The Dancing Plague of 1518: Hundreds Danced Until They Died

In July 1518, a woman in Strasbourg stepped into the street and began to dance. She didn't stop for six days. Within a month, hundreds had joined her — dancing until some, according to contemporary records, collapsed and died. The city's solution? Hire more musicians. Build a stage. Encourage more dancing. It made everything worse. This is the true story of the Dancing Plague of 1518 — one of history's strangest documented epidemics, and the theory historians now believe actually explains it. Sources: Strasbourg city and church records, subsequent historical research including work by historian John Waller. #DancingPlague #History #Documentary #ShortDocumentary #1518 #Strasbourg #MassHysteria