In 2022, as communities across America began to emerge from the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, Warming Up the House brought people together through movement, music, and visual art at the Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park Pavilion. Co-produced by Hustle and Dance Collective and City of Light Gallery, the event celebrated the enduring spirit of Hustle dance culture — a tradition rooted in connection, community, and the joy of bringing people together on the dance floor.
Originating in the 1970s within New York City’s vibrant dance communities, Hustle became more than a partner dance style; it became a cultural expression built around inclusivity, collaboration, and shared experience. For decades, Hustle has created spaces where people from different backgrounds can meet, learn, and connect through rhythm and movement. In the wake of a period defined by distance and uncertainty, Warming Up the House honored that legacy by creating a welcoming gathering place for Seattle’s creative community.
The afternoon featured dance workshops and social dancing led by renowned Hustle artists Abdiel Jacobsen, Louis Orlando, Beth Darchi, and Ejoe Wilson, with music by DJ Magic Sean. Scores of participants gathered at the Olympic Sculpture Park Pavilion for an immersive experience that celebrated the return of collective movement and the power of human connection.
Throughout the event, artist Miha Sarani created a live painting inspired by a photograph of model and muse Adera Gandy, transforming the energy of the dance floor into a visual work of art. The evolving piece reflected the central theme of the gathering: the beauty that emerges when people come together.
Warming Up the House was produced by John Wesley through City of Light Gallery in collaboration with Hustle and Dance Collective — a celebration of dance, art, and community at one of Seattle’s most iconic cultural spaces.
