Alex Da Silva (dancer)
{{Short description|Salsa dance champion and choreographer}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Alex Da Silva
| image = 2005 Alex-DaSilva face.jpg
| image_size = 180px
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|3|27}}
| birth_place = Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| death_date =
| death_place =
| occupation = Choreographer
| spouse =
| parents =
| children =
}}
Alex Da Silva is a Brazilian dancer and choreographer, specializing in Salsa dancing. Da Silva is also known for being a recurring guest choreographer on the Fox TV show So You Think You Can Dance.[http://www.fox.com/dance/bios/s1_dasilva.htm Fox Broadcasting Company: So You Think You Can Dance] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070616080908/http://www.fox.com/dance/bios/s1_dasilva.htm |date=June 16, 2007 }}
In 2009, Da Silva was arrested over allegations of rape{{cite web |url=https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/tv-choreographer-accused-of-sexual-assault/1859387/ |title=“So You Think You Can Dance” Star Accused of Sexual Assault
|work=NBC4 Los Angeles |date=August 18, 2009 |accessdate=10 April 2025}}, and in 2012 he was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison.{{cite web |last1=Kandel |first1=Jason |title=TV “Dance” Choreographer Sentenced in Rape Case |url=https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/so-you-think-you-can-dance-choreographer-sentenced-in-rape-case/1936600/ |website=NBC Los Angeles |publisher=NBC Los Angeles |access-date=10 April 2025 |date=27 January 2012}}
Biography
Da Silva was born March 27, 1968, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.{{Cite web |url=http://alexdasilva.danceafficionado.com/ |title=Alex Da Silva: Dance Instructor |access-date=2007-08-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070803193134/http://alexdasilva.danceafficionado.com/ |archive-date=2007-08-03 |url-status=dead }} He discovered Salsa dancing at the age of 20.[http://www.alexdasilva.com/bio.html ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070720002549/http://www.alexdasilva.com/bio.html |date=July 20, 2007 }} He is credited with contributing to the LA-style of salsa dancing. Da Silva started his career as a salsa dancer and instructor in the San Francisco Bay Area.{{cite web |title=Salsa dance star charged with rape |url=https://abc7news.com/archive/6747291/ |website=ABC7 News |publisher=ABC7 News |access-date=10 April 2025 |date=6 April 2009}}
''SYTYCD'' choreography
| class="wikitable" style="width:74%;" |
| Season
!Show !Dancers !Style !Music |
|---|
| rowspan="8"|Season 1
|rowspan="2"|Week 1 |rowspan="2"|Mambo |rowspan="2"|"Caravan"—Eddie Torres and His Mambo Kings |
| rowspan="2"|Melissa Vella Ryan Conferido |
| Week 2
|"Cubanjam"—Orquesta la Palabra |
| rowspan="2"|Week 5
|Kamilah Barrett |Mambo |"Mambo Cool"—Ernesto Marquez and his Orchestra |
| Ashlé Dawson Artem Chigvintsev |"El Sabroso Son"—La Palabra |
| Week 6
|Ashlé Dawson |"Santa Maria"—Gotan Project |
| Week 7
|Ashlé Dawson |Salsa |"Oh Mayi"—La Sonora Poncena |
| Week 8
|Alex Da Silva |Guest performance |"Caravan"—Eddie Torres and His Mambo Kings |
| rowspan="7"|Season 2
|rowspan="2"|Week 1 |Salsa |"El Tamblor"—La Palabra |
| Natalie Fotopoulos Musa Cooper |Mambo |"Nina"—Joe Cuba Sextet |
| rowspan="2"|Week 3
|Heidi Groskreutz |"Rumba del Solar"—Angelo Rodriguez |
| rowspan="2"|Allison Holker Ivan Koumaev |rowspan="2"|Argentine tango |"Libertango"—bond |
| rowspan="2"|Week 7
|"La Cumparsita"—Orquestra Esquela de Tango |
| rowspan="2"|Heidi Groskreutz Benji Schwimmer |Mambo |"Black Mambo"—Angel and the Mambokats |
| Week 9
|Salsa |"La Comay"—Sonora Carruseles |
| rowspan="4"|Season 3
|rowspan="2"|Week 1 |Ashlee Langas |Argentine tango |"Sentimiento Tango"—Trio Federico-Berlingieri |
| Lauren Gottlieb Neil Haskell |Salsa |"Friday Night Rhythm"—Mazerati 5 |
| Week 4
|Shauna Noland |Mambo |"Flauta Y Timbal"—Tito Puente |
| Week 7
|Sara Von Gillern |rowspan="2"|Argentine tango |
| rowspan="4"|Season 4
|rowspan="2"|Week 2 |Chelsie Hightower |"Mi Confesión"—Gotan Project |
