Category — Video

Knowing there would be a dry spell for Hustle videos, we saved some of the videos from Lori Brizzi’s marquis event, New York Hustle Congress…here’s one for now, with more on the way…

In this video of social dancing at New York Hustle 2008, we have former World Champion Hustle Dancer Lisa Nunziella and 2005 World Hustle Dance Champion in the Professional Just Hustle & 2006 NY Hustle Congress Pro Open Theater Arts Champion Derrick Allen. It’s wonderful to have the big name Pros social dancing…

In timing with The NY Hustle Congress taking place this Labor Day Weekend, staring Thursday August 28, 2008, The Hustle Lounge is interviewing Ms. Lori Brizzi.

Lori Brizzi has been instrumental in keeping Hustle alive in New York City; Lori’s parties held 3 weekends a month at Club 412 and The 92nd Street Y have been a mainstay in many dancers’ agendas and now with her notoriously fun Millenium Hustle Cruises too. Because of Lori, the Epicenter of the World and the dance community, New York City has a major Hustle event The NY Hustle Congress.

Take a look at Lori in this excerpt from Our Generation (about the Disco Generation on The History Channel).

Asia - Lori, funny enough a lot of people know that you are the heart and soul behind your events, and your Millenium Hustle cruise but many don’t know that you are a professional dancer, tell us, how did you come to be a dancer?

Lori - (Laughs) Yes, I know…Actually I come from a family of dancers. My parents met on the dancefloor; my Dad asked my Mom to dance; turns out he wasn’t her type but they danced together anyway fell in love and had a family, with 2 girls who danced since we were very young. My sister and I used to dance all the time, we created shows, as a matter of fact, there are some reel-to-reel films of us somewhere, we were “The Cha Cha Girls”.

Asia - How did you eventually make dance a career?

Lori - Well I wanted to sing, dance and act, so I decided to make it a career and I went to NYU, I was a Theatre Arts Major and started my life in Dance. I went on to be a Dance teacher, and I competed and won titles in International Latin dancing, Theatre Arts and Cabaret. I was with Pierre Dulaine and Yvonne Marceau of the American Ballroom Theatre Company, I was a member of Swing Dance America and I managed Dancesport (Paul Pellicoro’s Studio) for 6 years. I also conceived and produced a Dance act for Cruises and travelled around the world teaching for several years.

Asia - Okay so let’s fast forward a little bit, tell us how you came about getting into Hustle?

Lori - Well there was a certain point when I started looking for a dance partner, I just wanted a partner to dance with, and someone recommended Bernard Martinez (now an LA based Salsa Dancer) from Ballroom on 5th, so we talked and in the conversation he remembered that I was a Hustle dancer and asked me to do a Hustle party with him and I thought ‘Why would I want to do that?’ and went about my way; I had a broken heart at the time, so to cheer myself up I went with Nancy Thomas to Miami to Billy (Fajardo’s) event, IHSC. I got down there and I saw Rob and Tiffany (Brown) were doing Hustle to contemporary music and I loved it. Bobby (Morales) was playing and he was mixing newer music with Classics, which reminded me of the old days, and it was a great feeling. I decided I wanted to do it.

Asia - How did you get it going?

Lori - Well, after I got back to New York, I called Bernard and I said I would do it but only if I could call it the Millennium Hustle party and I wanted all the dances, WCS, Salsa and Hustle, so we did it.

Asia - And you stayed partners with Bernard?

Lori - No, Bernard at some point wanted to close his studio and move to California so I looked around for spaces and continued on after he left. I found the 92nd Street Y, then Club 412 wanted me to take over a night, which I did and we just kept it up.

Asia - You had 3 venues going, 3 different energies; how does that affect the character of your parties.

Asia - Okay so I remember going to your party before there was a NY Hustle Congress, when did the idea for NY Hustle Congress come about?

