New York City Council to repeal its 91-year-old anti-dancing law

After several unsuccessful attempts to end New York’s anti-dancing Cabaret Law, the 91-year-old rule will finally be repealed on Tuesday (31 October).

First introduced in 1926, the Cabaret Law prohibits dancing in public venues that sell food and drink, save for those that have the Cabaret license. As a result, it strangled New York’s nightlife and effectively drove dance culture underground. The rule was originally put into effect to crack down on African American jazz clubs and to this day, it remains notoriously difficult to obtain a cabaret license. Less than 0.1% of bars and restaurants in the city have a cabaret license, and according to The New York Times, out of over 25,000 venues, 97 have the license.

Earlier this year in March, the NYC Artist Coalition and activist organisation Dance Liberation Network met up with the city’s cultural commissioner, Tom Finkelpearl, to discuss the 91-year-old law and potential solutions for New York’s dance spaces. The NYC Artist Coalition was formed in January, in response to the Oakland Ghost Ship fire.

In September, City Council member Rafael Espinal introduced the bill to repeal the law, and the City Hall had its first hearing. On Tuesday, the bill will come before the City Council and Espinal says he has the 26 votes needed to pass it.

(via The New York Times)