I didn’t see any political signs. The main agenda of the event was smileage. You know, smileage: how many laughs you can get per gallon of daylight. “So, you know, we pay for the space with our tax dollars, so why not use it for something that’s fun?” explained Angel Schatz, 29, the self-proclaimed “perpetuator” of the Civilized Disobedience Dance Party. “That’s pretty much it. It’s a simple idea.” Being tossed did not deter the dancers, however.

They just conga-lined out the front door and began dancing in front of the Capitol. One guy began flopping around on the ground like a fish. It took him about 15 seconds to get the dancers’ attention so he could throw them out. This was because, with iPods on, they didn’t notice him at first. After the Capitol dance, the party proceeded down Congress Avenue.

The dancers hit the Austin Museum of Art, where Schatz said “they totally loved it.” Next, it was on to the lobby of the Paramount Theatre, where Schatz said they totally did not love it. She figures they got tossed because the “Nutcracker Suite” was going on. At least they didn’t charge the stage and get under Mother Ginger’s skirt. How long were they inside the Paramount before they got sent off? “It was just like 10 seconds,” she said.

“They weren’t having our fun at all.” “We were hoping we’d get some of those folks out on the dance floor, too,” she said. That’s a scary thought: a Ron Paul supporter dancing. The dance party was announced in advance by e-mail and on MySpace and Craigslist. But the Capitol wasn’t notified that anyone was coming by in iPods. “Do you have to have a permit for a protest? That’s something we all wondered,” Schatz said.