Lori - Well, David Melendez, being Mr. New York Salsa Congress at the time really wanted to learn Hustle and started coming to my event to learn and dance. He really like Hustle and we became friends and he started coming to my parties all the time, he would come out and dance Hustle before he would go Salsa dancing. One night I ran into him at Il Campanello and he said ‘Lori, I had an epiphany we should do a Hustle event together!’. If it was anyone else I would have said no, but it was David my friend.

Asia - So you started NY Hustle Congress right then and there?

Lori - No, first off I wanted to call it NY Hustle Congress, which David didn’t like, and we went back and forth, but I got my way; and we were all set to start it in PR (Puerto Rico), but the next thing you know he says the Salsa Congress has room and we wound up just having it at the same time, and we went at again cause I said only if my people can go to both at the same time and he agreed. So that’s how we started. And it’s very sad, I miss him very much, but the he passed away at age 51, died very young, of cancer. I really wish he was still here.

Asia - and now you are going on your 4th year.

Lori - Yes, I can’t believe it!

Asia - And it’s coming up tomorrow…your event NY Hustle Congress, THE marquis event of the Hustle world, in the Epicenter of the globe, the World’s greatest city, New York! How do you do it? I mean WHAT makes you want to do it, to keep the benchmark? And keep your great sense of humor!?!

Lori - (Whew! Laughs!) Well, that is a good question; ya know every year I go, okay this is it, I’ve had enough, I just can’t; and then the event gets going and people love it so much! People tell me months afterward, ‘Oh we had so much fun, we can’t wait til this year’, or they will send me emails that they met their fiance or their boyfriend, and it just turns into another year and I keep going. I do it for the dancers. In spite of myself and how crazy I become, they seem to have a great time…(Laughs alot!)

Asia - (Laughing) Yes, we do love it! I mean I know people make major plans way in advance to make this trip to your event. It’s an important Hustle pilgrimage for a lot of dancers around the country, probably because Hustle is so inherently New York. As much as some people love to hate Hustle and it’s relationship to New York, it is still the dance of the People of New York. Of course after all the years, it belongs to everyone, but naturally, New York owns the Hustle culture regardless of what anyone says. The attitude, the character of the dancers, the style, no place is Hustle done with as much flair and feeling as New York and at your event dancers from all over get to experience the whole culture together and that feeling cannot be felt elsewhere. Lori, how is this year going to raise the bar? What do you have planned for the people?

Lori - Well, first off, this year is gonna be like nothing else so far. It is really gonna be spectacular, an unbelievable event. I really feel like I created a party as if money were no object. I mean people have asked me ‘Why did you get the Trammps Lori, you didn’t have to do that’, which I did cause I wanted to make it an amazing event, like nothing before. There is gonna be something for everyone, all under one roof, it’s really gonna be non-stop social dancing. And you know people really come out cause they wanna dance. It’s gonna be non-stop Fri, Sat, Sun, WCS, Salsa and Hustle.

Asia - Okay so tell us about the line up, you have a Heavy Duty Marquis, all the names are bold faced..

Lori - Well this is a Superstar line up, these are the Superstars of Hustle under one roof, anybody that is important in Hustle is gonna be here and it’s gonna be amazing. The best teachers are teaching the workshops, I mean I have Maria Torres, Billy Fajardo, Diane Nardone, Arte Phillips, Loriann & Kelvin, you name it we have it, I mean like ALL the top up and coming Pros, people from So You Think You Can Dance. It’s unheard of, I mean for like the social dancer it’s like a dance orgy (Laughs) !!!

Asia - Tell me about how your Dinner Show

Lori - Well it’s gonna be a fabulous Dinner Show. First off, the ballroom is gorgeous, it’s very fancy, it’s twinkly, Chandeliers, gold leaf walls, opera seating…it’s very beautiful. It’s not the kind of place you’ll feel comfortable wearing jeans to dinner, you’ll be very uncomfortable, it’s going to be fancy. Cicely Thompson & Olisa Bradley (So You Think You Can Dance) are choreographing the Dinner Show and Eddie Simon (a former dance partner) will have a number in it. It’s gonna be really fabulous, and if you don’t have a Dinner ticket, this is not like other shows, you won’t be able to see it unless you are at the Dinner.

