The name 'Hustle' was originally a Line dance of the same name. The 'couples dance' that was to later steal the name when the movie "Saturday Night Fever " hit the scene was a mixture of Latin and Swing, mixed to the new modern Disco beat. No one knew what to call it and it had many different names across the country in the early 1970's such as "disco swing, Rope Hustle, Sling Hustle, Street Hustle, Latin Hustle etc." These versions usually were different types that would add the flavor of its name.
The couples form of Hustle is said to have come from Florida with Latin dancers 'Augie and Margo', the Cubans with a mix of Mambo,
Swing and the new disco beat that would make its way to the eastern states such as New York. A legendary dance couple of the 1950's who live in Florida, where way ahead of their time by the name of "Augie and Margo" who created a fusion of different dance styles into one in the 1950's. This fusion would help set the Mambo on fire as well as lead the way for a new style of Mambo, more streamlined, crisper, cleaner and trademark lifts and tricks done in the past by this famous duo that are almost ear-marked with the dance today. Many people would learn from them and incorporate it into this new dance form. All the best dancers of the day in the early 1970's where doing Augie and Margo such as Billy Fajardo (and his dance team), Lisa Nunziella, Maria Torres, Eddy Vega, Artie Phillips, Ricky Quintana and others just to name a few. Altho they did not create the dance, they had a huge impact on it in the 1970's.
The new 'Disco' music helped as well. This new "Disco Beat" was a continuos beat that would "Thump-Thump" instead of "Tick-Tock," this thump-thump was a "Tick-Tock" but not as accented (a continuous pulse to the beat rather than alternating pulse) which would make it appear to the ear as if both beats were the same. This would make it easy for the DJ's to keep the music going by mixing one song right into the next without stopping the music and the "beginning dancers" did not have to worry about their timing as near as much as in alternating or pulsing rather than thumping beats (since there are 4 beats to a measure and they were only dancing three, basically they were "off time" every other 3 beat pattern).
The dance eventually got to difficult by the performing public as aerials and trick dancing was to become common place. Country Western replaced the Hustle in popularity, namely the Texas Two Step which originally was much easier for all to do and offered a more wholesome atmosphere, rather than the wild nightlife of the disco that the average guy/girl wanted to take part in. However the Hustle changed all of the dances done today.
Generally: L.A. Hustle = Usually Faster Music, more slotted than rotating, less stretch ~ N.Y. Hustle = Usually Slower Music, a more rotating slot, slightly more footwork and stretch.
