Break The Floor (@breakthefloor) on TikTok | 2M Likes. Im not trying to bring this company down. I took the word of this choreographer, and thought he was helping me build a dance career. But he was uncomfortable when a dance teacher, Mark Meismer, in his early 30s, repeatedly told him how attractive he was. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters, By Juliet Linderman, Martha Mendoza and Morgan Bocknek | Associated Press and Toronto Star. Emmy-winning choreographer, So You Think You Can Dance breakout star, and Shaping Sounds co-founder Travis Wall has been removed from a tour with Break The Floor dance company as allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior that have surfaced are being investigated (via The Toronto Star). The alleged victims story is shaky at best. Im not trying to bring this company down. BTFs website shows the company still employs Wall, who is currently scheduled to be part of a BTF-affiliated dance conventions 2021-2022 faculty. In the fall of 2008, Wall was teaching a course near Lavallees house in Arizona, and Lavallees parents invited Wall to stay overnight, Lavallee said. He said he found the work climate to be too sexualized to continue there. One dancer said she met Stroming when she was a 16-year-old high school junior attending one of Break the Floors first events with her parents. After this investigation published, BTF issued a statement saying it fired the choreographer following this incident because of concerns about this type of behaviour., After receiving questions regarding the allegations, Lazzarini sent text messages to three of the dancers who spoke to the Star, saying to one, I will do my best to be a better person and apologizing to another, Im so so sorry I ever made you feel uncomfortable.. While not all of the complainants in this story were involved with Break the Floor at the time of the alleged incidents, the instructors and executives accused of wrongdoing have played key roles in growing the companys revenue and popularity. Headquarters Regions Greater Los Angeles Area, West Coast, Western US. About us. Specialties: Event Production Established in 2000. He called me his convention boyfriend, recalled Hudson. Break The Floor now draws around 300,000 dance students, some as . Gabriel who has performed with Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Beyonc and more was recently removed from the JUMP faculty. I carry so much shame, because I knew who this person was I still indulged in the attention anyways, and it made me feel super icky. At the New York event in 2012, Clarke said she turned down Lazzarinis request to join him in his hotel room. One dance instructor said she warns the children and teens she brings to conventions today to be watchful and aware of the potential for abuse of power. In 2019, Stroming quietly fired him after he posted, then quickly removed, a video of himself masturbating on Instagram, as the Star previously reported. Read More. (Please note: Some fall cities have a registration deadline of only 14 days prior). As for the other allegation from the then 16-year-old, Gabriel denied sending the photo, saying he would never engage in inappropriate behavior that would ever lead to sending something like this" to a teen. The company was launched 22 years ago by a charismatic dancer, Gil Stroming, who came to fame in the 1990s, performing in the off-Broadway show Tap Dogs, described in The New York Times as a beefcake tap-a-thon.. Our goal for this coming season is clear we are going to be holding all events, no matter what, GUARANTEED. Break The Floor Productions is part of the Home Improvement & Hardware Retail industry, and located in California, United States. Stroming did not respond to questions about this incident. Allegations of sexual misconduct first hit the dance company in October, when the Toronto Starrevealed allegationsof widespread sexual harassment and predatory behavior by Break the Floor instructors. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Instinct Magazine 2023 - All Rights Reserved. Follow Break The Floor Productions on Instagram. Check! In the text conversation, Hicks told Lonetree, I have a blow job with your name on it. Lonetree brushed off Hickss propositions over text, the texts show. Learn More About 24 Seven! Gabriel, another famous dancer and choreographer, allegedly sent a nude photo on Snapchat to a 16-year-old dancer who says she was so horrified she threw her phone across the room. The Stars prior investigation uncovered allegations that Lazzarini had subjected at least six dancers to unwanted sexual advances at Break The Floor events. A Toronto-born teen alleged a famous choreographer propositioned her for sex just hours after judging her at a 2012 Break the Floor convention. At least four people removed from Break The Floor for alleged misconduct have continued to work around kids in other settings. I cant tell you how many times I thought about writing to Travis (Wall). For more than 30 years, Russell has been CEO of numerous companies and run a portfolio of investments in theatrical film production, sports lending, film finance and lending, media buying, and . I just didnt know myself enough to understand how harmful it was, Hudson said. A typical convention weekend lasts from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon and features dance classes with some of the world's leading dance educators. Out So You Think You Can Dance winner and Emmy Award-winning choreographer Travis Wall has been cut from dance company Break the Floor's tours following an . In a series of text messages between Schaufeld and Wallace, reviewed by the AP and the Star, Schaufeld laid out his accusations and Wallace said that although he couldnt remember