Category — Hustle Pros

Derrick Allen bears the grace and style of Fred Astaire with the confidence and realness of the streets of New York. Derrick’s strength is his consistency of dance, regardless of the time he has spent out of dancing. Here is a video of Derrick dancing with Donna De Simone for which they won the Pro Open Theatre Arts category at the 2006 NY Hustle Congress.

Here’s the Q&A:

Q - Derrick, how did you become interested in dancing?

Derrick - Actually I was into playing football and my sister was studying dance; I had to take her to dance school everyday and I did. I would sit there at her class watching and basically absorbing; my sister’s dance teacher was the principal dancer of the Alvin Ailey Dance Company at the time. It was incredible exposure for me and eventually, I came to really like the idea of dancing.

Q - So what made you want to dance Hustle?

Derrick - At the time, as a young guy in High School and towards graduation in the mid 70’s, Latin Hustle was a pop dance. You learned cause, that’s where the girls were [laughs], if you didn’t learn it, you were gonna stand around all night [laughs]. So it was do or die, go to clubs, dance; that’s what it was about, people danced. I didn’t choose Hustle, Hustle chose me; and it’s a great dance, plus its a touch dance, a partner dance. I kinda evolved from social dancing to competitive from around that point in my life.

Q - So tell me about the transition to competing and what are some of the highlights of your competitive career?

Derrick - Competing was also something I sort of slipped into, I hadn’t thought of competing or set that as a goal. A friend of mine named Keith, he was an attorney; I saw him compete at a small club in Queens called Seconds and later on that night he saw me dance and pushed me to compete.

Q - What year was that Derrick?

Derrick - That was in ‘77, and I didn’t start competing right away but I started dancing more seriously and I started looking for a partner; and the funny thing, the very first person I asked to partner with me was Lisa, Lisa Nunziella. We were at a small club in Queens, right on Queens Boulevard…

Q - Which club was it?

Derrick - Oh, wow, it was in the Woodhaven, Ridgeway section of Queens, a real small club, I don’t remember the name, Lisa probably would. Anyway, She didn’t know who I was, and I didn’t know who she was. She was at a club and I saw her dancing and she was the right height, size and frame, ya know to partner with me me and I saw her dance and I thought ‘Wow, she’s really good’. So I finally walked up and asked her to dance and she said no thank you. I explained to her I was looking for a dance partner, and she politely declined, but it was just a fluke and she probably didn’t even remember that happened. Right behind that was the contest at Cherries and I couldn’t find a partner so I taught my girlfriend at the time some of my moves; I know how put some stuff together from watching my sister and we did it, we danced to and ended up winning Cherries, we won the two cars. That was my first contest and from there I took it more seriously.

Q - So what ever became of you and Lisa Nunziella dancing together?

Derrick - Well, back in the day, when you made a name for yourself dancing, the small clubs would hire you to come out and dance and I remember I used to get hired alot by Philips Dance Studio and I would see Lisa’s mother there a lot and she would often comment that Lisa and I would make such a good team together. I remember her so fondly and to this day, Lisa tells me her mother still remembers me; But yeah, we never ending up partnering together, even though we are so fond of each other to this day. Eventually she asked me to fill in and partner with her, but I couldn’t because of my partner, but we love each other and she’s a dynamite person.

Q - Derrick, you were telling me one day you decided to hang up your shoes and you did just that, you decided to stop dancing and did not resume for nearly 25 years. Tell me how you came back.

Derrick - Well, first of all 20 years is a long time and I had not thought of getting back into it except for two, no three people. My wife, Diane Nardone and Donna De Simone. I don’t know how the subject got opened up but Diane had been trying to get in touch with me regarding dancing at her event, World Hustle Dance Championships, and finally she and I got on the phone and she really wanted me to come out that particular year and I truly considered, but I remember it exactly because it was my wife and I’s 15th Anniversary and I knew I couldn’t do that because we would be Tahiti, so I promised Diane I would make it the following year and I did, and it all kinda started from there.

Editor - Here is what Diane Nardone said about the first dance at the big night Saturday when Derrick finally came back in to Hustle at her event:

“I’ll never forget, it was the big opening night dance and Derrick and I opened the night with the first dance, no one else was on the floor, just Derrick and I. The lights were dimmed and the spotlight was on and the music started and we just took flight and everyone was in awe. After the dance people were coming up to me going, ‘Wow, who is that?’ ‘That was incredible’ etc., a lot of the younger dancers didn’t know Derrick and they were just mesmerized. They had never seen his incredible unique style. It was a memorable re-entry into the dance”.
Diane Nardone

Editor - Here’s what Donna De Simone said about getting back into the dance:

“Taking a 25 year break from competitions had it’s challenges but we had a great time choreographing our come back routine “Last Dance” which we performed and won at the ” New York Hustle Congress” in 2006. I know Derrick would agree that without the support we received from our families & fellow Veteran Pros such as: Bonnie Herbert Diaz, DonaMarie Portelli & Chuck Fetta who’s input served in our vision to deliver our best performance, our sincere thanks to all”.
Donna De Simone

Q - This question isn’t meant to alienate anyone or be territorial or controversial but for posterity reasons, why is Hustle so unique, and particularly Hustle in New York?

Derrick - I think there are a couple reasons for that, this is the birthplace of it and you have the original old school dancers that contributed to it. Not that there is any one person, that could say they created it, but there is definitely a class of dancers that contributed to it, who lived this dance, I’m talking about the Lisas, Billys, the Maria Torres’, myself, Lee, Ricky Quintana, George Velasquez and all these people were outta New York, and we laid a good foundation for this dance. We took this dance and gave it a certain look and feel.

Every dance has it own character and look, Hustle has a definite rhythm, a definite step pattern and characterization and New York gets that. And we borrow a lot of it from the Salsa world. Essentially, the Hustle basic is half of a Salsa basic. I think that New York is unique in that that fundamental deep-rooted understanding of the dance is here because it started here.

Q - There are so many misconceptions of where Latin Hustle started. I mean I refer to it as Latin Hustle here to make a point, because when I was growing up in New York, it was always called Latin Hustle. I don’t even know where this description of NY Hustle began and proliferated for that matter, and I personally never refer to Hustle as NY Hustle. I have a very interesting Q&A coming up with Billy Fajardo on the relationship between Salsa and Hustle, also the Caribbean connection with New York that identifies Hustle so strongly with the Latin essence. Derrick, if you can touch on your experiences with people misunderstanding the roots of Latin Hustle.

Derrick - Okay, I remember one of the young male dancers from that huge dance show on TV, (that I won’t name) was out here for an appearance and they had a Q&A afterwards and they asked him about the origins of Hustle and he said ‘You know where the Hustle started, the Hustle is derived from West Coast Swing’. That is totally incorrect, he made that statement and I said ‘No you’re wrong, period. You’re wrong’. Hustle was created here in New York, and Hustle IS unique to New York because of that fundamental true flavor of the dance and the understanding of the dance and the roots of the dance is inherently New York.

Q - That’s not to say that other’s can’t do a brilliant Hustle because obviously some of the winning-est Pros currently are outside of New York, nor am I dismissing new movement ideas and inspirations, but I make this point so as to publicly acknowledge the importance of the foundation and roots of the dance, the patterns, the rhythms; can you talk more about this Derrick?

