Dance Quizzes

This page has some questions and answers so you can test your Latin dance knowledge. The first “test” relates to culture and history. The second test is on Salsa and Rueda de Casino steps. Answers are below the questions for each test.

Many more questions & answers, along with extensive information on Rueda de Casino and L.A. Salsa moves can be found in “Salsa Dancing & Rueda de Casino Guidebook for Beginner to Advanced Dancers.” Visit salsacasinorueda.com for details.

Test on Latin Dance Culture & History

1. 1. National recognition of Hispanic Heritage began with a week-long celebration.  Was that celebration in the (choose one.):
   1940s?    1960s?   1970s?    1980s?  

2. We now celebrate Hispanic Heritage for a full month from  mid-September to mid-October.  Why?
   __That worked best with the schedule for recognizing other heritages as well.
   __Officials of some Latin countries requested that time interval.
   __That interval includes the independence day of many Latin countries as well as “Dia de la Hispanidad”  (or “Dia de la Raza”), which was when Columbus first landed in the Americas.
   __The government wanted the holiday to begin a little after children returned to school.

3. Which dance is the National Dance of the Dominican Republic?  (choose one)
   Cha Cha       Salsa     Merengue    Bachata   

4. Which of these dances is a Latin Dance?    (choose all that apply)
   Foxtrot       Waltz     Bachata    Samba       Country-Two-Step      Cumbia

5. Who was called the “King of Mambo?”     (choose one)
   Rey Ruiz       Tito Puente      Michael Jackson         Los Van Van   

6. Who was called the queen of Salsa?    (choose one)
   La India       Gloria Estefan       Celia Cruz

7. In the late 80s, a softer, more romantic style of Salsa began.  Which artist composed this type of Salsa?  (choose one.)
   Gilberto Santa Rosa Tito Nieves             Victor Manuelle

8. What country shares an island with the Dominican Republic?  (choose one)
   Madagascar     Kuwait     Haiti

9. The dance rhythm for Salsa is:  (choose one) 
   quick slow quick,       
   slow slow quick,        
   quick quick slow,       
   quick quick quick quick

10. On which beats of a four-beat musical measure do you step in Merengue?  (choose one)
    Beats 1, 2, & 3                  
    Beats 2, 3, & 4               
    Beats 1 and 3           
    Beats 1, 2, 3, & 4

Answers:

1. 1960s

2. Many Latin countries gained independence in that interval. In addition, Dia de la Raza occurs in those 4 weeks. So that time interval honors all of these events.

3. Merengue

4. Bachata, Samba, Cumbia

5. Tito Puente

6. Celia Cruz

7. Gilberto Santa Rosa

8. Haiti

9. quick quick slow

10. 1, 2, 3, 4

Test of Salsa and Rueda de Casino Steps

Please note that Rueda groups differ in the moves they do and their calls, including even in the basic step.  Some basics have partners face each other the entire time and others have partners face the center of the circle part of the time just as an example. 

The tests below are based on the approach used in the DIT classes, but that is not the only way to do the dance. As a result, some of the questions below may not be applicable to the way everyone does the dance. 

Quiz For Beginners

1. In Salsa music, how many beats are there in a musical phrase (one complete basic) and which beat gets the most emphasis?

2. How many steps does the dancer take in one musical phrase?

3. How is the underlying rhythm of the dance commonly described?

Quiz For Intermediate Dancers

1. Which way do leaders turn on vacilense los dos? How many turns does the leader do?

2. How many steps can Rueda dancers blend together? (That means you do one after another with no basic in between.)

3. Name two moves that are essentially the same except that you hold one hand in one step and both hands in the other step. Why do you think such similar moves are given different names?

Quiz For Experts

1. Name three moves that alter the timing so that if you were dancing on 1 before the call, you are dancing on 5 after doing that move.

2. There is a large common segment in the moves Sombrero de Regnier and Uno Complicado. Name another move that shares this same segment.

Answers to "Salsa and Rueda de Casino Steps" Questions

Basic Test Answers

1. There are 8 beats in a musical phrase. (Each phrase is comprised of two musical measures in 4:4 time--for the "musicians in the house.") The first of these 8 beats gets the most emphasis.

2. Dancers take 6 steps during the 8-beat musical phrase.

3. The underlying rhythm is referred to as Quick Quick Slow where a slow step takes 2 beats and a quick takes one beat.

Intermediate Test Answers

1. On Vacilense Los Dos, leaders can turn either way. Turning to the left essentially uses the momentum from leading the lady to do her turn. Turning right is the same direction as the lady turns. So there is logic to either way of doing it. Leaders can turn once or twice in either direction.

2. There is no limit to the number of steps that can be blended. In fact, some groups consider the goal of a sophisticated Rueda to have no basic steps or a minimal number so it looks like one long sophisticated sequence of movement.

3. Dedo and Montana are essentially the same but you hold one hand in the former and two in the latter (in a cross hand-hold position). They may be named differently because they look so different. 

Experts’ Test Answers:

1. Confusion, Pelota con Uno and Pelota con Tres are all steps that have a number of beats divisible by 4 but not by 8. So after doing each of those steps, you are dancing on 5. You can do any of them again if this bothers you and that will put you back on 1.

2. Beso Complicado shares this segment in common with the other two moves.