anything, he couldnt be more sorry.. Maples mother, however, told the news organizations that she saw the photos when they appeared on shared photo albums on their familys home computer. Sexual abuse pervades the dance world, according to child advocates and industry leaders. They provide amazing opportunities. We are committed to making studios and families feel confident and secure when registering for our events. Break The Floor now draws around 300,000 dance students, some as young as 5, to packed hotel ballrooms across the U.S. and Canada for weekend workshops and competitions. With a broad range of business prospects and a reach of over 300,000+ dancers annually, Break The Floor Productions is largely . Break the Floor Productions Jan 2015 - Aug 2019 4 years 8 months. The dance world, its not like its different than any other world, its just that theyve been able to keep their secrets longer.. Every year, one of the world's leading dance competition companies sells the dream of Hollywood fame to hundreds of thousands of ambitious young dancers hoping to launch careers on television, in movies and on stage. He is no longer with the company, according to Break The Floor. We are working on our competition entry limits for each event and will announce them soon. Competition routines will be uploaded to our website and judged virtually. One night, Schaufeld said, Wallace pushed him up against the wall of a hotel room they shared with a female assistant and forced oral sex on him. Uchida, who was working as a dance assistant for BTF, alleges Lazzarini groped him in public without his consent before and after their relationship, and made derogatory, as well as racist comments about him in front of his peers and boss. He referred reporters to his lawyer, who didnt respond. All of these sources spoke on the condition of anonymity in fear of retaliation and damage to their careers in the tight-knit professional dance community. CODA aims to revolutionize the dance competition experience and is complimentary for every routine registered for JUMP, NUVO, 24 Seven and The Dance Awards. Company reviews. Once you get a positive response, make sure to find out about the interview process at Break The Floor Productions and prepare for tough questions. Break the Floor helped launch his career, but an alleged assault by one of its star dancers continues to haunt him. National News | By the mid-2000s, dance exploded into the mainstream with the debuts of popular television shows like So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With The Stars. The problems date back to the founding of Los Angeles-based Break The Floor Productions; as the company has grown into an industry powerhouse, its leaders perpetuated a culture of sex and silence . All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! An Ottawa dancer working as an assistant for the company said the same choreographer groped him in public. To surprise him, Hudson said Meismer would buy them matching outfits. Another dancer who says he reported his harassment to BTF management is Patrick Ellis, 26, from Baltimore, Md. 324 Brickyard Rd, Dalton, Georgia, 30721, United States. . But in January, as the AP and the Star were investigating allegations of sexual misconduct against him and others involved in the company, Stroming announced that he had sold Break the Floor and stepped down as CEO. Glassdoor provides our best prediction for total pay in today's job market, along with other types of pay like cash bonuses, stock bonuses, profit sharing, sales commissions, and tips. A third said he and Lazzarini exchanged nude photos when he was 17. We know this season will look a little different for now. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. Due to the LA lockdown, it took us a little longer to organize. Legal Name Break The Floor Productions. JUMP, NUVO and 24 Seven will host a virtual event, specific to the event and city, and broadcast from our studios in Los Angeles. One night, Schaufeld said, Wallace pushed him up against the wall of a hotel room they shared with a female assistant and forced oral sex on him. I took the word of this choreographer, and thought he was helping me build a dance career. A Star investigation has found allegations of widespread sexual harassment and predatory behaviour by BTF coaches over their younger students, where dancers say their complaints of inappropriate conduct have been dismissed by the companys owner, letting the problem fester for years. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n $(document).ready(function() {\n $('.SA_response-container').click(function() {\n $('.SA_hidden', this).toggle();\n });\n });\n ","wallHtmlBody":". Attendees squeeze into small ballrooms where choreographers teach classes. Upload your resume. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Its the opposite of a zero tolerance policy, Ellis said. Of these sources, four say he sometimes brought young Break the Floor participants to parties or company events, where they were introduced as his girlfriend. Hudson is now a famous dancer, with a resume that spans mega tours with Pink, Lady Gaga and Kylie Minogue, and appearances in more than a dozen films including La La Land and FAME. For 17 years, he kept to himself about what happened with Meismer. It banned inviting students to hotel rooms and said instructors shouldnt call students their daughter or son. And it encourages discretion online regarding Religion, Social Justice, Discrimination, Politics, Love and Romance, Abuse, Mental Health, Bullying, and Terrorism., The new code of conduct also says educators are considered mandated reporters regarding suspected child abuse: If you witness anything concerning, it is your duty to report it to the appropriate authorities.. Three of them say these alleged advances happened when they were under 18. Performance & security by Cloudflare. 