Sorry, we can't stop dancing!

Sorry, we can't stop dancing!

No more dancing in pubs, says the rule. Fine, we'll dance at home, say Bangaloreans.
ANAND SANKAR speaks to the unstoppable party animals in town
The Hindu




"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to inform you that it is illegal to dance in this pub. But who the %$#@ cares," were the words of a DJ before he began his set at a hep five-star discotheque in the city recently. There were notices pasted around the joint that dancing was strictly banned and that bouncers would physically stop anyone from dancing. But not a soul was bothered. When I asked the DJ what would happen if the cops came rushing in, he pointed to a small red bulb near his console.

"If the cops reach the gate, the bulb glows, I stop the music and it is time for people to get back to their tables. What do you expect people to do, this whole ban is... " And more invective followed.

Blanket ban

This is the city's nightlife today after issuing licences for dancing were stopped from June 24 until conditions under the Licensing and Controlling of Public Entertainment (Bangalore City) Order, 2005, are met. Though this was done to curb the "unregulated growth" of live band joints in the city, no differentiation has been made between live band artistes and aam janta dancing. So, dance floors now sport tables for dining.

One DJ from France, who performed in the city summed up the piquant situation: "Back home, I start at 1 a.m. and finish at 5 a.m. but here I am supposed to wind up by 11:30 p.m., and what's worse, people are not allowed to dance!"

So what do you do if you want to have a good time? One option is the five-star hotels, where since the pubs are inside the building, it is possible to shake a leg till the cops barge in. But even these places have to close at 11:30 p.m. and patrons have no choice but to gulp their drinks and go home.

So, you have the birth of a new trend in city. You could call it house hopping! An increasing number of people now prefer to have their own parties either in their own houses or in farmhouses on the outskirts of the city.

Jacob, a theatre person, says that a house party will never recreate the atmosphere at a dance floor, but it has its subtle advantages. "First and foremost it is the rules. We set the rules, and of course, there aren't any," he laughs. "We can create an ambience that cannot be found in a public place. We invite the people who come, so we know what kind of a crowd we are getting. We can't get cocktails at home, but who cares, a keg of beer in good enough."

It doesn't cost much to have a party at home either. Most people have a decent sound system at home and a dance floor is ready by just shifting some furniture. And the drinks are on a "carry in and drink" basis. Yes, you actually take your drinks along with you to the party.

But partying at home doesn't come without a few strings attached. If you live in an apartment, the neighbours might object to the noise, or worse, call the cops. Don't even be surprised to find a cop knocking on your door to ask for his "quota", as Sudarshan, a HR executive, found out recently.

"I was hosting a get together for my colleagues recently at home. The music was loud but mine is an independent house and the neighbouring sites are vacant. At around midnight, a couple of cops knocked and said the noise was too loud. I pointed out that there was no soul living nearby. Then they saw liquor and told me it was past 11.30 p.m. A little irritated, I said it was my house. Then they started asking me for liquor license. That's when I realised they wanted a little something."

It is worse for college kids who are having a clandestine party. The fear of their parents getting to know about the party means they would rather cough up whatever the cops demand.

Form of expression

Taking a more serious look at the issue, a South Korean friend recently asked me: "Why don't you guys protest this ban? How can you not be allowed to dance? Isn't it a form of artistic expression?"

And I put this same question to Arvind Narrain of the Alternative Law Forum. "Article 19 (1a) guarantees freedom of speech and expression. Dancing and ideas are forms of expression. But the government can take a stand on public morality. It depends on who decides what is moral or not. I am quite surprised that no one has taken this issue to court. The club owners have the most to lose and even they haven't tried litigation."