paloma's official website
Dear Family and Friends,
Members of the Community:
I am sure many of you have been aware of the news about my Junior Spirit Participant and winner (!!!) of the 2012 title, Sadee Broida. First of all, I want to thank all of those whose support and encouragement I counted on. You all know how much this means to me, and how much it means that I achieve all these things through honor and integrity. The due celebration of my second victory (my first, having personally won Spirit in 2005), due to diligent work over many years, has been usurped not only from myself, but Sadee, her family, the children in my studio and the parents and supporters involved, through the attacks made through the media, sprouting mainly, but not limited to, the parents, of the runner up, Jessalyn McCollum, and the Linda Vega Dance Studio, the parents within, and even it's employees. Untrue and incorrect claims have been made and taken to various news sources: KEYT, SB News-Press, and the Independent, amongst others. The allegations are that Sadee, her family and I, have plotted and cheated our way to the top of the competition. These accusations are absolutely FALSE. Sadee Broida has become the victim of Old Spanish Days' disorganization, and in turn has been flooded with libel, harassment, and different types of cyber-bullying. This has been part of a one-sided campaign to defame the Broidas and myself, and the media has taken part in spreading this type of slander. I beg of you all to read the full story and through the facts, come to the correct conclusion yourselves.
The facts are as follows:
Sadee Broida went to the Jr. Spirit Pre-Auditions at the summon of a Newspaper clipping on the News-Press, as well as KEYT News, calling children ages 9-12 to pre-audition for Jr. Spirit. At the time Sadee was 11, and would be 12 by the final audition on April 17th, 2012. She danced her routine which was recorded for independent judges on camera, although it was the Sunday after a grueling Fiesta week, and having caught a terrible flu. She later received an official letter from Old Spanish Days (hereafter called OSD), congratulating her and notifying her of her selection to continue in the auditions.
Months later, Sadee went to an audition meeting where she was told that the age limit was to be 11, not 12. To be clear, parents of other studios have representatives in OSD, so other studios might have been aware of the change before I was, as I do not have a representative in OSD (in my opinion, if some parents can be in the committee, then all studios should have a representative there as well). I found out at the same time as Sadee that the change was intended, not complying with the News ads. At this time, Sadee wrote a note in her packet in which she turned in two copies of her music, personal information for the keepsake program, and a copy of her birth certificate. She wrote a note alongside her certificate, asking what she should then do.
The Broidas received a telephone call from OSD, telling her that they were honoring their ads on the newspaper and television/internet, saying that they had mis-communicated the age limit, and that she was still allowed to participate. An official letter was sent out to all parents, notifying them of the entire situation, and asking everyone to accept their decision and move forward in good spirits for the audition.
One and-a-half weeks before the competition was to take place, Sadee and her family were summoned to a meeting in which she was asked to refrain from performing at the audition. OSD has received "threatening letters from disgruntled parents and studios", some of them, according to members of OSD, so bad that they were almost sent to the police. Why, I ask, was not this grounds for disqualification, instead of the young person being defrauded by the organization who summoned her in the first place?
At this point, the Broidas decided to seek legal advice. How is it possible that the threats of "disgruntled parents and studios" were going to be the deciding factor of whether Sadee could participate of not? Of course parents were upset! Sadee's mere presence was a threat to the victory of their own children, and they would prove to stop at nothing to snatch that sash, whether honorably or not.
OSD called the Broidas once more, allowing her, this time definitively, to participate in the competition.
On April 17th, 2012, Sadee Broida was named Jr. Spirit of Fiesta because of her excellent interview skills, outstanding choreography, technique training, and charm onstage, as well as compliance with the joyful theme of the event.
Almost immediately thereafter, the disgruntled families of the runner-up becan a dreadful smear campaign against Sadee and the Broidas, and the Paloma Rios School of Flamenco. I personally received Facebook messages threatening to go to the press. I welcomed this type of discussion, as I felt there was nothing to hide and that truth would prevail. I put up a statement on my wall putting up the facts, and soon thereafter started to get negative responses. People who I considered friends and colleagues for many years began accusing me of being a "liar", "cheater", and saying that I and the Broidas were responsible for this occurence. Some people got so aggressive with me, writing in all capital letters and with exclamations like "crazy", "stupid", etc. I started to feel bullied, betrayed, and personally attacked. These people, I realized, were not trying to get the truth out, they wanted to personally attack my integrity as a person and a professional. The comments got from bad to worse, many of them from people who never knew me but were associated with the aforementioned studio through acquaintance, and even employment, something I considerextremely unprofessional. At one point, I had to block and/or report people who I previously thought of as friends, and had suddenly turned to fierce enemies of mine and of this young girl.
Another "issue" that arose after the whole ordeal, was the rumor that Sadee was ineligible for Jr. Spirit, because she was from Ojai. This, my friends, is an absolute lie. The rules clearly state that the Jr. Spirit Participants must be "residents of Santa Barbara County" OR "have danced for 3 years in a row AND been part of a studio for 3 years". Sadee falls into the latter category, although it must be said, that Sadee does live in Santa Barbara with her Grandmother much of the time, and that the Broidas own property in Santa Barbara and are Santa Barbara taxpayers. Either way, this is a non-issue, because the rules clearly state that Sadee qualifies in this category.
In the category of age, Sadee has been the victim of not only bullying and harassment, but of an organization which refused to exonerate Sadee, the Broidas, or myself of fault, all the while making a public statement that they had "blown it". At no point did they personally apologize to Sadee nor to me, for having let us endure the taunts of angry parents, studio members, and employees of LVDS and other studios. As the organization which puts together most of the Fiesta events, they are responsible for protecting the safety and well-being of the Spirit and Junior Spirit, something they have in this case, completely neglected.
As a studio I must say that we have experienced bullying before, when the director of the the same studio kicked us off a stage publicly, turning off our sound and going onstage while our dancers were still bowing. All of this was caught on video tape, and there are many witnesses to this event, which we let go with the intention to continue enjoying our Fiesta with a good attitude and without further problems. Parents from that studio came up to me and apologized for the scene caused by all this, and was soon forgotten by myself and my students. Never in my experience with Fiesta however, have I been so publicly attacked in such a personal and horrifying way. How is it possible that opposition studios have been allowed to slander their way into deceiving the entire community, without themselves having actually known any of the facts for certain?
The pressure of these over-eager parents and studios went so far, that the OSD Board of Directors had a meeting and came to the decision that there were to be two Junior Spirits, although Sadee clearly won the contest and earned the greatest point value. They have set out to ruin the reign of what was supposed to be Sadee's time to shine! After this entire scene, we will have to now be in constant contact with the very people who cyber-bullied and personally attacked our character for weeks. This has no doubt been no more than a smear campaign launched by the studio of the runner up, and the very large and powerful army of Linda Vega students, and employees, for they are the only ones who have come out and made public statements on the press.
At this point, this matter has yet to be sorted out, and will not be left as is.
I urge you all to open your eyes and ears to the true account of events and to join us in prayer and in support of Sadee Broida. I write this statement to you dear friends, because I have reason to hold my head up high, to stand up for myself, Sadee and the Broidas against this very great injustice, and because I truly value my reputation in the community, and my rapport as a friend as well as a professional. I value your support, concern, and prayers. Please look carefully at the evidence, and decide for yourselves, which is the true Spirit of the Fiesta, and which studio and students represent those values we associate with it?
Once again, I thank you all, for taking a little time off your day to read such a disheartening story.
Thank You,
Paloma Rios
Director
Paloma Rios School of Flamenco
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Located At: 529 E. Gutierrez St., Santa Barbara, CA