Saturday, October 18, 2008 , Updated
Plano dance teacher goes to jail for … teaching dance
If YouTube is to be believed, prison is a great place to teach dance.
Eric Rush, a former instructor at Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Plano, is currently serving a 30-day prison sentence after he violated a court order telling him not to teach dance within 25 miles of said studio.
Seems Rush, who was either fired or quit his job at Arthur Murray last year (depending on who you believe), had signed a non-compete employment agreement with the studio, and when he set up a website and then taught lessons in Dallas, he violated that pact.
Jail time for dancing -- what is this, Footloose? On the plus side, maybe Rush can organize his own prison dancing group:
Posted by Alex B.
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Robert Couchman, says:
yes, it may seem like such a small matter, such a juvenile thing, to stop a man from teaching dance? I mean one might think he's a registered sex Offender? no he's not! but it is an important matter! he signed a contract! his given word! "oh I'm sorry he didn't think when he was signing it"....come on! thats whats so wrong! when one turns 18 in this country you'd better start thinking...yes, for yourself! dont expect mommy to come running! don't sign something unless you agree explicitly, no matter how unfair the consequences. If i had a penny for the times my children said "its unfair!..." oh well nuf said!
Verified
1 year, 1 month agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Jason Rice, says:
Alex.... you are a genuinely gifted Googler. If they start issuing Black Belts for web search, I want to join your Dojo.
That is evil.
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1 year, 1 month agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
RICH GRAHAM, says:
No matter if he was fired or resigned, if he signed a non-compete, it's a civil thing. Jail time? That's certainly not the answer. Financial penance might be warranted.
This is the kind of stuff that late night talk show hosts pick up, and it makes us Texas residents look like idiots.
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1 year, 1 month agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Clay213, says:
The jail time seems to be for contempt of court from what I can tell, but neither article makes that very clear.
Anonymous
1 year, 1 month agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
McKleenandSoberly, says:
I want nothing to do with the dance studio that would fight "hoof" and nail over a dance with such vindictive power wielding tactics as jail punishment. They are lucky an adult would give their time and energy to teaching something silly like dancing to begin with. What else is this man qualified to do professionally? Very little. Dance studios and jail sentences??? I will steer clear of that world altogether, where sometimes in Plano, the studio's owner has a spouse/lawyer who represents inmates' estates by suing the jail when they die in captivity! Dicey, seedy, sketchy, smells like 3-day old cod to me and heavy alcohol use to me.
Anonymous
1 year, 1 month agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
jtmbls, says:
Certainly this would seem very bad press for Arthur Murray - A shame they could be so petty. I assumed they had more class.
And just when I was considering dance lessons too...Very timely Alex. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. They have officially been crossed off my list of studios.
Anonymous
1 year, 1 month agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Clay213, says:
The school had nothing to do with this-- it wasn't like they said 'Throw this guy in jail!' and off he went.
Guy ignored the order of a judge, that's called contempt. Now he's in jail.
Anonymous
1 year, 1 month agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
jtmbls, says:
If they hadn't pursued the civil action to begin with, logic would lead me to believe that he would not now be in contempt. Clearly Clay, the school did indeed "have something to do with this".
Anonymous
1 year, 1 month agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Todd Maternowski, says:
When I worked for Arthur Murray, I had to sign a non-compete agreement as well. They poured tens of thousands of $$ in every type of training imaginable, and want to protect their financial investment in you as an employee. Made perfect sense to me: when I left five months later (and not on good terms), you'd better believe that I didn't teach dance in Dallas for a year and a half.
This guy signed the same agreement, then used his AM-paid training to go work on his own. He was told not to do the things he contractually said he wouldn't, did them anyways, and is in contempt. I find it hard to feel sorry for the guy.
Staff
1 year, 1 month agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Clay213, says:
jtmbls Anonymous
If they hadn't pursued the civil action to begin with, logic would lead me to believe that he would not now be in contempt.
No, he wouldn't be in contempt if he had followed the judges orders.
He wouldn't have been involved in a civil lawsuit if he had followed his own signature and promise.
Guy broke his word. His oh so touching cries of 'dancing is in my blood' are meaningless-- he could have taught in Austin, or OKC.
He broke his word. Twice. Now he's paying.
Anonymous
1 year, 1 month agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Mike Orren, says:
Although I know nothing of the facts of this case beyond what I've read here and elsewhere, Todd's comment reminded me that I was a party to a similar situation as a witness about 15 years ago.
