'Dancing Plague' of 1518

In 1518 The Dancing Plague struck the city of Strasbourg, France. It began when a woman stepped into the street and started to dance, for no apparent reason. There was no music and her face betrayed no expression of joy. That lasted somewhere between four to six days and she appeared unable to stop herself. Within a week, more than 30 people had joined, dancing night and day on the streets of Strasbourg. Within a month, at least 400 citizens (mostly female) of Strasbourg were swept up in the phenomenon, dancing for days without rest, experiencing the madness.

Groups of people absorbed in ‘dancing mania’ or a ‘dancing plague’

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