporting them and providing a flat surface to balance on.

Then, there's a shank that runs down the length of the shoe, adding rigidity to the sole to support the foot even in an upright position. Those beautiful ribbons (along with a hidden elastic band) have a serious job to do, too: it's not easy to keep a shoe snug against your foot without the assistance of gravity, and the ribbons and band ensure a tight fit with full support.

It takes dancers a lot of work to become fully accustomed to their pointe shoes, but many of ballet's most distinctive choreographies would be impossible without them.
5. Gumboot dancers take the name of their form from the water-resistant boots they wear, also known as wellington boots; sometimes the basic boots have bells attached. The dancing style, known for its complex rhythms and percussion, originated in the mines of what country?

Answer: South Africa

For more than a century, mining - of gold and of diamonds, for example - has been a mainstay of the South African economy. During colonial times, and afterward in the age of apartheid, white mine bosses enforced very strict rules for the black miners - and the rules tended to focus much more on social control than on worker safety. Gumboot dancing is said to have evolved as a system of communication among the miners - the boots were part of their regular working gear, to cope with partially flooded tunnels.

A gumboot troupe at work is a wonder, as stomps, claps, and bells mix to form a larger rhythm. It's easy to think of these work boots as clumsy things, but they aren't clumsy at all on the feet of a gumboot dancer.
6. Ballet slippers are the most basic tool of ballet dancers, from novices to experts - but there are quite a few different kinds of basic ballet flats! Why would a dancer choose a split-sole slipper over a full-sole slipper?

Answer: The split-sole slipper lets you bend your foot through a larger range.

Both split- and full-sole slippers fasten fairly tightly with elastic - the slippers are supposed to move with the dancer's feet, after all! They're also both flats, with no heels or platforms to increase the dancer's height; the soles have to be thin if standard ballet moves are going to be possible. For a full-sole slipper, the sole is all in one piece, lending stability and slightly increased support to the foot.

The sole of a split-sole slipper, by contrast, is in two pieces, which allows the dancer more freedom to bend her or his foot. With a two-piece sole, the heel and toe of the shoe can move much more independently. Even with a split-sole ballet slipper, though, you can't do the tiptoe dancing that's become symbolic of ballet - that takes an even more specialized type of shoe.
7. Clogging is another dance form where the sound made by the dancer's shoes is a critical element of the routine. Around the world, clog dancing and clog shoes come in many different flavors. In the Dutch variety, Klompendansen, what are the shoes made of?

Answer: Wood

Wooden shoes were traditional footwear in the Netherlands for more than half a millennium. They're durable even when you're walking around wet and muddy streets, and they're sturdy enough to provide solid protection for your feet. And, with everybody wearing wooden clogs, they're also convenient for folk dancing! The hard ash-wood soles make it easy to tap out a rhythm on just about any surface - although of course it takes hard work to do it well.

Other strains of clog dancing - often using a shoe with a wooden sole rather than a shoe made entirely of wood - grew up in England, Wales, and the United States. In fact, clogging may have helped inspire tap dancing! Wooden shoes may be rare these days, but they've been very fruitful for folk dancers.
8. In many ways, a ghillie is built like a ballet shoe, but one difference is hard to miss: they're tied with laces that cross each other all along the top of the foot, with one last tie at the ankle. Which of these types of competitive dance, often involving swords, would most likely be danced in ghillies?

Answer: Highland dancing

Highland dancing takes its name from the Scottish Highlands, where it was born. Demanding and technical, the dances are usually done to the music of bagpipes, and can be performed by men or women - though women have come to dominate the style. The ghillie calum, or sword dance, is one of the more famous varieties; a pair of swords lies in a cross on the dance floor, and the dancer must move around the swords without touching them. Highland dancers step on the balls of their feet, their movement aided by the soft, supple leather of their ghillies; beginners sometimes use ballet shoes, with their elastic fasteners, as a cheaper alternative. In competition, though, the fully laced ghillie is essential.

Ghillies also turn up in Scottish country dancing (generally on men's feet) and in Irish dancing (generally on women's feet).
9. Foot thongs, also known as dance paws, are a godsend to a wide variety of dancers. From a seat several rows back, what does a foot in a dance paw most resemble?

Answer: A bare, human foot

Lots of dancers want to appear barefoot, either for the overall aesthetic effect or because they need to maximize their gymnastic flexibility. However, it often isn't very pleasant to actually dance barefoot for a significant amount of time, especially when the routine is physically demanding, or the floor or stage has some imperfections.

A foot thong is a compromise. It's essentially a fabric piece on an elastic band that slips over the toes to give some padding and extra traction to the ball of the dancer's foot. Generally, a dancer will look for a foot thong in a color close to his or her skin tone, so that the footwear will blend in and preserve that barefoot look - but it's also possible to get decorated varieties that add extra visual intrigue to the routine.
10. As tap dancers move across the floor, their heels and toes tap out sophisticated rhythms. Not surprisingly, this takes special shoes! What is it that makes the distinctive sound of tap dancing?

Answer: Metal plates screwed into the sole

These plates are called "taps," and a tap shoe has two: one for the heel as well as one for the toe. They can be attached to ordinary shoes - usually oxfords or sneakers - with screws or with glue; screws are generally preferred by connoisseurs because you can alter the sound a bit by tightening or loosening the taps.

This is important because tap dancers can make quite a loud sound that dominates the music - in fact, in many numbers there's no musical accompaniment besides the shoes themselves.
Source: Author CellarDoor

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