2.7. He was a teen in 2004, assisting a successful tap dancer named Danny Wallace, who wasn't with Break the Floor at the time, but would go on to run one of its subsidiary conventions. but trust us. A third said he and Lazzarini exchanged nude photos when he was 17. All rights reserved. Break The Floor Productions is one of the world's preeminent dance entertainment companies, encompassing touring theatrical productions, dance workshops, photo and video production, corporate events and apparel. That night, they had sex in his apartment. Keanu Uchida, photographed in Montreal, said many student dancers at Break the Floor endured inappropriate sexual advances from their instructors. I didnt know how inappropriate that was.. I didnt really understand why communication was cut off. At BTF, this contact led to physical boundaries being blurred. I was frozen in my own skin, I didnt know what to do, Schaufeld said. But behind the bright lights and pulsing music, some dancers say they were sexually assaulted, harassed and manipulated by the companys powerful founder and famous teachers and choreographers, according to a joint investigation by The Associated Press and the Toronto Star. However, Lavallee said Wall told him he had romantic feelings for him, and thought of him as his best friend. We could have and should have done better. But after speaking with the AP and the Star in February, Hudson went public and shared his experience in an emotional Instagram video, without naming Meismer. Man convicted of California rapes that attorney blamed on defendants twin Will Conventions & Competitions be happening? A Toronto-born teen alleged a famous choreographer propositioned her for sex just hours after judging her at a 2012 Break the Floor convention. Phone Number 818.432.1234. In 2018, 14 years later, he decided to tell his family, and confront Wallace directly. Break the Floor (who is bringing in a third party to launch an investigation into the accusation lobbied against Wall) said in a story on the companys Instagram page on Friday Travis will not be traveling with BTF until weve had the opportunity for a third-party to look into these allegations,going on to say We take this very seriously and will take further action if necessary.For his own part, Wall told the Star through his publicist thatthe accusations against me are false, but has not commented on on being cut from Break the Floors tour due to the accusations. Subscribe to our emails. Its touring conventions will make numerous stops this year, from Miami to Vancouver and Calgary to Anchorage, Alaska. Hudson alleges Meismer pushed him against a wall and performed oral sex on him. New App with lots of helpful features. This will be a real. Refund Policy for the 2020-2021 Season: If an in-person event is unable to be held on the originally advertised dates, and the studio decides not to attend the event virtually, Break The Floor will issue a FULL REFUND within 7 days of the scheduled event date. I wish I would have known back at the time when it happened. I just knew after that the company was bad news and I wanted out.. confront my own shortcomings, I vow to take every step necessary to turn them into the very strengths I will use to help empower and protect others. The annual revenue of Break The Floor Productions varies between 25M and 100M. In a statement, BTF Productions said, For some time, we have taken substantial steps to ensure BTF is the safe and comfortable environment that our attendees and employees deserve and expect.. <style>.g-image--loading{display:none;}</style> Clarke was competing that July 2012 day at a New York City event put on by Break the Floor, a prominent company that tours Canada, the United States and Mexico hosting dance schools and putting on performances led by elite dancers and choreographers known from Broadway, film and television. One dance instructor said she warns the children and teens she brings to conventions today to be watchful and aware of the potential for abuse of power. In a written statement, he told the AP and Star, I have been very upfront that when I first started the company at 19, over 20 years ago, there were issues of inappropriateness. He didnt respond to the specific allegations. Another said Lazzarini texted her a nude selfie when she was 16. If the in-person event is unable to be held, studios and dancers may choose to: Attend the event virtually (for a discounted rate). Lawyers for Saradpon and the Buttons didn't respond to requests for comment. Break the Floor Productions is one of the world's preeminent dance entertainment companies, encompassing touring theatrical productions, dance workshops, photo and video production, corporate events and apparel. The next day Meismer was removed from NUVOs website and abruptly left the tour. National News | But behind the bright lights and pulsing music, some dancers say they were sexually assaulted, harassed and manipulated by the companys powerful founder and famous teachers and choreographers, according to a joint investigation by The Associated Press and the Toronto Star. Dancers can take workshop classes at home or the studio may organize a watch and dance party at their studio. 