He was a teen in 2004, assisting a successful tap dancer named Danny Wallace, who wasnt with Break the Floor at the time, but would go on to run one of its subsidiary conventions. I just didnt know myself enough to understand how harmful it was, Hudson said. Hamilton also said perpetrators in many youth-focused organizations use hotel rooms away from home to exploit the power imbalance between teachers and students. 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. I was definitely inappropriate myself in a lot of ways, he told his staff. On planes, Meismer would grope him in his seat, Hudson alleges. Im not trying to bring this company down. \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":". I didnt really understand why communication was cut off. 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. A post shared by Travis Wall (@traviswall). . An exclusive Star investigation has found allegations of widespread sexual harassment and predatory behaviour by Break the Floor (a big part of the dance community of North America) coaches over . If an event changes from in-person to virtual, the difference in fees will be . At her first company event, when she was 17, she and Stroming had oral sex, she said. Of the eight allegations made, Wall is only implicated in the one featured in this article- and it happened nearly fourteen years ago. FREE Shipping. 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. One of those dancers was Patrick Ellis, who alleges that he told Break the Floors CEO, Gil Stroming, that Lazzarini had stuffed his hand up through a hole in Elliss pants and tried to fondle him. Phone Number 818.432.1234. So I think I always kind of accepted it as, it is what it is, you cant do anything about it. . Competition routines will be uploaded to our website and judged virtually. Check! In 2018, 14 years later, he decided to tell his family, and confront Wallace directly. For aspiring young dancers like Clarke, the companys events are an almost mandatory stop if they want to pursue dancing professionally. He is no longer with the company, according to Break The Floor. The Stars prior investigation uncovered allegations that Lazzarini had subjected at least six dancers to unwanted sexual advances at Break The Floor events. 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. 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. Im not a monster but I feel like one, Wallace wrote, adding that he has a lot of hazy memories and a huge list of regrets/mistakes from that time period. Meismer asked the young dancer, then 17, to come to his home. The Break The Floor faculty can't wait to dance with you! Break The Floor Productions, LLC is one of the world's preeminent dance entertainment companies, encompassing touring theatrical productions, dance workshops, photo and video production, corporate events 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 . Maples mother, however, told the news organizations that she saw the photos when they appeared on shared photo albums on their familys home computer. 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. But at Meismers house, they didnt discuss work. 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. 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. 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. The annual revenue of Break The Floor Productions varies between 25M and 100M. At 16, Hudson looked forward to the festive weekend gatherings. Lavallee called a friend to come over to divert where he said he felt the night was leading. Meismer shushed him, he remembers, warning that someone was asleep in a nearby room. 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. His mental health deteriorated. 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 . 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. My resolve is unwavering. 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. Break the Floor has a fervent following. Meismer didnt respond to repeated requests for comment. 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. Read More . That night, they had sex in his apartment. Can a dancer do the scholarship audition through a virtual event? june 24-july 1. the venetian/palazzo. He said he found the work climate to be too sexualized to continue there. With a broad range of business prospects and a reach of over 300,000+ dancers annually, Break The Floor Productions is largely . All of our in-person events will now have a virtual option. Dancers say leading company bred culture of, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Los Gatos: Hundreds still without power as Black Road repair project finishes early, Dancers say leading company bred culture of sex, silence, California teacher who gave birth to child fathered by student hit with another sexual abuse lawsuit, Ghislaine Maxwells appeals arguments mirror earlier claims, Man convicted of California rapes that attorney blamed on defendants twin, San Jose firefighter claims sexual abuse, racism, swastikas drove her out, Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 16 years for rape, sexual assault. Lawyers for Saradpon and the Buttons didn't respond to requests for comment. To surprise him, Hudson said Meismer would buy them matching outfits. Dharma Productions shared the news of filming start on the project on the banner's social media handles. When I began teaching dance, I did so with the singular goal of helping individuals discover, develop, and express their truest selves. Stroming was three years older, she said, a magnetic 19-year-old running the whole show. He stopped eating and sleeping, and suffered from panic attacks, he said. Two-time Emmy-winning choreographer and So You Think You Can Dance star Travis Wall has been taken off of the Break the Floor dance company's tours after allegations . Several individuals have recently stepped forward to publicly express their feelings of hurt or betrayal based on interactions they had with me between 2012 and 2020. The alleged victims story is shaky at best. Another dancer who says he reported his harassment to BTF management is Patrick Ellis, 26, from Baltimore, Md. JUMP is proud to integrate CODA into all its competition. This story was reported in partnership with the Toronto Star. 