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When Europe Danced Itself to Death
The Strange Tale of the 1518 ‘Dancing Plague’
On any given summer day, it’s not unusual to see my children dancing around the living room to their favorite songs. A random playlist of Taylor Swift, Queen, and Disney soundtracks blaring from a Bluetooth speaker, and the kids spinning, jumping, and laughing, as if gravity itself has loosened its grip on them.
A few days ago, as they twirled endlessly to “Shake It Off,” my youngest, breathless and giggling, asked: “Daddy, could someone dance so much they couldn’t stop? Like, just keep dancing forever?”
I chuckled, about to say no, but curiosity tugged at me. Could that ever happen? A quick search turned a playful afternoon into a deep dive into one of the strangest and most unsettling events in European history: The Dancing Plague of 1518.
In July 1518, in the bustling town of Strasbourg (then part of the Holy Roman Empire, now modern-day France), a woman named Frau Troffea stepped out onto the street and began to dance. There was no music. There was no festival. She simply moved to an invisible rhythm, and she didn’t stop.
According to historical accounts, she danced for hours. Then days. By the end of the week, more than 30 people had joined her. Within a month, the number grew to over 400.
