Juliana Huxtable to Protest New York's Cabaret Law

A group of pioneering DJs, including Juliana Huxtable, Juan Maclean and Jellybean Benitez, will come together this Thursday at Brooklyn's House of Yes to fight New York City's controversial Cabaret Law. The event, organized by Boiler Room, is a collaboration with the advocacy group, Dance Liberation Network, whose call to Let NYC Dance has attracted more than 3,000 supporters on Change.org.

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NYC's Cabaret Law, also known as the "No Dancing Law," was enacted in 1926 during the Prohibition era. The law was originally written to largely give NYC the authority to shut down Black jazz clubs and ban "Black" instruments, such as the saxophone, though these discriminatory regulations have since been found unconstitutional. Still, the core of the Cabaret Law is implemented today, prohibiting dancing in NYC establishments that do not possess a Cabaret License.

"It's hard to believe that our city government has a law on the books banning an act of expression as basic and universal as dancing--it sounds like the behavior of a repressive regime and certainly has no place in a city as tolerant, diverse and respectful of human expression as ours is," DLN says. "This law doesn't belong in our city and we are asking our government to repeal it immediately."

According to Boiler Room, Let NYC Dance will feature "some of NYC's best homegrown DJs" to highlight the city's rich dance history, from the 1960's to 2010's. Click here for more information on Thursday's determined dance party.