On March 31, Swedish Parliament banned dancing in public without a license in the country nationwide.
From now on, it is considered illegal for people to dance in public places in Sweden without an adequate permission. In accordance with the new law, all forms of public dancing should be organized. This creates a bit of a nuisance for business owners who cannot or have not obtained dance permits for their building, as a customer spontaneously dancing around in a bar without their permits can result in fines.
Swedish MPs have been working to nullify the ban on dancing for the last eight years, introducing an upwards of 20 proposals to repeal it.
Despite these efforts, the general consensus amongst advocates of the ban is that the law be preserved to maintain public safety. Swedish police officers say that dancing creates disorder and can lead to misconduct and fights.
In 2012, Swedish nightclub owner Anders Varveus led a large protest with over 1,000 dance advocates. Three years later, Anders is looking to do it again. "I'm planning to hold a demo at the Pride Parade on August 1st," Varveus tells Swedish news outlet The Local.
"First, it's a question of personal freedom. How you want to move your own body is not a matter for regulation [...] Finally, it's very hard to keep this law functional. What is the definition of dancing? Once you start moving, how do you know when you've crossed a line? It's funny, really," the man said.
Sweden is a northern, cold country, where warm sunny days are not that plentiful. In such countries, people need more warmth in their everyday life, and dancing is a great way to entertain yourself and others. Now the Swedes will have to dance for themselves, in the places where no one else can estimate their skills.