As thousands of dancers prepare to descend on New York City this weekend for the sixth annual Dance Parade, what many of them don’t realize is they will be participating in an event that has it’s origins in a political movement to over turn the city’s cabaret law.

Written into law in 1926, the cabaret law required all businesses serving food and drink wishing to add live music and dancing to their venue to have a  cabaret license issued by the City of New York. The conditions under which a license would be issued are often vague and confusing and, over time, has brought into question the exact reason the law was created in the first place

Some view the law as having had largely to do with the city’s attempt to control illegal drinking. It was during the prohibition period, when alcohol was “technically” illegal in New York City, although still available in such great abundance that one alcohol enforcement agent referred to the situation as being “utterly hopeless.”  It has been agrued that the law was passed in order to make it easier for the agents to do their job, the line of reasoning being wherever there is dancing there must also surely be drinking.

The law’s harshest critics would point out what they feel to be the racist nature of the law, which was clearly meant to target jazz music -commonly regarded at the time as “black music”- going so far as to regulate the number and kind of instruments that could be played, including drums, trumpets and trombones. The law also mentions the fact that the customers themselves must be of “good character,” while at no time explaining what exactly constitutes as good character. A fact that has led many to believe the law’s true intent was to deter inter-racial mingling. It was the height of the Jazz era in New York City and on any given night young people from as far away as Brooklyn and Queens would make the long journey up to Harlem to frequent the popular clubs clubs and speak-easies. An idea that did not sit well with many parents and the general public.

While the law has remained on the books since 1926, enforcement of the law has been far from consistent. There was a long period of time, from the 70’s through early 90’s when the law seemed all but forgotten, but that all that changed in 1997 when Mayor Giuliani used the dancing portion of the law as part of his qulaity of life campaign to clean up the city, clamping down on problem or nuisance establishments. The Bloomberg administration has since continued to enforce the law, subjecting unlicensed bars and clubs to police raids, fines, padlocks and shut downs if patrons are caught dancing.

Chris Pollok, the owner of the Lava Gina Lounge, at one time the official hang out of the Zouk community that has since closed, recounts one instance in which he was ticketed for customers who were just standing at the bar swaying to music. In his opinion the law makes no sense and is “detrimental and stupid” and “just another opportunity (for the city) to create revenue.”

This is not to say the law does not have it’s defenders. Proprietor’s of licensed establishments clearly like how the law provides them with a monopoly on the dance scene, while they are angry about how unlicensed establishments cut into their business.  A legitimate complaint, until you consider the fact that getting a license is not all that easy, made harder by the fact that there are fewer available than ever before. In the 1960s there were 12,000 of these licenses in the Five Buroughs of New York City, while last year there were only 134, 57 in Manhattan alone, which includes hotels, restaurants and strip clubs. Looking at these numbers it’s easy to understand how dancers may feel as if they are under attack.

In 2006 some dancers decided to fight back. Paul Chevigny, a civil liberties lawyer and law professor at NYU, represented four dance groups in the attempt to repeal the law and brought them to the New York State Supreme Court, in the appellate court, the second highest court in the state, only to have the Judge rule that dance was not an “expressive form of art.” While music, film, and theater are protected under the First Amendment of the New York State Constitution, social dancing is not.

It was in direct response to this decision that lead Greg Miller to create Dance Parade. The idea, he explained, “was to show in as many forms as possible that dancing is expressive.” That was in 2007. Since then the group has moved away from the political side of things and is no longer focused on the cabaret law. A decision that partly has to do with the fact Dance Parade having gained 501C3 status, making it an arts organization that’s tax exempt and, as such, can not have a political agenda. But mostly, Greg points out, it has to do with “a matter of our mission having changed.” A mission, he explains, that “is to inspire and educate the public about the opportunities to dance and to celebrate the diversity and unification in an annual parade and festival.”

It’s been said that political causes have a life of their own. When a leader steps aside, the cause remains, patiently waiting for new leader to rise up and fill the role. In recent months that role would seem to be filled by freedom2dance NYC, which has set up an online petition in the hopes of gathering 10,000 signatures to convince the Mayor and the City Council to repeal the law. While it’s still too early to tell if the group will reach their goal, one can not help but admire the group’s passion to overturn what they feel to be an unjust and antiquated law.

