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"The Hustle" was created as part of a collaboration with Beloved Communities Network and includes an Augmented Reality experience. Download the Blackterminus AR APP on your phone, hold it up to the painting, and see it come to life.
“To begin with, I've been exposed to the action of "Ancestral Dance" as a practice of Beloved Community after reading Kristen Lynn Zimmerman's book, "Ten Thousand Beloved Communities." This caused me to wonder, as a Black American male, what might I claim as an ancestral dance?
During my childhood years and on into adulthood, the only dance in a corporate sense that I have memory of is, "The Hustle." This dance pervades our family reunions, (no matter which state) fourth of July picnics, house parties, and Memorial Day celebrations. I've even witnessed its infiltration into choir rehearsal in the church basement. In a more intimate setting, my Mother, her sisters, and the men in their lives (my Dad included) sweated out this dance in our family room.
I would never have guessed that many incarcerated men would have mirrored experiences with this same dance from their own backgrounds. That is, until after creating a Beloved Community right here in Michigan's Muskegon Correctional Facility. It's my hope that the following description of that experience will provide you with a clear picture of the remembrance and spiritual freedom we men, here on the inside, enjoyed that day.
Using the facility's commissary to purchase food items, we put together what we called a fellowship meal. We had what's termed on the inside, "a nacho do" and drinks. We spent time sharing "our personal stories" which was prompted by the many stories in the book "Ten Thousand Beloved Communities." We learned things about each other we hadn't previously known. We focused on the "Embodiment" section of the book and the topic of ancestral dance came up. I was the first to pick "The Hustle" as the only dance that reaches way back in my life. To my surprise, every single person there also had experiences with that same dance. We began describing the different variations when in walks a guy who had no knowledge of what we were discussing. None of us could believe our ears because he was listening to the song "Do the Hustle." Instantly, tables were cleared, a line was formed, and we were laughing and dancing. It was exhilarating, almost euphoric. I built up a nice sweat and stepped out of the line, and the view you have in the painting is the one I had. From right to left, is our Indigenous brother we call by his Indigenous name Bear, the brother with the dreads is Staffa, Hector who we call S.A., Travis who simply couldn't get the dip forward right to save his life, Big-T who is just a sweet soul later told me that he "never felt that accepted before while in the joint." Juan "stick figure" who's the most prideful people I know. Weazy and his dog "Caz" got in on the action too. And last and least, the cop who couldn't believe that no one was high on something, and went searching only to come up empty handed. We had to break into smaller groups as people just started joining in. I would have to call it "The Hustle."
— Alvin Smith
