Irish dancing on a par with lap-dancing in US court

TV music channels may bump and grind to the beat of bootie shaking, crotch grabbing and bosom thrusting day and night but it is the humble Irish step dance that stands accused of simulating sex.

A legal battle is raging in the US state of North Carolina over the goings on in lap-dancing and other erotic dance clubs but some of the evidence given in court has left legions of loyal hoofers literally reeling.

The controversy began when a number of clubs challenged a state law that bans professional dancers from touching their bodies in an erotic fashion - effectively ruling out the dirtiest dirty dance routines and the up close and personal approach of lap dancers.