The dancing plague of 1518, also known as the dance hysteria of 1518, was a phenomenon that took place in the city of Strassburg (now Strasbourg), France. In July 1518, a woman named Frau Troffea began dancing in the streets, and within a week, dozens of people joined her, dancing continuously without stopping, sometimes for days at a time. The dancing fever spread throughout the city, and over the course of several months, hundreds of people were affected.
The cause of the dancing plague is still not fully understood and is the subject of much speculation. Some theories suggest that it was the result of mass hysteria or mass psychogenic illness, while others attribute it to environmental or toxic factors, such as contaminated food or drink.
Despite efforts by authorities to stop the dancing, including ordering the affected individuals to be confined and treated by physicians, the dancing epidemic continued to spread and caused widespread panic and disruption in the city. Eventuall