'So You Think You Can Dance' choreographer charged with sexual assault

[Jessica]

'So You Think You Can Dance' choreographer charged with sexual assault [updated] | L.A. Now | Los Angeles Times

 

 

Quote:

salsa dance instructor and choreographer on the Fox television show "So You Think You Can Dance" was arrested this morning on a felony warrant charging him with sexually assaulting four women.   Alex Da Silva, 41, was arrested at his North Hollywood home by Los Angeles police.   The charges include four counts of forcible rape, two counts of assault with intent to commit rape and two counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object, said Jane Robison, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.   Da Silva is being held on $6.2 million bail, she said.   The alleged assaults took place between August 2002 and March 2009 and involved four victims, Robison said. The victims were either dancers or aspiring dancers who met Da Silva at his dance classes.   Da Silva is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday.   [update, 11:45 p.m   Da Silva initially was arrested in April during a class he was teaching at the EDGE Performing Arts Center in Hollywood.   The choreographer was briefly jailed but released after the L.A. County district attorney's office declined to file charges and asked detectives to resubmit the case with additional evidence.     Los Angeles police investigators alleged that Da Silva raped four female students using various ruses to get them into his bedroom, such as wanting to show them new clothes or asking for help fixing his computer.   At the time of his original arrest, Silva's attorney Harland Braun told The Times, the case was a misunderstanding of “the difference between seduction and rape.†On Tuesday, Braun had no immediate comment on the search warrant and was critical of the bail amount.   “I always find it absurd to see a bail like $6.2 million,†Braun said. “I wonder what went through the judge’s mind when he signed such a warrant.†  Police said three of the incidents took place in North Hollywood and the most recent case took place in Van Nuys. Police investigated the case further, leading to the arrest Tuesday.

Whoa. That's crazy. I don't remember this guy though. Was he on this past season at all?

[BachataBride]

I don't remember him either! But that is crazy!

Just shows you can't really trust ANYONE! Ugh!!

[Kristy!]

Wow, what is wrong with people? I don't remember him either, I'll have to look him up. On second thought, why give his name more hits on Google? Pig!

[boscobel]

Oh, I def remember him! He wasn't on this season, but he was on all the previous seasons I think. He was pretty good. But that's crazy! I wonder how many dancers he took advantage of.

[ErinB]

that is crazy! I wonder if Fox will make any kind of statement or just never mention him again?

[courtney_b00]

Geez that is horrible and completely disgusting. People like that just deserve to have it cut off!!

[rodent]

on wikipedia there is a list of his dances http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Da_Silva_(dancer)

[*Heather*]

Holy crap - what a creeper.

[chicagobeachbunny]

What an awful and absolutely crazy story! I remember him from the show.

[~*Lisa*~]

ewww! People are sick!!