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She says she didnt attend any auditions, and returned home devastated. 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. CODA aims to revolutionize the dance competition experience and is complimentary for every routine registered for JUMP, NUVO, 24 Seven and The Dance Awards. After he turned 18, he engaged in a consensual sexual relationship with Lazzarini. 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.. 324 Brickyard Rd, Dalton, Georgia, 30721, United States. Read More. with photos from Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images, The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star Thats what Gary Schaufeld says happened to him. The incentive is a tax credit designed to help address complaints from school boards, police departments and hospitals about the growing . Warning: This article includes accounts of alleged sexual harassment that some readers could find distressing. Lilli Maples had taken classes with Gabriel since she was 10 years old. At 16, Hudson looked forward to the festive weekend gatherings. . When I began teaching dance, I did so with the singular goal of helping individuals discover, develop, and express their truest selves. Stroming declined repeated interview requests. September 17, 2021. Break the Floor founder, celebrity dance instructors face sexual misconduct allegations as the prominent company's crisis deepens. Hudson said he was optimistic. 5446 Satsuma Ave, N Hollywood, California, 91601, United States. Earlier this year, after Geyser took the helm as CEO, Break The Floor published a new code of conduct. (US Only) Not saying it definitely never happened, but I need more proof before Im willing to label Wall or anyone else a predator. They provide amazing opportunities. 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. At least four people removed from Break The Floor for alleged misconduct have continued to work around kids in other settings. He was inviting her to his hotel room. One staff member said Stroming showed him a nude photo of one of the students. 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. A Toronto-born teen alleged a famous choreographer propositioned her for sex just hours after judging her at a 2012 Break the Floor convention. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters, By Juliet Linderman, Martha Mendoza and Morgan Bocknek | Associated Press and Toronto Star. I loved his reality show All the Right Moves & had a crush on Travis, if true makes my crush go away. And so Schaufeld stayed quiet. 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. [Winners] get the most attention and respect. Hotel lobbies, colourfully decorated, are lined with vendors selling clothes and videos. As I embark on a path of repentance, I will use the platform I have been given to do better in the future and to help others get it right too. 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. Legal Name Break The Floor Productions. 550 Los Angeles, CA 90038 818.432.1234 info@breakthefloor.com. To get anywhere, like here, you have to do whatever the teachers said, you know what I mean? Find salaries. Check! 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 . However, Lavallee said Wall told him he had romantic feelings for him, and thought of him as his best friend. 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 . Button taught at Radix conventions. 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.. 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.. 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. 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. j***@breakthefloor.com. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. 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. Sexual abuse pervades the dance world, according to child advocates and industry leaders. Any claims to the contrary are simply untrue., Nick Lazzarini: My Apology and Promise to Do Better. The only reason I could think of was because we didnt take it further romantically. In 2019, Stroming quietly fired him after he posted, then quickly removed, a video of himself masturbating on Instagram, as the Star previously reported. Gabriel, when asked about Maples accusation, said in a written statement that he had been drinking heavily that night to control fears about serious health problems in his family. Im not trying to bring this company down. On Oct. 1, BTF kicked off its fall season with an event in Toronto at an airport hotel. Our goal for this coming season is clear we are going to be holding all events, no matter what, GUARANTEED. Josh Shapiro said he will propose a three-year incentive of up to $2,500 a year for newly certified teachers, police officers and nurses when the Democrat unveils his budget plan on Tuesday. One said Lazzarini groped him through a hole in his pants. A people person? june 24-july 1. the venetian/palazzo. He said he had never done drugs of any kind before. Payment Terms for the 2020-2021 Season: The registration deadline will remain 30 days prior to the events, however payment will not need to be made until 14 days prior. 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! On planes, Meismer would grope him in his seat, Hudson alleges. He is no longer with the company, according to Break The Floor. Another dancer who says he reported his harassment to BTF management is Patrick Ellis, 26, from Baltimore, Md. In the years that followed, Hudson said Meismer continued to pursue him for sex. 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. Break The Floor Productions 5446 Satsuma Ave North Hollywood, CA 91601 jam . july 8-15. hyatt regency orlando. 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 . Find company research, competitor information, contact details & financial data for Break The Floor Productions LLC of Los Angeles, CA. And everybody strives for that, obviously, because that leads to more opportunity and attention from the faculty, said Uchida. 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. 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.. Reviews from Break The Floor Productions employees about Break The Floor Productions culture, salaries, benefits, work-life balance, management, job security, and more. 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. 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. 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. Location. But the secret ate away at him. 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. 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. Break The Floor Productions 6555 Barton Ave., Ste. Headquarters. And five dancers are suing former Boston Ballet star Dusty Button and her husband, alleging sexual abuse and assault. Break The Floor Productions uses 14 technology products and services including HTML5, jQuery, and Google Analytics, according to G2 Stack. The company currently specializes in the Entertainment area. Meismer didn't respond to repeated requests for comment. 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. 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. How much do Break The Floor Productions employees make? We remain committed to these initiatives and will continue to learn and be better.. Studio Owners, please contact us to confirm pricing, discounts, and incentives. A post shared by Break The Floor Productions (@breakthefloorprod). 