On June 24, 1374, the party got out of hand in Aachen, Germany. What started out as a mildly enthusiastic celebration on St. John’s Day exploded into a runaway dancing frenzy. Really — an out-of-control dancing frenzy. Nearly the entire population of Aachen was gripped by fits of frantic, uncontrolled dancing accompanied by screaming and hallucinations. The victims of this disease leapt, shouted, twitched and danced until they were literally too weak to stand.

And it didn’t stop in Aachen. It spread. Thousands of people across Europe were “infected” by this choreomania dancing madness. It became an epidemic.  [...] Once the outbreak got calmed in one area, it popped up in another. This went on for centuries. [...]

So what has this got to do with manliness? Well, first off, a manly man ain’t afraid to dance — especially if dancing is something his sweetheart enjoys. But a manly man won’t ordinarily let himself get frenzied about it — even in a case of demon possession. After all, he’s got his dignity to think about. Sometimes a man’s just got to put his foot down and keep it in one place for awhile.

via The Edmond Sun – Manly men aren’t afraid to dance, as long as it’s dignified.