Centuries ago, a dancing plague gripped Europe. Spontaneous dance involving thousands would burst forth in streets and squares, the dancers’ limbs flailing in syncopated ecstasy. Now, following years of lockdowns, an ancient compulsion to move together is spilling over once again.

When Danish dancer and choreographer Mette Ingvartsen began working on The Dancing Public in 2019, she was seeking to incorporate audience participation in her work, but the Covid-19 pandemic added new layers of meaning. Research led Ingvartsen to study choreomanias—mysterious mass dancing events that occurred across Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries.

With The Dancing Public, Ingvartsen deploys garbled narration, bodily urges and the beat of the nightclub, to connect times of crisis with the desire for movement and connection in public spaces. Can you resist the rave?