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 . The AP and the Star spoke to the dancers father, who said that in the years following, she told him about these sexual interactions with Stroming, which left her deeply upset. 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. 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After all, Meismer was already an icon; he had toured with Britney Spears, Madonna and Paula Abdul. Three of these dancers were under 18. 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. Dancers repeatedly described feeling sexualized in their learning space, and multiple dancers said they felt leered at by some choreographers who would message them compliments on their appearance, sometimes immediately following classes. What will the in-person events look like? While for some of the dancers in this story the sexual interactions were, at the time, consensual, they now feel a power imbalance pressured them into relationships with leaders of the dance world who are many years older than them. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. The televised dance shows brought fame to dancers Nick Lazzarini, Travis Wall and Misha Gabriel, who became big name attractions as Break The Floor instructors. National News | With a broad range of business prospects and a reach of over 100,000+ dancers annually, Break The Floor Productions is largely . I didnt know how inappropriate that was.. Meismer asked the young dancer, then 17, to come to his home. Flat-rate shipping on all physical store items anywhere in the US! \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":". Former Break The Floor instructors have been accused of abusing young dancers in other settings. 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.. 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. Dharma Productions shared the news of filming start on the project on the banner's social media handles. 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. 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. Break The Floor Productions, LLC was formed in 1999 by Gil Stroming with the rock-tap show Break The Floor. Get the latest business insights from Dun & Bradstreet. 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. Three of them say these alleged advances happened when they were under 18. The AP and the Star havent seen these messages because Maples said theyd been deleted. All I would need to do is say [five] words: I know what you did. . Now is the time for continued open dialogue, soul searching, and decisive action towards making amends. 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.. Schaufeld stopped dancing years ago and has no plans to return to the studio. I was frozen in my own skin, I didnt know what to do, Schaufeld said. Check! Your IP: At Break the Floor Productions, we are committed to creating a dance culture rooted in excellence and focused on the well-being of our dancers and staff. Break The Floor Productions uses 14 technology products and services including HTML5, jQuery, and Google Analytics, according to G2 Stack. 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 . In 2019, Stroming quietly fired him after he posted, then quickly removed, a video of himself masturbating on Instagram, as the Star previously reported. (The Star has not seen the now-deleted text from Lazzarini, but has spoken with two people with whom Clarke shared or discussed the message). September 17, 2021. Updated: This article has been updated to include a comment that Break The Floor provided after the article published. . Earlier this year, after Geyser took the helm as CEO, Break The Floor published a new code of conduct. And whats egregious about seeing it in the context of conventions is that it happens to kids. That night, they had sex in his apartment. Ellis alleges that Stroming decided there was no sexual harassment because Lazzarini never touched his genitals. 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. 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. 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. He added new conventions, and new locations, branching into Mexico, Costa Rica and Canada. 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.. Hicks said he sought therapy and a sexual treatment course in an effort to hold myself accountable and also deal with the feelings of feeling like I had wronged him in that way when that was never my intention. It has been humbling. . The televised dance shows brought fame to dancers Nick Lazzarini, Travis Wall and Misha Gabriel, who became big name attractions as Break The Floor instructors. Receive a full refund within 7 business days of the event. This story was reported as a partnership between The Associated Press and the Toronto Star, 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.. I could feel the relationship change because I basically rejected the offer., In a statement, Lazzarini apologized to those who bravely stepped forward to share their truth.. 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.. Hundreds of studios and schools from smaller communities bring teams of dancers to the events, branded by Stroming as JUMP, NUVO, 24seven, RADIX and DancerPalooza. Jeremy Hudson, now a professional dancer, came of age on the convention circuit and won Outstanding Dancer of the Year at the first JUMP Nationals in 2004. Jeremy Hudson, now a professional dancer, came of age on the convention circuit and won Outstanding Dancer of the Year at the first JUMP Nationals in 2004. Through transparency, integrity, and professionalism, we believe we can become a model throughout the dance industry. Break The Floor Productions 5446 Satsuma Ave North Hollywood, CA 91601 jam . To get a job at Break The Floor Productions, browse currently open positions and apply for a job near you. The creative type? A Toronto-born teen alleged a famous choreographer propositioned her for sex just hours after judging her at a 2012 Break the Floor convention. In the months that followed, Ellis said he began accepting Lazzarinis advances, once making out in the choreographers hotel room during a work break. Maples mother, however, told the news organizations that she saw the photos when they appeared on shared photo albums on their familys home computer. 24Seven 2021. Stroming declined repeated interview requests. 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. The relationship did not progress further physically, Lavallee said. Lonetree said he was soon after moved to a different convention, which he said made him feel like he had to start over and establish himself with a new team. But at Meismers house, they didnt discuss work. 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. 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 . Due to the current climate, we realize the need for a clearer payment and refund policy. This will be a real. One staff member said Stroming showed him a nude photo of one of the students. Lavallee said he did not tell Stroming or BTF staff about what he alleges happened with either Wall or the other choreographer, saying he thought his concerns would not be taken seriously. Lonetree said he recounted the alleged exchange to Stroming. The Star has spoken to a friend of Lindseys who said they saw the texts and photos Lindsey and Lazzarini exchanged. Stroming picked up Lazzarini at the height of his fame to join the convention circuit, teaching hundreds of thousands of aspiring young dancers. I apologize and sincerely regret that my actions have hurt people I cherish or has broken their trust., In a later response, after being presented with an additional accusation that he sent nude photos to a teenage dancer, Lazzarini added: I have never subjected anyone to unwanted sexual advances. At the New York event in 2012, Clarke said she turned down Lazzarinis request to join him in his hotel room. 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. 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. Lavallee also said that Wall gave him ecstasy that night. We were doing hand massages, which just creeps me out now, he said. I totally feel like I was a headache [for Stroming], Lonetree said. Break the Floor calls itself one of the worlds preeminent dance companies, and its programs reach more than 300,000 dancers each year. 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. Emmy winning choreographer Travis Wall has been suspended from Break the Floor dance company's traveling tours amid an investigation into an accusation of sexually inappropriate behavior made . Warning: This article includes accounts of alleged sexual harassment that some readers could find distressing. The biggest problem facing the dance industry (and everything, quite frankly) is uncertainty. 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. Hours earlier, the Toronto-born teen performed before a panel of judges that included the choreographer, Nick Lazzarini, a luminary in the dance world and first-ever winner of the TV show So You Think You Can Dance.. agreed. In the years that followed, Hudson said Meismer continued to pursue him for sex. Employers / Post Job. This story was reported in partnership with the Toronto Star. Operating Status Active. Break The Floor Productions is a private company. By Juliet Linderman, Martha Mendoza, Associated Press, Morgan Bocknek, Toronto Star . Once on the convention circuit, children as young as five years old and teens spend entire weekends, from early morning to sometimes past midnight in hotel ballrooms and convention centres. 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.
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