"It's showtime!" Those are the words dancers exhaust to introduce their acts on subway cars. But not all straphangers welcome having strangers doing flips accurate in front of them. It's also illegal.
The New York Times reports that to curb arrests the de Blasio administration has set up a pilot program creating an above ground space where dancers can perform legally for tips.
Transit officers are also handing out small brightly colored cards to dancers they encounter that say "Make money. Avoid arrest. Dance!" with information on how to participate in the program."One of the dancers we interviewed admitted he's making less money dancing above ground than he would make in the subway," said David Goodman, reporter for the New York Times. "But you balance that off with that he's not going to get arrested and spend a day in jail and all the things that can advance from that."The space set up by the de Blasio administration is in Battery Park.
Source: wnyc.org