May
28, 2002
Dear Rose and Ziv,
First of all I would like to congratulate you for having the most
amazing Salsa info website in Canada. I regularly visit your site
as it gives me a little taste of Toronto like I use to remember when
I lived there. I have lived in Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, and now
Vancouver, but Toronto is by far the Salsa Capital of Canada. For
the last 3 Years I have lived and breath Salsa and I just can't get
enough, so much that I even started my own parties on the days which
we don't normally have a Salsa Venue. When I first
moved out here I met up with Valerie Imperial who if you recall wrote
a few articles to tosalsa.com, she unfortunately is not seen much
around the Salsa scene as she is continuing her studies for a doctor
degree. I am not exactly sure if you have someone that gives you updates
on the Vancouver Salsa Community but if you should ever need some
information by all means I will be happy to provide them for you.
I thought to start off with I should send you this disturbing event
that took place in Vancouver last week concerning a court ruling on
one of our popular and well liked dancer in Vancouver. The
whole community is shaken up by this unjustice that has been done
to our Salsa scene. There is a Forum on Vancouversalsa.com with a
few comments by Edwin Navas and Roger Chen himself. We would certainly
love to get your opinion on this and we hope that this kind of thing
never happens in any Salsa Scene. Frank...
May 28, 2002 -- Hello friends,
If you had browsed through the Vancouver Sun last Friday, you would
have seen on the front page, the case regarding a Cuban salsa instructor
- Armando Pastor vs. yours truly - Roger Chen.
To see this newspaper article, please check out the following link:
http://www.canada.com/vancouver/news/story.asp?id=%7bC6C70FB6-99B1-4A98-B326-5EB02A0EB46D%7d
As a past student of Armando Pastor I was taught a salsa group dance
called "Rueda" translated to "Wheel". "Rueda"
is a group dance where two or more couples gather in a circle and
dance different dance moves called out by a leader in the group. The
couples switch partners while continuing to dance to the calls of
the group leader - very similar to square dancing. "Rueda"
is spontaneous and un-choreographed making this dance exciting and
exhilarating.
Armando claimed the "Rueda" moves to be his invention and
made his performers sign a Confidential Agreement. By the request
of Armando I became one of his performers and signed this Confidential
Agreement,- agreeing not to divulge his artistic work.
I later travelled to Montreal and Toronto and saw the exact same "Rueda"
moves taught by Armando. Salsa dancers were having fun dancing "Rueda"
in the clubs and at various outdoor events. I was even able to join
the local "Rueda" group seem as how I already knew most
of these "Rueda" moves taught to me by Armando. Let's face
it, Cuban calls with a Montreal accent still sounds very much the
same.
After returning from my travels I realized that the small community
of Salsa in Vancouver was missing out on something that other cities
were enjoying - "Rueda". In the summer of 2000, I decided
to offer a FREE summer "Rueda" class for the intermediate
dancers of Vancouver. I taught the moves that I saw in my travels
and that I saw in instructional videos. Mr. Tony Boutros, a local
salsa instructor who took his salsa group to Seattle to learn "Rueda"
also took his weekends out to help me out with this benefit. That
summer people were dancing Rueda everywhere, indoor and out. I was
proud to have opened a whole new side of Salsa for me and my friends
of Vancouver
the side of "Rueda" that had been so greedily concealed
under a "Confidential Agreement". (I would like to stress
that aside from assisting Luis with 4 Rueda classes, I have not profitted
from teaching "Rueda".)
However soon after the lawsuit hit my door and the battle of Armando
Pastor vs. Roger Chen began. I have set up a web page to show some
of the court documents and ruling, more details on certain links to
come. http://members.shaw.ca/chen.roger/index.htm
I am also interested in what you have to say regarding this. If you
wish to write to Vancouver Press to voice your opinion, their address
are: (please cc me on your opinion)
mailto:provletters@pacpress.southam.ca
mailto:letters@times-colonist.com
mailto:sunletters@pacpress.southam.ca
Please forward this to all your friends and let's voice our opinions.
Thank you. Roger Chen
June 5, 2002 -- Cuban Instructor sues Student
I was shocked to hear about this case. It would be wise for students
to refrain from signing legal documents. First of all when you teach
you expect students to learn and to
practice your style of teaching. Students do not go to class to learn
and keep their knowledge a secret from the rest of the public. The
Cuban Instructor in question should take a lesson from the few Salsa/Mambo
instructors who are very proud when they see their students imitating
him/her on the dance floor and also, from instructors who teach their
own dance team members to teach others his/her own style of dancing.
I know a very famous Instructor who instead of being proud of those
he taught, he is resentful and jealous of their success. The fact
is that teaching is for learning and learning is for teaching.
DO NOT SIGN LEGAL DOCUMENTS IN THIS BUSINESS. FIND INSTRUCTORS WHO
ARE UNSELFISH AND IF YOU ARE ASKED TO SIGN A LEGAL DOCUMENT WALK RIGHT
OUT OF THE CLASS ROOM!
Irma Martinez, Webmaster of Abakua Dancers
June 5, 2002 -- Rueda lawsuit
This lawsuit is absolutely silly. Simply typing "Rueda moves"
in any Internet search engine will give you a ton of pages that clearly
have no link to Armando. What a loser. I can't believe he won the
case though; apparently on a "breach of confidentiality".
Again, check the Internet. Call any number of instructors who will
discredit this charlaton! -- Josue
June 17, 2002 -- Rueda lawsuit
I am a little bit baffled, perhaps someone could clarify the legalese.
It seems that what the instructor was found guilty of was taching
rueda in general on the basis that he could only have learnt sufficient
from his original instructor. However the basis of the claim was that
certain copyrighted moves were protected by the confidentiality agreement.
The judgement doesn't seem clear to me as to what Chen was found guilty
of.
Chen, in your own wods can you clarify what the judgement was. Plain
English please.If it was the former, then it should surely be easy
to show the range f moves that already exist in the public domain,
if the latter.....That was what the confidentiality agreement covered
and the judgement is correct, although I do find it strange that copyrights
cover such limited sections of a dance. I am aware that the full routine,
or major parts of it can be copyrighted, but for individual elements
where many variations already exist?
Was the judge competent to judge the difference? Graham
November 11, 2002 --
Vancouver Rueda Lawsuit
I can't believe this guy, I really can't. I'm so irritated by his
amazing ability to state that Casino Rueda moves where HIS idea that
if I had the time to go and rip his eyes out I would.......but, coming
down to earth and more 'civilized' ways, all I can do is base my opinions.
No dance (certantly not Rueda) has an owner, firstly because it was
formed by culture and secondly because dancing is a social way of
expresion and comunication... how can somebody own such wide and undefined
aspect of life? Words to express my disgust and rage for this man
are scarse and overflowing my mind at the same time... but in the
end, it is superflous to say he is wrong, for the whole world aware
of this event knows this individual deserves the respect you give
a doorknob... and the extreme humiliation action from the Music and
Art world. -- Adilia la Sonera.
~Keep your steps in pace with your pulse, let your heart guide, and
your feet do the dancing.
