Take a few steps to your right, left, back, and forward to the beat. In general, three steps work best with freestyle solo disco. Keep your posture upright and confident. Try to picture yourself “strutting” to the beat with your steps. Wiggle your hips from side to side, also to the beat. Get your shoulders into it. You can shimmy, where you shake your shoulders, alternating each forward and back. [2] X Research source Alternating left and right shoulder rolls also works well with disco. Whatever you do, just keep it consistent for a few cycles. Your hands should be kept at about shoulder height and incorporated into your dance. You can choose to move them from side opposite to your shoulders. If you’re shimmying, keep them relatively still with your elbows pointed down. The exact movements aren’t important as long as they’re timed properly and repeat. Make sure your whole body is moving. If you dance with just your legs or just your upper body, your dance won’t fit the high energy required for disco.
Move your hips from left to right, switching positions with each beat. Time your movements with your partner so that the two of you gently “bump” your hips every other beat. Keep your hands in the air and move them in the opposite direction of your hips. Unlike other disco moves, it’s best to keep your feet grounded. [4] X Research source [5] X Research source
Modern freestyle disco dancing can incorporate flips and other acrobatic tricks, especially in professional competitions. If you have the skills to pull these off safely, try punctuating every few step cycles with a trick.
If you’re dancing by yourself, it’s perfectly fine to do the Bus Stop solo. Partners are not needed for the dance itself. [7] X Research source The Bus Stop is sometimes called the Hustle. Keep in mind that there are many very different types of disco dances referred to as the Hustle. While the first disco dances with the name were partnered, versions for single dancers dominated later on. Some Hustles, like the Bus Stop are line dances meant to be done by big groups of solo dancers. Each of these three main groups has several regional and cultural variants. There is no definitive version that can be called the Hustle. The Bus Stop or Hustle described here is a 3-step line dance popularized by a dance featured in the movie Saturday Night Fever. [8] X Research source
The traditional closed position used in many styles of dance. The lead and the follow hold hands on one side, usually the follow’s right and the lead’s left. The lead holds the follow by placing his or her right hand on the follow’s back. The follow’s left arm is draped over the lead’s right shoulder or upper arm. [17] X Research source Simply hold hands on both sides with your elbows bent.
You may choose to tap your foot in place or behind you instead. [18] X Research source
If you are leading, take a step with your right foot. In general, this step is done forwards to return close to your partner. However, you can choose to step in place or further backward. Then take a step with your left foot and then a step with your right foot. These steps can also be done in place, backwards, or forwards. If you are following, take the same three steps as your partner but with opposite feet. [21] X Research source
Dishrag: Starting from two hand holds or with crossed hands, the lead lifts up his or her hands and turns the follow underneath. Inside Spin: The lead lifts up one arm and stays in place while the follow does a counterclockwise turn. Butterfly: From an open two-hand hold, the dancers walk around each other, turning clockwise or counterclockwise. [22] X Research source
