Basic and Spin Turn

Hustle Lady Basic 1/2 turn to L and 1/2 turn to R

From Closed Position (Lady and Man in "L" position):

• & | RF partial weight, Ball, back break

• 1 | LF fwd, Pivot,  Heel, Ball

  • (*) Footwork: some do Ball lead (Dance Vision), some do Heel lead.

• 2 | RF back, completes the 1/2 turn to L, Ball Flat

  • Turns for normal basic - legs can be a bit more straight (than spin turn)

  • Turn starts at the end of previous step 1.

• 3 | LF back, Ball Flat

• & | RF back break, Ball

• 1 | LF fwd, Heel lead. Finishing position:

  • Option: 90 degree arm, Lady's L arm straight to side, 90 degree with her R arm which is connected to the Man.

  • Option: overturned body, body opens up more to L, L arm straight to the side to present to audience. Could be slightly diagonal. 

• 2 | RF fwd, Heel lead, Ball pivot to turn to R, 1/2 turn

  • See "Whisk" finishing option

• 3 | LF back after completing the 1/2 turn to R, Ball Flat

• &1:  many possible finishing positions: 

  • Option: Back to the basic perpendicular position, 

  • Option: "presentation/wind up" position where Man let go of Lady's R hand, Lady over turns to R, open up R side/turn R hip to R, really open up chest, R arm out to side, look to R to "present to audience". Lady and Man are in shadow position. Lady's arm straight to the side (or some prefer slightly bent) 

  • Option: Presentation pose, with Lady's L arm hooked with Man's R arm (Lady: don't let arm variations disturb steps and movement) (Man will wind up himself to his L mirror of Lady in this variation.)

Option: "Whisk" 

• 2: Lady RF fwd, see Man is preparing to compress, both hands connected, stretching to side, and do the big arm movement, both arms up diagonally before  Man drops the arm

  • Man keeps Lady on her RF as hinge point to turn her. As Lady pivot on RF, body is slightly leaning/shaping to R

  • Normal side pass, Lady rotates and steps, use foot pressure, not as much of pivoting action, it's a "walk-through action".

  • The lead for this - Lady will feel the rising (2) and then lowering into the R knee on last half &. On bent R knee, it propels to next step 3. 

  • On the rise, Lady's L knee is bent (to the back, not front, so L upper thigh is parallel next to R upper leg).

  • Make sure arms belong to Man and not use or push him.

• 3: Lady LF back/side, L arm big circle (down and then up), Lady's wrist and Man's wrist are touching, don't lose connection.  Lady's RH kept connected with Man's LH.

• &1: RF whisk action.

(Basic can be repeated)

Hustle Lady's Spin Turn

From presentation shadow position, Lady does L spin turn

• In shadow position, presentation pose, from previous "&1" account:

  • &: Lady opens the R hip to side. 

  • Finish "1":  LF reach out a bit (not too short a step, ball flat). weight 60% on LF, L knee bent. upper body not leaning too much fwd or side. 

  • When opened up to R, it's normally to prepare for a left 1 1/2 spin turn. The opening to R is a winding up/preparation for the spin.

  • At end of 1, start turning L 1/2

  • Lady will look to the right.

• 2: RF almost to side/back, use foot pressure to continue to turn 1/2 to L

  • Suggestion: don't put too much weight over RF too soon. Keep the weight in the middle when turning. Use foot pressure.  (pivot action not recommended here.) Use both feet gives more control. 

  • Knees would be a little flexed when spinning.

  • Speed on 2  can be a little fast. 3: starts to slow a bit. Next &1: smoother/slower so it's easier for Man to put his hand on her back.

• 3: LF fwd (reach out a little further, which may become a heel lead, which is ok, ball or flat is ok too), continue to turn.

  • 3: is the "end of the rope", it's a stop.  Man is going to pick the Lady up in the back

  • LF does need to step out a bit, do not do the spin too tight and close to Man, which makes Man have no space to pick up lady. But can't be too far either.

  • Knees flexed during spinning (more relaxed and flexed than normal basic 1/2 turns) 

  • No need to do too much pivot on this count on LF (which makes next "&" step be a back step). Instead, use next "&1" to complete the turn, giving Man time to put his hand to collect the Lady.

• &1: Collect/soften the knees, relax and complete the last 1/2 turn end of 1, RF closes to LF. On "1": LF fwd on heel or flat.

  • Option 1: Take the moment here to have another "presentation" moment with RF collect (or to side if Man doesn't collect), winding up . It doesn't need to finish the full turn to face Man on &1 till the very end of "1" to start pivot on LF. 

  • Option 2: Head look over L shoulder (instead of R in the presentation pose) and see where Man is going.

  • If Man does a continuous "coffee grinder",  Lady does a side step on her RF *&" (instead of a "together" step). (hand connected above head or free spin), at this step, he will not pick up the Lady on her back, in which case, they are still in shadow position, Lady can have RF more to the side (instead of closes to LF which prepares to come out of it), repeat the presentation/prep with open arms, look to the right, before doing continuous L spin turn on &1 (full chaine turn) , then 23: RF side/back, LF back to finish. 

Note:

• Spin turns: fwd - side - fwd 

• Spin Turn: keep upper body more continuously turning, not stop and go. 

• Lady's arm options during spin:

  • Option: collect next to body

  • Option: 2 3 R arm up  ballet arm above head (not straight), L arm in front of body, bent L elbow, &1: switch arm, R arm back out to side. L arm  up and then out on top of Man's shoulder for closed position, or L arm big circle out to side to end in open position.

• Chaine turns: keep turning along one direction using side - side - side foot placement

  • Lady can do a chaine turn after the Spin Turn on syncopated &1 if Man  did not collect Lady, Lady would keep turning down the slot. Total would be 2 1/2 turn.

• The footwork above is the opinion of some Hustle coaches.

• Technique from Dance Vision syllabus states the footwork shall be mostly Ball or Ball Flat (no heel lead). One will have to see what they prefer for themselves.