| Susie Garcia Marquis Cunningham |Salsa |"Aguanilé"—Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe |
| Week 4
|Kourtni Lind |Mambo |"Ban-Con-Tin"—Super-All-Star |
| Week 5
|Chelsie Hightower |Salsa |"Fuego"—Joe Bataan |
- Favourite routines:
- Mambo with Benji Schwimmer and Heidi Groskreutz was chosen by Benji Schwimmer (winner) as his best performed routine season 2
Rape charge and conviction
In 2009, Da Silva was charged with "four counts of forcible rape, two counts of assault with intent to commit rape and two counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object."{{cite news |author=Josh Grossberg |url=http://www.eonline.com/news/you_think_you_can_dance_star_pleads/183838 |title=So You Think You Can Dance Star Pleads Innocent in Rape Case |work=Eonline |date=Jun 2, 2010 |accessdate=28 January 2012}} Da Silva stated he was innocent and pleaded not guilty to all charges. He had stated in interviews that the sex was consensual and that the women were trying to extort money from him and they may have known each other as they came from the same small town.{{cite web |author=Edie,TSF |url=http://www.salsafreak.com/alexdasilva.htm |title=Alex da Silva – His Story |work=Salsafreak |date=September 16, 2011 |accessdate=28 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125005813/http://www.salsafreak.com/alexdasilva.htm |archive-date=25 January 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}
Da Silva was arrested in August 2009, and unable to pay bail set at two million dollars, he remained in jail for two years as mistrials and delays prevented his case from reaching a conclusion.{{cite web|author=Milton Rodas |url=http://www.salsahook.com/archive/details/2011/02/09/64/Alex-Da-Silva-trial-in-court-to-start-soon |title=Alex Da Silva Trial in Court to Start Soon |work=Salsahook |date=February 9, 2011 |accessdate=28 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120122032834/http://www.salsahook.com/archive/details/2011/02/09/64/Alex-Da-Silva-trial-in-court-to-start-soon |archivedate=22 January 2012 }}{{cite web|author=Milton Rodas |url=http://www.salsahook.com/articles/details/111/Alex-Da-Silva-trial-delayed-multiple-times |title=Alex Da Silva Trial Delayed Multiple Times |work=Salsahook |date=Jun 23, 2011 |accessdate=28 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120106171420/http://www.salsahook.com/articles/details/111/Alex-Da-Silva-trial-delayed-multiple-times |archivedate=6 January 2012 }}
On September 16, 2011, a downtown Los Angeles jury found Alex Da Silva, 43, guilty of raping a 22-year-old woman in August 2002 and assault with intent to commit rape involving another woman in March 2009.{{cite news |author=Richard Winton |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/09/so-you-think-you-can-dance-instructor-convicted-of-rape-and-assault.html |title='So You Think You Can Dance' choreographer guilty of rape |work=Los Angeles Times |date=September 16, 2011 |accessdate=28 January 2012}}
On January 27, 2012, L.A. Superior Court Judge Kathleen Kennedy, defense attorney Carlos Valdez. Valdez and associates Santa Ana CA handed down a 10-year prison sentence in reference to the 2009 arrest.{{cite news|author=Tim Kenneally |title='So You Think You Can Dance' Choreographer Alex Da Silva Gets 10 Years for Rape and Assault|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUS15651231020120128 |work=Reuters |date=September 16, 2011 |accessdate=28 January 2012}}
Da Silva was released from prison on February 15, 2018. He was deported back to Brazil soon after.
See also
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140523071535/http://salsawiki.bestofsalsa.com/index.php?title=Alex_Da_Silva Alex Da Silva on SalsaWiki]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Da Silva, Alex}}
Category:Brazilian male dancers
Category:Dancers from Rio de Janeiro (city)
Category:Brazilian emigrants to the United States
Category:So You Think You Can Dance choreographers
Category:American male dancers
Category:20th-century Brazilian dancers
Category:21st-century Brazilian dancers