A branle (/ˈbrænəl, ˈbrɑːl/ BRAN-əl, BRAHL, French: [bʁɑ̃l] ), also bransle, brangle, brawl(e), brall(e), braul(e), brando (in Italy), bran (in Spain), or brantle (in Scotland), is a type of French dance popular from the early 16th century to the present, danced by couples in either a line or a circle. The term also refers to the music and the characteristic step of the dance.