Editing Table dance

{{Short description|A type of erotic dance}}
[[File:(Portrait of Lois de Fee, Club Nocturne, New York, N.Y., ca. July 1948) (LOC) (5268915685).jpg|thumb|A dancer at Club Nocturne, New York, New York, 1940s]]
A '''table dance''', or '''bartop dance''', is a dance performed at (or on) a table or [[Bar (establishment)|bar]], as opposed to on a stage. It may be an [[erotic dance]] performed by a [[sex worker]] or it may be done as a leisure activity.

==Sex work==
In [[strip club]]s, a table dance is a semi-private sexual performance that takes place near or on a customer's table.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Concise New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GIuEAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA637|first1=Terry|last1=Victor|first2=Tom|last2=Dalzell|publisher=Routledge|date=2007|isbn=9781134615346|page=637}}</ref> In some jurisdictions, a table dance may be an alternative to a [[lap dance]], due to laws preventing [[exotic dancer]]s from making contact with customers. For example, in [[Waterloo, Ontario]], a table dance is performed on a small portable platform the dancer takes around to patrons’ tables.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/307974 |title = Table dancing here to stay | first =Terry | last = Pender | date=February 12, 2008 | work =[[The Record (Waterloo Region)]] | accessdate = 2008-02-24 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090303063745/http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/307974 |archive-date=3 March 2009}}</ref> The [[Windmill Theatre]] in [[Soho]], London operated as a [[strip club]] from the 1990s until 2018. The club's licensing conditions included a "no touching" rule and the club had a licence for [[striptease]], [[pole-dancing]] and table dancing.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sheppard|first1=Owen|last2=Prynn|first2=Jonathan|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/historic-soho-lapdancing-club-the-windmill-theatre-faces-closure-after-sting-finds-performers-flout-a3736546.html|title=Historic Soho lap-dancing club The Windmill Theatre faces closure after performers flout 'no touching' rules|work=London Evening Standard|date=10 January 2018|accessdate=11 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Brown|first=David|url=https://www.thetimes.com/edition/news/celebrated-soho-strip-club-loses-its-licence-trxrmkvsh|title=Historic Soho strip club The Windmill Theatre loses its licence|work=[[The Times]]|date=11 January 2018|access-date=11 January 2018}} {{subscription required}}</ref> In many clubs, dancers earn most of their money from tips for table dancing.<ref>{{cite book|title=Together Alone: Personal Relationships in Public Places|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ttReqxO4a7YC&pg=PA68|editor1-first=Calvin|editor1-last=Morrill|editor2-first=David A.|editor2-last=Snow|editor3-first=Cindy|editor3-last=White|publisher=University of California Press|date=2005|isbn=9780520245235|page=68}}</ref>

==Establishments==
[[File:Coyote Ugly bar dancers.jpg|thumb|right|Bartop dancing is encouraged at [[Coyote Ugly Saloon|Coyote Ugly]]'s chain of bars.]]
The ''bartop dance'', performed for the entertainment of those seated at the bar, is similar to the table dance. The film ''[[Coyote Ugly (film)|Coyote Ugly]]'', set in the New York City bar of the same name, led to a fashion for bartop dancing establishments. Several bars around the city (e.g. [[Coyote Ugly Saloon|Coyote Ugly]], [[Hogs and Heifers]], Red Rock West Saloon, Doc Holliday's Saloon) actively encouraged women to jump on the bar and dance, contributing to an "Anything Goes" atmosphere. Hogs and Heifers encourages dancers to leave their [[brassiere]] hanging from the ceiling to commemorate their dance. However, table dancing is forbidden at many events and establishments.{{Where|date=August 2018}}{{Specify|date=August 2018}}

Table dancing by patrons (both male and female) became more common in New York after the enforcement of the City's cabaret licenses (required for dancing establishments) was relaxed around the time of the [[New York City mayoral election, 2001|2001 election]] of Mayor [[Michael Bloomberg]]. In 2002, the Hilton sisters [[Paris Hilton|Paris]] and [[Nicky Hilton|Nicky]] were reputed to be constant table dancers at club [[Bungalow 8]]. Nicky denied the allegations and claimed that they only dance on the [[wikt:banquette|banquette]]s, and added that she did it purely "because it was fun". At another restaurant named [[Da Silvano]], it was reported that [[Kim Cattrall]], [[Candace Bushnell]] and [[Patricia Duff]] were seen table dancing together. Duff said "Somebody placed me up on the table, so I danced," and that the night was "spontaneous and magical".<ref name='Dissonance'>{{cite news
|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F05E2DA143AF932A2575BC0A9649C8B63
|title=The Age of Dissonance; Tabletopping Exuberance
|author=Bob Morris
|date=August 11, 2002
|work=[[The New York Times]]
}}</ref><!-- this somewhat conflicts with the Coyote Ugly graf above, needs harmonization -->

==Carnivals and festivals==
Another form of table dance is practiced at traditional events like in [[Brazil]]ian, [[Europe]]an and [[Australia]]n [[Carnival]]s, in [[Germany|German]] beer [[tent]]s during [[Oktoberfest]], and at other similar events. However, this kind of table dance is not of an [[Eroticism|erotic]] nature. As this dance often leads to accidents, especially if performed by [[Substance intoxication|intoxicated]] individuals, it is often forbidden at many events, but dancing on chairs or benches may still be allowed.

==See also==
*[[Bargirl]]
*[[Burlesque]]
*[[Erotic dancing]]
**[[Go-go dancing]]
**[[Lap dance]]
*[[Legal status of striptease]]

==References==
{{Commons category|Table dancing}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Table Dance}}
[[Category:Erotic dance]]