Students allege sex assault by former dance teacher
Legendary tap dancer Van Porter faces seven counts involving 3 females
Susan Lazaruk, The Province
Published: Tuesday, August 14, 2007

A former student of an internationally-renowned tap dancer testified yesterday that the former Riverdance regular sexually assaulted her when she took private lessons from him as a teen.

Van Porter is charged with seven counts of sexual assault against three women who allege they were assaulted over more than three years.

Porter, who calls himself Van "The Man" Porter on his website, is a former instructor at the Vancouver Tap Dance Society on Hastings near Renfrew, where the complainants allege most of the assaults took place.

Porter has pleaded not guilty.

Court heard that after the first two complainants went to police in 2003, Porter was allowed to continue teaching at the society, including private lessons, but parents were advised to supervise the one-on-one sessions.

The third complainant, who was 12 to 13 years old at the time, was allegedly assaulted after the parental warning.

The first complainant, now a 21-year-old who cannot be identified because of a court-ordered ban, calmly and without emotion told the B.C. Supreme Court trial that Porter massaged her breasts under her shirt on three occasions, twice rubbed her vagina while she stretched before lessons, kissed her neck 15 to 20 times and hugged her in an "unnatural" way a number of times.

Porter, whose head is half shaved and half closely shorn, sat in the defendant's box turned toward his former student while he took notes on a yellow pad.

She testified Porter twice placed himself over her in a pushup position while she was doing a face-down stretch which required her knees to be far apart and her soles together.

In one instance, "He started moving up and down in a motion I would describe as humping," she said.

She said she told no one of the incidents that occurred between July 1, 2002 and Oct. 22, 2003 because she was "terrified," "afraid" or in a panic.

After an incident in her parents' home, "I wanted him to leave so I could lock the door and feel safe."

After he left, she testified, "I closed the door and I sat in my room and I cried."

She said she worried if she told anyone, it would hurt her aspirations as a tap dancer.

"It was a privilege to work with someone as elite and as accomplished in his career," she said. "I thought if I spoke up, I wouldn't have the chance to dance in his group any more."

She notified police in October 2003 by slipping a handwritten note under the door of the police liaison officer at her Burnaby high school.

During cross examination, defence lawyer Richard Fowler accused her of lying in the letter, where she wrote Porter had unzipped his pants and rubbed his penis on her and took off her shirt and bra.

"That's a complete lie, isn't it?"

"Yes," she said. "I felt ashamed and I exaggerated some things to get her [the officer] to talk to me."

slazaruk@png.canwest.com

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VAN PORTER DANCED WITH GREGORY HINES

Tap dancer Van Porter:

- Is married and based in Vancouver. He tours worldwide as a performer, teacher and choreographer.

- Is scheduled to give workshops at the Tapology Dance Festival for Youth in Michigan this October .

- Toured with Riverdance through the U.S. and Europe for two years.

- Won TV's Star Search eight times as a member of the Rhythm Kings.

- Appeared in the movie Tap with Gregory Hines.

- Began tap dancing as a protg of Maceo Anderson, one of the original Four Step Brothers, regarded as innovators in tap dance.

- Danced in Tony-winning musical Black & Blue with Buster Brown, Bunny Briggs, Jimmy Slyde and Diane Walker, as well as in Broadway sensation Five Guys Named Moe.

© The Vancouver Province 2007