Derrick - The original dancers, the enduring Pros, the Lisas (Nunziella), Billys (Fajardo), Arte Phillips, we know and understand the dance and timing, the patterns. Now what we, the community has got to do is get some of these younger dancers into the fold. Hustle started here and there really is a basic fundamental understanding of the dance by New York that goes beyond what people try to say otherwise.

And I don’t want to get too winded on this next statement but… I know there is this discussion here and there about ‘the music is too fast or not fast enough’, ‘we need this type of new sounding music, or this type of classic sounding music’ and my feeling is ‘Hey this is the count…&123, the count doesn’t change’, people can enjoy that count and dance at 135 bpm, or 110 bpm, who knows, but the dance is still the dance. How well you are able to move, how fast you are able to transfer your weight, is a matter of your conditioning, but the dance is the dance, if you change the count, you are not doing Hustle.

Q - I really want to give clarity to this thought because I sense a very, very small group of dancers who are New York haters, not in the literal sense to New York but disdainful of the roots, who may, through the subject of music and beats per minute as the sacrificial lamb, want to subvert the essence of the dance. To give clarity, at the end of the day what you are saying is, it’s &123 and that’s all there is to it.

Derrick - That’s all there is to it, period. Okay, whether it’s And123, or Uh123, it’s still a half beat followed by two steps, that is all there is to it, period. And the music, for me would dictate how I deal with that rhythm and how I do my footwork with that, given the speed of the music, how much melody it has through it or whatever the case might be, that basic, basic count, doesn’t change. That is The Hustle. If I change that count, it ain’t Hustle anymore, it’s something else.

To me when you have people saying ‘Oh you gotta change this and that’ it’s because either they can’t do it or they don’t understand it. You gotta go back to that fundamental understanding of partner dancing in general. There’s a technique to partner dancing to get two people to dance as one and there’s a timing, there’s a connection all those things go together and that’s what makes this dance happen. If you change that character, if you change that rhythm, you got a different dance, not the Hustle, period, end of story.

Q - Do you see Hustle evolving and growing of late?

Derrick - There is a resurgence and an interest in the dance, but we gotta get beyond the borders that we have and get the young people involved and show them how cool a dance this is; and one of the coolest things about this dance is that it’s the only touch/partner dance that can be done to pop music.

Q - What would you tell people who want to do this dance who are struggling, whether they are just social dancing like myself or even Pros who are struggling with evolving and growing. Because lots of people compete in the amateur categories, and people do take this dance seriously sometimes getting down on themselves.

Derrick - It’s like anything else, you get the fundamentals down and everything will come, if you understand movement and moving through your center; through your core, all those things, everything will come. Get good coaching; when I came back out after 25 years, I knew the dance, but I needed that third eye to tell me I wasn’t standing up straight, work on my line or work on the choreography, whatever it may be. You can’t be afraid to seek help, but you have to get someone who is willing to help you achieve your vision, not just do it for the money. You gotta be willing to take constructive criticism, but more importantly keep a strong mental attitude. And whatever you do, you gotta remember everybody started somewhere.

Q - Speaking of partnering, tell me about some of your favorite follows to partner with?

Derrick - Wow, that’s a tough question…oh wow, [laughs] is that a trick question?

Q - It’s not a trick question, but; coming from a strong lead, I’m interested in what makes a great follow too.

Derrick - Wow, the ideal partner to me, a great partner is some one who is not selfish, someone who is all about the we on the floor, the two of us, we’re going for a ride together. When you can tell that the dance is nothing more than both of us having a good time, that is an ideal situation for me. For me it’s not about how I can make myself look good, it’s about how good I can make you look; doing that we both will have fun together.

Q - As far a dance partners?

Derrick - I gotta a shout to my best buddy Denise, Denise Dema, she and I have a lot of fun on the floor, we’re constantly busting each other’s chops. And then of course, there’s Lisa, I love dancing with Lisa Nunziella, Debbie Farrow, oh and Donna De Simone of course; oh and my wife! I have fun with them, it’s not about egos it’s about the love of the dance and having a good time with together. Those are the names that come to mind right now, but ya know, you always forget someone…

Q - Having said that, who are some of the Male Leads you enjoy watching or who’s style you like?

Derrick - Lemme see, uh there are a handful that I do like watching, I like watching Hector Berrios, I find Hector a lot of fun to watch, I love his energy, I love his turns. He’s got more turns than I think he knows he has. John Merisier I like to watch, I don’t know how he dances in his boots [laughs]; but the thing is you could tell he’s having fun out there, I enjoy watching him. Umm, I like watching Raul (Santiago), cause again, he’s giving on the floor.

Q - Thank you Derrick for sharing with us, it’s been great talking to you. Hope to see more of your dancing soon…

See Derrick Allen’s bio and photos on his Hustle Pros page here.

Contributing photos: Donna De Simone
Contributing video: Lori Brizzi, NY Hustle Congress

Happy Birthday wishes to Mark Ballas, Mike LoCicero, Erik Novoa, Michelle Russomanno, Lisa Berger, Collette Antonelli, Sandra Rivera, George Dudley, Nellie Cotto, Cindy Lehning and Philip Taylor.

We sadly report that Disco DJ pioneer Barry Lederer was found dead this past weekend in his NYC apartment. Barry helped shape the disco sound in the early 70’s. This is a great loss for the music industry. “The difference between ignorance and awareness is wisdom. We don’t know where we are going unless we know where we’ve been. Without that knowledge history is gone with the wind” by Barry Lederer

Six years ago, an angel was tragically taken from us. A young dancer that had just begun to touch on her potential. Wanda Soto was magical. We miss her and honor her on the Hustle Hall Of Fame.

Who says you can’t find love on the dance floor. Congratulations to Steven Shaughnessy and Kathy Johanessen or their recent wedding engagement. They have been dance partners and will now tie the knot.

Please note: the hustle dance party held at Michael’s Cafe (Bensalem Pa) has now been switched to Wednesday nights. DJ Mark will be spinning, no cover, free parking. The club is now closed on Tuesdays. Unfortunately, the irresponsible management failed to give us adequate notice.

Cheers to Keith Harrison and Lena Spurdis, the winners of the May 23rd dance contest at Zachary’s. Get ready amateurs for the June contest.

FYI - June 7th, Saturday night Millennium Hustle party has been CANCELLED at Campanello. The next party will be August 2nd. Please pass the word.

Don’t miss the Cha Cha amateur dance contest this Saturday at the ULTIMATE DANCE ZONE, hosted by Mark James & Karen Lupo. Swing, hustle and more from - 8:30pm -12:30 am, see more details below. http://www.mjames.org/zone.html

June 7th, the annual NY Daily News Salsa Contest, 2:30PM, McCarren Park, Lorimer & Driggs St. Greenpoint Brooklyn. Susan Fritz is a judge. Free to participate, no lifts or tricks. Fabulous prizes, 1st place a five-day Caribbean Salsa Cruise/round trip airfare to Fort Lauderdale, two $100 Rincon Musical gift cards & 2 Daily News Gift bags. Great 2nd & 3rd place prizes also plus trophies to the winners. Register on-line www.nydailynews.com/features/2008salsaregistration/

June 2nd, Monday, the new reality show “Legally Blonde” begins where ladies audition for the lead role “Elie Woods” for the Broadway Musical. MTV 10PM EST.

