​NYC council to meet on repealing controversial “no dancing” law

Members of the New York City Council are scheduled to hold a meeting to discuss the fate of the controversial Cabaret Law, also known as the “no dancing” law.

Originally established in 1926 to restrict African American jazz clubs, the Cabaret Law states that only up to three musicians can play together or that no more than three people can dance inside an establishment that does not have the license. During the 1990s NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani used the law to crack down on unlicensed clubs.

According to findings published by the New York City Artist Coalition, only 88 of the 12,000 bars in the city have a Cabaret License. Back in May, Councilman Rafael Espinal launched a campaign to appoint a night mayor to address this issue, which will also be a topic of discussion at the upcoming meeting on June 19.

Local activists Dance Liberation Network, Dance Parade New York, House Coalition and the NYC Artist Coalition are urging the community to “overflow New York City Council Chambers to legalize dance”. They launched a petition in March to repeal the Cabaret Law and the news of the upcoming hearing is promising they will be successful in their goal.

Join the NYC community on June 19 at 1:00 PM at the New York City Hall located at City Hall Park and RSVP to the event page here