The mysterious dancing plague that killed people in 1518

In the summer of 1518, people in Strasbourg couldn’t seem to stop dancing—some even danced themselves to death.It all started with one woman, who stepped into the street and began moving uncontrollably. Soon, dozens of other residents followed suit, overcome with the inexplicable urge to hop, jerk, and sway. Within weeks, the outbreak had spread throughout the city, leaving officials, physicians, and religious leaders scrambling to figure out what was happening—and, more import