How Clubbers Are Protesting New York's Archaic Anti-Dancing Laws

The Dance Liberation Network want to finally end a dance ban from the 1920s.

Despite New York’s legendary reputation as the center of dance music, did you know that you’re not actually legally allowed to dance in 25,003 of the city’s 25,100 bars, restaurants and clubs? The ban stems from a 1926 New York City Cabaret (No Dancing) Law that outlaws dancing in groups of three or more in “any room, place or space in the city” that doesn’t hold a cabaret license and where there is “musical entertainment, singing, dancing or other forms of amusement.” These cabaret licenses are extremely expensive—they sometimes cost up to $10,000 to meet the city’s strict codes.

Recently bar owners, music venue managers and fellow activists have organised the Dance Liberation Network to overturn this despised statute. Not only does the ban smack of dated social conservatism, they argue, but it forces parties and events further underground and into increasingly dangerous locations, putting party-goers at greater risk. In two weeks, their online petition has racked up over 3000 signatures. To learn more about the problem facing small bars in New York and the activists pushing for a change, read on here.

Read more: This video gives you a glimpse of New York club life circa 1983