LOS ANGELES, CA // ALEX DA SILVA - Reports surfacing early February of this year state that Alex Da Silva's court trial preliminary hearings have commenced after more than a year of confinement in the LA County Men's Central Jail. Alex has been unable to meet a 2 million dollar bail (a harsh bail imposed because as a Brazilian national he was considered a 'flight-risk'). His next court date is scheduled for February 25, 2011. 

[ June 23, 2011 UPDATES TO THIS ARTICLE
// Alex Da Silva Case Information ]

[ ARTICLE by STACY DA SILVA on SalsaHook.com
// Alex Da Silva's Sister ]

Conditions inside the jail are said to be harsh for Da Silva (Booking#:2024149), who in late 2010 was admitted to the Men's Central Jail's medical wing as he suffered from severe dehydration that resulted in kidney stones. Water provisions are reported as not being of the highest standards of quality and complaints about unsanitary conditions or acquired illnesses appear to not receive immediate or proper attention. Relatives and supporters of Da Silva are angrily protesting the conditions to which Alex is being subjected to and have received some notoriety on websites like onlinesalsa.com.

Alex, who is 42 years old (born 3/27/1968), was initially arrested in August 2009 on multiple felony charges stemming from allegations of incidents occuring between 2002 and 2009. The charges included four counts of forcible rape, two counts of assault with intent to commit rape, and two counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object, as reported by TMZ.com initially. The alleged victims were all dancers who met Da Silva through his dance classes. Da Silva denied and pleaded not guilty to all charges. 

Many who knew Alex Da Silva, whether as mere acquaintances, colleagues, or dear friends and relatives, seem split between supporting him or accussing him. Alex was often very controversial on his approach and treatment of others, former female dance partners, and former business associates. Rumors always seemed to surface, some worse than others, and put him in a negative light in the eyes of many. He was, however, probably the most successful and financially accomplished salsa dancer in Los Angeles (salsa dancers or dancers in general are known to struggle financially; not Alex), was a dance champion, and the featured salsa choreographer of the highly-acclaimed TV Show "So You Think You Can Dance."

I personally knew Alex Da Silva and at some point even had a short-lived business relationship with him due to my web development background (as you can see by the creation of SalsaHook.com), and as he wanted a much more dynamic website than the one he had — something that never materialized. I also visited him at his home on the hills near Studio City and in one occassion even helped him teach a salsa private lesson to three of his female students. I personally have no knowledge of what can easily be understood, given his profession, to have been numerous other occasions when perhaps Alex had students, male and/or female, over for lessons or to entertain in courtship, but the one time I was there, I know he was respectful to all women and as soon as class was over, they paid and left. However, I definitely cannot say that I am/was not aware of all the rumors about Alex's mistreatment of former female dance partners, his preying-style approach toward beautiful women, his business practices, and so many other things. 

With this, I am not attempting to claim to have known Alex well. In fact, we probably could have been considered no more than simple acquaintances most of the time. But as an observer of it all, it just seems harshly difficult to realize that such an accomplished person who often had women around him, was witless enough to throw it all away for momentary satisfactions that he could have gotten willingly with the next person who came along. Yes, nowadays we see (thanks to TMZ and others) many mainstream celebrities with much more success and notoriety than Alex committing similar or worse mistakes in life, getting entangled with the law, and destroying their careers, but one often wishes to imagine that individuals would be smarter than that.

Well, I guess time will tell what it is to be said in the future about Alex Da Silva. Guilty or innocent, only God and those involved truly know, but may justice prevail as it takes its course.

Some Sources:

Addicted2Salsa.com 
LA Times 
Examiner.com 
Online Salsa 
SalsaFreak

Other sources, such as TMZ.com, are quoted and links are offered within the article itself.