Hustle Dancers--Whoooooooo's Out There?

Interesting how we naturally gravitate towards certain dances and some make us cringe.

EC Swing and Hustle feel very natural for me and for some folks they don't. Cha-Cha I'm decent at too as well as American Style Rhumba. Tango is a bit of a challenge for me though I do admire it greatly and I do enjoy an occasional foxtrot to a good tune and a great partner.

The one dance that induces cringing for me is definitely Quickstep, I don't even like watching it. I don't know, it just strikes me as being really sappy, corny and old-fashioned in a Lawrence Welk kind of way. :roll:
Meringue is that way for me too on the Latin side, although it's very easy to learn, it just doesn't excite me at all.

To get back on topic though, I enjoy Hustle because:

a) The smooth sensual, gliding feel to it (appealing to my inner bird :wink: )

b) Watching the ladies do all those fancy twirls I have to admit is pretty fun
 
You know, Phil, it's funny you should mention quickstep. That dance is the catalyst that made me start ballroom dancing. I watched the movie, Shall We Dance, in which there's a quickstep heat in one of the competitions. To me, it looked like they were flying! I thought it was such a beautiful dance, and I just had to try it. Funny, isn't it?
(By the way, I do a little quickstep, but that's one of my near-term dance goals. To expand my knowledge of a couple minor dances -- quickstep and samba)


Anyway, about hustle and ECS. Here's my philosophy. At first blush, I have had nothing but hatred for both dances. But I'm going to make myself at least try it, to be sure of how I feel. Like with ECS, hated it! :evil: But I made myself do it anyway, because it's so common at dances. Now, I'm really starting to like it. *shrug* Maybe hustle will work out the same for me. Either way, I'm going to give it the old college try. :D
 
I also remembered I have this weird love/hate thing with West Coast Swing, I LOVE watching it done by great dancers, but I personally, have never really been able to get the hang of it (though I have my moments here and there), I just have to think about it too much! Someday though, I may break that barrier.
 
smoothdancingirl said:
I love hustle...I wish It were part of the American Rhythm!!! The music rocks!! 8)
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Right on!

New fave tunes for the Owl to Hustle to:

Naima - Hipnotic

Slap That Bass - Ella Fitzgerald (remixed)

The Music In Her Eyes - Swell Session

Sweet Tears - Roy Ayers

Tangerine - The Ananda Project

Elevation - Blaze
 
HI Jenn,
Noooooo! :shock: Not another salsaholic in the making! :lol: :lol:
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I'm afraid so! I spent an entire day streaming Salsa music at my house some time ago while doing my basic...I was hearing cowbells and congas in my ears for several days afterwards. Plus...I have noticed strange things when women find out you are studying it. Mention Swing, Hustle etc, you may get a few nods from the ladies. But if I even say the word "Salsa" around women of Latin descent (regardless of their age), I suddenly become the center of attenion and asked to show off my moves (which I polietly decline since I only know about 5 or 6). :lol:

Just kidding, SG. Follow your heart. True, knowing lots of dances does make it easier to fill your "dance card" at certain types of dances, but if salsa is what you love, go do it. You can always try salsa clubs. That way, there won't be a lot of stuff other than salsa, mixed in with a little merengue, bachata, and an occasional (I do mean occasional! :lol: ) cha cha or rumba. Narrows down the number of things you have to learn quite a bit. And you'll get good at it faster. It's your choice. :D
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I must confess total ignorance to Merengue and Bachata...actually when I hear everyone talking about it I keep thinking of that sweet rice drink (Horchata). :roll:

I do know some Cha-Cha and Rhumba...sounds like it is time for a Salsa event...*shudder*...that should be the true test to see if I'm really addicted or not. :)

Best,

SG
 
Hey SG, you probably know 6 moves more than me. :D I've only had two Salsa lessons, but it's a lot of fun. I still need to find some Salsa music to listen to I'm sure that will help me. I practice without music and when we do our lesson, the music seems so fast to me. My instructor says I'll get use to it. I've yet to dance with anyone too. Maybe in a few weeks....
 
