NYC Moves To Finally Fully Legalize Dancing By Fixing Zoning Laws

Back in 2017, the City Council simultaneously created the Mayor’s Office of Nightlife and repealed the reviled Cabaret Law, which made dancing illegal in the vast majority of the city's bars and restaurants for nearly a century. But the repeal did not change the fact that many establishments were still subject to the same restrictions under zoning regulations.

Now, a group of local politicians has proposed legislation to finally, permanently end the city’s zoning laws over dancing and entertainment, and make it so establishments will be regulated based on the capacity of the venue.

City Council Members Keith Powers and Mark Levine, and Brooklyn Borough President and mayoral candidate Eric Adams, argue that the zoning laws are an impediment to revitalizing a restaurant and nightlife industry that has been battered since the start of the pandemic. Their "Zoning for Dancing" resolution calls for dancing and entertainment to be allowed everywhere in the city for establishments with 200 people or less.

“We can’t let outdated regulations hold back our economic recovery from COVID-19,” said Adams. "Our food and drink establishments have been hammered by the pandemic, and many are in dire financial straits. We took an important step in 2017 by repealing the Cabaret Law and combating years of discrimination against Black, Latino, and LGBTQ+ New Yorkers. Now, we must change the remnants of the law in our city’s zoning code, and let New Yorkers break it down without breaking the law."

Read more: https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/nyc-cabaret-law-legislation