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.. 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.. To surprise him, Hudson said Meismer would buy them matching outfits. Touring to 16 amazing cities across America and Canada, Break The Floor's SUMMER JAM is a full workshop and competition experience featuring a creative mix of all BTF tours: Jump, NUVO, 24 Seven & Radix! Description. 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. Thats what Gary Schaufeld says happened to him. I dont know in which ways more to be accountable, in which ways more to apologize, or in which ways more to make it right, Hicks said. 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. 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. Break the Floors reach extends across the entertainment industry to some of the biggest names in music, television and social media. Which in fact, he wasnt, Hudson said in his video, viewed over 6,300 times. Break The Floor (@breakthefloor) on TikTok | 2M Likes. . 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. In dance studios, Hudson says Meismer would guide him into bathroom stalls for oral sex. 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. 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. Three of these dancers were under 18. He is no longer with the company, according to Break The Floor. 2.7 out of 5 stars. In dance studios, Hudson says Meismer would guide him into bathroom stalls for oral sex. Hudson alleges Meismer pushed him against a wall and performed oral sex on him. june 24-july 1. the venetian/palazzo. The problems date back to the founding of Los Angeles-based Break The Floor Productions, whose alumni and faculty have danced on stage with Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift, at the Oscars and Super Bowl . My resolve is unwavering. 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. 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. Find salaries. 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. His picture and profile disappeared from the website, though there was no formal announcement of his departure. (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). 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. Lindsey said he eventually sent nude photos back when he was 17. 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.. That same year, Lavallee alleges a 24-year-old dancer forced himself onto a 16-year-old Lavallee at a party. Our goal for this coming season is clear we are going to be holding all events, no matter what, GUARANTEED. Reviews from Break The Floor Productions employees about Pay & Benefits. Thousands of hopefuls cram into hotel ballrooms across the continent for the chance to be discovered by a top choreographer and catapulted into the spotlight. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. He stopped eating and sleeping, and suffered from panic attacks, he said. On planes, Meismer would grope him in his seat, Hudson alleges. Competition routines will be uploaded to our website and judged virtually. At the New York event in 2012, Clarke said she turned down Lazzarinis request to join him in his hotel room. Reviews from Break The Floor Productions employees about Break The Floor Productions culture, salaries, benefits, work-life balance, management, job security, and more. Flat-rate shipping on all physical store items anywhere in the US! 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.. Read More. 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. Whenever I worked with a struggling student, I always reassured them that confronting our shortcomings is not a showing of weakness, it is the beginning of strength. As I I would not have stayed silent, said Wendy in a phone interview with the Star. 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. She says she didnt attend any auditions, and returned home devastated. A third said he and Lazzarini exchanged nude photos when he was 17. We understand that some studios and families might not yet feel comfortable attending the in-person workshop. I didnt really understand why communication was cut off. 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 . It was discussed by everyone, but was talked about as more of an inconvenience than something that absolutely should never have been happening in the first place. Professional dancers suffer a wide swath of sexual predation from irritating flirtation to full-out devastating attacks. 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. How? 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. That night, they had sex in his apartment. Website. He said he must have passed out and has no recollection of sending the text. 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). break the floor Latest Breaking News, Pictures, Videos, and Special Reports from The Economic Times. Lonetree was 19. 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. On all orders over $100! Lavallee also said that Wall gave him ecstasy that night. With a broad range of business prospects and a reach of over 300,000+ dancers annually, Break The Floor Productions is largely . His mental health deteriorated. Ellis said it was this moment where he realized he had to leave the company. www.floorproductionsllc.com. 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. Uchida is now volunteering with BTF to help further revise the dance companys code of conduct. What if we plan on it and they are cancelled again? These include Viewport Meta, IPhone / Mobile Compatible, and LetsEncrypt. Ellis started working for BTF in merchandising, selling clothing at events in 2015 when he was 19. Lilli Maples had taken classes with Gabriel since she was 10 years old. Company Type For Profit. Break the Floors reach extends across the entertainment industry to some of the biggest names in music, television and social media. Many students endured inappropriate sexual advances or comments from their instructors, Uchida 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. The next morning, Stroming left abruptly for Las Vegas and handed her $40 for a cab ride back to the airport. 