In the late
1960’s and
throughout the
1970’s
Discotheques
with high
quality sound
systems and
flashing lights
became a popular
form of
entertainment in
Europe and
America. In the
early 1970’s
dancing in the
discotheques was
mostly freestyle
dancing –
similar to the
“Rock” style
exhibited by pop
stars of the
day, (i.e. The
Jackson Five).
The Afro
hairstyle,
Bellbottom pants
and Marshmallow
shoes were the
fashion craze of
the younger
generation of
the time.
A small group of young adults and teenagers formed a
subculture in
New York City:
competing in the
many
discotheques in
a variety of
dance contests,
mostly
performing the
aforementioned
“Rock”. Some of
the popular
clubs at this
time were “The
Contiki”,
“Footsteps” and
“The Red and
White”. These
were the hot
clubs where the
best dancers
from the
boroughs of New
York City would
gather to dance,
compete and
exchange
information.
In early 1973, at a discotheque called “The Grand
Ballroom” a new
“touch dance”,
without a name,
was being
exhibited by
woman. It was a
simple 6-count
step with a very
basic form,
including inside
and outside
single turns.
This was the
birth of what
would later be
called Hustle.
The young men of
the club took
notice, and
became
interested in
this new “touch
dance” since it
was a return to
romance and
quite simply, a
way to meet
women!
The dance began to gain popularity, and as more and
more people
began to
participate, it
began to evolve...
...With
the continual
increase in
dance contests,
the young
competitors were
seeking an edge.
Acrobatic and
adagio movements
were introduced
into the dance
for
performances,
and
competitions. A
whole new field
of entertainment
was introduced,
and nightclubs,
hotels and
television began
to hire these
young and
innovative
professionals to
perform. This
was
approximately
1975. These
opportunities
fueled the fire,
and the young
dancers
continued to
seek out new
ways to excite
the club
audiences. The
dance became
faster and more
exciting, and
the original
1-2-3 of the
dance was
dropped and just
the &4-5-6 of
the count was
utilized in
order to move
quickly into and
out of the
tricks that were
becoming so
popular in the
contests. Hence,
“&4-5-6” became
“&1-2-3”. This
was the birth of
Hustle as it is
counted today.
Throughout the late 1970’s, even though Hustle was still
taught in many
different forms
(4-count Hustle,
the old Latin
Hustle or Rope
Hustle) by dance
studios, the
most exciting
form was done by
the club dancers
and competitors
of New York City
who performed
the 3-count
count Hustle
( &1-2-3.). The
New York Hustle
dancers from the
1970’s paved the
way for the rest
of the Hustle
community across
the United
States.
Throughout the
late 1970’s and
1980’s, as it
continued to
evolve, Hustle
began to borrow
from other dance
styles. These
included Smooth
Ballroom, from
which it took
traveling
movements and
pivots, as well
as other partner
dance forms such
as Swing, and
the Latin rhythm
dances. Even
today the dance
continues to
evolve, yet it
has never lost
it’s basic count
since the
mid-1970’s of
“&1-2-3”.
The Hustle is the last authentic American partner dance
born and
cultivated here
in the United
States.
From a piece
by...Billy
Fajardo