This past Saturday, Louis Del Prete hosted an extraordinary “Evening of Dancing with the Stars” presenting Karina Smirnoff & Louie Van Amstel. The Surburban Temple was sold out as Louis came out singing “Quando, Quando, Quando”, followed by the “Lorenz Salsa Group.” Then the “Stars” Karina & Louie danced onto the floor a Cha Cha to “She bangs.” Followed by a Rumba, Jive, then a very informative Q & A section and ending to a Tango/Paso climax. If that was not enough Karina & Louie - stayed and took pictures with “All” their fans from the crowd. As usual Louis Del Prete delivered the goods.

This weeks edition of DanceTalk® is sponsored by Stardust Weekend. The all inclusive dance weekend. http://stardustdance.com/June08Faculty.htm

Make it a great week,
Ron

Spot Light “David Padilla”

In the early 70’s, this tall talent literally began by dancing in the streets. He would go to vacant lots, the parks, even basketball courts to practice dancing with his friends. This is where the hustle was born. “We just did it, no one taught us” shares dance pioneer David Padilla. He was one of the originators of the hustle, a true pillar in the dance community. In the beginning it was called the Latin Hustle, ” we started to do a salsa style dance back in 1968,” says David. “there were no actual steps to this dance at first, nothing was formalized.” Raised in Spanish Harlem, David never took formal dance lessons, but his natural skills took over as he applied himself, working his craft along with fellow dancers William “Butchie” Everett, Floyd Chishom and Melvin Curry. This band of self taught dancers were very creative and leaps ahead of the pack. In 1975, David along with Floyd, Annette Rivera, Eddie Espinosa & Gina Figoroa had the luxury of appearing in the first motion picture, “Roseland” that exposed the hustle to a national audience. Although he didn’t have a starring role, he was on the ground floor of a dance bubble that was still 2 years away from turning the country upside down with hustle frenzy. Standing six foot two, with long side burns, David stood heads above the other dancers. In the late 70’s, while hanging out at the “Silver Slipper Club” in Brooklyn, David met one of his first dance partners. An unknown dancer at the time by the name of Maria Torres. Together they would practice and then exhibit their skills on television competing on the popular New York dance show “Soul Alive.” Good friends Melvin and Butchie helped develop and refine the young Maria, “we taught her how to become a diva.” The experience of competing on television would be a major turning point for David, lifting his confidence & challenging him to be better. He set his goals to capitalize on the opportunities that were popping up for dancers. David was driven to be a part of this cultural revolution. His ingenuity and powerful expression set him apart. In the dance turnstile of life he found himself training and developing new partners. He struck it very big with a tiny partner he met when dancing at Club Ipeniama. Migdalia Medina also known as “Baby,” (before Dirty Dancing), created instantaneous chemistry with him. “She was another partner that was fierce.” He taught Baby how to do the cork screw then while spinning place her other leg behind her head. David was a dance wizard but practicing was a challenge as Baby had a jealous boyfriend who didn’t appreciate her dancing. They were forced to sneak out to practice, compete in dance competitions and ultimately had to hide her costumes from her boyfriend. Their hard work paid off as they would be victorious in several dance contests including Zachary’s where they won approximately 7 times in a row. They also took part in the first hustle contest that was held as part of the Harvest Moonball. It was a dramatic event as some 60 couples competed in this landmark competition. David & Baby captured third place. This was a special time in David’s life as he would see his picture displayed in the popular magazine “Details” which covered the Harvest Moonball. David was in his glory. Another memorable contest took place at Cherry’s, in Long Island, where the owners gave away matching new cherry red Chevrolet Corvettes for the grand prize. Although they didn’t win, they took third place, besting some of the finest couples of all time. The turnstile of dance would spin again for David, as Baby would leave dancing to marry and start her own family. David’s dance compass now pointed him towards Hollywood. He would join forces with one of the premiere dancers from Philadelphia. Donna Boyle, was also a “fierce partner” that complimented his dance repertoire. “We took turns going to each other city’s to rehearse,” David recalls. ” Donna would drive to New York and I would take a two hour bus ride to Philly.” This new partnership set their eyes on the syndicated televisions show “Dance Fever.” Winning the preliminaries earned them the privilege to compete on the televised show filmed in California. An all expense paid trip landed them on this top ten television show. ” When I danced on Dance Fever with Donna, the trip was as much fun as the competition.”, shares David, ” that was my first time to California, it was a fabulous time.” Their successful win advanced them to the semi finals. This exposed them to a national audience as their pictures would pop up in newspapers and magazines everywhere. David would once again get the opportunity to appeared on the silver screen as he auditioned for the New York thriller “Summer of Sam.” Not only did he perform but he was hand selected by director, Spike Lee, to train the acting stars, Miro Sorvieno & John Leguzamo, ” the correct way” to dance the hustle. Although the stars had been personally training for a month on the hustle, the director asked David to give them the real look and feel for the dance. In 1991, David didn’t see this one coming, as he became the victim of a bad accident. Subsequently, both of his ankles were severely broken. It left him confined to a wheel chair for one entire year. Doctors were very skeptical and warned him that he may never walk again. Support pins were placed in both of his legs, which he has been living in pain with ever since. This gave David even more determination to get back on the dance floor. He pushed himself to new heights in efforts to regain his dance skills. The turnstile would spin once again as David would begin working with a new up and coming dancer, Wanda Soto. They competed at Hustle USA and began performing in shows and contests when tragically, this budding star was killed in a horrific motorcycle accident. A with drawn David was left speechless. His heart was broken. Management at the popular dance studio “Stepping Out” was looking to re-energize their weekly hustle socials after relocated to 37 west 26th street. They pursued David to co host along with Simone Assboeck. David provided a keen knowledge on how to attract dancers to the gathering, similar to how it was back in the 70’s & 80’s. Not an easy task, but after applying his years of experience, they have enjoyed tremendous success. “We have the best place to dance Hustle & Salsa every Wednesday night”, explains David. This great achievement has lent itself to the creation of the first Friday of the month party at the studio. ” It brings back the memories of the old school dancing (Dale Dance studios in Brooklyn & Alexis Dance studios combined)”, shares David. Over the last 4 years while holding down a full time job, running his dance gigs at Stepping Out, David has partnered with Jesus Candelario. They took first place in the annual Queens Pride Salsa Contest in both 2006 & 2007. They also won a Salsa contest held by the Joyce Dance Theater at battery park in NYC which was hosted by his old friend, Maria Torres. There were 7 couples and one male & male Couple (David & Jesus). The crowd in attendance went wild when they saw two men dancing together. The decibels went even higher when they won the $1,000.00 dollars first place prize. This past April, after nearly 16 years of living in pain, David finally had the pins removed from his legs. Now recuperating, he is ready to launch the next chapter in his dance career. “Hustle has been a great part of my life it has kept me in great shape, great spirits, dancing is an excellent stress reliever. I’ll be dancing till the lord says that is enough time till sit down, until then I will keep the hustle alive” explains David. His dance turnstile swings again as he will compete with Simone at this summers Discoamerica. David has gotten his mojo back. His statuesque physic has always framed him above the majority of dancers, but his kind soul has made him a great asset to the dance community. Expect more great things from this hustle pioneer.

