Curious about dancing with someone?
Almost ten years after New York City removed its stringent cabaret and zoning regulations, the New York State Liquor Authority is looking to ease rules that currently prevent bars and restaurants from letting patrons dance without risking their liquor licenses.
Even though the cabaret law itself has been overturned, the Liquor Authority had still required license applicants to state whether or not they permit dancing. This has effectively deterred many venues from permitting customers to hit the dance floor.
The board is set to vote on Thursday to remove this requirement.
“The dance police are over,” remarked liquor license attorney Max Bookman in an interview on Wednesday.
An announcement on the SLA’s website indicates that applicants will no longer need to respond to questions about dancing on their license applications.
Applicants can now ignore these questions or leave them unanswered without it impacting their approval, according to the advisory.
Bookman noted that the board typically approves such recommendations once they come to a vote, and he is associated with the New York City Hospitality Alliance, which supports this change.
This shift aligns with Governor Kathy Hochul’s endorsement of live performances and dancing participation, following the repeal of the cabaret law, as stated in the advisory.
Experts have mentioned that requiring businesses to disclose their dance policies creates a barrier, with many local boards hesitant to support liquor licenses for venues that allow dancing.
It’s possible that some community boards might oppose the SLA’s future policy shifts.
This update, however, doesn’t affect places like strip clubs that feature pole or lap dancing, which will still have to disclose their practices to the SLA.
Back in the 1920s, cabaret dancing was banned during Prohibition in the city.
Then, in the 1990s, under Mayor Rudy Giuliani, the prohibition was reinstated as part of efforts to tackle quality-of-life problems, including nightclub raids.
Officially, the city’s dance ban was lifted in 2017 by then-Mayor Bill de Blasio.
No immediate comments were available from the SLA regarding this update.