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.. Operating Status Active. The OFFICIAL TikTok for Break the Floor Productions! Professional dancers suffer a wide swath of sexual predation from irritating flirtation to full-out devastating attacks. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. At Floor Productions we deliver best-in-class quality with the industries' best time-to-market project completion. Learn More About 24 Seven! In 2019, according to multiple sources, Lazzarini accidentally posted to Instagram a video that appears to show himself masturbating. How? 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. 15 reviews. Dancer Nico Lonetree, of Saint Paul, Minn., alleges he was propositioned for oral sex by BTF employee Vincent Hicks via texts while they both worked at the RADIX BTF dance convention on Feb. 11, 2017, in Houston, Texas. Afterwards, Schaufeld said Wallace told him never to say anything; it would be bad for both of their careers. Arts Apr 20. Through transparency, integrity, and professionalism, we believe we can become a model throughout the dance industry. Related Articles Ellis alleges that Stroming decided there was no sexual harassment because Lazzarini never touched his genitals. break the floor Latest Breaking News, Pictures, Videos, and Special Reports from The Economic Times. 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. Break the Floor Productions LLC operates as a dance entertainment company. Lonetree now questions whether he was punished for speaking up. At 16, Hudson looked forward to the festive weekend gatherings. Marci A. Hamilton, a University of Pennsylvania professor who founded CHILD USA and is the author of Justice Denied: What America Must Do to Protect its Children, said dance is one of the last forums where adults have unsupervised access to younger students. One staff member said Stroming showed him a nude photo of one of the students. But he was uncomfortable when a dance teacher, Mark Meismer, in his early 30s, repeatedly told him how attractive he was. At her first company event, when she was 17, she and Stroming had oral sex, she said. 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. Break the Floors reach extends across the entertainment industry to some of the biggest names in music, television and social media. Lavalee stated that he felt he was being groomed for a sexual relationship and that he was now being punished for dodging the alleged sexual advances. FREE Shipping. Average hourly pay for Break The Floor Productions Av Technician: $21. Due to the LA lockdown, it took us a little longer to organize. That night, they had sex in his apartment. 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 . Greater Los Angeles Area Event Planner Break the Floor Productions Jan 2012 - Aug 2019 7 years 8 months. His representatives at the MSA Agency also said they had no comment on his behalf. After this investigation published, BTF issued a statement saying it fired the choreographer following this incident because of concerns about this type of behaviour., After receiving questions regarding the allegations, Lazzarini sent text messages to three of the dancers who spoke to the Star, saying to one, I will do my best to be a better person and apologizing to another, Im so so sorry I ever made you feel uncomfortable.. Competition routines will be uploaded to our website and judged virtually. 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. He added new conventions, and new locations, branching into Mexico, Costa Rica and Canada. And so Schaufeld stayed quiet. 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. Receive a full refund within 7 business days of the event. Inside a Manhattan hotel, one of those choreographers Clarke idolized was now propositioning her for sex, she alleges. Marci A. Hamilton, a University of Pennsylvania professor who founded CHILD USA and is the author of Justice Denied: What America Must Do to Protect its Children, said dance is one of the last forums where adults have unsupervised access to younger students. Film Production. But the sexual climate behind closed doors is deplorable to me. Schaufeld stopped dancing years ago and has no plans to return to the studio. Break the Floor is the largest producer of dance conventions in the world with three dance conventions, JUMP, NUVO and 24 Seven Dance . 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. Due to the current climate, we realize the need for a clearer payment and refund policy. Gabriel who has performed with Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Beyonc and more was recently removed from the JUMP faculty. Snapshot; Why Join Us . This story was reported in partnership with the Toronto Star. Thats what Gary Schaufeld says happened to him. Jackie Stroming's Phone Number and Email Last Update. Nowhere in the world of education should students feel they are underneath the predators, he said. 2.7 out of 5 stars. National News | 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 . Your IP: Ellis said Stroming peppered him with questions. At her first company event, when she was 17, she and Stroming had oral sex, she said. Break the Floor helped launch his career, but an alleged assault by one of its star dancers continues to haunt him. 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. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! 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. Former DancerPalooza instructor, Eric Saradpon, has been charged by the Riverside County District Attorney with perpetrating lewd acts on minors in a private dance studio, and is awaiting trial. 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. October 25 2021 11:10 AM EST. He said he must have passed out and has no recollection of sending the text. Meismer asked the young dancer, then 17, to come to his home. Following his bosss instruction, Ellis went back to his tasks at BTF. But at Meismers house, they didnt discuss work. 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. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. \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":". Break The Floor (@breakthefloor) on TikTok | 2M Likes. 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.. And whats egregious about seeing it in the context of conventions is that it happens to kids. (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). 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. In dance studios, Hudson says Meismer would guide him into bathroom stalls for oral sex. Former DancerPalooza instructor, Eric Saradpon, has been charged by the Riverside County District Attorney with perpetrating lewd acts on minors in a private dance studio, and is awaiting trial. Hamilton also said perpetrators in many youth-focused organizations use hotel rooms away from home to exploit the power imbalance between teachers and students. 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. Allegations and Scandal Update. Russell is known for a high level of professionalism in the entertainment industry. Break The Floor Productions. 185.120.77.169 These include Viewport Meta, IPhone / Mobile Compatible, and LetsEncrypt. Hicks said he apologized to Lonetree and was reprimanded by Stroming. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Button taught at Radix conventions. