Oral Histories
Dance is Life wouldn’t be here today without the legacy of Latin Hustle in New York City and the history of it being danced in Central Park—right where Dance Is Life began nearly 50 years later. Many of the dancers who will happily take you for a spin danced in that same spot decades ago as teens in the 1970s.
Photo by J Taylor Studios
Sal on skates at one of NYC newest public spaces, Hudson River Park’s Pier 76. Photo by Angie Vasquez
The History of Dancing Hustle in Public Spaces
The roots of Latin Hustle formed in the public spaces of New York City, where anyone of any age or background could join, and do it for free. Here, “OG” dancer Sal Rentas shares where he partner danced when he was too young for the nightclubs, including basements, parks, and recreation centers, like the one at his grandma’s church, the Church of Blessed Sacrament in the Upper West Side.
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My grandma's school in Blessed Sacramento, right there, which is not too far from from here on 70th Street. On 70th Street, the gymnasium. That's where we first hustled. And there was like these basement parties because I was too old. the community rooms on on 90th Street. there was a few committee rooms there, and, like, I was too, too young to go to the clubs, even though it was 18 at the time to get into the clubs.
David is not only a dancer, he’s also an artist and poet. You’ll often see him with his performance art piece, inviting partners to dance, and paint, with their feet. Photo by David D.G.Noble
Latin Hustle Meets Hip Hop
Another “OG” dancer you’ll see at Dance Is Life, is artist David Husney. He is an expert in the history of Latin Hustle because he lived and danced it himself. Here, David describes the relationship between Latin Hustle and Hip Hop, both serving as an escape from gang violence in the city’s safe spaces, like St. Mary’s Church in the Bronx, where, for many of the original dancers like Willie Estrada and Billy Fajardo, “Hustle was life.”
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The history of Hustle? It goes back to the gangs in the South Bronx, where they were actually, the Breakdancers were the originators of Hustle also—a gentleman named Willie Estrada and Billy Fajardo—all of these, just to mention a few. They were trying to stop some of the gang wars, and they did it through the dance. Okay, both breakdancing and hustle, where they would come in [as] a community, in a social at Saint Mary's Church, and they would have these socials, and none of the gangs were allowed to wear their colors, their gang colors, so they would really bring peace—it took a while—but bring peace, over a dance. So when you talk about Dance Is Life, Hustle was life for some people.
Peter Rodrigues is led by John Rinaldi, both of whom are leaders and followers. Photo by Stephen McFadden
The Legacy of Dancing Latin Hustle in Central Park
The “spinning top” of Latin Hustle, Peter Rodrigues, is known for his immaculate spins. Like many of the “OG” dancers who join us today, Peter discovered Latin Hustle as a teen and hasn’t stopped spinning since. Here, he describes the scene of Central Park in the 1970s, where Dance Is Life would launch nearly 50 years later, and bring the baby powder with us.
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Oh used to be crazy. It used to be more people. More people used to come here in those time. They used to had the, hustle here. And it was different because you had to— People didn't know, like, you know, now like, everything now is in the internet. You know, where is what? But here you had to [know]. Yes. You know, the way I find out was that what I did, I came here, and I know it was an area where they do all kinds of, events. So I came down here and they used to have a lot of disco playing here, and they used to have salsa over here by the Bandshell! Big concerts. Yeah. Back in the days. Yeah. Or the big? The big salsa celebrities come here. Ray Barretto, all the big stars. These guys who do the concert here. And this used to get packed with people. Yeah.
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