The Cotton Club was a nightclub in Harlem, New York City, that operated from 1923 to 1936. It was known as a center for jazz music and dance, and was one of the most popular nightclubs of the Harlem Renaissance. However, the club had a strict policy of racial segregation, and only white patrons were permitted to dance. African American patrons were allowed to enter the club, but they were not allowed to dance.