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Hustle (dance)

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The Hustle is the name of a partner dance that developed as a direct result of the Disco music created and made popular in the 1970's.

Originally thought to be named after a tune called "The Hustle" in 1975, it has been noted that the dance may have actually inspired the tune. Written and arranged by Van McCoy and performed by the Soul City Symphony, The Hustle had a syncopated drum rhythm with a heavy downbeat that invoked a [[Salsa]-like foot rhythm and made a person want to dance all night. Now known in some spots as "The Spanish Hustle" the quite simple at first hustle had became more difficult as it evolved with the trendy disco music of the time. The 1&2 3&4 foot rhythm had quickly changed by adding in a 2 beat follow-up to slow the movement down. This change created 1&2 3&4 5 6 as an early variation. But another hustle known as "The Rope," which was absent the rock-step/tap-step that defined earlier hustles, also gained prominence. As new "Moves" (back then called "Turns") became more inventive and intricate, foot rhythm changed accordingly. Now 1&2 3&4 5 6 would soon become 6&1 2 3&4 5 placing a single beat between each syncopation. It actually makes more sense if you look at 2 sets together; 1&2 3&4 5 6&1 2 3&4 5 6&1 and so on. Eventually the dance got stuck on the 6&1 2 6&1 2 6&1 2 which made it no longer necessary to count to 6 thus &1 2 3 &1 2 3 was born. Anything swing related usually came from other than the east coast cities with NY being the leader. Further advancement in The Hustle came from Showboating in clubs, and the incorporation of other skills a dancer might have like Martial Arts, gymnastics, Ballroom, Ballet or just plain attitude. The dance is still today kept alive by the oldtimers and the newcomers that refuse to let disco die.

Contents

[edit] Line Dance

Concurrent with, and frquently viewed as a part of, the hustle performance-genre of the 1970's there was also a popular line dance known as Soul City Walking, which was danced to the eponymous record by Archie Bell. In the Soul City Walk dancers dance backwards, then forward, then to the right and then to the left. They jump forward and backward, and click their heels. They do some quick tap steps and then turn to the left to face a new wall. The Soul City Walk was the best known and most frequently performed line dance in the discos of the '70s. Now, in the 21st century, school teachers are teaching the line dance to students in elementary school for special dance performances. Others are teaching their friends the hustle as part of a 1970's theme party. The steps for the hustle line dance are preserved in a short instructional video. See external links, below.

[edit] History

Based on older dances such as the mambo, the Hustle originated in Hispanic communities in New York City and Florida in the 1970s.

[edit] Van McCoy's song

A line dance which was called Hustle became an international dance craze in 1975 following Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony's "Hustle". Tipped off by DJ David Todd, McCoy sent his partner Charlie Kipps to the Adam's Apple discotheque of New York City's East Side. McCoy wrote the tune and arrangement while watching a secretary Kipps had noticed at the disco demonstrate the dance. The forthcoming album was renamed Disco Baby and McCoy was named "Top Instrumental Artist" of 1975. (Jones and Kantonen, 1999).

[edit] Depicted in Saturday Night Fever

By 1977, such as in the movie Saturday Night Fever, the Hustle was danced to disco music, and made the dance popular. Afterwards, different line dance and couple dance forms of the Hustle emerged, but also died quickly again because most of the hype was created by the movie.

[edit] New York Hustle

The couple dance form of hustle is usually called New York Hustle or Latin Hustle. It has some resemblance, and steps in common, with swing and salsa dancing. As in the Latin dances, couples tend to move back and forth in a "slot" on the dance floor, as opposed to following a line of dance as in foxtrot.

One similarity between hustle and swing is that the lead takes the rock step on his left foot, however, if the dance is taught by counting, the rock step happens at the beginning of the count – "and-one, two, three" rather than at the end of the count as in swing – "left, right, rock-step".

One difference between hustle and most other partner dances is that clockwise movements, for both the individual and the couple, predominate. Counterclockwise movements predominate in most ballroom dances.

[edit] Common steps

  • Basic - similar to the basic from single-step swing, except rock step is at beginning
  • Turn - 180° clockwise turn taken between 2 and 3 count, followed by a rock step
  • Left Turn - 180° counterclockwise turn taken between 1 and 2 count, followed by a rock step
  • Side Break - lead sends follow out still holding her left hand, then picks her back up
  • Wheel - couple in double hand-hold pumps arms like a bellows. couple as a whole rotates 180° clockwise
  • Inside Turn or Loop Turn - similar to the loop turn from swing. follower twirls 360° counterclockwise.

[edit] Sources

  • Jones, Alan and Kantonen, Jussi (1999). Saturday Night Forever: The Story of Disco. Chicago, Illinois: A Cappella Books. ISBN 1-55652-411-0.
  • Lustgarten, Karen (1978). The Complete Guide to Disco Dancing: The Easy Step-By-Step Way to Learn Today's Top Dances. United States: Warner Books.

[edit] References for historic Hustle styles

  • Harris, et al, eds. Social Dance: From Dance A While. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1998. ISBN 0-205-27477-3
  • Kilbride, Ann T. and Algoso, A. The Complete Book on Disco and Ballroom Dancing. Los Alamitos, CA.: Hwong Publishing Company, 1979. ISBN 0-89260-150-7

[edit] Video clips

[edit] External links

sv:Hustle

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