Jewschool sayeth: Liberate the Dance

Check it on out, I'm quoted in this Jewschool article about the stupid fracking cabaret laws and the illegality of dancing in bars in NYC.

Also of note, Dan 'Mobius' Sieradski recounts my one-time encounter with then-mayor Rudy Naziani when I accosted him about the whole no-dance thing:

while strolling along 5th ave., bex and jen began to discuss the pathetic ludicrousness of mayor rudy giuliani's recent crackdown on dancers. yes, that's right, the führer is at it again, this time enforcing ridiculously strict penalties for dancing in bars without cabaret licenses. pubs and taverns all over new york city have now been oh-so-gracefully adorned with signs blaring the caution: "no dancing." those in disregard are often ejected from the premesis by owners fearful of incurring stern punishments.

this great infringment upon our civil liberties has not gone without notice however. in response, concerened citizens such as rev. jen and ms. badgorilla, became actively involved with an organization known as the dance liberation front (d.l.f.) which, last month, staged a demonstration known as the million mambo march, and paraded from tompkins square park to washington square park, rallying support for their cause: the freedom to dance.

and so, like a surrealistic vision—a waking dream—here we were, standing in the midst of the fashion district, surrounded by boothfulls of books and intellectual literary types, burning with this intense desire to hand-deliver ol' adolph g. a piece of our minds. and as though it were some divine syncrhonistic event—what by some may be considered a true 'act of god'— bex swiftly turns only to find mayor giuliani steadily approaching her.

"mayor giuliani!" she calls out.

the mayor instantly reaches out to shake bex's hand. "hi, how are you?" he says.

she extends outwards and grasps his hand, and with grace in execution, instantaneously leans forward and remarks, "mayor giuliani, could you please not make it illegal for people to dance in bars?"
he looks at her quizically. "dance in bars? what?" his entourage rushes him forward.

"liberate the dance mayor giuliani!" bex urges, "liberate the dance!"

[i might be paraphrasing here. i was kinda still in shock that like, out of nowhere, i was just standing there next to the infamous rudy g.]

rev. jen begins to chant, "D-L-F! D-L-F!"

the mayor scurries off.

after a moment of 'processing,' i snap to and announce, "bex, you've got to house the mayor! gotta get your groove on against him! that's civil disobedience! bex, you must freak the mayor!"

and so we ran off, in search of hizzoner ...but to no avail. for he had already gone.

Well recounted, Dan Jewschool! You make me remember the days when I was young and impulsive.