The Dancing Plague by John Waller

Age Level: Adult
Format: Book



This was such an unexpectedly enjoyable book. The Dancing Plague is a fascinating exploration of the strange and uncontrollable dancing that has gripped large masses of people repeatedly throughout history. John Waller vividly paints a picture of the religious terror, starvation and hopelessness that incubated the perfect setting for such a bizarre series of events.

I had never heard of choreomania and if I had, I would have probably thought it a strange and unlikely fictional malady. More often termed Saint Vitus’ Dance, its victims believed they were being punished for their sins. Over the centuries many “cures” were devised including more dancing. As many of these attempts proved fatal, belief in religious pilgrimage as the only sure method of relief grew. Across Europe, even though customs and beliefs have changed, some still believe in “preventative dancing”. After all, why would an angry saint curse an already dancing sinner with more dancing?

Waller ends with an interesting theory on the cultural changes that have erased choreomania from our worries replacing it with several more modern ailments. This book truly took me by surprise and gripped me with an uncontrollable need to keep reading.

Reviewed by Lisa