Stardust Weekend
Get ready for an exciting weekend of non stop dancing. Celebrating their 75th Stardust Dance Weekend at the HUDSON VALLEY RESORT. Len Moss, your host, invites you for a splendid weekend of dancing. Over the past few years this lovely hotel has undergone a multimillion-dollar transformation and is now the most beautiful resort in the Catskills. (This was formerly the Granit Hotel). It includes luxurious guest rooms, beautiful public space and superior dance floors, all combined to make this a memorable dance weekend. An all inclusive weekend where you can focus on having fun and not over spending. The setting is simply incomparable this time of year. You just can’t go wrong with a Stardust Dance Weekend. From June 27th to June 29th, at the Hudson Valley Resort and Spa, located in Kerhonkson, New York, your be treated to a fun thrilled dance party. This is a true dance vacation. Activities for indoors and outdoor fun, performances and more. The weekend includes dance workshops for all skill levels of dance. Your be treated to just about every style of dance on the map. Improve your favorite dances and learn new ones. The weekend rates start at $269 plus tax and gratuities. Come enjoy the talented staff and all they have to offer in all styles of ballroom, Swing, Latin and Hustle. The All star staff includes: Fran Chesleigh, Donna De Simone, Jackie Horner, Nick Lecakes, Teddy Kern, Norton Hyman, Ben Murtha & Esther Odescalchi, Frank Elia, Ed Britten, Nell Mooney, Solomon Singer, Norma Granofsky, Fidel E. Gonzalez, Gene & Naomi Anolick, Jason Myra, Kristina Maria, Karina Romero, Dardo Galletto, Paolo Lanna & Vanessa Telona, Tybaldt & Hazel Ulrich. Enjoy the beautiful month of June in New York. For more details, rates and information visit the website at http://stardustdance.com/June08Faculty.htm

Letters to the Editor
(our goal is to post readers letters twice a month, unfortunately due to space limitations we can not publish them all)

Hey Ron, thanks for keeping us updated on all the dance news, old and new. Your a God send. I wanted to say that losing Nan Bohrar was a great loss. Nan was one of those people that did so much to promote and advertise hustle dancing for all the new yorkers. As many had written she was a competitor at hustle USA and helped organize the event. She gave so much of herself. I hope everyone realizes and appreciated Nan and all the other dancers that give so much.
Forever missed,
Gloria,

First, Ron,
Congratulations on raising that much $ for scholarships. Second, perhaps the name of the dance…the Hustle…should be changed if people want the dance to be taken seriously, or at least to not be thought of in one lump package as leisure suits, Studio 54, and the little ditty “Do the Hustle”.
Here’s a little true and humorous story. During a conversation at a family party with an older gentleman friend of my Dad’s, a danceable piece of music started. Rather than abrubtly leave this man in mid-sentence to seek a partner, I politely asked him if he would like to “Hustle”. He declined, but not because he didn’t know the dance, but because as I later found out, he thought I was propositioning him! We all got a chuckle when the mis-understanding was brought to light. So, maybe the name of the dance should be altered.
Paige

Ron,
I’d like to respond to Ava Apple’s call for discussion about how to market Hustle. I’ve written in this news letter and on the IHDA site several times about doing something to improve Hustle’s image. My
proposals have been 1) to use music that is currently popular: House, Hip Hop Merengue, Latin House, Dance, and Euro, and their variants; and 2) take hustle out where it can be seen…take groups to popular clubs that play this kind of music and blow people away with the hottest club
dance ever! I will be doing this, this coming summer in Chicago. Anyone interested in joining me, let me know. I have more ideas too.
Paul Jones
pbj [at] cmicdo [dot] com

Hi Ron,
Look forward to seeing you and your family at Disco America this summer. I wanted to echo the song selection by DJ Louis Del Prete. Begin the Beguine by Johnny Mathis is a Classic. What a song, romantic and energetic at the same time! One of my favorites, ever!! I agree with some of the readers that the hustle dance has bad connotation attached to it. Most people think of being hustled as a bad thing, being taken advantage of or given the run around. I vote to give the hustle a make over. Hope you had a great memorial day,
Rich Castor

Auditions, Competitions, Socials, Cruises & More…..

June 2, Mon - NY - Dancesport - Legendary Hustle Mondays at Paul Pellicoro’s DanceSport, with DJ Donnie Sheilds, 9:30PM -$10 admission; DS registered students free. 22 West 34th St East Entrance 4th Fl between 5th & 6th avenues. www.dancesport.com for more information.

June 3, Tues - Pa - Michael’s Cafe is Closed…now on Wednesday nights.

June 3, Tues - NY - IBBG, “The Original Tuesday Night Hustle Party” Spacious Dance Floor, DJ Chris playing the best of old & new Hustle with a dash of Latin & WCS hosted by Doreen. 50/50 Raffle & door prizes. 1100 Stewart Ave. Garden City, Exit M3W off Meadowbrook 9 PM. Only $8

June 3, Tues - NY - HOT LATIN, WCS & HUSTLE TUESDAYS at CLUB 56 (56th Fighter Group Restaurant/Lounge, Rt. 110 at Republic Airport, Farmingdale, 7:00 to 11:00 PM, $14 includes Hot & Cold Buffet Dinner, free water, HUSTLE Lesson by JOSE BOLIVAR, door prizes & dancing to a Salsa, WC Swing & Hustle Dance Mix by DJ Cody. (631) 744-7777 www.LIDance.org

June 4, Wed - Pa - Michael’s Cafe, now on Wednesdays, spread the word, same great music and dancing. (the club is closed on Tuesdays) the best in hustle, Swing and Latin in between. DJ Mark plays the grooves from 8:30 to 12:30. No cover and free parking. Join us for the best dance night of the week. Located on Street Road, Bensalem near the Casino/Race track.

June 4, Wed - NY - “HUSTLEJAM” @ Stepping Out Studios, 37 W. 26th St.: Join your hosts Simone Assboeck & David Padilla for a WEEKLY Hustle & Latin party, 9:30pm til 12:45am, DJ Nelson “Paradise” Roman spinning the best in hustle & latin $9/PP; $5 for SO Students - Tonight’s Special is “Lucky Draw” Everyone has a chance to win perx!

June 5, Thur - Step It Up, finale of the weekly dance show. Bravo network

June 5, Thurs - NY - LATIN, HUSTLE, WCS at MIRELLE’S,!! 170 Post Ave,
Westbury, Long Island, Presented by LOUIS DEL PRETE, 7:30PM to 11:30PM, Great Hot Buffet, 45 Min. HUSTLE Dance Lesson starting at 7:30w/Louis. State of the art sound system, Air Conditioned, Door Prizes, Cash Bar Available Admission $14 call Louis (516) 819-9016. This event runs every Thursday.

