Did you know that if you’ve been shimmying your shoulders or swaying your hips in a New York City restaurant, you’ve technically been…breaking the law?! No, we’re not kidding. Filling up on so many appetizers you question if you’ll even make a dent in your entree? Totally fine. Bopping your head back and forth while scarfing down said entree anyway? Absolutely not.
In the city that never sleeps (and rarely stops moving), it’s hard to believe that dancing is still a legal no-no in many establishments. But Governor Kathy Hochul is officially setting out to make this reality a thing of the past.
The “Dance Dance Revolution”
In her 2026 State of the State address, Hochul announced plans to overhaul the state’s liquor rules that essentially ban dancing at many restaurants and bars across the five boroughs. According to the Governor’s policy book:
To improve trust and transparency and cut red tape, Governor Hochul will charge SLA with allowing dancing by default in taverns and bars and creating a new hybrid restaurant-tavern license…Qualifying license types will continue to require community disclosure and comment periods for dancing and performance dancing consistent with statutory obligations.
Why Is Dancing Illegal In The First Place?
It all comes down to the type of license a business holds…