The Kennedy Center: ARTSEDGE — the National Arts and Education Network

The correct response is "Beethoven"

No, not Mozart. Classical music’s other child prodigy, Ludwig van Beethoven. He was a brilliant improviser, rule-breaker, and master of dramatic music. Beethoven composed symphonies, like No. 9 in D Minor, the first to include a choral portion. While he eventually went completely deaf, Beethoven’s genius was such that he continued working even when he could not hear a single note.

Get to know Classical music's biggest star with Beethoven Rocks!

The correct answer is “Romeo and Juliet”

We love vampire romances, too, but it’s Shakespeare’s fated pair, Romeo and Juliet, who are doomed from the very start of the play. The story of the young lovers from feuding families premiered in 1595 and remains one of the English playwright’s most popular works.

Read more about Shakespeare's star-cross'd lovers.

Even if you’re not big on football, the Superbowl is a big deal. Over the years, this football championship has evolved into an unofficial American holiday. On average, 130-140 million people tune in to the game each year, and not just to catch the bone-crunching action on the field. The games often have to compete with elaborate pre-game and halftime entertainment, which feature popular musicians and acts. On top of the highly anticipated pre-game and halftime shows, audiences also look forward to the commercials shown during the game. Companies spend big money to get their message in front of this huge viewing audience.

To find out how music and football are intertwined, check out Touchdown Songs: Music & Football, narrated by NFL Films composer Tom Hedden.

First of all, ballet is not gross. Maybe it’s just not your thing.

Enjoying the popular ballet’s fantastic scenes—a sparkling Christmas tree shooting up into the ceiling, the Nutcracker turning into a prince, the Mouse King in battle—is a holiday ritual for many families around the world.

But what version are you watching on stage or TV? Perhaps a restaging of the original ballet that premiered in Russia in 1892, choreographed by Frenchman Marius Petipa? Or is it a newer variation that features dance steps by a different choreographer? Maybe you’ve even seen more than one version! Check out our article, Cracking Open The Nutcracker.

The correct answer is "All of the above"

Stage managers play a vital role in every production. They provide organizational support to the director and crew throughout the rehearsal process and run of a show. And, there is indeed a character in Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, a play that explores life in a small New England town. This Stage Manager comments to the audience on the words and actions of other characters in the play.

For more on how theater has made an impact, watch our series, The Power of Theater.

In case you hadn’t heard, this Friday is Veterans Day. And no matter how you celebrate this federal holiday, it’s nice to take a moment to remember why.

As World War I, also known as “The Great War,” came to an end, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 to be a day of celebration, as well as remembrance and gratitude for the heroes who gave their lives in service to their country. Originally called Armistice Day, businesses and schools were closed for the day in order for Americans to attend parades and public meetings. Over the years as other conflicts arose and developed around the world, Congress voted to modify the holiday to Veterans Day, in order to honor American veterans of all wars.

Today, we continue to thank and honor our military’s men and women with parades and other ceremonies. Music always plays a special role at these events. For more on military musical traditions, listen to our audio series Music in the Military.

The correct answer is “Dancing”

While each Native American tribe has its own traditions and beliefs, there are some similarities among tribes, like the PowWow. Dancing is always a lively part of these celebrations, held for various occasions. To the beating of drums—a symbol of the heartbeat of the Native American Nation—dancers perform and compete in front of judges for prizes. The competition is based on how well a dancer performs, as well as the design and construction of his or her regalia, or traditional outfit. The regalia, often made of animal skins and feathers, is not a costume since it is part of the Native American heritage.

For more on traditional dances and regalia, check out our interviews with fancy dancers Larry and Jessup Yazzie from Native Pride Dancers and see video of them in in action!

Monsters aren’t really under your bed, though there should be plenty on the loose when Halloween rolls around. Did you ever wonder where some of these characters come from? Let’s take Frankenstein, for instance. He was imagined by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley in her book Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus, in which Dr. Frankenstein creates a live monster. Her book, published when she was 21, proved to be one of the classic examples of the Gothic fiction movement.

