Dancing Protesters Storm City Hall To Demand End To 'Footloose' Law

BEDFORD STUYVESANT, BROOKLYN — Dancing protesters stormed City Hall Thursday afternoon to demand the repeal of a “Footloose” law that bans dancing in most public places.

The dancers hoped to convince the city council’s Consumer Affairs committee that the Cabaret Law — which has prohibited dancing in unlicensed venues since 1926 — was designed to prevent interracial dancing and should be repealed.

“We have a ‘Footloose’ situation in New York City,” said City Councilman Rafael Espinal, the Bed-Stuy representative who proposed the bill to repeal the law, comparing it to the 1984 film about a town where dancing is outlawed.

“It was the government’s way of impeding on jazz clubs and stopping people of color from having a good time.” (For more on this story and for other local stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Dancers, activists and small business owners testified in City Hall to express their disdain for a bill which makes it illegal to dance anywhere in New York City except for 88 licensed venues.

"Musicians inspire dancers, inspire musicians," said Duke Ellington's granddaughter Mercedes Ellington. "Please repeal the Cabaret Law."

Rachel Nelson, a small Business owner who said she invested her life's savings into making Secret Project Robot a safe space that meets New York safety codes, is still afraid the city will shut her down.

"One thing puts us in jeopardy of being fined out of existence," said Nelson. "Our customers like to dance."

Nelson hopes to the Cabaret Law repeal will make it easier for small business owners in Brooklyn to hold onto their leases. She recalled that Kent Avenue in Williamsburg was once lined with DIY venues, but when the land became more valuable, the DIY spots were reported, cited for not having a license, and eventually wiped out .

"When a neighborhood is under rapid gentrification," said Nelson, "They start to use the Cabaret Law to evict a large amount of tenants."

But NYC Hospitality Alliance representative Robert S. Bookman argued repealing the Cabaret Law would also make it easier for business owners to open nightclubs in unsafe spaces.

“We’re concerned that there’s going to be a confusing message that the dance police are out of business it’s okay for any business to push the tables aside,” said Bookman, “and be a dance club.”

Bookman also disputed protesters' claim that the law was being manipulated so that landlords could displace small business owners.

“If police are coming now, they’re not coming inside because of complaint of dancing, I assure you,” he said.

But the majority of people who testified in the hours-long hearing supported Espinal and the sixteen council members who cosigned his Cabaret Law repeal bill, which, if passed by the Consumer Affairs Committee, will go up for debate in City Council.

“This is a dancing city," said Activist Frankie Decaiza Hutchinson. "This is absurd, this law needs to repealed now.”

Photo courtesy of the NYC Artist Coalition