I took the word of this choreographer, and thought he was helping me build a dance career. Phone Number 818.432.1234. 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. About five years later, Lavallee, who now works as a professional dancer and choreographer, told his mother, Wendy, about everything that happened between him and the two older choreographers. Maples mother, however, told the news organizations that she saw the photos when they appeared on shared photo albums on their familys home computer. But the sexual climate behind closed doors is deplorable to me. Receive up-to-date schedules and info when attending any of the Break The Floor events: JUMP, NUVO, 24 Seven, The Dance Awards, DancerPalooza and Dance Teacher Summit! 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. His representatives at the MSA Agency also said they had no comment on his behalf. September 17, 2021. 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. He is no longer with the company, according to Break The Floor. This might just be his lucky break into professional dance. I then felt very embarrassed. We are truly heartbroken that anyone has been subject to inappropriate behaviour by any person associated with Break The Floor, the statement read. Break The Floors Health & Safety Protocols can be found here: https://www.breakthefloor.com/safety. In 2018, 14 years later, he decided to tell his family, and confront Wallace directly. 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. 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. He said he must have passed out and has no recollection of sending the text. We could have and should have done better, he said. Break The Floor Productions is part of the Home Improvement & Hardware Retail industry, and located in California, United States. 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 . 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.. Contact. We and our third party vendors, like Google, use first party cookies (such as the Google Analytics cookie) and third party cookies (such as the DoubleClick cookie) to inform, optimize and serve ads based . Another dancer who says he reported his harassment to BTF management is Patrick Ellis, 26, from Baltimore, Md. 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. Lazzarini would laugh and smile and would play it lighthearted so as to not take on the full responsibility of what he was doing, said Ellis. Im not trying to bring this company down. 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. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters, By Juliet Linderman, Martha Mendoza and Morgan Bocknek | Associated Press and Toronto Star. Hicks said he apologized to Lonetree and was reprimanded by Stroming. 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. 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. His picture and profile disappeared from the website, though there was no formal announcement of his departure. Hudson said he was optimistic. The Stars prior investigation uncovered allegations that Lazzarini had subjected at least six dancers to unwanted sexual advances at Break The Floor events. Due to the current climate, we realize the need for a clearer payment and refund policy. On Oct. 1, BTF kicked off its fall season with an event in Toronto at an airport hotel. Looking to travel? 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. But the secret ate away at him. 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.. Check! Company Type For Profit. Meismer shushed him, he remembers, warning that someone was asleep in a nearby room. It was my church, he said, but now the whole dance scene feels dirty and tainted.. Meismer didn't respond to repeated requests for comment. 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 . Inside a Manhattan hotel, one of those choreographers Clarke idolized was now propositioning her for sex, she alleges. A Toronto-born teen alleged a famous choreographer propositioned her for sex just hours after judging her at a 2012 Break the Floor convention. The annual revenue of Break The Floor Productions varies between 25M and 100M. 15 reviews. Thank you. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! 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. The AP and the Star haven't seen these messages because Maples said theyd been deleted. 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 . 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. The next day Meismer was removed from NUVOs website and abruptly left the tour. 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. Juliet Linderman, Martha Mendoza and Morgan Bocknek. 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. To surprise him, Hudson said Meismer would buy them matching outfits. Specialties: Event Production Established in 2000. 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. 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. National News | 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. 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 . Stroming declined repeated interview requests. Photos: Break the Floor, Joe Corrigan/Getty Images, Jason Kempin/Getty Images, Beau Campbell, Miss Toto Rodgers, KiLeigh Williams, ngel Vasquez, Lee Gumbs, Broderick Baumann. Sexual abuse pervades the dance world, according to child advocates and industry leaders. Here is how it will work: JUMP, NUVO & 24 Seven will be planning all events, in-person, for the upcoming season. 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. 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. Break the Floor helped launch his career, but an alleged assault by one of its star dancers continues to haunt him. Company reviews. Each of them has since left the company amid allegations of sexual misconduct. What will the in-person events look like? You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Keanu Uchida, photographed in Montreal, said many student dancers at Break the Floor endured inappropriate sexual advances from their instructors. Follow. It just felt like the next step was for us to be in contact and kiss one another.. Thats what Gary Schaufeld says happened to him. 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. The Open Database Of The Corporate World. Check! Find top employees, contact details and business statistics at RocketReach. Lawyers for Saradpon and the Buttons didnt respond to requests for comment. A year later, Hudson stayed with Meismer when he joined Break The Floors fledgling NUVO convention as part of its original lineup of instructors. 324 Brickyard Rd, Dalton, Georgia, 30721, United States. Dharma Productions shared the news of filming start on the project on the banner's social media handles. with photos from Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images, The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star Your IP: Arts Apr 20. He referred reporters to his lawyer, who didn't respond. it's worth it! October 25 2021 2:20 PM EST. Break the Floor is the largest producer of dance conventions in the world with three dance conventions, JUMP, NUVO and 24 Seven Dance . Russell is known for a high level of professionalism in the entertainment industry. Travis has made some great dance routines and is a great dancer. Alumni and faculty have danced on stage with Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift, at the Oscars and the Super Bowl. On planes, Meismer would grope him in his seat, Hudson alleges. The incentive is a tax credit designed to help address complaints from school boards, police departments and hospitals about the growing . Lindsey said he eventually sent nude photos back when he was 17. Professional dancers suffer a wide swath of sexual predation from irritating flirtation to full-out devastating attacks. 