SR

SR

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

DIRECT of SR

SR is 33 years old.  SR knows D as he was her salsa instructor in 2007.  SR Googled for the best salsa instructor in Los Angeles and found D.  She took lessons at his house, the Mayan, salsa clubs, and other dance studios.  On February 2007, SR contacted D.  SR had danced salsa before as intermediate.  SR took lessons to get better.  SR grew up dancing.  The lessons took place in a cleared living room of the Bennet Street house: a three level Spanish home.  SR would come through the back entrance up a couple flights of stairs to get to the top.  On the Bennet Street side there was a kitchen to the left and living room to the right.  The living room floor had big tiles.  SR doesn’t remember a TV.  SR would take lessons for one to one and a half hours, every week for a year and a half.  Radord met up with D at salsa clubs.  SR had her lessons at D’s house, always alone in the daytime.  SR spent time with D outside of lessons from 2007 to the middle of 2008.  D never approached SR for sex in lessons or at salsa clubs.  SR never indicated to D that she was interest in sex.  SR was married, wore a wedding ring.  SR was an intermediate dancer.  SR defined “salsa dancing” as “a Latin ballroom dance that is extremely sensual, technical, sexual in nature, with tricks, spinning, maneuvering between partners, a sexy dance that is fun.”  SR would dance with D.  In salsa, SR states there is “close body contacts: dips, way you move together.” Partners are very close in the dance.  The men’s and women’s legs are often interlocked and the man may stop and the woman may then use his body to do a variety of sexy moves.  At the Mayan, SR would see women dance with D: “Everybody wanted to dance with D, often flirtatiously. Salsa clubs have a steamy atmosphere.” Women were often affectionate, hugging, kissing on the cheeks.  In salsa, the man often spins the woman out and spins in.  There are trick on the floor such as going under the man’s legs.  Dancers are constantly getting stepped on, banged by other dancers.  SR has received injuries on her legs, knees, feet usually. Injuries are usually the result of mistakes that happens even to intermediate dancers.  The class is from 8-9:00PM at the Mayan followed by social dancing until midnight.  Salsa dancers do not always dance with partners at the same level: SR has danced with horrible dancers and experts.  Bruises on the shins, knees and feet aren’t uncommon and SR has had some.  SR has had bruises on her thigh occasionally.

CROSS-EX of SR

SR would describe D as reliable and respectful.  SR told a defense investigator that D’s girlfriend discovered D was cheating on her and was upset.  SR was doing D’s girlfriend’s make up at the time.  The girlfriend left and didn’t want to participate.  Prosecution asks why SR had to point out to D that she was married.  SR stated that she didn’t have to make it clear she was married but did make it clear as had had previously problems with previous dance partners.