Do You Hop When You Hustle??

When I was newly divorced I attended a dance in the area and was thrilled to be out on the dance floor once again.  Someone asked me to dance the Hustle.  I didn't know the dance, but figured I could follow.  I did follow without much of a problem ---- in fact, every time he hopped on the "&1" I hopped right along with him.  Leaving the dance floor, I decided I absolutely hated the Hustle because that horrible hop made me feel totally ridiculous.  Oh, I would  dance it if asked, but just couldn't get motivated to hop along.

Soon after that dance, I attended another and met my dance partner, Steve, who just loves the Hustle.  He was working on a syllabus and launching a business as an independent instructor, so we worked on Hustle.  And that hop was definitely not supposed to be part of the dance!!  What a relief!!  Now I could love Hustle too.

Most people look at Hustle as a dance similar to Swing.  I guess it is, because after all it is derived from West Coast Swing, a sort of "spinoff".  But the dance has evolved through the years and now in many ways is related to FoxTrot.  When doing the Hustle you should be using heel leads and walking steps, just as you do in FoxTrot.  You want fast turns of course, but done smoothly.  Think elegance on the floor as the leader leads and the lady follows.

That's the fun and the challenge of Hustle.  Intricate underarm turns done quickly and smoothly, one following right after another.  The Leader has to know how to correctly lead the turns and the correct time to lead the turns.  Sometimes you are dancing to fast music ---- it is especially important for the Leader to have relaxed arms that allow the Lady to perform the movements asked of her.....no strong-arming and no pushing, pulling or knocking her off balance!!  The Leader uses "fingertip leads", with tone in the fingers & wrists, but not in the arm.  Ladies need relaxed arms too or they will make those turns much harder on themselves than need be. 

I recently danced Hustle with several men who had all taken lessons at the same studio.....each one thought he was supposed to force the woman through those turns & moves and it was brutal --- and at times actually painful!!!  I cannot stress enough the need for light relaxed leads that happen on the correct count.  The beauty of Hustle is that the patterns & movement facilitate the turns if done correctly.  If done incorrectly it can feel a lot like wrestling!!  Maybe that's why we have a pattern called the Hammerlock?

Huslte is a popular dance with the West Coast crowd.  They like to style it up when they Hustle and the style is always the arm stuck straight out.  Hey, I'm all for styling, but am not a fan of the straight arm.  I personally think it takes away so much of the elegance of the dance, and instead would opt for a softer arm.  There is a beauty to the give and take of partners on the floor, the lead and the immediate response, the seeming effortlessness despite the fast turns, whether you are dancing the slower 3-count version or dancing to the steady rhythm of the 4-count.  And whatever you do -------DON'T HOP!!!