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. 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. That same year, Lavallee alleges a 24-year-old dancer forced himself onto a 16-year-old Lavallee at a party. The only reason I could think of was because we didnt take it further romantically. He said he must have passed out and has no recollection of sending the text. This allows a dancer or studio to take class from home or at the studio (at the discounted virtual fee). Lavallee also revealed to The Star that Wall gave him ecstasy that night, and we were doing hand massages, which just creeps me out now. Lavallee told the Star he invited a friend to come over to divert where he felt the night was going and a few months later, Wall ceased all communication with him and didnt show up for a scheduled teaching session. I just didnt know myself enough to understand how harmful it was, Hudson said. 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, according to interviews with dozens of former and current staff and students. Dance organizations create wide opportunities for adults to single out a child, groom them and then get them alone to sexually abuse them, she said. They typically end with parents on the sidelines shooting photos of their beaming children in leotards and makeup, striking poses alongside famous choreographers and dancers. 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. Take a look at our available positions: On all orders over $100! 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.. Stroming did not respond to questions about this incident. Get the latest business insights from Dun & Bradstreet. If an event changes from in-person to virtual, the difference in fees will be refunded within 7 business days of the event. Ellis started working for BTF in merchandising, selling clothing at events in 2015 when he was 19. join our mailing list Three of these dancers were under 18. He apologized and said he himself was a victim of abuse as a teen, and that his texts to Maples were a one time ever brief exchange.. Professional dancers suffer a wide swath of sexual predation from irritating flirtation to full-out devastating attacks. How? In the years that followed, Hudson said Meismer continued to pursue him for sex. Its the opposite of a zero tolerance policy, Ellis said. New York,NY . Meismer asked the young dancer, then 17, to come to his home. On planes, Meismer would grope him in his seat, Hudson alleges. Lavalee also charges that in an earlier incident, he attended a hotel room party in California where Wall gave him crystal meth so he could stay awake for his flight back home to Arizona. (Lavallee had never done any drugs at all prior to the alleged incident). Break The Floor (@breakthefloor) on TikTok | 2M Likes. And whats egregious about seeing it in the context of conventions is that it happens to kids. Its touring conventions will make numerous stops this year, from Miami to Vancouver and Calgary to Anchorage, Alaska. We could have and should have done better. BTF has undergone training and revised its code of conduct, the company said in a statement. Break the Floor helped launch his career, but an alleged assault by one of its star dancers continues to haunt him. Lazzarini denied subjecting anyone to unwanted sexual advances, adding that he would not respond to each and every claim in your forthcoming article that is false, taken out of context or completely exaggerated.. june 24-july 1. the venetian/palazzo. 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. Stroming declined repeated interview requests. Break The Floor now draws around 300,000 dance students, some as . 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 . Russell Geyser is the new CEO of Break the Floor Productions. but trust us. Im not trying to bring this company down. He called me his convention boyfriend, recalled Hudson. Snapshot; Why Join Us . 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 . National News | Headquarters Regions Greater Los Angeles Area, West Coast, Western US. 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. 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Break the Floor Productions is one of the world's preeminent dance entertainment companies, encompassing dance conventions, touring theatrical productions, software, photo and video production and apparel.Break the Floor is the largest producer of dance conventions in the world with three dance conventions, JUMP, NUVO and 24 Seven Dance . He added new conventions, and new locations, branching into Mexico, Costa Rica and Canada. Stroming did not respond to specific questions, though told the Star that the dance company did not have fully thought out policies and procedures regarding this and, over the last year and a half we have worked very hard to make BTF a better and safer environment for everyone.. Break The Floor Productions 5446 Satsuma Ave North Hollywood, CA 91601 jam . But he was uncomfortable when a dance teacher, Mark Meismer, in his early 30s, repeatedly told him how attractive he was. 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. This story was reported in partnership with the Toronto Star. Still, he accepted a sought-after opportunity to assist Meismer as they toured various studios and conventions together. Former Break The Floor instructors have been accused of abusing young dancers in other settings. 