June 6, Fri (Every 1st Fri) - PA - “Ballroom Extravaganza” @ Vai Dance Studio, 801 West Chester Pike, Havertown: w/ Host & Instructor Silvana Gallagher! The best mix of ballroom favorites; DJ JR mixes Foxtrot, Cha Cha, Waltz, Rumba, Tango, Bolero, EC Swing/Jive, Quick Step: 7:30 PM Free Samba Lesson - 8:30 PM dance party w/ refreshments. $12.00 at the door.

June 6, Fri - Pa – California Dance Mix at Swingkat, Ballroom on High; 2nd floor, 310 East High St., Pottstown, PA 19464, West Coast Swing Lessons at 8 pm and 8:40 pm, dance 9 pm - midnight DJ & instructor Lynne Stevens. $10. More info available at 610-348-6727, www.swingkat.com

June 6, Fri - NY - “A Salute to the Puerto Rican Day Parade” @ Stepping Out Studios, 37 W 26 St - Simone Assboeck & David Padilla present their monthly Hustle Classics & Latin party, 9:30 till 2:00, DJ Bobby Morales spinning the best in Classics and Latin. $15/PP, $10 SO students, special performances, free buffet, open bar. Hats, t-Shirts, jackets by David Padilla, for sale just in time for the Parade & a Special Treat Pasteles by Fran Can Cook!

June 7, Sat - NJ - Central Jersey Dance Society presents “No Name” Hustle workshop with Brian Gallagher & California mix social dance. Int. Hustle workshop 6:15 PM to 7:15 PM, $12. Beg.hustle lesson 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM. Open dancing 8:30 PM to 11:30 PM.Workshop. Cost $12. Dance $12, $8 per student with ID. Workshop/dance combo $22. www.centraljerseydance.org or call 609-945-1883

JUNE 7, Sat - NYC - CANCELED Lori Brizzi’s MILLENNIUM HUSTLE at IL Campanello. Next party is August 2nd. www.loribrizzi.com or loribrizzi@aol.com

June 7, Sat -Pa - Swingkat will be closed for the Pottstown Car Show

June 8, Sun - Pa - Havana in New Hope…West Coast Swing dancing with the David Barry Trio. Get ready for this awesome 5 man band that plays for WCS dancers. Join them from 6 -10PM. Free lesson in WCS with Dave Kim, followed by three live sets with David Barry and DJing in between with Dave Kim. No Cover, 105 S. Main Street, New Hope, 215-862-9897 http://www.havananewhope.com/

Great American Jack & Jill O’rama June 12 - 15th Santa Maria, CA Hyatt Regency Orange County, Jack & Jill contests, 5 day Skippy Blair mini intensive, workshops & tons of open dancing. Music by David Koppelman, Mike Pyle, Jack Smith. Costs: $115 p/p by May 29, $135 at door. Hyatt Regency $99. room rate call (714) 750-1234 visit www.centralcoastswingdance.com ccsd@thegrid.net

June 13, Fri - Pa – Ballroom Dance at Swingkat, Ballroom on High; 2nd floor, 310 East High St., Pottstown, PA 19464, Lessons at 7:30 pm & 8:15 pm, dance 9 pm - midnight - DJ Carol Coffinger. $10. More info available at 610-348-6727, www.swingkat.com

June 13, Fri - NY - BALLROOM, LATIN, HUSTLE, WCS, at DEER PARK V.F.W. 588 Long Island Ave. Deer Park, LI, Presented by LOUIS DEL PRETE 8:00PM to 12:00AM, Coffee, Tea, Cake, Fruit & Veg.Platter! 40 Min. Dance Lesson at 8:00w/Louis. State of the art sound system, Air Conditioned, Door Prizes, 50/50 Raffle,Cash Bar Available, $13, call Louis for info (516) 819 - 9016

JUNE 14, Sat-NYC-Lori Brizzi’s Millennium Hustle’s “SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL” & AFTER PARTY for DANCE PARADE ‘08 3 DJ’s, 3 Rooms for dancing. DJ JOHNNY O-Hustle, DJ JEFF-Latin, DJ ASHLEY Ballroom (Tango,Swing) $15 includes free class either hustle, latin or ballroom 8-9pm & Dancing 9pm - 1am.Cash Bar. CLUB 412, 412 8th Ave 4th Fl. 516 728-6101 www.loribrizzi.com or loribrizzi@aol.com

June 14, Sat - Pa - Ballroom Dance at Swingkat, Ballroom on High; 2nd floor, 310 East High St., Pottstown, PA 19464, Lessons at 7:30 pm & 8:15 pm with John & Kathy Augustine, dance 9 pm - midnight with DJ Philip Spinka, $10. More info available at 610-348-6727, www.swingkat.com

June 15, Sun - NJ - 100% Pure Hustle with Johnny O 8 pm - 12 am, or whenever Johnny stops spinning - Great music, great company on a great floor. $12 or $10 with pass or print out - Starlight Dance Center 7 High Street, Nutley, NJ 07110 973-235-9835 www.starlightdanceusa.com

June 21, Sat-NYC-Lori Brizzi’s Millennium Hustle’s “SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL” & AFTER PARTY for DANCE PARADE ‘08 3 DJ’s, 3 Rooms for dancing. DJ JOHNNY O-Hustle, DJ JEFF-Latin, DJ ASHLEY Ballroom (Tango,Swing) $15 includes free class either hustle, latin or ballroom 8-9pm & Dancing 9pm - 1am.Cash Bar. CLUB 412, 412 8th Ave 4th Fl. 516 728-6101 www.loribrizzi.com or loribrizzi@aol.com

June 21, Sat-PA California Mix @ Vai Dance Studio, 801 West Chester Pike, Havertown:DJ JR mixes Hustle & WCS w/a splash of Salsa, Country 2 Step, Waltz, NC2 & Hustle & WC Swing: start with a 7:30 Free Country 2-Step Lesson & 8:30 PM dance party w/refreshments. Every 3rd Sat $12.00 at door.

Stardust Dance Weekend June 27- 29th Upstate New York at the Hudson Valley Resort & Spa Kerhonkson, New York, Vegas caliber shows and food. Rates starting at $285 Includes dance workshops for all levels! (plus tax and gratuities) www.stardustdance.com/

Disco America July 4-6, 2008 Crown Plaza Valley Forge 260 Mall Blvd., King of Prussia, PA Hosted by Donna J. Boyle & Joyce Szili. This is the 10th Anniversary of DiscoAmerica: Dance Workshops, Social Dancing, after Dinner Show, Exhibitions & Championships, contact Donnaboyledisco@aol.com, Joyce Szili - JoyceDancr@aol.com www.discoamerica.com

Big Apple Country Dance Festival July 10 - 13, Renaissance Newark, NJ Airport Hotel, Hosted by Anthony Lee, On line Registration. Country, Swing, Hustle, Jack & Jill and Ballroom competitions, 50 different classes taught by the very best instructors, Dinner Show extravaganza packed with fabulous high-energy entertainment by top dancers, Swing, Hustle, Country Couples and Line Dance social dancing Hotel reservations at 908-436-4600, http://bigapplecountrydance.com/

July 12, Sat - NJ - American DanceWheels Performance, Ocean County Library welcomes you to a free performance,demonstration and discussion of wheelchair ballroom dancing with a mini-lesson at 3:00 pm at Toms River South High School. Presented by the first & current United States Wheelchair Dancesport competition champions Melinda Kremer & Ray Leight. Free and open to the public. 55 Hyers Street in Toms River, NJ 08753, www.americandancewheels.org.