Want to see something really scary? Head on over to our collection of our spookiest resources.

The correct answer is "Brass, Percussion, Strings, Woodwind"

‘Cause we’re talking about the four instrument families of the orchestra. Want to know more? Grab your bat and baseball cap and explore the different sections of the orchestra at Perfect Pitch, or the Instrument Spotter's Guide.

The correct answer is “Break a leg

Not that you’d mean it. That would be terrible! You see, many people involved in theatrical productions believe it’s actually bad luck to wish a performer “good luck” before going on stage. This funny saying became common in the mid–1900s. People still aren’t sure how it originated, but one theory suggests it could be a variation on a German phrase sometimes used by actors, “Hals und Beinbruch,” which means “break your neck and leg."

Find out more about the impact of theater in our video series, The Power of Theater.

The correct answer is "A chorus"

If you’re talking theater, you have to start with the ancient Greeks and a man named Thespis. He came up with the idea to act out stories on stage before an audience. He may have been the first person to ever pretend to be someone else and speak lines of a play. In other words, he may well have been history’s first actor. Along with individual actors, the chorus was also developed to interact with cast members or provide warnings or opinions from the playwright. The chorus spoke and often moved as a single unit, even though it was made of several individuals. 

Lean more about theater in Ancient Greece and stage your own tragedy with our interactive, City Dionysia: The Ancient Roots of Modern Theater.

The correct answer is "O Juliet, Juliet…"

Did we trick you? This line is very close to the real thing, except in the play, it’s said by Juliet to Romeo: “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” The most famous playwright the world has ever seen, William Shakespeare’s unforgettable characters and stories are told in language so rich that the words move “trippingly on the tongue” (at least that’s how Hamlet put it). His tragedies, comedies, and history plays thrive centuries later in part because they are filled with characters and scenarios that are familiar to us all. 

Find out how Shakespeare made the pursuit of love just as difficult as leading men to war, or solving your father's murder.

The correct response is "George Balanchine"

Of course, it’s not Paula Abdul. She’s a pop singer and dancer, c’mon. George Balanchine, however, was one of the most prolific, and often considered the most influential, ballet choreographers of the 20th century. Born in 1904, he revolutionized classical ballet by eliminating complex plots and emphasizing movements that expressed music. His artistry and fresh approach helped popularize ballet in the United States.

Watch an exerpt from Agon, featuring Balanchine's innovative choreography.

The correct response is "Copper"

Bang! A fireworks show is a complex display of chemistry. Different metals and elements are used to tint the powders that ignite to form the explosions—copper makes blue, barium makes green, and calcium makes orange. Firework engineers can pack these elements in specific arrangements in the powder shells to form different patterns you’ll see in the air, such as hearts or smiley faces.

Learn about fireworks as performance art, watch a video of pyrotechnician Cai Guo-Qiang at work, and build your own fireworks display with our interactive, Art of the Explosion.

We didn't tell you to cross the border. We meant this country. There are countless patriotic songs celebrating our 50 states, and certainly more than we could list here. Out of them all, however, only one can be our national anthem. That is, of course, "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Want to know more about our national anthem? Read the story behind the song.

How about all of the above? Who doesn’t love a deep sea thriller, an adorable alien, a prehistoric villain, or an archeologist outrunning giant boulders?

At the end of the day, Steven Spielberg may well be the best-known film director working today. His movies read like a list of greatest American films: Jaws, Schindler’s List, and Saving Private Ryan among them. Not only that, but he’s got his finger on the pulse of what makes a movie sell tickets. Lots of tickets: all told, Spielberg movies have grossed more than $8 billion dollars.

Check out the theme from Jaws and other terrifying music with Chills and Thrills: Music that goes Bump in the Night.

