JOHN ALAN, ESQ

JOHN ALAN

Friday, September 1, 2011

DIRECT of JOHN ALAN

John Alan is 49 years old.  Mr. Alan is an attorney.  His highest level of education is law degree and he works in this building (Downtown Criminal Court.)  Mr. Alan has known D since 1993.  D was his salsa instructor and friend.  Eighteen years ago, Mr. Alan first saw D competing in a dance competition in Studio City.  During a trip to visit family, Mr. Alan met D at a club in San Francisco.  Mr. Alan continues to dance in salsa scene.  He has danced for 20 years in salsa, jazz, ballet, and Argentine tango.  Mr. Alan took lessons from D.  D moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles in 1995-1996.  Once D was in Los Angeles, Mr. Alan would take lessons at the Mayan Club, Grand Ave (closed), and studios primarily in the San Fernando Valley.  Mr. Alan never took private lessons.

Mr. Alan shared his experiences as a male salsa dancer.  Salsa as a dance originated in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Colombia and the Caribbean.  Its music is a combination of African rhytms and Caribbean music.  It is a sensual partner dance with dancing in close proximity.  The more advanced the dancer, the ore sensual and sexual the dance becomes.  Mr. Alan typically went alone to the studios for class and clubs for social hours.  D taught at the Mayan, which Mr. Alan attended, for ten years.

 

When Mr. Alan saw D, he was the best dancer he had ever seen.  When they met in San Francisco, D taught him.  Mr. Alan regards D as a tremendous dancer and instructor.  There is no one his equal in Los Angeles.  Mr. Alan wanted the best instruction so went to D’s classes.  In 2005, D was hired as a choreographer in Season 1 of the TV show “So You Think You Can Dance” for the salsa/tango routines.  “So You Think You Can Dance’ differs from other dance shows, e.g. “Dancing With The Star”, insofar that all of its participants are professionals.  All the participants are tremendous dancers.  D worked on “So You Think You Can Dance” until 2009 on the date of his first arrest.

Mr. Alan would go “social dancing” in the salsa scene.  D would be there.  D is the best dancer Mr. Alan has ever seen.  If D dances with an advanced partner, he would have perfect timing, acrobatics, perfect showmanship, tricks, amazing moves.  Mr. Alan describes D’s dancing: “It was a pleasure to watch.”  D was the favorite of the women in the salsa clubs.  Young women would vie for D’s attention.  Mr. Alan left before at the Mayan Club so doesn’t know if D ever left with women or not.

CROSS-EX of JOHN ALAN

The only private lesson, or lesson that comes close to a private lesson, that Mr. Alan has had with D was in 1999 or 2000.  D invited Mr. Alan to be part of a short film shoot on a Sunday night.  Mr. Alan remembers the shoot taking much longer than the expected few hours as D wanted to get every move perfectly down.  D never invited Mr. Alan to dinner or a movie at his house.  D was a good instructor, any person who saw him dance would immediately recognize the quality.  There was a lot of jealousy in the salsa scene.  Mr. Alan would note petty jealousy from other dancers because of D’s ability as a dancer and popularity with women.