On August 15, 2022, I hosted a three-week Hustle series to introduce Connecticut dancers to one of the most dynamic dances in the partner-dance world. We had 27 people join the series to learn Hustle from its most fundamental steps to some of its most flashy moves. The class was made up of students who were completely new to Hustle and others who were accomplished Hustle dancers. Here are some of the highlights from the three weeks of classes.
Week 1
Week one was so much fun. The first class started with a brief history of Hustle and established the basic rhythm of the dance (&1, 2, 3) using moves like the Hesitation Step, Wheel, and Underarm Turn. The second class continued by building on what the dancers had already learned. They added Cross Bodies and Open Throw Outs. These first two classes were filled with fun and laughter while the dancers figured out their new steps. By the end of the first week’s classes, the students were starting to dance a basic Hustle combination.
Week 2
Week two started with a review of the first week’s classes. One of the most notable changes was the direction the leaders were facing during their Cross Bodies. For this class, the leaders would be facing front and the followers’ slots would flow from stage right to stage left. This would give the dancers a sense of facing an audience and give them a strong sense of where the front was. By the end of the two classes of the second week, the dancers had learned an Under the Bridge, a Wrap, and a Shadow-Comb. It wasn’t beautiful—yet.
Week 3
The first class of week three was a full review of the prior weeks. I created different combinations to rehearse all the major elements of the first two weeks: the Cross Body, Open Throw Out, Wheel, Underarm Turn to Closed, Under the Bridge, Wrap, and Shadow-Comb. It was amazing to watch the students get better and better with each attempt. I joked about how I would fill up my glass skull-of-tears with their pain.
During our last hour of class, I taught the dancers three new moves. The first was the followers outside turn. I demonstrated how this could be a 4-count, 5-count, or 6-count pattern. The second move was a New York Walk, which seemed familiar because it incorporated an Under the Bridge that they had learned already. The last move I taught was a Las Vegas with diva walks. The Las Vegas is always very exciting because it shows off the follower in a powerful way.
Lastly
I’m very excited with the three-week Hustle series in Norwalk. The students made it feel fun, and they really started to get the feel of Hustle by the end of the six classes that were part of the series. Based on the positive feedback, I will be doing a two-week Hustle series in September (Monday, Sept. 12 and 26). I’m hoping that many of the dancers who took Hustle will come again to refine what they have learned, and I’m hoping that we’ll have a bunch of new students interested in trying Hustle for the first time.
