The Hustle
The Hustle
The Hustle—also commonly known as the Latin Hustle—is an energetic, ballroom-style dance that was wildly popular in the mid- and late-1970s, at the height of the disco music (see entry under 1970s—Music in volume 4) craze. The origins of the dance are imprecise, but its evolution can be traced to the sounds of salsa and swing music. The Hustle incorporated the hip motion
employed in salsa with the footwork of swing music. Ultimately, its movements consisted of plenty of spins and rhythmic foot-work, and it was danced to a hard-driving disco beat.
One evening during the mid-1970s, veteran music arranger, writer, and producer Van McCoy (c. 1940–1979) visited Adam's Apple, a New York City disco, where he saw the dance being performed. McCoy was inspired to compose "The Hustle," an instrumental that became one of the era's disco anthems. In July 1975, "The Hustle" hit Number One on the pop music charts. Eventually, it sold ten million copies, and earned a 1975 Grammy Award as Best Pop Instrumental.
—Rob Edelman
For More Information
"Hustle." U.S. Swing Dance Server.http://www.swingcraze.com/ussds/Hustle/hustle.html (accessed March 27, 2002).
Shell, Niel. Hustle. Pearl River, NY: Nyemchek's Dance Centre, 1999.