Between the time that I interviewed for the job that moved me to Dallas and the time I moved here, most of the office had bailed to start a new company, taking several major contracts with them. There was litigation and an injunction that prohibited them from representing themselves as part of the old company; from using company documents and from trying to hire away remaining employees.
They did all three and there was a contempt hearing -- initial result of which was, like this, a thirty day jail sentence. However, our attorneys begged the judge not to send the other side to jail, presumably thinking it was over the top and reflected badly on them. Our bellicose owner fired those attorneys the same day.
Point is, this is a civil matter. BUT, once a judge's order is flouted, he tends to take it personally and jail time is the end result.
Staff
1 year, 1 month agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
srm, says:
sad and pathetic move on Arthur Murray's part. tsk tsk. pulling children from classes...
Anonymous
1 year, 1 month agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
alexander troup, says:
Dancing for the Stars, I dont have my guitar, and wait for the faries.. who dance by the light and blossums of compeating, cherries..somone is going to get famous out of this freak event.... while restrain your self, if the judge says not within a 100 feet obey ....obey..until then... fame, reporters and the law. Alex Troup. H.2.O
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1 year, 1 month agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
McKleenandSoberly, says:
Far wiser an investment than twinkle-toed folly at Arthur Murray is the school of engineering. Math and science controls the future, not cha-cha dancing in ruffled costumes. If we and our children do not take responsibility for our destinies, someone else is destined to control us.
Anonymous
1 year, 1 month agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
jtmbls, says:
So we shouldn't dance?
Anonymous
1 year, 1 month agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
alexander troup, says:
Dancing and drinking was considered dangerous stuff in The 1840s and 1850s of Dallas County, could be we are entering that eera again....the Dark age of Texas history, for Dallas...then again dancing in the street...A.T.... Human slipper collecor.
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1 year, 1 month agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
McKleenandSoberly, says:
Dancing and drinking and driving will get someone life in jail in 2008. It's still "considered dangerous stuff". Dance if you want..isn't that exactly what happened and what's wrong with some poor schmuck sitting in county??? He danced if he wanted.
Anonymous
1 year, 1 month agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
chriss, says:
This is one reason why this country has the shameful "honor" of being the #1 country on the planet in incarceration of its citizens. Prison should be only for those too dangerous to be in society at large. In more civilized countries, the individual who violated the agreement not to teach dancing (the horror, the horror!) would be fined or given community service.
Anonymous
1 year, 1 month agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
pjtrev, says:
I agree totally! This man is not a danger!
Anonymous
1 year, 1 month agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
chriss, says:
As far as "contempt of court" goes, anyone having even a passing acquaintance with the so-called justice system has to realize that some courts very richly deserve all the contempt.
Anonymous
1 year, 1 month agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
maryanne, says:
Arthur Murray is wasting their time trying to enforce their will on individuals. If they applied all that time, energy and money into improving their own studio maybe they would have a better chance of retaining students and instructors.
Anonymous
1 year, 1 month agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
maryanne, says:
After serving three weeks in jail, popular ballroom dancer Eric Rush, a/k/a Eric Romero, will be early released on Monday, November 3. Speaking from jail, Eric said spending this time in reflection has only enhanced his belief and his conviction that he has a calling to share the joy of ballroom dancing with others. He is excited about his future plans and looks forward to getting back out on a (legally distant) dance floor next week.
contact information: Eric Rush (Romero) (214) 923-5434 MyDancePro@yahoo.com
Anonymous
1 year agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
alexander troup, says:
Nonthing like dancing for the judge in those blue swade shoes.....and a little fame along the way behind bars,take care twinkle toes, A.T ..X ,dancing for the stars.
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1 year agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
jtmbls, says:
Well, good job Arthur Murray! You can't buy that kind of marketing. Something tells me Eric will be getting plenty of customers out of this.
Anonymous
1 year agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
alexander troup, says:
Maybe Mark Cuban can bail you out if your reading this. A.T, former tax clerk.
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1 year agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
anwarsmom, says:
I could not agree more with jtmbls and maryanne.
Arthur Murray should focus on customer retention rather than putting people in Jail for civil case matters.
I am glad that you put Eric's phone on the blog and I just called him to request an appointment for dance lessons. My husband and I love his passion.
I also wrote to Arthur Murray Corporate to express my dissapointment for taking this civil case very far. No answer so far.
I just spoke to Eric and he seems very polite and kind.
Anonymous
1 year agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal