Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil’s southernmost state and one of the states most heavily populated by European descendants, has a number of traditional dances that come from several European traditions.

One of these dances is called chula. Of Portuguese origin, this dance is done in male pairs by stomping and tapping in a sort of dance off between each pair. Traditionally, one dancer challenges the other with difficult steps, and the other dancer responds by repeating those steps and adding his own on, so that the person who forgets the steps first “loses” the dance off.

Though the dance is now mostly confined to competitions and special events, the chula is a fascinating dance form that is somewhere between flamenco, Irish step dancing, and breakdance-style battles.

Have a look in the two videos below!