185.120.77.169 If an event changes from in-person to virtual, the difference in fees will be . One staff member said Stroming showed him a nude photo of one of the students. In addition to competitions with cash prizes, Break The Floor conventions which cost between around $200 to $350 per student offer dozens of workshops, under strobing lights and thumping music. Your IP: Break The Floor Productions 5446 Satsuma Ave North Hollywood, CA 91601 jam . In his first 10 days as CEO, he said four people were let go.. And whats egregious about seeing it in the context of conventions is that it happens to kids. Still, he accepted a sought-after opportunity to assist Meismer as they toured various studios and conventions together. In an interview earlier this year with the AP and the Star, Wallace denied Schaufelds allegations and said nothing sexual or physical ever transpired between them. Lavallee called a friend to come over to divert where he said he felt the night was leading. Schaufeld had fallen in love with tap at 7 years old, and assisting Wallace offered a chance to raise his profile and learn from one of the best. One dancer said she met Stroming when she was a 16-year-old high school junior attending one of Break the Floors first events with her parents. Company instructors have appeared on Dancing with the Stars, Dance Moms and So You Think You Can Dance. When COVID-19 lockdowns suspended in-person workshops, Break the Floor enlisted social media superstar Charli DAmelio, whose TikTok account has around 10.5 billion likes, to record instructional videos. Break the Floors reach extends across the entertainment industry to some of the biggest names in music, television and social media. Lavallee caught the attention of Wall an Emmy winner and So You Think You Can Dance runner-up who was judging his performance at a BTF competition in the summer of 2008, Lavallee said. It banned inviting students to hotel rooms and said instructors shouldnt call students their daughter or son. And it encourages discretion online regarding Religion, Social Justice, Discrimination, Politics, Love and Romance, Abuse, Mental Health, Bullying, and Terrorism., The new code of conduct also says educators are considered mandated reporters regarding suspected child abuse: If you witness anything concerning, it is your duty to report it to the appropriate authorities.. We understand that some studios and families might not yet feel comfortable attending the in-person workshop. I have dedicated my life to creating happiness and joy in this world through dance and feel terrible that anything I might have done could have caused anyone to feel sad or hurt. I was definitely inappropriate myself in a lot of ways, he told his staff. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a298e5fcfbebcbd Related Articles CODA is Break The Floor's innovative online system of style specific score sheets, video tutorials, data analytics and judge training. Get the latest business insights from Dun & Bradstreet. 165.8K Followers. Following his bosss instruction, Ellis went back to his tasks at BTF. Teens who win titles at BTF events are invited back to work on the convention circuit as dance assistants for choreographers on the BTF roster, known internally as faculty.. Sign in. Wall did not respond to detailed questions sent by The Star, and said only the accusations against me are false, in a statement through a publicist. The problems date back to the founding of Los Angeles-based Break The Floor Productions; as the company has grown into an industry powerhouse, its leaders perpetuated a culture . I just didnt know myself enough to understand how harmful it was, Hudson said. The Open Database Of The Corporate World. Meismer didnt respond to repeated requests for comment. - And more! Others did make allegations about BTF staff to owner and CEO Stroming, but their concerns were dismissed, allege two former staffers who say they were harassed on the job. To get anywhere, like here, you have to do whatever the teachers said, you know what I mean? Influential dance company bred culture of sex, silence, dancers say. Lawyers for Saradpon and the Buttons didnt respond to requests for comment. Lazzarini denies subjecting anyone to unwanted sexual advances. As a student I was in inappropriate relationships with teachers, and vice versa, and just looking back I was like, oh wow, I think a lot of us dont even realize at first the power that we have in the dance world.. I apologize and sincerely regret that my actions have hurt people I cherish or has broken their trust. The next morning, Stroming left abruptly for Las Vegas and handed her $40 for a cab ride back to the airport. Here is how it will work: JUMP, NUVO & 24 Seven will be planning all events, in-person, for the upcoming season. The new owner, Russell Geyser, said the allegations have nothing to do with the current company, and that people involved with purported misconduct no longer work for Break The Floor. October 25 2021 11:10 AM EST. I could feel the relationship change because I basically rejected the offer. The Break The Floor faculty can't wait to dance with you! For aspiring young dancers like Clarke, the companys events are an almost mandatory stop if they want to pursue dancing professionally. The combination of hyper-sexual dance content and the close contact between adult teachers and the young dancers creates an atmosphere ripe for abuse, said Jamal Story, a professional dancer who is co-chair of the National Dance Committee for The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). It was founded by Gil Stroming (Tap Dancer) in 1999, and today it is one of the most important dance companies in the world, encompassing traveling theater productions, dance workshops, photo and video production, corporate clothing events, real estate production rental studios, software . The problems date back to the founding of Los Angeles-based Break The Floor Productions; as the company has grown into an industry powerhouse, its leaders perpetuated a culture of sex and silence . Nowhere in the world of education should students feel they are underneath the predators, he said.
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