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. 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. las vegas, nv. Three of these dancers were under 18. 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. Hicks, who was working as the convention announcer, was in his early 30s. Lavallee said Walls disappearance left him feeling unmoored and now feels he was being groomed for a sexual relationship. Lindsey alleges Lazzarini sent him nude photos of himself. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Jackie Stroming is a Mom Chief & Officer at Break The Floor Productions based in N Hollywood, California. 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. 5446 Satsuma Ave, N Hollywood, California, 91601, United States. Stroming declined repeated interview requests. - And more! 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 . 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.. An ongoing investigation by the Star in partnership with the AP now has uncovered alleged sexual misconduct that stretches back to the dance companys early years, and involves Stroming himself. He said he had never done drugs of any kind before. He stopped eating and sleeping, and suffered from panic attacks, he said. Gabriel who has performed with Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Beyonc and more was recently removed from the JUMP faculty. Keanu Uchida, photographed in Montreal, said many student dancers at Break the Floor endured inappropriate sexual advances from their instructors. Break the Floor calls itself one of the worlds preeminent dance companies, and its programs reach more than 300,000 dancers each year. 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). 15 reviews. Thank you. I then felt very embarrassed. 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. 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. Soon after, Lavallee, then 16, attended a hotel-room party in California where he said Wall, who was around 20, gave him crystal meth a highly addictive stimulant so he could stay awake for his flight back home to Arizona. Ellis started working for BTF in merchandising, selling clothing at events in 2015 when he was 19. Receive a full refund within 7 business days of the event. Gil Stroming founded the excellent company named Break The Floor Productions in 1999 and has since grown it into one of the most famous dance entertainment companies in the world. 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. New App with lots of helpful features. 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. Finally, while some of what is being said about me is inaccurate or mischaracterized, there is enough truth in their stories to make me feel ashamed and remorseful. Follow Break The Floor Productions on Instagram. Related Articles He won the best dancer title in 2014 and worked for BTF for two years as a dance assistant, travelling across Canada and the United States. And everybody strives for that, obviously, because that leads to more opportunity and attention from the faculty, said Uchida. Lavallee also said that Wall gave him ecstasy that night. Break The Floor Productions. 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. San Jose firefighter claims sexual abuse, racism, swastikas drove her out After Maples showed the screenshots to friends who shared them on social media, Gabriel sent her a message threatening to ruin her career, she said. . Discover jobs. 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 salary trends is based on salaries posted anonymously by Break The Floor Productions employees. It was my church, he said, but now the whole dance scene feels dirty and tainted.. It has been humbling. 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. 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. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. National News | The only reason I could think of was because we didnt take it further romantically.. National News | Founders Gil Stroming. This option would also allow the dancers or studios attending the virtual workshop to still come to the venue for the competition portion of the event. 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. Ellis said it was this moment where he realized he had to leave the company. Greater Los Angeles Area Event Planner Break the Floor Productions Jan 2012 - Aug 2019 7 years 8 months. Man convicted of California rapes that attorney blamed on defendants twin 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. Emmy winning choreographer Travis Wall has been cut from Break the Floor dance company's traveling tours amid an investigation into an accusation of . National News | 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. 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. We know this season will look a little different for now. Updated: This article has been updated to include a comment that Break The Floor provided after the article published. 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. Upload your resume. How? At Floor Productions we deliver best-in-class quality with the industries' best time-to-market project completion. 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..
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