The vira is a traditional dance from

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

. It is most popular in the Minho region but is performed in every region. It has a three-step rhythm which is very similar to a

waltz The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position. History There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the wa ...

, but it is faster and the couples dance front-to-front without holding hands. Another way to dance the vira is as follows: matched pairs form a big circle that revolves inversely clockwise, while the dancers snap their fingers. At a certain point the boys leave their pairs in the circle and go to the center, where they hit the floor with their right feet, and return, backing into their respective pairs. The circle starts to rotate again, and the next time the circle stops it will be the girls who go to the center. They do this alternately. Some Portuguese composers have adapted the vira into their compositions. For example, Manuel Raposo Marques (1902-1966) incorporated it into a choral work recorded by the

Orfeon Académico de Coimbra Orfeon Académico de Coimbra (O.A.C.) is the oldest and one of the most famous academic choirs in Portugal. It was established in 1880 by the then University of Coimbra's law student João Arroio, with the name ''Sociedade Choral do Orpheon Académ ...

.Schwann record & tape guide - 1966 Page 161 Bartholomew: Shenandoah (Heath. Yale University Glee Club); Kenins: Bon homme (Barnes, University of Toronto Chorus); Portuguese Folk Dance: Vira (Raposo Marques, Orfeón Académico de Coimbra) ortugal/ref> The vira is normally preformed on the street

References

Portuguese folk dances {{Portugal-stub