Our Story

Rhythm of The People began as Hustle & Soul in 2021, with small dance classes and gatherings rooted in the social dance traditions of Seattle's street and club scene. It started in response to COVID-19 and the need for spaces where people could safely gather, move, and reconnect with each other again.

Friends of the Waterfront Grand Opening, 2025. Shot by @kkhooray.

As those gatherings grew, something became clear: people weren't only coming to dance. They were coming to connect, to meet people, share space, learn from one another, and feel part of something again.

So the work grew right along with them.

Over the next few years, small classes and gatherings expanded into workshops with visiting artists, public programs, cultural events, documentary work, and collaborations with artists and institutions across Seattle.

3 Day Rhythmetrics Camp with Sekou Heru, 2023. Video by Ronnel Abrigo.
Warming Up The House, 2022 — a three-day gathering with City of Lights Art Gallery and Seattle Art Museum.

Warming Up The House was a three-day gathering in partnership with City of Lights Art Gallery and Seattle Art Museum, featuring Ejoe Wilson, Louie Orlando, and Beth Darci, bringing visiting dancers and the local community together through dance, education, and shared experience.

Attendees sharing a moment at Full Circle: Past, Present, Future
Panel discussion at Full Circle: Past, Present, Future, Seattle Asian Art Museum
Panel discussion at Full Circle: Past, Present, Future, Seattle Asian Art Museum
Panel discussion at Full Circle: Past, Present, Future, Seattle Asian Art Museum
Community members at Full Circle: Past, Present, Future
Community connection at Full Circle: Past, Present, Future
Full Circle: Past, Present, Future, 2024 — Seattle Asian Art Museum, in partnership with 4Culture. Video and photos by Tony Udom.

Full Circle: Past, Present, Future was an all day affair: a gathering of workshops, discussion, food and dance centering Circle of Fire Crew's contribution to Seattle's cultural history, and a recognition ceremony honoring the many community members who continue this work, held in partnership with Seattle Asian Art Museum and 4Culture.

Documentary still from Tales From The Circle, screened for an audience
Tales From The Circle, 2024. Directed and produced by Janū Sung.

Tales From The Circle is a documentary preserving the history and philosophy of Seattle's Circle of Fire Dance Crew, Seattle's Club history and the people who helped shape it.

In 2025, Hustle & Soul became Rhythm of The People, carrying the spirit of the original gatherings into a broader mission: creating opportunities for people to move, gather, and remember another way of being together.

Dancers connecting at Hustle on the Pier
Community members dancing at Hustle on the Pier
Dancing at Hustle on the Pier, Seattle waterfront
Partners dancing at Hustle on the Pier
Community dancing at Hustle on the Pier
Dancers at Hustle on the Pier
Community gathering at Hustle on the Pier
Dancers connecting at Hustle on the Pier
Close-up of dance partners connecting at Hustle on the Pier
Dancing at Hustle on the Pier
Community members at Hustle on the Pier
Dancers at Hustle on the Pier, Seattle waterfront
Partner dancing at Hustle on the Pier
Community dancing at Hustle on the Pier
Dancers connecting at Hustle on the Pier
Community gathering at Hustle on the Pier
Dancing at Hustle on the Pier
Dancers at Hustle on the Pier, Seattle waterfront
Community members dancing at Hustle on the Pier
Kids dancing and playing at Hustle on the Pier
Hustle on the Pier organizing team and DJs at the waterfront
Hustle on the Pier, a free gathering on Seattle's waterfront with Friends of the Waterfront. Photos by Patrick, Brayan, and Vikos.

Today, that work continues through programs like Hustle on the Pier, a recurring free gathering on Seattle's waterfront in partnership with Friends of the Waterfront, in collaboration with local PNW DJs, performing artists, and volunteers.

We're still building. The programs may take different forms, but the throughline remains the same: creating accessible, culturally rooted spaces where people can move, learn, connect, and belong.