Learning to Hustle: Would this idea work?

[Tim Tam]

Hi all.

Ever since seeing videos on YouTube of people dancing the Hustle (in it's many varied and beautiful forms) I have really wanted, yearned actually, to take it up myself. Unfortunately, at least in Melbourne, Australia, I can't find any place where I can learn it. Not wanting to give up I have been trying to think of a way around this.

I have ordered a "How to Hustle" DVD off Amazon so part of it is taken care of but I would also need a dance partner and of course it will be no fun unless there are other people doing the Hustle too. Assuming that there might also be other people out there who would like to learn Disco Hustle I had this idea of hiring a room in a community centre, setting up a TV and DVD and somehow getting other Disco people along and us all learning how to Hustle from the instructional DVD. After a while once people had learned to dance you wouldn't need the DVD and any new people could be taught by the members.
There would be no charge to anyone (be nice if they kicked in a couple of dollars for the room rental) and it would be a good place for Disco lovers to meet up and get a Disco "fix" on a regular basis.

I guess as much as anything it would be a Disco Hustle club but not a "Nightclub" type club more a "Hobby" type club where people got together to keep the Disco Hustle alive. There are all sorts of clubs out there, why not one for Discophiles?

Now it is one thing to have an idea, it is another thing to put it in to practice. The big problem would be getting the word out to people who might be interested. I could spruik here but how many Melburnians would see it. So does anyone have any advice on how I could get the word out?
I was thinking the dating websites have lots of people who are the right age and sound like they would like something interesting to do but again how could I get to them?

Any advice and ideas you can give would be most appreciated.

Cheers,
Tim Tam

[Tim Tam]

Apparently not such a good idea then.

[needlefingers]

Don't despair.

Most Ballroom Dancing courses teach the Hustle as part of their training.

And they have social functions for people to practice outside of the classroom.

Check your local community colleges and universities that offer adult education or continuing education courses.

And check out dancing schools. Some will offer Ballroom dancing.

Specific schools for Ballroom dancing, such as Arthur Murray, will even offer classes specific to learning the Hustle.

Here is one in Melbourne;
Arthur Murray Dance Studios - Melbourne Dance Classes - Dance Lessons Melbourne - Dance Classes Melbourne

Never count on others to make your dreams come true.

Good Luck.

[Tim Tam]

Thanks Needlefingers,

especially for finding the Melbourne Arthur Murray site. I will get in touch with them and find out what they have to offer. What concerns me is that although the site specifically mentions the Hustle as part of the ballroom dancing suite it appears that in Australia at least, they don't actually teach it. Apparently it is quite different in the U.S.A where there are competitions and special Hustle nights but in OZ it appears there is nothing like that.

I would certainly prefer to find an established scene that I could join but if , as I suspect, that isn't possible I thought the only option was to try and start something myself. You would think in a city of 3.6 million people you could find a few who might be interested. There is a thriving rock n roll dance scene so why not a Disco one? We all know it is much better music.

I do have a friend/acquaintance who is a competition ballroom dancer. I will ask him if he knows of anything happening on the Hustle front locally. Should have asked him first really.

Thanks again,
Tim Tam

[needlefingers]

There was another school I found the other day;

Star Studios

They offer some free lessons and inexpensive socials.

[Tim Tam]

Thanks again Needlefingers,

The new one, Star Studios, is near where I used to live.

I have sent off some inquiries and am now waiting for their replies. Fingers crossed.

Cheers,
Tim Tam

[JussiK]

The hustle? That's not so hard to do as you know. Check out
Video Discoqueer-Janvier 2008 lo-mejor - disco, aicha, dj, club, discoqueer - Dailymotion Share Your Videos
for a couple of infamous euro djs demonstrating it on stage 2 weeks ago at the Nouveau Casino in Paris
The track is a great synth version of Cerrone's Love In C Minor as done by Sphinx.

[FlyRobinFly]

Even if you learn it from watching a video you would still need a partner to practice with. I'm sorry that you are having a hard time. why not ask a small group of friends (3-4 couples) if they are interested in learning from the video with you. That is a starting point.

[Tim Tam]

Thanks Fly Robin Fly,

I have floated the idea with my friends but they just laugh at me. The problem is that I don't know ANYONE who likes Disco. Unfortunately pretty standard for most Australians (in my forty-ish age group at least) for whom all Disco/Dance/R&B is despised. It's Rock or nothing as far as they are concerned.

The good news is that I have found at least one Dance School in Melbourne that gave me an equivocal "yes" when I contacted them about learning to Hustle. I think this is probably the best way to go about things as I would think I am more likely to find people who want to Hustle among those already in the Dance community. Hopefully I can persuade them to take a dip in the Disco waters. Who knows what could come from that? Ideally a regular "Hustle" night. That is my dream.

Thanks,
Tim Tam

[needlefingers]

Good for you. And don't be afraid to learn other styles of dance, especially latin ballroom. I am a former disco dancer and you have to know more than just the hustle to make you and your partner stand out.

Finding a group that already has interest has worked. And I'm glad you kept searching.

[boogiebroad]

Would love to learn the Hustle Line Dance & Partner dance from the 70's - but more the street dance rather than the ballroom twist on it. So yep, I too would like to know where I could learn this in a group class environment.

cheers

[FlyRobinFly]

ANY UPDATES??

Originally Posted by Tim Tam

Thanks Needlefingers,

especially for finding the Melbourne Arthur Murray site. I will get in touch with them and find out what they have to offer. What concerns me is that although the site specifically mentions the Hustle as part of the ballroom dancing suite it appears that in Australia at least, they don't actually teach it. Apparently it is quite different in the U.S.A where there are competitions and special Hustle nights but in OZ it appears there is nothing like that.

I would certainly prefer to find an established scene that I could join but if , as I suspect, that isn't possible I thought the only option was to try and start something myself. You would think in a city of 3.6 million people you could find a few who might be interested. There is a thriving rock n roll dance scene so why not a Disco one? We all know it is much better music.

I do have a friend/acquaintance who is a competition ballroom dancer. I will ask him if he knows of anything happening on the Hustle front locally. Should have asked him first really.

Thanks again,
Tim Tam