From my peepholes at Legalize Dancing...big shouts to them for helping put together this long, long, looooong overdue lawsuit. In the 90s I spent many evenings DJing, dancing, having a good time...until Rudy Ghouliani and his nightlight task force goons showed up. Usually around 12:30-1:30am, just when things were about to pop off, they would shine flashlights in people's faces, write tickets and even padlock your favorite downtown lil' spot--because of DANCING. That's right, dancing was and still is ILLEGAL in NYC. Quality of life my ass.
I also think its hilarious they got the choreographer from footloose involved. And the ex-owner of the Plant Bar is my man Dominique, who's been doing stuff in NYC for years, and currently part of the electro-ish dance rock group the Glass. Mas info on his group here.
DANCERS SUE CITY TO REPEAL CABARET LAWS
Four Dancers - Byron Cox, Ian Dutton, John Festa, and Meredith Stead - and a social-dance organization, the Gotham West Swing Club, filed suit June 23rd, 2005, in a New York State Supreme Court, calling for the immediate repeal of the Caberet Laws on the ground that they restrict the state's guarantee of freedom of expression by legislating and limiting the act of social dancing at eating and drinking establishments.
The plaintiffs in the case are represented by a team of lawyers that includes NYU law professor Paul Chevigny and former New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Norman Siegel. The next court date in hte case is September 2nd, when the city will offer its initial response to the suit. On October 18th, the plaintiffs will file their response. The judge is Hon. Michael Stallman.