Miami Dance Magic July 17-20, Miami Hyatt Regency Hosted by Debbie Lynn, first annual event. West Coast Swing, Hustle & Salsa. Triple Threat competition, Showtime Contest, WCS & Hustle Strictly, Pro/Am & Jack & Jill’s. Skippy Blair Summer Intensive. Workshops & continual social dancing. Debra Lynn (954) 270 - 0232 e mail - MiamiDanceMagic@aol.com www.CoastalDanceConnection.com

World Hustle Dance Championships July 24 - 27
The 8th Annual hustle competition returns to East Brunswick New Jersey. Host Diane Nardone brings hustle, Swing, Salsa, Ballroom and country to the Hilton East Brunswick, Three Tower Center Blvd, East Brunswick. Lots of great workshops, competitions, a FABULOUS dinner/show and much more! Vendors will be available throughout the entire event! Visit www.hustledanceworld.com for regular updates and to register on-line!

Grand Pacific Dance Championships, AUG 14-18, 2008 San Jose California. A new dance event hosted by Billy Fajardo, Raul Ante and Debra Hampton. The Doubletree Hotel San Jose, 2050 Gateway Place, San Jose, Rooms will be available at the rate of $105.00 per night. Reservations will be accepted starting this May 18th. phone 408-453-4000, fax 408-437-2898 toll free 1-800-222-TREE

New York Hustle Congress August 28 - September 1, 2008 The 4th Annual hustle event in New York City. Hosted by Lori Brizzi This is a Hustle weekend with more social dance time then any other event. Featuring Jack & Jill competitions and more at the Hilton. 1800Hilton, mention SAL before rooms sell out. (516) 728 - 6101 Loribrizzi@aol.com www.nyhustlecongress.com

Hudson Swing Affair August 29 - Sept 1, 2008 Hyatt Regency, Jersey City on the Hudson, presented by John Festa. West Coast Swing Social Dance Event w/ instructors Ramiro Gonzalez, John Lindo, Mary Ann Nunez, Sylvia Sykes, Charlie Womble & Jackie McGee www.HudsonSwingAffair.com (212)779-2700

International Dance Cruise - Oct 10 - 16th, 2008 on the Queen Mary 2, Six day cruise, enjoy a complete dance program for ballroom enthusiasts. The largest grand ballroom at sea, Live Big band & DJ, 3 cocktail parties, 3 formal balls, dance workshops with championship instructors &demonstrations. Rates start at $1,499pp for details call 754-246-2874 www.BallroomCruise.com

Swing City Chicago Oct 31 - Nov 2nd, 2008 At the Westin Lombard Hotel in Chicago. The perfect spot for a Halloween weekend. Jack & Jill, Strictly Swing and DJ Challenge, plus a pro-show/Exhibition, Friday night Pizza Party and Saturday, late night buffet. Come join Maren, Jason Barnes, Erica Berg, Bill Cameron, Jason Miklic, Fred & Tina Price, Mario Robau Jr, Mike Topel for an incredible fun weekend of dancing. For more details and registration information visit: www.Swingcitychicago.com

Mediterranean Dance Cruise, November 17th - 29th 2008, A once in a life time event, on the Queen Victoria for 12 wonderful days starting in Athens & stops in Volos, Greece – Dikili, Istanbul, & Kusadasi Turkey, Port Said & Alexandria Egypt; Valetta in Malta, Messina Naples & ending in Rome, Italy. From about $2200 for the cruise, prior Cunard guests may get better rates. Call for lowest rates. This cruise is selling out fast. 25% of cruise fare due at cabin assignment & final payment due Aug.12, 2008. All prices per person based on double occupancy & include special dance events open to our group only. Call 215-855-2711 or info@blsdc.com for more information and a brochure.

Stardust Dance Cruise III January 25 - February 1, 2009 7 nights on Costa Cruise Line’s 5-Star Costa Fortuna, now accepting reservations, Departing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida Sunday: Fort Lauderdale, Mon-Key West, Tues-Cozumel, Mexico Wed-at Sea Thurs Ocho Rios, Jamaica, Fri Grand Cayman Island, Saturday - At Sea, Sunday - back to Fort Lauderdale, www.stardustdancecruises.com/

As you know by now, Lisa Nunziella-Hockley was awarded the prestigious Augie & Margo award at IHSC 2008. The Hustle Lounge is honored to unveil the video montage played at the Award Ceremony. Much of this footage is never before published material.

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This montage is an amalgam of the many highlights of Lisa’s career that was played during the Award Ceremony. We’d like to thank Lisa Nunziella-Hockley and Agogo Films for the generous opportunity to publish this montage.

In the world of Hustle, Lisa Nunziella is an enduring name. From her beginnings in Brooklyn to competing in and winning Star Search, and garnering Championships with every partner she has had, Lisa Nunziella has built a rich career. Known for her steadfast work ethic, her undeniable star quality and Champion sportsmanship; Lisa Nunziella is Hustle royalty.

Ask some of the true school Hustle pioneers and dance Professionals about Lisa;

“Lisa Nunziella continues to make an incredible impact on the dance world. This petite, 5 foot dynamo, literally conquered the Hustle world. Lisa competed and performed all over the world, winning virtually every title with various partners before moving on to Hollywood. Her achievements have created a template for future generations. Lisa doesn’t just dance with her body but with her entire being. She has been a wonderful role model for fellow dancers. Her commitment to dance still reigns supreme today. Lisa has been a true inspiration to us all”
Ron Bess, DanceTalk ®

“Lisa Nunziella deserves every award she has ever won and more; in fact, at this year’s IHSC International Hustle & Salsa 2008 (May 1-4), Lisa is being awarded one of the most prestigious awards in Dance, The Augie & Margo award. One of the criteria for the award, established in 2000, is that the candidate must be a role model for the larger Dance community, and Lisa is an incredible role model. How many Hustle dancers, or any dancer for that matter do you know that has the staying power to win Championships with every partner they have ever had?. She’s a true Champion, her dominant presence, her work ethic and her positive attitude, no one can beat that, only Lisa has done it.”
Billy Fajardo, International Hustle & Salsa Competion and IHDA President

“Partnering with Lisa Nunziella is a wonderful experience, she brings the best out of me and I am constantly learning something new. In working with and observing Lisa, I admire how she is able to work with any individual. She has a real feel for the Hustle dancers and the Hustle community. She takes dancing to the next level.”
Billy Marti, Professional Dancer and Instructor, Current Partner to Lisa

Here’s the Q&A:

Q - Lisa, when you dance you really start to flow, what inspires you when you are dancing?

A - First of all the music inspires me! The person that I am dancing with inspires me. When I am dancing, I feel alive!

Q - How has the Hustle experience evolved from it’s original days?

A - I have to say, it was very exciting! Back then it was still evolving into what it is today; when we were all living and breathing this dance, it was quite competitive and all consuming. I loved every minute of it!