A great deal of time has passed and much has changed since the cabaret law first went in to affect, to where many of the original conditions under which the law was created no longer exist. On December 5^th 1933 National Prohibition was repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment to the Constitution. While the ‘60’s saw the rise of the civil rights movement, leading directly, or indirectly, to the election of this countries first black President. And yet, despite all that, New York City’s cabaret law has managed to remain, a situation it seems unlikely is going to change any time soon.

One of the pleasures of being a dancer is the opportunity it affords one to travel to other countries, to get to meet fellow dancers and to participate in the local dance scene. And yet traveling on a dancer’s budget isn’t always easy. Next to airfare the largest expense one faces is undoubtedly housing. An unwelcome expense that can often be the deciding factor on whether one ends up attending a congress or not. While the challenge of finding a place, one that is both safe and affordable, can often be a daunting one, creating a high degree of uncertainty and an unwelcome amount of stress. But thanks to a smart idea called “zouksurfing” such worries might be a thing of the past.

Zouksurfing is the brainchild of  Yon Mok, a Zouk dancer from the Netherlands.The idea, he explains, was inspired by his own traveling experience. “I always used servas.org and couchsurfing.com to travel around the world. These are communities whose members open their house for travellers. This way I not only got the learn the country but also the local people which made my travels much more personal.”

When he first started going to Zouk congesses, he tried to use the same organizations, but with little success.  “I would have to explain to the host I would be attending workshops everyday, so most of the time I would be gone, leaving very little time to get to know them. I would also be going out to parties only to return in the middle of the night.” It was a situation he understood that held very little appeal for the average host. The only exceptions he found were those in which the hosts themselves were dancers, which made it easy for them to relate to his situation. At some point, he realized the solution was to come up with something similar to couchsurfing, but created specifically for Zouk dancers. “It would save (dancers) a lot of money and allow them a better opportunity for them to get to know each other.” It wasn’t long after that Zouksurfing was created.

The way it works, Yon explains, is simple. “You apply for membership for Zouksurfing and one of the administrators adds you to the group. The only condition is that your reason for using the service is in order to attend a zouk congress.” And while opening up your house for other members is not a requirement, it would be appreciated. “When you are going to a zouk congress, you just post a message in the message board and other members will contact you. Or if you’re a host, you can post a message stating that you are opening your house for other congress dancers.  Yon states, “It is not my intention that people should have to pay for this, but I’m sure a gift will always be appreciated by the host.”

So the next time you find yourself toying with the idea of attending a Congress in Berlin, Spain or Brazil, before you begin searching through the online listings for hotels and youth hostels, you might want to check out zouksurfing and see if there is a couch available nearby.

On Saturday, May 19th, Zouk Nation will be participating for the fourth straight year in Dance Parade in New York City. This year’s event is expected to attract an estimated 10,000 dancers, 118 groups representing more than 75 different styles of dance with 100,000 people looking on.

The Parade route will begin at 21st Street and proceed down Broadway to the East Village where it will finally finish up in Thompkins Square Park, where from 3-7 pm Dance Fest will take place. Various groups will perform on an outdoor stage while others will offer free dance classes. Later in the evening the festivities will continue with dance parties at various venues around town.

Zouk Nation invites Zouk dancers from all over the world to come to New York for what it is sure to be a very memorable weekend. In addition to the Parade there will also be a special Zouk workshop on Sunday taught by Ronny Soares Dutra.

If you are interested in joining us, let us know by signing up on the Facebook invite page that has been created for this event and then registering on the Dance Parade website.

Please note, to help cover the cost of this event, there is a suggested donation fee of $10. Donations will be collected on the day of the event.

Henri began his formal dance training in 2004 at the Princeton Dance and Theater Studio (PDT) under the tutelage of Susan Jaffe and Risa Kaplowitz. In addition to his training at PDT he has completed various workshops with Complexions Contemporary Ballet in New York City. He has also danced for Marie Alonzo Tangerine Dance Project since 2005. He is currently dancing with Cecilia Marta Dance Company in New York City and has performed at Central Park Summer Stage and DRA (Dancing Responding to Aids) events. Henri was also part of the cast of Univision’s new reality dance show, “MQB (Mira Quien Baila)”. He was one of 10 professional dancers, partnered with Latino stars who competed to raise money for charity.

