Latin Hustle - Hispanic Heritage & Culture Month
In this last week of Hispanic Heritage month I want to pay homage to Hustle’s Latin lineage. We have so many accounts of the history of Hustle; how and why it is where is today, but the one thing that is a constant is Hustle’s Latin roots.
Undeniably soulful and sassy, Hustle is a rebellious dance, belonging to the People, born from the streets and distilled over the years.
Because Hustle is a street dance, a step sibling to the over articulated, high brow Ballroom dances, it will always have a certain attraction for me; an edge, an attitude, a purity of spirit that cannot easily be taught or learned.
Hustle was always, ALWAYS called Latin Hustle, downtown. It was never called NY Hustle, I have no idea when calling it NY Hustle became popularized (I’m sure some of you out there do remember), but it was always Latin Hustle to us; the vibe, the creativity, the fighting spirit and it was clearly born in New York.
I remember as a young girl, in Manhattan, that the best Hustle dancers were always from ‘Uptown’, (which meant anything above 14th Street for me), they were Spanish; Cubans & Puerto Ricans and they danced to music that was played Orchestra style, meaning live musicianship was used in the records.
The best Latin Hustle dancers, to us, were the Mambo dancers and they clearly rendered that Mambo attitude to Latin Hustle. I admired the women so much, they looked glamorous. They would dance in dresses and with each other too. The men of course were dressed; much, much more dressed than they do now, they were gallant, and it was beautiful to watch.
Many, many years ago at a free outdoor concert in advance of Puerto Rican Pride Day, Celia Cruz and her band were playing live, with Tito Puente as a guest. Well into the Mambo/Latin Jazz set, the band went into the bridge playing a disco version of the song, and nearly everyone on the black & white checkered dance floor, on the Hudson River at sunset, was dancing Latin Hustle.
I romanticize Latin Hustle, I know I do, because I identify with the creativity, soulfulness and tenacity of spirit of the Latin culture in New York. Once the electronic synthesized version of Disco pervaded the mainstream, Latin Hustle stopped having a life of it’s own, and splintered into the ways it was being savagely pulled apart.
Hustle got into a relationship with Commerce and was put to charm school & tamed, became a well behaved, civilized, dance with rules & a syllabus and continues along this path today.
Change is change and we never go backwards, so we can’t call it Latin Hustle anymore. As we continue to dance this dance, and it continues to evolve, I hope the creativity and inventive spirit of the 70’s is still indulged in Hustle.
My personal wish is that new movement and music ideas are tolerated and embraced, not picked apart and over-analyzed, that Hustle does not become entirely institutionalized and that Hustle’s path is free & unencumbered, what about you?
6 comments
What attracts me to Hustle is that the events are very different than the ballroom competitions. There is a much warmer vibe and a feeling of community that ballroom events don’t usually have. While I enjoy competiting and watching competitions, I hope that the Hustle does not become so regimented that the joy is taken out of the dance. It should be allowed to grow and evolve and allow for each person to create their own style. I hope that it always keeps its unique quality as a dance that is for the people.
I agree with Angela. While I think it is a good idea to
define a syllabus and base some of the competitions on it,
I hope that it doesn’t become frozen like the ballroom
dances. Hustle (Salsa and WCS too) need to run wild
and free. The endless variations and experimentation of
all of these, as well as the regional variations, is what
makes them interesting to me.
I think it’s amazing that two complete strangers can
dance amazingly well together in such complex patterns.
This happens all the time with these dances.
A good studio dance is great but I would really like to
see Hustle back in its natural habitat…the clubs.
I agree totally - the roots of the dance are totally latinin nature and based on the high degreeof interest from all of the salseros/salseras in PR - the future looks bright and the the latin flavor I predict will only deepen.
Derrick, thanks for the comment. I am curious to read a little more about how Salseros & Salseras were reacting to your Hustle classes in Puerto Rico (hint…hint…an editorial wrap up?)
I sincerely hope your prediction comes true!
Asia B
Hi All,
Derrick is correct. The hustle classes were attended by many young dancers. What was so touching in PR was watching all the young salseros/salseras practicing the hustle step through the lobby of the hotel, up the stairs and escalators. Practicing in the hallways. It reminded me of back in the day when dancers from the Bronx/Bklyn/Queens/Manhattan used to do that in many unconventional areas. I think we will have a new venture in this dance.
The syllabus is only for competition in the Newcomer/Novice/Intermediate levels. The Advanced syllabus will be a guideline but will be open, so as not to take away from the dance that Asia has put so beautifully. I for one still want the creativity and the freedom to just go with the dance. I do not want the Hustle to become regimented. The goal is to expand this dance and still keep its warmth.
I loved this article Asia, thank you.
Hi All,
I really appreciate such worthy comments to read and really value the inclusive attitude and substantial & accountable information.
Elizabeth, thanks for validating Derrick about PR Hustle; and thanks for your input. I have such imagery about the practicing down the halls you describe and that very feeling is what keeps us all dancing…
Thanks all for contributing so generously to the dance and the Community.
As always we embrace all dancers…
Asia B
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