The Queensland nightclub dance ban has been lifted with Health Minister Yvette D’Ath announcing that “The Nutbush is back”.

From Monday, one person per two square metres will be allowed to dance, with Chief Health Officer Doctor Jeanette Young adding: “This is about Queenslanders being sensible, and Queenslanders have been really really sensible to date, that’s why we’ve had the fantastic response in Queensland that we’ve had – we’ve not had transmission.

“Same with dancing – so dance with other people as you would normally, but don’t dance in a whole group.

“Not those mosh pits, where you’ve got a hundred people all squashed up together, and you don’t know anyone and you’re not dancing with those 100 people.

“If you’re dancing with someone you’ve met that night, that’s of course fine, just be sensible about it, and stay with that person, with your friendship group, with your family.

“Stay in those groups but be spread out, so you’ve got a couple of people there, a couple of people there, rather than everyone in a tiny little space. So just be sensible.”

D’Ath’s reference to ‘The Nutbush’ is an apt one, as the line dance performed to the Tina Turner hit is a peculiarly Australian – and passionately Queensland – phenomenon.

The Aussie dance somehow emerged in the years following the release of the hit and became a favourite among teachers in primary schools in Queensland before spreading to schools throughout the country.

In July 2018, 1719 people gathered at Birdsville music festival The Big Red Bash to dance to the Nutbush, setting a new Guinness World Record for the most people doing the dance at one time.

Let’s hope the lifting of the dance ban makes Christmas parties that little bit merrier.

Pictured main: Prohibition nightclub in Brisbane

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