Trivia Thursday Quiz
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Test your ballet knowledge!
1. There are various ballet versions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, all based on a famous play by William Shakespeare. What city is the original play set in?
(source- shakespearesglobe.com)
a) Athens
b) Rome
c) Copenhagen
d) Seville
2. Two of the principal roles in this ballet are the King and Queen of the fairies. What are their names?
a) Tiana and Orion
b) Titania and Oberon
c) Aphrodite and Hermes
d) Talia and Helios
3. Who composed the most commonly used music for A Midsummer Night’s Dream?
a) Prokofiev
b) Delibes
c) Mendelssohn
d) Haydn
4. George Balanchine choreographed a popular version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the New York City Ballet which many ballet companies have since performed. What year did this version premiere? (source- nycballet.com)
a) 1952
b) 1962
c) 1945
d) 1971
5. A lot of the ballet’s plot revolves around love and how the mischievous Puck’s meddling causes miscommunications between characters that are often comical. Even with these mix-ups, all ends up working out for the characters and the ballet ends with a joyful wedding celebration. How many couples get married?
a) 1
b) 2
c) 3
d) 5
6. Which of these is NOT a quote from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream? (source- goodreads.com)
a) “Though she be but little, she is fierce!”
b) “The course of true love never did run smooth.”
c) “My soul is in the sky.”
d) “Good night, good night! parting is such sweet sorrow, That I shall say good night till it be morrow.”
ANSWERS
1. Answer- A
2. Answer- B
3. Answer- C
4. Answer- B
5. Answer- C
6. Answer- D (this quote is from another Shakespeare play that has inspired ballet retellings: Romeo and Juliet!)