We’ve been smoke free in NYC bars for a good while now. But the NY State Appellate Court insists that you leave your dancing shoes at home, too. Via NY Post:
A bid to overturn the city’s cabaret law was tripped up yesterday when a state appeals court held that the statute, which bars dancing in most bars and taverns, is constitutional.A group of social dancers had filed a lawsuit saying the law – which requires establishments to have difficult-to-get cabaret licenses if they allow three or more people to dance – violated their right of free expression.
“Recreational dancing is not a form of expression protected by the federal or state constitutions,” the state Appellate Division ruled.
In a unanimous decision, the five-judge panel found the purposes of the 80-year-old law were “to protect the health, safety and general welfare of the public by limiting noise, congestion and various hazards in residential areas.”
Our spies were in the courtroom and snapped this Exclusive! pic of the proceedings.
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I got hassled for dancing at Brownies in NYC back in the day. They had a DJ that night – and apparently you weren’t supposed to dance. The bouncer grabbed me by the shoulders and said “This is a bar, not a caberet! If you continue to dance, I’m going to ask you to leave!” WTF?
i say we all put our ipods on, walk to our favorite LES bars and boogie down to the pussycat dolls.
how’s that for civil disobedience?
My friend got dragged out of Piano’s in a headlock for dancing. During a rock show, no less. It’s a bullshit racist law that was originally intended to stop interracial dancing. I wonder if that was brought up during the hearing.
Come to Madrid, you can smoke and dance wherever you want to…
“While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that’s free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer. “
i’m moving to Madrid
Woah, you’re not allowed to dance in bars/clubs unless they have a special ‘license’?
At the risk of starting an argument, what the hell is wrong with your country?
We’re over there fighting to protect your freedoms. Like the freedom to dance.
Wait, what’s that? You can’t dance? In New York? Are you fucking kidding me? Well, what the fuck?
Oh, and did this become more enforced when Guliani was mayor? If so, wow this guy’s going to make a great President.
Love the idea of a suit being filed by “a group of social dancers.”
That’s such a stupid law!!!
Isn’t “America” the land of freedom, or something?
correct me if Im wrong but dont we have troops to bring home? murderers to catch? A New Orleans to rebuild? Instead of fixing the real problems were worried about if its safe or not to dance in a bar…this is embarrassing. Its no wonder America’s full of a bunch of over wieght people. Our goverment is passing laws so we cant move. Madrid sounds nice right now