Letter to Dancing With the Stars

To the Producers's of ABC's Dancing with the Stars:

I am a host of hustle parties in New York for over the last 8 1/2 years and the event director a national hustle dance event in NYC for the last 5 years called 'THE NEW YORK HUSTLE CONGRESS'.
This event involves competition dancing, workshops and performances in hustle and other forms of dancing. There are many other hustle event directors, teachers, competitors, performers and social dancers such as myself throughout the United States (including Puerto Rico) and in Europe. I am writing on our behalf because we are very proud of the dance Hustle and request that you do a better and more realistic interpretation than has been displayed on your show over the last few years.

FACT 1: Hustle dancing is one of the few pure authentic American dances, other than swing, Foxtrot and Peabody. It should be danced with the same respect the other dances are given on your show and not be made to look ridiculous

FACT 2: Hustle is not a dance that people stopped doing in the 80's. We actually have a combination of a young community and baby boomers that dance to current music as well as the classic music it was originally inspired by.

FACT 3: Hustle dancing is challenging, lyrical, rhythmical, beautiful, funky, dynamic and a sexy way for two partners to express themselves to music.

The people who dance hustle want you to know that. It was evident to us that you have no knowledge of what hustle really looks like. Your past demonstrations with the Professional dancers teaching the celebrities these hopping patterns were not even flattering to Pros and an embarrassment to the hustle community.

Recently you gave this big hype about airing a group hustle. Our community was ready for it. We keep waiting for you to represent our dance in the manner in which it deserves. Instead you gave the public a gross display of campy cheesy costumes and the dancers bouncing around in a manner that even a rabbit would be offended by. I used to work with Corky Ballas back in my days as a competitive ballroom dancer and was surprised in his choices to interpret the hustle in the group dance. It was without class and not an honest example of what hustle dancing has evolved to in 2009. The cliches your show used are so overdone and old that I am shocked that you could not come up with anything a little more fresh than what was presented.
Please check out YouTube to see what people who dance hustle are currently doing.

Our dance community wants to be heard. Thank you for listening and read the comments listed on this Facebook link
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?v=app_2347471856&ref=profile&id=704418095

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