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. An Ottawa dancer working as an assistant for the company said the same choreographer groped him in public. FREE Shipping. Lilli Maples had taken classes with Gabriel since she was 10 years old. 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. 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. 24 SEVEN Dance Convention is a dance workshop and competition that tours to 27 cities in the United States each season. Man convicted of California rapes that attorney blamed on defendants twin 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 . On planes, Meismer would grope him in his seat, Hudson alleges. I was definitely inappropriate myself in a lot of ways, he told his staff. A year or so later, shortly after her 18th birthday, Stroming flew the dancer to New York, where he told her he had lined up potentially career-launching dance auditions, she says. Professional dancers suffer a wide swath of sexual predation from irritating flirtation to full-out devastating attacks. He also noted that he was not in a position of authority but in a first-year, entry-level position. We have many different teams and departments who are in need of someone just like you! Afterwards, Schaufeld said Wallace told him never to say anything; it would be bad for both of their careers. Lilli Maples had taken classes with Gabriel since she was 10 years old. Who would give someone Ecstacy in their parents home? His representatives at the MSA Agency also said they had no comment on his behalf. Break the Floor offers dance workshops, contests, touring theatrical productions, picture and video production, corporate events . 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. Thats what Gary Schaufeld says happened to him. 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. 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. Emmy winning choreographer Travis Wall has been cut from Break the Floor dance company's traveling tours amid an investigation into an accusation of . Eight former staff and students allege BTF employees, famous in the dance world, initiated sexual conversations, propositioned them for sex, sent them nude photos, sexually harassed them at work or engaged in sexual relationships with them. 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. 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. That night, they had sex in his apartment. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 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. Upload your resume. Break The Floor Productions, LLC was formed in 1999 by Gil Stroming with the rock-tap show Break The Floor. 550 Los Angeles, CA 90038 818.432.1234 info@breakthefloor.com. Break The Floor (@breakthefloor) on TikTok | 2M Likes. He called me his convention boyfriend, recalled Hudson. las vegas, nv. In dance studios, Hudson says Meismer would guide him into bathroom stalls for oral sex. 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. Schaufeld stopped dancing years ago and has no plans to return to the studio. Looking back, Lindsey feels he had been groomed. 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. The only reason I could think of was because we didnt take it further romantically.. Gabriel who has performed with Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Beyonc and more was recently removed from the JUMP faculty. 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. Following his bosss instruction, Ellis went back to his tasks at BTF. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Still, he accepted a sought-after opportunity to assist Meismer as they toured various studios and conventions together. A third said he and Lazzarini exchanged nude photos when he was 17. Break The Floor now draws around 300,000 dance students, some as . With a broad range of business prospects and a reach of over 300,000 dancers annually, Break the Floor Productions is largely responsible for the transformation of dance entertainment. We view this situation as an opportunity to expand our vision to bring the excitement of dance to everyone, all over the world, no matter the circumstance. 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. 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. It was my church, he said, but now the whole dance scene feels dirty and tainted.. 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 didn't respond to the specific allegations. But during a 2020 in-house training, a recording of which was reviewed by the AP and Star, Stroming addressed his own past misconduct. 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 . 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. Its headquarters is located at New York, New York, USA. The Star reviewed the text messages. 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. 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. 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. Stroming declined repeated interview requests. Break The Floor Productions, LLC uses Remarketing with Google Analytics to advertise on third party sites to you after you visited our Site. I was definitely inappropriate myself in a lot of ways, he told his staff. How? Yet, I am blessed to be surrounded by the people I love and thank them for their patience and grace. 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. 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. Follow Break The Floor Productions on Instagram. After he turned 18, he engaged in a consensual sexual relationship with Lazzarini. I felt very invalidated, Ellis said. Its touring conventions will make numerous stops this year, from Miami to Vancouver and Calgary to Anchorage, Alaska. The relationship did not progress further physically, Lavallee said. 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. He said he felt punished for dodging the alleged sexual advances. Break The Floor hosts conventions in cities across North America, putting on events in hotel ballrooms every weekend over the course of a six-month season. 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 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. Since then, Break The Floor has become one of the world's preeminent dance entertainment companies, encompassing touring theatrical productions, dance workshops, photo and video production, corporate events and apparel. 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.. Hudson alleges Meismer pushed him against a wall and performed oral sex on him. BREAK THE FLOOR LIVE is now April 18-19! Our dance studio friends are finding it hard to plan for the new season. One said Lazzarini groped him through a hole in his pants. 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. I would not have stayed silent, said Wendy in a phone interview with the Star. Jackie Stroming's Phone Number and Email Last Update. The next morning, Stroming left abruptly for Las Vegas and handed her $40 for a cab ride back to the airport.