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. In his first 10 days as CEO, he said four people were let go.. Headquarters. <style>.g-image--loading{display:none;}</style> 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.. Its headquarters is located at New York, New York, USA. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Instinct Magazine 2023 - All Rights Reserved. Dharma Productions shared the news of filming start on the project on the banner's social media handles. Dance studios may apply their own additional administrative fees. Check! I dont think I was aware of how manipulated I was and how easy it was for (Lazzarini) to take advantage of the situation, Lindsey said. The only reason I could think of was because we didnt take it further romantically.. BTF has undergone training and revised its code of conduct, the company said in a statement. Break The Floor Productions 5446 Satsuma Ave North Hollywood, CA 91601 jam . But the secret ate away at him. Founders Gil Stroming. The next summer, Ellis said he approached Stroming at the Dance Awards, the biggest BTF event of the season, to tell him how Lazzarini had harassed him. Break the Floor offers dance workshops, contests, touring theatrical productions, picture and video production, corporate events . 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.. The company currently specializes in the Entertainment area. 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. JUMP is proud to integrate CODA into all its competition. 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. Who is Floor Productions. Through transparency, integrity, and professionalism, we believe we can become a model throughout the dance industry. 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.. Free and open company data on California (US) company BREAK THE FLOOR PRODUCTIONS LLC (company number 201329710098), 5446 SATSUMA AVE, NORTH HOLLYWOOD, 91601. Ellis recalled that on the last night of the dance season in May 2017, when Ellis was 21, Lazzarini kissed him while they were out at a club with other staff members. 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, though he said he remembered having an inappropriate attraction to Schaufeld. Earlier this year, after Geyser took the helm as CEO, Break The Floor published a new code of conduct. Any claims to the contrary are simply untrue., Nick Lazzarini: My Apology and Promise to Do Better. We were doing hand massages, which just creeps me out now, he said. But the sexual climate behind closed doors is deplorable to me. 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. This story was reported in partnership with the Toronto Star. In his first 10 days as CEO, he said four people were let go.. july 8-15. hyatt regency orlando. 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. A post shared by Break The Floor Productions (@breakthefloorprod). 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. 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. In 2018, 14 years later, he decided to tell his family, and confront Wallace directly. 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. Keanu Uchida, photographed in Montreal, said many student dancers at Break the Floor endured inappropriate sexual advances from their instructors. The Open Database Of The Corporate World. Break The Floor puts on performances and hosts dance schools across the United States & has said that they will be looking into the allegations against Wall. His picture and profile disappeared from the website, though there was no formal announcement of his departure. Lavallee charges that in 2008, Wall made sexual advances on him when the two stayed at Lavalees parents home overnight while teaching a dance course close by. All rights reserved. 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. Lavallee said they exchanged numbers, and over a few texts and calls, he agreed to become Walls dance assistant. Im not trying to bring this company down. And whats egregious about seeing it in the context of conventions is that it happens to kids. But at Meismers house, they didnt discuss work. Meismer asked the young dancer, then 17, to come to his home. Influential dance company bred culture of sex, silence, dancers say. In 2019, Stroming quietly fired him after he posted, then quickly removed, a video of himself masturbating on Instagram, as the Star previously reported. California teacher who gave birth to child fathered by student hit with another sexual abuse lawsuit 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. 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. Lazzarini denies subjecting anyone to unwanted sexual advances. An Ottawa dancer working as an assistant for the company said the same choreographer groped him in public. In the months that followed, Ellis said he began accepting Lazzarinis advances, once making out in the choreographers hotel room during a work break. A year later, Hudson stayed with Meismer when he joined Break The Floors fledgling NUVO convention as part of its original lineup of instructors. I didnt know how inappropriate that was.. Hicks, meanwhile, continued to work at RADIX every season, through 2021. Stroming declined repeated interview requests. San Jose firefighter claims sexual abuse, racism, swastikas drove her out Arts Apr 20. The dance world, its not like its different than any other world, its just that theyve been able to keep their secrets longer..