Asia - Eddie Simon is your former partner right?

Lori - He’s an old partner of mine. [Editor's note; Edward Simon is also a former Ballroom Champion and choreographer for So You Think You Can Dance.]

Asia - Okay Lori, how do you raise the bar? How do you keep pushing to outdo the year previous?

Lori - Well, I guess everyone has different ways of doing things, but I am a Crab, I’m a Cancer…so I’m instinctual

Asia - Oh, good I was gonna ask your sign, I always do. I find you funny, great sense of humor, irreverent, creative, interesting to know you are Cancer, the Mother of the Astrology.

Lori - Yes, and I guess I do things instinctively, and I strive to grow. I mean everyone does things differently but I strive to be better and I really work toward making this a better experience than the year before. Of course, every year, I learn, I make mistakes and I learn from them. There is no school or course you can take to run a dance event, you learn by making mistakes. Risks too, there are financial risks, big ones, even decisions you make they are all choices and risks. Take a leap of faith, that is what I do, so I guess I am instinctual.

Asia - Lori, all this creating that you do, it can’t be all you have, what else are you promoting?

Lori - I added the Dance Cruise, The Millenium Hustle Cruise. It’s one of the most fun things I have ever done, I love to cruise and people have such a good time. I can’t wait to produce another cruise.

Asia - So, all of the events, the cruise, the 92nd Street Y, what is your motivator? You were voted Person of the Year by the poll of Ron Bess’ Dance Talk readers, and at World Hustle Dance Championships you were presented the Christopher M. Nardone award (For Outstanding Spirit of Giving) by Diane Nardone the event director; you are recognized by your peers, but what makes you do this?

Asia - Well Lori, it’s an amazing thing what you do, keep on doing it. Obviously, your peers and contemporaries have recognized you, which is a beautiful thing. New York City and Hustle would not be the same without you. Thanks for all that you do and see you at the party.

For more information on Lori Brizzi’s NY Hustle Congress go here. For Lori Brizzi’s Bio, go here.

Check out the video of the Geeks & Dolls show by a local Formation group, choreographed by Joy Ro-King and Stephen Ward.

While not a professional group; all dancers are amateurs except Joy and Stephen, the Team has to be given credit for galvanizing the preparation efforts for the Grand Pacific Dance Championships, bringing a huge local community to the Dinner Show (friends & family of the team) and also for the generous spirit and camaraderie that exists within the group.

This warm and inclusive spirit is what out-of-towners experience (and take note of) when we travel to dance in the Bay area. Thanks to all the open arms in the Bay Area Hustle community…

Team Members:

• Adelyn Hu
• Adji Delorena
• Byron Wilson
• Cindy Lam
• Elizabeth Mc Gee
• Hazel Outlaw
• Heidi Agbayani
• James Outlaw
• Jennifer Chang
• Julius Kotorman
• Mai Vue
• Peter Maranan
• Raymond Abaya
• Robert Nguyen
• Russel Gulman
• Sara Siebe
• Steve Barton

Thanks to Stephanie Risser for the photo.

Finally, images & video from Grand Pacific Dance Championships Saturday and Saturday Dinner Show. Enjoy!

Special thanks to all guest contributors for photos; Michael Cohen of Hustle Pix: http://hustlepix.com for more from GPdC, Val Hunt, Patti Manners, Stephanie Risser, and anyone else we may have forgotten - Thank you!

You’ll see alot of these photos below are of Pros; Kudos to all of the Hustle Pros who took time out to Social dance (especially into the wee hours of the morning) with the Amateurs and hobbyist patrons who so strongly supported Grand Pacific Dance Championships:

• Archie Dawson
• Angel Figueroa
• Celeste Gussoni
• Keith Gussoni
• Joy Ro-King
• Katie Marlow
• Stephanie Risser
• Stephen Ward

A special thanks to Billy Fajardo, Mona Wallace, Peter “Puma” Maranan, Bobby Concepcion, and Hazel & James Outlaw for your generous assistance with The Hustle Lounge operations.