The correct response is "Edward Kennedy Ellington"

One of the greatest musicians of all time was Edward Kennedy Ellington—more commonly known as Duke. He was a superb piano player, composer, and bandleader in a career that extended for over 50 years. Ellington's leadership of his own "big band—a term for jazz-playing orchestras that became popular in the 1920s—set the bar for all bandleaders who would follow him. His arrangements, conducting, and charismatic personality all helped popularize the big band sound.

Learn more about Duke Ellington by taking a spin through Jazz in Time, or explore the Harlem Renaissance with Drop Me Off in Harlem.

The correct answer is “William Shakespeare”

Of course you knew the answer—thou art no fool! Probably the most famous writer the world has ever seen, William Shakespeare created unforgettable characters and stories in language so rich that the words move “trippingly on the tongue” (at least that’s how Hamlet put it). His 16th century tragedies, comedies, and history plays endure centuries later because they are filled with characters who make the same kinds of choices and face the same kinds of problems people everywhere do: broken hearts, office politics, family stuff. Shakespeare’s 37 plays and 154 sonnets are full of text puns, jokes, and insults whose meanings come to life when read aloud. And by the way, bard simply means poet.

Find out how Shakespeare made the pursuit of love just as difficult as leading men to war, or solving your father's murder.

Bravo to you if you’re involved in your school’s theater program. And it’s true, auditions are tough. Take the story of the Broadway hit A Chorus Line as an audience follows 17 people’s experiences auditioning for a musical. Created by young dancer/choreographer Michael Bennett, the show’s minimal sets and costumes keep the audience focused on the characters. Each sings and shares his or her story about how they wound up at the audition.

Find out more about what theater means in our video series, The Power of Theater.

The correct answer is “An original poem”

It was Francis Scott Key who wrote the poem as he observed the bombardment of Baltimore’s Fort McHenry in 1814 by the British navy. Key’s poem about the American flag that “yet waved” after the attack was printed in several newspapers. It was later set to a popular melody by (ironically) a British composer named John Stafford Smith. It became our national anthem in 1931.

Want to know more about our national anthem? Read the story behind the song.

The correct answer is “Scat”

Doo-bee-doo-bee- doo.  Jazz music became popular in the 1920s and 30s, when band leaders and singers like Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway recorded smash hits like “What a Wonderful World” and “Minnie the Moocher.” All three singers were masters of scat, making up gibberish lyrics to songs on the spot. Scat is a vocalist form of jazz improvisation.

Learn more about scat by taking a spin through Jazz in Time, or explore the Harlem Renaissance with Drop Me Off in Harlem.

Seeing actors, dancers, or musicians performing live on stage is far different than watching it on a movie, TV, or computer screen or hearing it on your iPod. That’s not to say these aren’t worthwhile ways to enjoy the arts, however, most art forms are intended to be experienced in person. So whenever you have an opportunity to attend a live performance, go for it!

Need to know before you go? Check out our collection of field guides to performing arts venues.

The correct answer is “Pointe Shoes”

Maybe after performances, ballerinas slip into a comfy pair of moccasins, but certainly not on stage. Ballerina Anna Pavlova is credited for the design of the modern pointe shoe. For years, she struggled in training, finding basic ballet techniques difficult due to her arched feet and thin ankles—body parts ballet dancers rely on for balance and grace. To ease the stress on her curved feet, Pavlova strengthened her ballet slippers by adding a piece of hard wood on the soles for support and curving the box of the shoes to fit her arches.

Explore the history and structure of the magic slippers of ballet in Gear: Pointe Shoes

The correct answer is “Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart”

How do you spell genius? It’s hard to imagine little Wolfgang played the keyboard and violin almost as soon as he could walk. But it’s true. He began composing original music at age five and was regularly invited to perform for European royalty. At 17, he left his home to travel Europe in search of new musical opportunities. His travels helped create his unique, versatile compositional language. He modernized the highly intricate Baroque style of music with advanced technical sophistication, enabling his works to reach new emotional heights. Mozart created over 600 works and wrote in every major classical genre. He is considered one of the most influential and enduring composers of the Classical era.

For more on Mozart and other European composers, check out our audio series, A World of Music.