Pauliteiros Stick Dance

The Dança dos Pauliteiros is a traditional stick dance of the Terra de Miranda, in north-eastern Trás-os-Montes. Groups of dancers clash two sticks together to the sound of bagpipes, snare drum and bass drum, and the dance is found in almost every parish of the municipality of Miranda do Douro.

In 2025 the "Ritual Dances of the Pauliteiros in the Traditional Festivals of Miranda do Douro" were entered in Portugal's National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The decree stresses their importance as a reflection of community identity and of their historical depth.

The dance and its elements

• The group: traditionally eight men; more recently there are also women's groups, such as the Pauliteiras de Malhadas, formed about two decades ago according to Portugal Global.
• The music: a bagpiper (gaiteiro), a snare drummer and a bass drummer; in Constantim a tambourine player joins them.
• The costume: embroidered skirt, linen shirt, waistcoat, woollen socks and leather boots, with a hat that may be decorated with flowers.
• The sticks: dancers use two wooden sticks, about 40 centimetres long according to NiT, which stand in for swords.
• The repertoire: the "lhaços", where music, text and choreography go together.

Origins and memory

The exact origin is not established. Specialists suggest it may be a survival of the so-called sword dances, rooted in Greek pyrrhic dances brought to the Iberian Peninsula by the Romans. According to NiT, pauliteiros used to dance at the Santa Bárbara festivities in Miranda do Douro, collecting alms for the celebration; the practice died out in the late 1950s and was revived at the end of the 20th century by local young people.

Where to see it

The dances form part of eight traditional festivals, among them São Brás and Santa Bárbara (Cércio), Nossa Senhora do Rosário (Palaçoulo, Póvoa and São Martinho) and Santo Isidro Lavrador (Quinta do Cordeiro). The Festa dos Moços, or São João Evangelista, in Constantim is described as the best known. Dates and programmes should be confirmed with the Câmara Municipal. In the town you can also visit the Castelo de Miranda do Douro.