Don’t kick up those heels in NYC

Growing up in the Reformed Church of America (RCA), dancing was forbidden. My church youth group once had to leave a hayride party with the Methodists because music and dancing was served up along with the hot cocoa back at their gym.

Turns out the RCA isn’t alone. New York City has a law banning dancing in bars which don’t have a special club license to allow it.

From the Seattle PI:

The city’s 80-year-old cabaret law banning dancing by patrons in ordinary bars and restaurants is legal, the state Supreme Court’s Appellate Division ruled Thursday.

The Gotham West Coast Swing Club and several people had sued, saying the law violated their constitutional right to free expression.

But the appeals court backed the law, which was enacted in the Prohibition era to crack down on speakeasies.

“Recreational dancing is not a form of expression protected by the federal or state constitutions,” the court wrote.

NYC claims the law protects residential areas from noise, congestion and safety hazards.

Back in my musician days (sinner that I was), bars knew that without a dance floor there was no point in hiring a band. Who wants to pay a $5 cover if all you can do is sit and watch? The intimate setting of a small bar with rock and roll and the ability to move to it is a joy, one I enjoyed for hundreds of hours, both as a musician and a dancer, and on some occasions, both. And who can ever forget the special experience of a slow sensuous waltz at the Eagles hall after a cousin’s wedding? I doubt any of those small venues could afford a special license to allow it.

I suppose it’s part of the Law And Order campaign. As Emma Goldman said, “If I can’t dance, I don’t want your revolution!”

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