Table dance

Bartop dancing is encouraged at New York City's Hogs and Heifers, evidenced by the ever-expanding ceiling of brassieres hung by patrons.

Table dance, or bartop dancing, is typically an erotic dance performed at a patron's table, as opposed to on a stage. In some jurisdictions, a table dance may be an alternative to a lap dance, due to laws preventing exotic dancers from making contact with customers.

Similar is the bartop dance, performed for the entertainment of those seated at the bar. The movie Coyote Ugly ushered in a fad of bartop dancing establishments. Set in New York City's bar of the same name, several establishments around the city (Coyote Ugly, Hogs and Heifers, Red Rock West Saloon, Doc Holliday's Saloon, to name four) actively encouraged inebriated females to jump on the bar and dance, contributing to an "Anything Goes" atmosphere. Hogs and Heifers encourages dancers to leave their brassiere hanging from the ceiling to commemorate their dance. Because it is often practiced by inebriated bar patrons, accidents are common, tables are sometimes destroyed, or a person can have their drink kicked off the bar. It is forbidden at many events and establishments.

Another form of table dance is practiced at traditional events like in Brazilian, European and Australian Carnivals or in traditional dress in German beer tents during Oktoberfest. However this kind of table dance is not of an erotic nature.