Dance of the Damned

In the sweltering summer of 1518, a woman stepped into the streets of Strasbourg and began to dance uncontrollably. Within days, dozens joined her. By the end of the month, hundreds were dancing until their feet bled, their bones snapped, and their minds broke.

Musicians were hired. Priests performed exorcisms. Physicians blamed overheated blood. Nothing worked.

Inspired by the true and terrifying event known as the Dancing Plague of 1518, Dance of the Damned reimagines this historical mystery through the eyes of Margret Troffea, whose grief and guilt manifest in a dance she cannot escape. As the city descends into panic, one question haunts the cobbled streets: what happens when suffering is silenced, and the only voice left is the body itself?

Part horror story, part psychological tragedy, and part historical mystery, this standalone short from the Heinous History series is a chilling reminder: when no one listens to pain, it learns to perform.