Hi SD, I go to my next lesson this Thursday. I can't wait! At a swing dance convention this weekend they played maybe one or two Salsa songs, so I watched closely all the people doing Salsa. Oh gosh, everyone I watched was doing a different version!! I didn't know who to watch. Some were moving and spinning all over the place and some were just doing basic moves. I would've loved to try a little Salsa but I was too chicken to ask anyone with only two lessons under my belt. :(
 
Hey dancergal! Just dance. I'll never forget the time when I'd been dancing a total of eight months and Sea World Orlando sponsored a two-day Latin festival. including some big-name acts! I went, and I danced. Maybe, in retrospect, I was a terrible dancer, but the guys that day were SO NICE! :D I got lots of dances, and lots of compliments. I think the deal is, you have to try it. So try it. :D You'll have a blast!
 
dancergal said:
Hey SG, you probably know 6 moves more than me. :D I've only had two Salsa lessons, but it's a lot of fun. I still need to find some Salsa music to listen to I'm sure that will help me. I practice without music and when we do our lesson, the music seems so fast to me. My instructor says I'll get use to it. I've yet to dance with anyone too. Maybe in a few weeks....
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Hi DancerGal,

Well taking Latin class a few months back was my first dance class ever. I had never ever set foot on a dance floor prior to this...needless to say I was pretty nervous! :shock:

Salsa music is really fast...I still get blown away by most of it. I had trouble feeling the music at first, even with my semi-rusty musician's ears. Having no clue what artists to listen to, I went out and bought "Salsa Fresca" at a local music store...there is one song on there called "Lluvia" that has a nice slow tempo...plus the song is really beautiful. You might give that one a try. Eventually I went for streaming Salsa online since the songs would be unfamilliar to the ones I'd been listening to over and over.

Well, I mentioned before that I went to a live Salsa event after only a few weeks of lessons. Luckily, the first song I danced to was a Cha-cha so I was able to find the rhythm easily...but when the fast Salsa came on...I was totally lost! That's why I'm eager to go to a club or show and see how I do with a few months of lessons under my belt. I'm planning on going in a few days...and I'm both excited and nervous...but if I want to improve, I have to get myself out there. 8)

Hope the Salsa lessons go well! :)

SG

P.S. Sorry for getting off the Hustle thread. :oops:
 
scorpionguy said:
I must confess total ignorance to Merengue and Bachata...actually when I hear everyone talking about it I keep thinking of that sweet rice drink (Horchata). :roll:

I do know some Cha-Cha and Rhumba...sounds like it is time for a Salsa event...*shudder*...that should be the true test to see if I'm really addicted or not. :)
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Hey guy. Don't sweat the merengue and bachata. The club version of merengue and the bachata are pretty easy to pick up. Just go, watch one done, then do it. That's how a I learned bachata. I was doing salsa with a guy, and when a bachata came on, we kept dancing. End of story. :D So don't worry about it.

Please check back in and let us know how you club experiences go. :D
 
scorpionguy said:
Salsa music is really fast...I still get blown away by most of it.
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Same here. I guess it'll take some getting used to. I've never listened to Salsa music before so I'm not familiar it. I'm going to try streaming Salsa music from the computer like you did. That's a great idea. I'm off to my lessons soon. Can't wait to learn more Salsa!
 
Okay. So I'm just back from the Billy Fajardo/Katie Marlow hustle workshops -- beginning/intermediate and intermediate/advanced. Assessment -- first, they're excellent dancers and approachable teachers. Definitely a thumbs up. :D Second, I still don't like hustle, but at least I now know why. 1. The th-thunk you feel when you partner doesn't stay forward poised on the rock step. 2. The need for loose, loose arms to accomplish the wraps, etc. Mine still like to tense up sometimes. 3. The fact that a lot of people find the &1-2-3 rhythm challenging. It drives me crazy to dance with someone who can't feel it. :x

Bottom line -- I think I could learn to like it, if danced with a good lead. A big if. Also, I had a blast taking advantage of my "pose" moments, if you know what I mean.

They also did two theater arts workshops, which I skipped because I still have to practice my drills for my upcoming competition (two weeks from tomorrow -- eek! :shock: ), and I'm going out to a ballroom dance tonight.


I recommend this couple as a good pair of teachers -- doable material, humorously delivered, and with attention to good technique. Good deal! :D
 
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