- West Jordan City Council removed a decades-old ordinance restricting public dancing.
- The ordinance, likened to "Footloose," required adult supervision for those under 16 among other provisions
- City officials said the law was from a "bygone era."
WEST JORDAN — More than 40 years have passed since the classic movie "Footloose" first hit the big screen — and up until recently, at least one Utah city still had a law in place that seemingly mirrored the film's plot.
West Jordan residents can now cut loose to their favorite tunes for as long as their energy — and legs — allow, as the City Council recently ditched an ordinance that put rigid restrictions on dancing.
Previously, the city code stated the public had to abide by the following:
- Stop dancing before 2 a.m. and not start again before 8 a.m.
- You had to have an adult with you if you were under 16.
- There had to be lighting at least 5 feet above floor level throughout the building, and all seating areas had to be open in full view of the main dance floor.
- You couldn't leave a dance area without paying full price to get back in.
Council Chair Bob Bedore referred to it as the "Footloose" ordinance during the April 14 meeting. Elected officials voted unanimously to eliminate special licensing requirements in the city's code for public dances and dance studios.
At a previous council meeting in March, senior assistant city attorney Patrick Boice said the section of the city's law appears to be a holdover from the past as it contained requirements "that seem straight out of an '80s coming-of-age movie."
Released in 1984, "Footloose" follows a group of teens who rebel against authority in a town where dancing is outlawed.
While West Jordan's previous restrictions on dancing may have felt like its own version of the cult-classic film, current city leaders did not specify when the measure was implemented.
"Nobody at the city remembers this ever having been applied for or granted. It's something from a bygone era," Boice said during the meeting.
He added that the city isn't interested in overseeing dancing since such public events, like nightclubs and concerts, are already regulated and covered under other provisions.
With the recent City Council's approval to abolish the code, West Jordan no longer has any special rules for dances — beyond normal business or event licensing. People are asked to obey the normal event guidelines while attending public dance functions.
"We can now go to the Lehi Roller Mills," Bedore said after the vote.