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. The ultimate goal is winning first place under the spotlight at the annual Dance Awards. Stroming was allegedly involved in a series of inappropriate relationships with students of the dance program he was running, according to more than a dozen former staff and students. She said once she turned 18, Gabriel, 29 at that time in 2017, invited her to his hotel room in a text message with a shirtless photo. The next day Meismer was removed from NUVOs website and abruptly left the tour. We remain committed to these initiatives and will continue to learn and be better.. I cant tell you how many times I thought about writing to Travis (Wall). 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. 11/20/2022 12:38 PM. Your IP: Break The Floor Productions. 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. 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. A few months later, without warning, Lavallee said, Wall cut off communication with him in the middle of one weekend and didnt show up to one of their scheduled teaching sessions. 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.. We could have and should have done better, he said. Check! The company provides dance workshops and competitions, touring theatrical productions, photo and video production, corporate events and apparel along with a broad range of business prospects to its customers. Break The Floor Productions. FREE Shipping. He said he found the work climate to be too sexualized to continue there. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 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).Break The Floor puts on performances and hosts dance schools across the United States & has said that . Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. The OFFICIAL TikTok for Break the Floor Productions! But it all blew up when Beacham's husband, Kirk, contacted Gil Stroming, owner of Break the Floor Productions, about why the company would cancel the studio's registration to the Jump and Nuvo . 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.. A post shared by MYLES LAVALLE (@myleslavallee). I would not have stayed silent, said Wendy in a phone interview with the Star. But at Meismers house, they didnt discuss work. Break the Floor Productions is one of the world's preeminent dance entertainment companies, encompassing dance conventions, touring theatrical productions, software, photo and video . Nico Lonetree (left) and Myles Lavallee are among eight dancers who allege they were subjected to sexual harassment or predatory behaviour from staff of the prominent dance company, Break the Floor. The lawsuit and its disturbing allegations have rocked the ballet world, one populated by young dancers most of them girls who train under exacting instructors in hopes of reaching the top . The next day Meismer was removed from NUVOs website and abruptly left the tour. Our goal for this coming season is clear we are going to be holding all events, no matter what, GUARANTEED. A third said he and Lazzarini exchanged nude photos when he was 17. Break the Floor offers dance workshops, contests, touring theatrical productions, picture and video production, corporate events . JUMP/NUVO/24SEVEN/TDA.Watch the latest video from Break The Floor (@breakthefloor). 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. Email. Will Conventions & Competitions be happening? Dancers can take workshop classes at home or the studio may organize a watch and dance party at their studio. She said once she turned 18, Gabriel, 29 at that time in 2017, invited her to his hotel room in a text message with a shirtless photo. Break The Floor Productions is a private company. Schaufeld stopped dancing years ago and has no plans to return to the studio. An Ottawa dancer working as an assistant for the company said the same choreographer groped him in public. Reviews from Break The Floor Productions employees about Break The Floor Productions culture, salaries, benefits, work-life balance, management, job security, and more. And whats egregious about seeing it in the context of conventions is that it happens to kids. He added new conventions, and new locations, branching into Mexico, Costa Rica and Canada. National News | BREAK THE FLOOR LIVE is now April 18-19! 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. Ghislaine Maxwells appeals arguments mirror earlier claims A post shared by Travis Wall (@traviswall). After he turned 18, he engaged in a consensual sexual relationship with Lazzarini. The creative type? Meismer shushed him, he remembers, warning that someone was asleep in a nearby room. Los Angeles Every year, one of the worlds 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. 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. Jackie Stroming's Phone Number and Email Last Update. Keanu Uchida, photographed in Montreal, said many student dancers at Break the Floor endured inappropriate sexual advances from their instructors. She says she didnt attend any auditions, and returned home devastated. I then felt very embarrassed. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters, By Juliet Linderman, Martha Mendoza and Morgan Bocknek | Associated Press and Toronto Star. Isla Clarke was 16 when she alleges she received a nude photo texted by one of North Americas most famous dance choreographers, a man nearly twice her age. Dharma Productions shared the news of filming start on the project on the banner's social media handles. So I think I always kind of accepted it as, it is what it is, you cant do anything about it. . Allegations of sexual misconduct first hit the dance company in October, when the Toronto Star revealed allegations of 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. We were doing hand massages, which just creeps me out now, he said. Lazzarini denies subjecting anyone to unwanted sexual advances. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks.
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