Dance Teacher Molested Boy In Uptown Apartment, Prosecutors Say

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — A Broadway dancer, choreographer and teacher was arrested at his Washington Heights home Wednesday and is facing charges for groping a teenage student, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Manhattan district attorney's office.

David Marquez, 53, was charged with forcible touching, endangering the welfare of a child and third-degree sex abuse, prosecutors said. The dance instructor is accused of inviting a 16-year-old student to his Fort Washington Avenue apartment in 2017 and molesting the boy.

Marquez is accused of blowing marijuana smoke in the 16-year-old's mouth before rubbing and placing his mouth on the boy's genitals over his underwear, according to a criminal complaint.

The victim reported the abuse to law enforcement and told them that none of the actions were consensual, according to the criminal complaint.

Marquez danced in the original production of Kander and Ebb's "Kiss of the Spider Woman" on Broadway and turned the gig into a vehicle to launch a career as a choreographer and dance teacher, according to his teacher biography page on the Broadway Dance Center website. Marquez hasn't taught at the center since 2017, New York 1 reported.

The dace instructor has taught students in foreign countries such as Argentina, Italy, Mexico and the United Kingdom, according to his biography page. Marquez's work as a choreographer has resulted in jobs at different productions around the United States and even on television programs such as the "Victoria's Secret Fashion Show."

Marquez was released without bail at his arraignment and is expected to appear in court again in March, a spokesperson for the Manhattan district attorney's office said.

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