During Prohibition, New York City created the Cabaret Law which bans all dancing unless the venue has a cabaret license. Of 25,000 venues in NYC, only 97 have such a license and for many years, venue owners and event promoters have complained about the constant background threat that they could be fined for people dancing… or even ‘swaying’ to the beat as famously happened to one rock back years ago.
While the law itself had over time become rarely used, in the 1990s then Mayor Rudolph Giuliani used the law to help shutter dance club and raves in the City claiming it was diminishing resident’s quality of life. Finally however it seems as though the government has come to its senses as tomorrow the city council is set to vote on a bill to strike down the cabaret law.
Fingers crossed those of you who danced a little in a bar in NYC are no longer breaking the law after tomorrow!
