Studio sends dancer packing

Instructor terminated, background questioned

By Matt Smith/msmith@trcle.com

A dancer featured in an April 13 Times-Review story will have to find a whole new ballroom.

Julie Villanueva, owner of Gotta Dance studios, said she terminated dance instructor Larry Tyrone Stevenson, also known as Estefan, June 13.

Stevenson began working at Gotta Dance’s Cleburne and Granbury studios in January.

Several people who contacted the Times-Review after the story ran disputed several claims Stevenson made in the article and said he has a criminal record. Attempts to substantiate several of the claims proved unsuccessful. Stevenson, in a phone interview, said he did not want to discuss his personal life.

One disputed claim was Stevenson’s assertion that he placed third in the World Open Salsa Competition in 2006. Stevenson said he has a trophy, certificate and video of the event. He refused to send or fax a copy of the certificate but did offer to show the video. Stevenson said he furnished Villanueva with proof of his participation and placing in the contest.

“No, I absolutely never saw any proof of that,” Villanueva said.

Stevenson said there are 23 different salsa dance competition organizations, which function as separate entities not overseen by a central organization.

“I don’t care if there’s 600,” Villanueva said. “My problem was when was it, what were the dates and who can I contact to verify it? And he was never able to provide that information.”

Claims that Stevenson had or had not appeared as an extra in the television show “Walker, Texas Ranger” and choreographed and performed at Dallas Mavericks half-time shows also could not be verified. Stevenson said he appeared in two Mavericks shows but could not provide dates. Stevenson suggested contacting Dallas Power House of Dance, which, Stevenson said, organized events for the Mavericks. A message left on the phone of Kirsten Seiter, a woman said to be in charge Mavericks events, was not returned.

The Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Record Service records show three Texas convictions for Stevenson between 1993 and 2004. One conviction, stemming from a 1993 Sherman Police Department arrest is for failure to identify. The second, from Collin County in 1999 is for assault causing bodily injury. The 2004 conviction, out of Dallas County, is for criminal nonsupport. Stevenson admitted to being on probation in Dallas County but refused to discuss the details.

Villanueva said she was shocked when she initially learned of the alleged discrepancies.

“He’s a very nice, well-spoken individual,” Villanueva said.

Villanueva said she checked Stevenson’s background as far as employment before hiring him but did not do a criminal background check. Such checks are expensive and require the applicant to authorize them, she said, adding that she’d never had a problem in 30 years of running dance studios.

“A lot of things that are going on have not been told ... ,” Stevenson said.

Stevenson said his employment contract terms give him partial ownership of the company after one year of employment.

“Since it’s getting close to where that’s supposed to happen, and then all of this happens, it’s kind of obvious,” Stevenson said.

Villanueva confirmed Stevenson’s employment contract contained such terms but said that did not play into her decision to terminate him.