The Dancing Plague of 1518: When Dancing Became Deadly | The Tipsy Exchange

What's your favorite dance scene in a movie? Pulp Fiction's twist contest? The Office wedding march? That unhinged Ex Machina routine? Dancing is joy, cardio, and endorphins. Well, except for that one Zumba class. We don't talk about that one. But what if dancing was the enemy? This week, Berly takes us back to Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries, when "dancing mania" swept through towns and villages. Crowds of people, sometimes thousands at a time, danced uncontrollably until they collapsed. There's a bridge that couldn't take the boogie, a group of kids who danced their way between two towns, and outbreaks that spread across country after country. Then comes the big one: in the summer of 1518, one woman stepped into the streets of Strasbourg and started dancing. She didn't stop for days. Soon, others joined her. The city's solution to the problem? Let's just say it was not what we expected. We have questions about the band. So what caused it? A saint's curse? Something in the bread? The world's longest peer pressure event? We walk through the theories, from the one historians favor to a surprisingly modern case of mass hysteria that proves this kind of thing didn't end in the Middle Ages. Along the way, we have a chat about patron saints, a strong Fleabag detour (Hot Priest, we're still not over it), and a theory about the dancers that's… a little kinky. This week's toast: Bob Marley reminds us to forget our troubles, sorrows, sickness, and weakness, and just dance. We close the episode with a toast to Frau Troffea and her legendary dance-a-thon. Cheers! Tell us what you think! Which theory do you buy: curse, ergot, or mass hysteria? What's your all-time favorite movie dance scene? And the most important question: how long could you dance before collapsing? Our answer is about five minutes. Tell us in the comments! Please drink responsibly. Support the show The Tipsy Exchange is a comedy podcast where besties Berly and LA pour a drink, raise a toast, and dive into true crime, mysteries, the paranormal, and pop culture, with plenty of tangents along the way. It's like happy hour with your funniest friends. The show is currently on hiatus, but you can find previous episodes at thetipsyexchange.com. If you are a Supernatural fan, you can find Berly and LA's latest project at denimwrappednightmares.com. Special thanks to Fesliyan Studios. Cheers!