CARNAL NATION

New York Judge Catherine M. Bennett ruled that pole dancing is an art and thereby qualifies for a state tax exemption. The decision saved Nite Moves, an Albany club, from having to pay $129,000 in taxes that the state claimed were owed on cover charges and dancer fees. After watching videos of dance routines and listening to testimony by a dance scholar from the University of Maryland, Bennett ruled that "The pole maneuvers in particular are no small feat to accomplish, and attempting such a performance without the skill and a planned routine of steps could prove dangerous."