Q - As a pioneer in the dance, how would you like to see current Hustle dancing improve?

A - I see many people execute most steps correctly. I would love to see more people dance this dance, feel this dance, allowing their bodies to move by working from their center and using their hips more. There is a feeling in this dance that is like no other. I would love to see more people get out of their heads, not anticipate the next move and just feel the dance. It does feel rather amazing when you connect with your partner and just let yourself go! Of course always working from your center, this is where your balance, strength and most movements initiate from.

Q - Do you think it would be positive for Hustle to be in the mainstream such as Ballroom?

A - I believe it was there at one time. Hopefully we will see it gain popularity again. We all need to work together to make that happen.

Q - As a past World Champion, who are some of your favorite young Hustle dancers you love to watch?

A - Raul and Sergia are hot and sassy, Kelvin and Loriann have a beautiful, classic style, Wajih and Wendy are adorable. They all bring something new and fresh to the dance, each having their own distinct style.

Q - What sign are you?

A - Cancer, I am a July baby

Q - Thank you Lisa, will you be appearing at any festivals or dance competitions upcoming?

A - Yes, I’ll be at IHSC, International Hustle and Salsa Competition, I’ll be teaching in the Salsa Workshops.

Q - Thanks Lisa, we’ll see you there!
[Editor's Note: Lisa Nunziella-Hockley will be awarded the prestigious Augie & Margo award at IHSC, May1-4, 2008]

Here’s the beautiful and classy Lisa Nunziella dancing with John Merisier at Hooray for Hollywood Dance Festival, February 2008:

Here is another clip of Lisa being led again by John Merisier and at the end by Louis Orlando at Hooray for Hollywood Dance Festival February 2008:

Read Lisa’s Bio and see wonderful Legacy and current pictures on her Bio Pages.

Q - As a New School Hustle dancer how would you like to see the scene grow?

A - IHDA is on the right track with completing a syllabus; standardizing and training teachers as well as judges. I think it’s important that we give upcoming dancers a standard to work off of and a judging standard to base their results off of. The trick is to uphold a standard without becoming stuck. The dance needs to evolve and we need room for that too.

We need to find the best ways to get young people into the dance. We can do that by embracing new movement ideas (whether it be from partner dances or dances like hip-hop), making a special place for them at parties and events, and by Pros making sure we impact the younger demographic. The more we get out and show people it’s not “Do the Hustle” anymore, the more people we’ll attract and the more young people we’ll attract.

I feel it’s also important that we have more interaction between Pros and the Amateurs on the social floor. I remember how special I felt as an amateur when I got to dance with any Pro and how much I learned from each experience (good ones and bad ones) and I think that was important to keeping me involved in this dance. I’ve noticed that at events that have Pro-Am Jack and Jills, a lot of the amateurs enter and are very excited about getting the chance to dance with any Pro. This shows how important this is. If we, as Pros, are very conscious of how we interact with amateurs, not only the ones that take lessons from us, but any Am, we can help to keep their interest instead of them thinking that we don’t care about them unless they are paying us.

Q - What inspired you to start dancing Hustle?

A - After college I taught ballet & modern at my old dance school and there was a couple renting space at the
studio teaching ballroom. I was hesitant, but eventually gave it a try. I did mostly Latin and Hustle because I like the music-once I tried Hustle and realized all the music you can dance to I was hooked! Then it just continued to build. Once I went to parties and competitions and realized how much dancing they did and how social the events were it became my favorite dance. It was really inspiring for me to see all the routines and realize how I could incorporate all of the training I already had into my hustle dancing.

Q - What if anything does the Hustle community need right now?

A - We are lacking support of our female professionals. There is a definite emphasis on the males in the community. There are many women who are fierce and fabulous all on their own no matter who they are dancing with and yet there are not as many women who are recognized on their own. Men will be invited to events on their own much more often than the women are. Men will dance together and leave the women sitting on the side of the dance floor late at night – we as women can start supporting each other more. We need to understand that there is a great resource in our women. And the men will realize that we as women can stand on our own.

Yeah as a non-academic street dancer, I’m more comfortable with experienced female lead dancers like you rather than less experienced male dancers who might be inclined to diesel their way through a lead.

A - Right, women can also teach without a partner, naturally the Pro women know the importance of a good lead and can teach it too.

Yeah, we have a great video of two females, you and Maer Bardai (Hooray for Hollywood Event Director) leading a male fellow Pro Wingo Hom, with Joe Kerner your partner in there for a bit; it’s fun, great actually. Check it out:

Q - What would happen if Hustle tried to go mainstream such as the way of Ballroom?

A - When we have an established syllabus it may gain more respect, but I’m not sure it will ever be accepted by the larger ballroom community. I would hate to see Hustle lose the social aspect of the dance just to gain respect from other communities.

I think that Hustle could gain more popularity if we let go of the past a little bit. I think it’s important to respect the past and learn from it and those who came before, but I also think that we can’t keep promoting the dance as a 70’s thing, we have to find a way to promote the dance as an updated version that is useful socially and still up to date. I don’t feel the actual dance is stuck in the past, but I feel like some of us let it have that reputation. We could do more to show how much it has evolved. This is important in getting a younger crowd into the dance – that is how we gain popularity as well; it starts with a younger generation and then grows from there. At this point the studios see a lot of students in their upper 40s and 50s who want to learn the Hustle because of its 70s reputation, however we need to appeal to students that are younger, who will add to and grow the dance in the future.

Q - What else could we have more of?

Musicality. Many of us get stuck in and 1, 2, 3 and we forget that there are many variations, and many things we can do within and 1,2,3. There is so much space to fill, especially in a slower song and especially for the followers and sometimes we, as teachers forget to talk about this and forget to teach students how to do this. It doesn’t mean that we have to move our feet more or do more steps, we need to show students how to move their bodies and their arms to fill the music. We need to teach technique as well as promote filling out the music.

Q - Everyone has a different inspiration dancing; being on stage or connecting with a partner, what’s your main inspiration when dancing?

Whenever I dance, the main inspiration is always the music. It doesn’t matter what kind of dancing it is, you can feel whether you are moving with the music and responding to it. There will be times that you are dancing to a song that you don’t like and you can always feel the difference. There is always something that connects you to each song that you like that is unexplainable. Why do we like certain songs and not others – it’s just the way it is, sometimes you can’t explain it. You always feel that connection right away though. If the song makes you start moving your body in any way it’s a sign – that is dancing. Getting your body to move without thinking about it, it just starts responding to the music when you let go and allow it to – that is inspiration at its best.

Q - Well put Stephanie; so it’s the chemistry of the connection that also inspires you…

The beauty of partner dancing is that you not only have the music as inspiration, but someone else’s movement and how they respond to the music. If you have a partner who is musical and responsive to a song it can also inspire different movements to come out of you, or for you to hear different things in the music than you may have heard before. There is nothing better than connecting to another person’s body movement and feeling the music come out of the movement between the two of you. Real dancing comes when you feel the music inside your body and it feels as if it’s coming from the inside of you instead of you just moving around to some random sounds.

Q - Who are your favorite original or true school Hustle dancers? And why?

A- Wow, that’s a loaded question!

