Sweden will not ditch law against spontaneous dancing

[Deleted]

http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel...rtikel=6128824

Five out of eight parties in the Swedish parliament have voted against spontaneous dancing at bars as the Liberal Party failed to pass a motion to get rid of dance permits.

If you decide to take a twirl at a Swedish bar or at any other establishments that do not hold a “dance permit”, then the owners could face a hefty fine. Because according to Swedish law, you have to apply for a special permit before arranging dance events. If you do not have such a permit and your guests spontaneously decide to dance, you must ask them to stop.

For a while it looked like Sweden may abolish the dance permit as more and more politicians spoke up against it. The Green Party, for instance, said at their latest party conference that they would fight to get rid of the permit and now they are in government along with the Social Democrats.

But on Friday, only the Left Party and the Sweden Democrats supported a Liberal Party proposal to ditch the dance permit.

Addressing parliament on Friday, Liberal Party MP Mathias Sundin said: “This dance permit was unmodern even when it was introduced a long, long time ago. It should be abolished as soon as possible.”

“Exactly what constitutes dancing? Is it when guests at an establishment start moving a bit to the music? Or is it when they hook arms? Or when they twirl around like so?” Sundin asked, mimicking the movements in an apparent effort to portray the dance permit as an absurd, outdated phenomenon.

Different motions to abolish the dance permit were presented every year between 2007 and 2010, but between 2011 and 2014 a total of 20 proposals were presented by MPs from all parties except the Social Democrats, the Christian Democrats and the Left Party.

But while criticism against the permit is mounting, for now, it looks like Swedes will still need a license to dance.

This is getting borderline ridiculous, Sweden supposed to be oh so progressive but you're still not allowed to dance freely.

Are there any other countries in Europe which have similarly ridiculous laws like this, if so, what do people think of them?

[Acelius]

That's not borderline ridiculous. It is outrageously ridiculous.

[IIamaKing]

Your friends dont dance and if they dont dance they are no friends of mine.

[Deleted]

Are there any other countries in Europe which have similarly ridiculous laws like this, if so, what do people think of them?

http://www.euronews.com/2013/03/30/g...g-over-easter/
"Germans banned from dancing over Easter"

Silly enough?

[NewOrleansTrolley]

Scandinavian countries are special... they have a very collective community mind set. Can anyone from Sweden explain this? Or is it just some country moral that stays because of tradition / cultural moral temperance? Like Europe closing stores on Sunday and stuff even though religion has never been weaker atm.

[Draknalor186]

http://www.euronews.com/2013/03/30/g...g-over-easter/
"Germans banned from dancing over Easter"

Silly enough?

is that a religious thing or do they just wanna ban dancing for the lolz?

[Deleted]

is that a religious thing or do they just wanna ban dancing for the lolz?

Religious leftover and its been forever like that.

[Independent voter]

Isn't Sweden the country where people at a bus stop won't talk to each other? Avoid eye contact?

I can see how a country like that would be against spontaneous dancing. I wonder what they would think of New Orleans in the US? Lot's of dancing, music etc there and a lot of it is spontaneous. People talking to each other all the time.

[Acelius]

Isn't Sweden the country where people at a bus stop won't talk to each other? Avoid eye contact?

I can see how a country like that would be against spontaneous dancing. I wonder what they would think of New Orleans in the US? Lot's of dancing, music etc there and a lot of it is spontaneous. People talking to each other all the time.

I haven't been to a single country where strangers would suddenly start talking to each other at a bus stop.

[MegaVolti]

is that a religious thing or do they just wanna ban dancing for the lolz?

It's worse, there is a general "Sonntagstanzverbot" (dancing outlawed on Sundays) in a large part of Germany. Religious people are just ridiculous.

[Polyxo]

Was Kevin Bacon involved?

[Revi]

Hahaha! One thing is having outdated laws, but actually voting against abolishing something like this?

- - - Updated - - -

Isn't Sweden the country where people at a bus stop won't talk to each other? Avoid eye contact?

I can see how a country like that would be against spontaneous dancing. I wonder what they would think of New Orleans in the US? Lot's of dancing, music etc there and a lot of it is spontaneous. People talking to each other all the time.

It's not like people are hostile and grumpy, lol Just different social conventions.. People dance and have fun like everywhere else.

[Deleted]

Time to break out some "Footloose" on them!

[Orlong]

Dancing is dumb anyway. I cant understand what would possess someone to want to do something so silly. It serves no purpose and 99% of people that do it look like idiots when dancing. Even animals are smart enough to not dance

The law likely is in place for financial responsibility reasons (To make sure if someone gets injured dancing that the bar can cover the lawsuits (which is bullshit too, its your own fault if you fall and break a leg)

[Deleted]

Dancing is dumb anyway. I cant understand what would possess someone to want to do something so silly. It serves no purpose and 99% that do it look like idiots when dancing

The law likely is in place for financial responsibility reasons (To make sure if someone gets injured dancing that the bar can cover the lawsuits (which is bullshit too, its your own fault if you fall and break a leg)

You cannot be serious? Besides which, it is one of the BEST forms of exercise.

Oh, I get - you can't help it that you are afflicted with the "white mans overbite", eh? (this is said in jest)

[Tierbook]

The US has plenty of silly laws, of course we don't enforce them, the fact that this made it as far as it did and wasn't repealed is odd.

[Deleted]

Sweden is pretty much ruled by sharia within 10 years. Swedistan

[dextersmith]

Ivory tower...

[luc54]

Isn't Sweden the country where people at a bus stop won't talk to each other? Avoid eye contact?

I can see how a country like that would be against spontaneous dancing. I wonder what they would think of New Orleans in the US? Lot's of dancing, music etc there and a lot of it is spontaneous. People talking to each other all the time.

That's Finland

Hey we might do that here, but if you want to dance you are free to do so.

[SL1200]

No dancing after 2 am in America either. Didn't they tell us this was a free country?