Serrano recently resigned as the owner of Evolución Latina Dance Company In Chicago shortly after a dancer from Minneapolis posted in her Facebook account in three parts that she had experienced abuse, coerce sexual encounters that led to suicidal tendencies.
On March 29, 2025, a letter of Cease and Desist Demand for Defamation Against M&A DanceLab Studio and Alejandro Awuro was sent to Douglas Ortiz, aka, DJ Dougy Fresh of Miami Dance District who has been making false allegations against Awuro, if Ortiz fails to stop, a lawsuit will be filed against him by Awuro. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19S9V8XVnY/
By H. Nelson Goodson
Hispanic News Network U.S.A.
March 27, 2025
Chicago, Illinois - On Saturday, the Evolución Latina Dance Company in Chicago announced that Jose Serrano, its owner had resigned from the company after Claire Rebecca, a popular dancer from Minneapolis, Minnesota posted on her Facebook (FB) account in three part posts that she had been abused, coerce to have sexual encounters with Serrano leading to suicidal tendencies.
Rebecca's FB post: part 1 of 3, https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AHQRCu2z6/; part 2 of 3, https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GVJMuZP37/, and part 3, https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1QJTZg4EK3/
Serrano has not released a statement in regards to Rebecca's allegations. Rebecca on part 1 wrote, "I was abused and groomed by Jose Serrano. Over a period of years...I joined Evolución Latina Minneapolis and eventually became the first captain...Soon he controlled my personal and financial decisions as well." Serrano is married, but apparently coerced Rebecca to have sexual encounters with him periodically.
On FB part 2, Serrano began to frequently contact her and to flirt with her, and he told her that his wife could never know. "Eventually, he coerced me into sleeping with him and then told me I could never tell anyone, even my future husband," Rebecca wrote.
She says that he would abuse her to the point of having "severe suicidal thoughts and almost acted on them. If my mother hadn't called I don't know if I'd be here today."
Rebecca also claimed, that during time with Evolución, she was sexually assaulted by Douglas Ortiz, Serrano's best friend.
She finally escaped from Serrano's frequent abuse by leaving the dance company.
Rebecca's FB posts has drawn hundreds of comments including that she is another victim of sexual assault in the Latin Dance Community.
Also, James Carlson, President & CEO Of Premier Latino Events LLC from Saint Paul, Minnesota on Friday confirmed that his dance company "will no longer host, collaborate with, or engage in any partnership with ELDC or it's affiliates Evolución Latina Minneapolis, as long as the organization remains under the leadership of Jose Serrano." The local ELDC will be provided guidance to the leadership and dancers as they navigate their transition away from Serrano, according to Carlson.
The Chicago Salsa & Bachata Festival 2025 (CSBF - Island Touch Events) has also announced that they have decided to disassociate themselves from Serrano and Ortiz for the upcoming CSBF event in April 2025. CSBF statements regarding Jose Serrano and Douglas Ortiz https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AHTD6S8os/ & regarding Marcos Ramos-Garcia https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1YQEB8ac5G/ & CSBF video response to current concerns and allegations raised https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DVNfhtUBm/
According to a FB post by Zumba Alegre, the CSBF is not doing enough for the victims of abuse behavior by a predator cesspool. Alegre says that Marcos Ramos-Garcia, aka, DJ BachaTito, the registered agent for Lucky 7 Promotions LLC from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the co-organizer of the CSBF "has been called by women for inappropriate advances" and has been ignored by CSBF organizers. The CSBF holds events in Chicago, but none of the organizers are from Chicago, Alegre alleged.
On Wednesday, the Denver Salsa Bachata Zouk/Kizomba Congress announced that it had terminated its contract and association with Zeke Ruvalcaba and Marcos Ramos-Garcia for the current convention and all future events in light of the recently surfaced allegations of sexual harassment, effective immediately. (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1B4uZQ4P7j/)
Kevin Avila on Wednesday, in his FB account wrote that Ruvalcaba allegedly sexually assaulted two individuals in 2022, and yet CSBF continued to employ him. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1KasQD4HYh/
Marcos Eduardo Raygoza posted his alleged sexual assault by Zeke Ruvalcaba at the CSBF in 2022 when he was 18 at the following Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/p/DHmhkRWuqhF/?igsh=cWNnNDJvamU4eWN4
Also, that CSBF had known for the last two years that Ramos-Garcia had been accused of alleged sexual misconduct, and Ramos-Garcia had filed a civil lawsuit in Milwaukee County against a female defendant for making the allegation, but Ramos-Garcia later dropped the lawsuit in February 2024.
The following FB post comment allegation was made by Lysandraliz Santos (Ramos-Garcia's ex-girlfriend) in Rebecca's 3 part in the comment thread section four days ago.
"I went through the same thing…..it started when I was 17 and finished at 21. Do they still hire him as a DJ and to teach yes! Do people know he’s a predator probably yes! My abuser is Marcos Ramos Garcia. He tried suing my friend because she exposed the truth. And he pulled out the case because he couldn’t prove himself innocent. STOP SUPPORTING THESE MANIPULATIVE RAPIST AS HEADLINERS."
Ramos-Garcia has never been charged for sexual assault or sexual misconduct in Wisconsin or Illinois.
The Re Ba Dance Company on Wednesday announced that it was redrawing participation at the CSBF 2025 due to recent allegations of abuse and sexual misconduct involving Serrano, Ruvalcaba, Ortiz, Ramos-Garcia and Rudi Lopez. (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1LnhaEnRMR/)
Those individuals named above have not made any public statements regarding the allegations against them.
Rebecca's claim of experiencing abuse behavior by Serrano, including coerce sexual encounters leading to suicidal tendencies has brought attention to the alleged acts by some so called predators (individuals) that prey on unsuspecting and vulnerable victims attracted to the Latin dance community in the tri-states of Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Editor's note: It seems that Rebecca's three part Facebook post has opened the Pandora Box in the Latin dance community.
Joseph Cuervo also posted in the comment thread in Rebecca's part 3 that Luis Loredo from Dallas, Texas was outed by Victoria Peña (also a victim of abuse) who allegedly exposed another FB post dated February 18, 2023 by Xavier Haskin, which wrote that Loredo had at least 16 women (victims) who alleged that Loredo either assaulted, sexually assaulted or experienced sexual harassment from him, including Alicia Lore who made her story public in social media. (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16118VBF26/)
Another alleged coercive sexual abuse incident, Felipe Martinez posted on Rebecca's 3 part FB post comments, a FB post link by Madison Gutierrez dated March 11, 2020 regarding a dance instructor named Gabriel Romero at Allegro from the San Francisco Bay area in California who had allegedly impregnated one of his student team dancers and had her get an abortion while he was having another sexual relationship at the time with another dancer from the same dance team. Both student dancers (victims) came forward and identified themselves in the comment thread and confirmed what had happened. (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16LdXCB58v/)
Andres Meneses, the CEO from Latin Street Music & Dancing announced that Serrano "will no longer rent studios at Latin Music" in Chicago. (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AGKxPbQ3Q/)
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