The International Hustle Dance Association has a syllbus and, I believe, DVIDA is working on a syllabus and manual. DVIDA has a number of technique DVDs (this website sells many of DVIDA's learning aides).

If you can't locate a "book" for the technique, you may be interested in the following offered DVD's by champion dancers. See the copied link in this text. Then go to "Nighclub".
There is Beginning-Interm./Interm. to Advanced/Hot Moves Vol. 1 and Hot Moves Vol. 2. http://www.starlightdance.com/store/
Good Luck.

There are several types of hustle. There is the basic, syncopated, freestyle, and made up.
(for women)
Basic:back rock step with right,bring right foot forward, tap right, tap left, and start over.

Syncopated:is hard to explain without showing

Freestyle:is what that leader makes up

Made up:people in clubs who think they know what they are doing

As far as technique, I don't know of any books. However, I go to Arthur Murray and they teach hustle. I say if you want to do hustle, you go and do it. There are many street dancers, that think they know what they are doing but they don't. Just like that "Salsa dancer" on So you think you can dance. She was a street dancer that thought she was doing salsa. So I would take lessons. I think that that is your best bet. Don't let anyone discourage you because it's likely that they are just simply jealous of what you can do. Trust me I know that feeling.

Good Luck!

There are actually 3 recognised forms.. the original ..Latin (of which I was at the congress for its timing debate in the 70s )

" 3 " count, which is a bastardised format of triple time swing,,.. and.... the so called " 4 " count, based loosely on a merengue format .

All of these were, and are , still taught in many of the chain schools .

There is not a one hustle based on merengue. The basic hustle is however based on the triple swing. So, you are partially right, I guess.

Since I started teaching and examining it in 1976, its empirical evidence .

ALL the chain schools in the states used the merengue as a format for what they term 4 count hustle.. you need to get YOUR facts right .

Also..the original was not based on triple swing, but on WEST coast swing .

The 3 count is based on E. Coast but that didnt come into vogue until several yrs after " Latin Hustle "was devised .

How can Merengue and the Hustle be compared . They are as different as chalk and cheese.

You are thinking purely in a MUSICAL sense .


The reason is this... many of the variations in merengue, can be readily transposed to 4 count, and even some latin hustle .

Most dances " borrow " from each other . The Rhythm dances are notorious for this... altho, some of the ballroom dances are equally adept at doing same .

The " purity " of virtually ALL dances , has long disappeared ( Locksteps in T/Arg )

V.W. and Sq. Rumba are possibly the only ones to have retained more of their intial concepts, by and large .( but...the Amer. style VW has been embellished beyond belief )

Terence. I've only scratched the surface of this. We only have two legs and maybe four beats of music. There is a limit to what can be done with two legs and four beats. What I see in the Hustle are Jive steps without the Chasse. Am I right in saying that the Merangue came long before those other dances were even thought of.
I was told that in the Merengue the dragging of the foot was because ( i'm sure they said Hattie which was Spanish ) a century and a half ago a General who had been a bit of a dancer in his day had his leg severly injured. And out of respect for this old General they formed a dance which it appears has a injured right leg and is dragged into position.

You are correct.. IF its 3 count or street.
The 4 count is more benign and borrows heavily from Merg..

latin hustle is an adaption of WC Swing to some degree .

As to the origins of merg. it is from the Carrib,.. the Dominicans seem to lay a greater claim than do the Haitians. The " leg " story I think ,is apocryphal .