Yeah, it kind of is…sorry

Q - True school meaning, who of the original style dancers are your favorite? Since many of the true school dancers have evolved with the dance or even better crafted a style all their own that is interpreted as timeless or classic.

A - A lot of the people who have kept their hustle the same since “back in the day” are not the people that I look to as examples. So, I’m just going to pick from those who came before me. There are so many out there that you watch and learn from. But if I have to pick my favorites I pick:

Beth Darchi – who I have idolized for years now. She has a great classy sexiness with a little bit of funk in it. I’ve seen her follow just about anyone and anything and still look fantastic – she never looks out of place or uncomfortable. I think that she’s one of the most underrated followers in the community. She is a true diva without the off-floor personality of one.

Arte Phillips – for his playfulness and his musicality. Arte uses the music so well, and he also showed me how to draw from many different styles of dance and put it into my hustle. He’s one of a kind in how he plays with his partners and with the music. Having worked with him on shows that did not include hustle has been a great experience for me and has taught me a lot. Arte is not just a Hustle or partner dancer, he is a dancer, period.

Louis Orlando - for his rhythmic lead. Louis has one of the nicest most consistent leads in the community. He can make you do just about anything to almost any kind of music. (Just a side note: He’s also the best hairstylist around!!!!)

Billy Fajardo – shows me every time I watch him how to incorporate all of that ballet training I had. He has a very masculine presence and he’s always projecting. Then on the flip side he looks very different when he social dances. The contrast is apparent and I think that some people forget that they are different animals.

Debra Hampton – for her attitude. Debra is a real diva on the dance floor. She knows how to have fun and draw everyone into her performance. She also has a musicality that we don’t always see in hustle dancers. Unfortunately we don’t get to see her dance very much anymore, but she is still one of the best.

Q - What sign are you?

A - Sagittarius

Q - Stephanie, thank you so much for a compelling and thoughtful interview, in closing tell us 5 or more of your favorite Contemporary Songs to dance to, and we’ll add the snippet videos at the bottom so our guests can listen…

• Damn Girl – Justin Timberlake
• Give it To Me – Timbaland (Feat. Justin Timberlake & Nelly Furtado)
• Release – Timbaland
• Low – Flo-Rida
• Dynamite – Jamiroquai
• Lovestoned – Justin Timberlake
• Buttons – Pussycat Dolls

Read Stephanie Risser’s Bio here…

Q - Debra, how did you get started dancing Hustle?

A - I went out one night, back in 1976, to club called Ipanema (a groundbreaking Brazilian club turned disco in midtown Manhattan that ended up being a very important club in Disco music history); at the time alot of people were already dancing a style of Hustle called the Bronx Hustle, well that night I walked in and saw this girl Rosemary doing the Latin Hustle and that was it, I was into it! There were alot of styles of Hustle going around at the time, there was a new style going around every other week. The Rope Hustle, Merengue Hustle, Tango Hustle, Latin Hustle, and a whole lot more, there were so many, and they were almost all over by the end of the following week!

Q - Okay let’s rewind just a tad from there, you were dancing and teaching already by then?

A - Yeah, I started teaching dance as a teenager at Fred Estaire and Arthur Murray in Manhattan, I was teaching Tap, Jazz and Ballet before teaching Hustle. I loved teaching, I hated sellling, so I would pass that over to my manager. I could teach my behind off, and people liked learning from me, but I was never into pushing the sales. Eventually I got tired of the Sales part, I ending up moving out to California in 1981.

Q - What was that like for a tried and true New Yorker like yourself?

A - It was tough, though I didn’t have time to teach for the first 6 years, I had my son Sean and was busy raising him. When I started teaching again, it wasn’t easy at all. The dance studios, the event people, the dance establishment out here didn’t accept me at first. I had a hard time, but slowly and surely I built my student base, and that was the key. I started to have my students competing in competitions and winning. First the local competitions, then regional, and then they started getting national recognition and somewhere in between I gained acceptance.

Q - Debra, it’s been said by many people that you taught alot of the Pros…

A - Yes, it’s true but you know as a professional courtesy, we don’t say, it’s decorum.

It’s admirable that you have the integrity to say that and stand by your position, rather than boost yourself as some other’s may, I respect you very much for that, anyway on to the positive…

A - Thank you

Q - You are one of the original founders of IHDA, the International Hustle Dance Association, tell me the impetus to starting that and how it came about

A - IHDA was created by a group of Hustle dancers who wanted to unite Hustle dancers across the country. Also so that we get recognition as a community. The first meeting to discuss this was at Hustle USA, my event with Maria Torres, Disco Dave Sarul & Donna Boyle, in 2000, a Corporation was formed right away, we all agreed we needed a syllabus and began working on that, and we began discussions about a point system, as well as means to keep people abreast of evolving guidelines or information.

Q - Who were some of the names present at the time?

A - Well, myself, Maria Torres, Disco Dave Sarul, Billy & Katie, Diane Nardone, Donna Boyle, Beth Darchi, Arte Phillips, Louis Orlando, Randy Clemons was our Moderator, and I’m sure there were a few more names if I missed you, I apologize. Billy Fajardo has done a fabulous job as President, Arte Phillips who was a past President did a great job promoting the cause and the name. Hopefully it continues to develop and grow into something that continues to unite Hustle dancers in the future.

Q - As of the original pioneers of the dance, which way should the Hustle community point to evolve?

A - Well one of the things that I want to do is to start teaching younger students, reach out to the youth. I will be offering a teen class soon, and also reaching out the the college/university age students who enjoy dancing to contemporary music. With all this dance influence now in the mainstream, between Dancing with the Stars, and all of the festivals and events, and the likes of ESPN sponsoring Dance events, it’s a great time to expand our reach with Hustle.

Q - Coming from New York, I noticed that California’s defacto partner dance seems to be West Coast Swing as a far as critical mass popularity; what if Hustle went the way of Mass popularity like WCS, is that a good thing? Is it even possible?

A - That would be really great, I would love to see it happen, and yes, it’s absolutely possible, I mean we have to really unite and band together as a community but Hustle has been there before. It’s very doable, and I would love for that to happen!

Q - What do you think is the best thing about the Hustle experience today?

A - Well, for one thing, it’s totally engrossing in any era, once you get into dancing Hustle, it’s in you, and that’s it; however one nice thing about today is Top 40 music; back in the day, it was only one type of music, where as today, the music can be very broad, and that’s very inspiring. Also, it’s great exercise, and it’s a way to express yourself. I like to quote another well known dance teacher Lynn Vogen who said, “Dance to express, not impress” and always I loved that.

Q - What are some current projects that you are involved in?

A - As far as events, I have Grand Pacific Dance Championships in the summer, and Halloween Hustle Thing in the fall, but my main priority is Hooray for Hollywood Dance Festival that I put on with my partner Marilyn Bardai. That takes place February 7-9, in 2009. Our first annual Hooray for Hollywood was a great success, and we are working hard to make it even better for next year.

Q - What is your enduring inspiration Debra?

A - Well, I’m inspired by alot of things, but my main goal is to teach as many people as possible, so the dance, Hustle lives on.

Thank you Debra, you’re a great role model.

Read Debra’s Bio and Profile on our Hustle Pros page here…