Special thanks to all guest contributors for photos; Michael Cohen of Hustle Pix: http://hustlepix.com for more from GPdC, Val Hunt, Patti Manners, Stephanie Risser, and anyone else we may have forgotten - Thank you!

Friday was a full day, from workshops to comps, and late, late, very late dancing; here are some of photos and video highlights we have for you…enjoy!

Special thanks to all guest contributors for photos; Michael Cohen of Hustle Pix: http://hustlepix.com for more from GPdC, Val Hunt, Patti Manners, Stephanie Risser, and anyone else we may have forgotten - Thank you!

Check out Hustle Professional Louis Orlando being led by Stanley Smolanowicz, taken from Madjam 2008, earlier this Spring. Louis is widely known as a favorite lead by many of the top Pro and Amateur Hustle dancers, but here he shows he can dance the role of the follow just as well, you go Louie - do it!

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.

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

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.

[ Javascript required to view QuickTime movie, please turn it on and refresh this page ]

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.

Saturday’s flow was hectic; cramming in the fun, a party poolside, just off the glorious aquamarine Florida ocean, to the Gala show, awards and finally dancing! Highlights & 3 videos below:

Pro (and stylist to the Hustle stars) Louis Orlando watching the Gala show, flanked by Donna Boyle and Joyce Szili of Disco America (an inaugural event coming up July 4th), this is their 10th Anniversary!



Legendary fashion photographer Bruce Weber with wife Nan Goldin and Lisa Nunziella-Hockley who was awarded the Augie & Margo award along with Eddie Torres.



Lisa Nunziella-Hockley flanked by award namesakes, Augie & Margo Rodriguez.



IHSC Event Organizer and doyen Billy Fajardo & Hustle Pro and past Augie & Margo award recipient, Derrick Allen with Augie Rodriguez.



IHSC Event Organizer Katie Marlow glamorous in her performance costume.



Kelvin Roche & Lori Ann Greenhouse. Lori Ann was sporting a brand new inverted bob, very chic and looking 10’s across the board!


Lisa Nunziella-Hockley and Louis Orlando with once again, all eyes on them!



Kim & Wendy from Hustle San Diego hanging tough late-late in the Hustle ballroom.



Our music maestros Noel Colon and Johnny O shared the spotlight all weekend



Donna Di Simone, head judge of the Competitions and fierce Hustle dancer in a rare moment of repose.



Raul Ante, Billy Marti, and Joe Kerner taking a break from social dancing


The last dancers standing Saturday night in the main ballroom.

The 9th Annual International Hustle and Salsa Competition saw a perfectly balmy Miami Beach weekend. Check out the pics of attendees and winners. More updates in days to follow and check out video below…stay tuned…

Friday was a fierce day of competition! Pro Just Hustle Winner’s Circle; in First place-Stephanie Risser & Joe Kerner, Second place-Wajih & Wendy Dalal, Third Place-Shay & Michelle Dixon



Amateur Intermediate Just Hustle Second Place Winners Elizabeth McGee & Peter Maranan performed strong heats, bringing home medals to rep SF Bay Area righteously…nice!



Amateur Advanced Just Hustle Winners Jesse Castaneda and Erica Smith, they also won the next day, Saturday; see pics tomorrow. Both Jesse and Erica (now bi-coastal) repped the West Coast strong by winning consistently in multiple categories…go you two!



Pro Just Hustle Winners that everyone was thrilled to see win, Stephanie Risser and Joe Kerner. The entire room erupted on random bursts of joy, as they took the big Hustle prize, well done!

“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.

Check it out, courtesy of Bravo TV, a little preview before the debut tonight!