With his unique Salsa style Henri was already primed to fall in love with Zouk. In 2010, he began working with Kim Rottier, his Zouk mentor in New York. Henri is now an integral part of the Zouk NY team, as an instructor and the creative director for the Zouk NY Performance Team. He brings his expressive sensuality and eye for technique to this dance and is already establishing his own Zouk aesthetic.

Although Zouk is the newest dance in Henri’s repertoire, he feels as though Zouk was meant for him, love at first sight. After learning the basics Henri began to approach Zouk dancing in a deeper, more philosophical way. More than just partnering, the beauty of connecting with someone and leading them in such an expressive dance captivated his eye and heart. Henri’s training in classical ballet, jazz, modern dance, international Latin and Salsa allows him to understand the technical aspects of Zouk which he is then able to teach using the awareness of anatomy.

Henri is as passionate about teaching as he is about dancing. His rich dance background enables him to share invaluable lessons with all his students and he is happy to be able to help New York’s Zouk scene grow and thrive.

After only a few months dancing with Kim at Zouk NY she attended Berg’s International Zouk Congress in Porto Seguro, Brazil. There she trained with Zouk teachers from all corners of the world and fell in love with Brazilian culture. This experience led her to spend eight months traveling abroad, following Zouk congresses from Barcelona to Berlin, all the way to Rio de Janeiro, one of the birth places of Zouk. She spent six months in Rio training at Renata Peçanha’s famous dance school and immersing herself in the Carioca dance scene.

Since her first Zouk congress in January 2011, Shannon has attended international Zouk congresses in Barcelona, Berlin, and Buenos Aires. She has also been fortunate to study with renowned teachers Pablo Schmoller, K-Yo Victor, Willem Engel, Pasty, Gilson Damasco, and Kamacho.

Shannon is thrilled to be a part of Zouk NY and to be able to bring her passion for Zouk to students from all backgrounds. She will be teaching Zouk through the Spring at Piel Canela Dance Academy. Shannon also plans to return to Rio de Janeiro in the Fall to further her training so that she may continue to bring the richness of Rio-style Zouk to the United States.

In 1998, his family moved to Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, where he begin to study in the Military School and performing in the band, playing flute and saxophone, as well as choir and dance.
In February of 2004 he had his first professional dance lesson at the “André Barcellos” Academy, a well-known dance studio in Brasilia. Within six months that led to an invitation to join as an assistant in another well-known dance studio, “Dança Comigo”.

During this period as an assistant dance instructor, Ronny participated in many courses and dance lessons, with some of the best instructors in Brasilia.  This helped him learn how to properly lead and instruct dance programs.  In 2005, he began teaching his own classes, starting with a basic class at “Dança Comigo” studio.  His charisma and skill were important in building a loyal group of students and increasing the demand for his teaching.

To improve his skill as a dance teacher, Ronny studied with many important teachers in Brazil, such as Chiquinho Alves, Marcelo Amorim, Álvaro Reys, Carlinhos de Jesus, Jimmy de Oliveira, Bianca Gonzales and Jaime Arôxa. It was studying with Jaime Arôxa that his way of teaching changed forever. Under Jaime, Ronny could see the passionate side of dancing, and he learned how to make every student find this passion within themselves.  Jaime’s constant guidance and tutoring had a profound effect on Ronny’s life as a teacher, dancer and choreographer.

In 2008, after his first intensive course with Jaime, Ronny started choreographing parties, wedding, and other events.  He also began teaching at the University of Brasilia. Ronny has never stopped working and studying, and is a well-known teacher in the Brasilia dance scene, with an average of 150 students per semester.

In 2012 Ronny re-located to New York City to pursue his dream of dancing and singing on Broadway.  He is currently teaches at Dance With Me Dance Studios in Stamford Connecticut, and teaches workshops in New York City on the weekend.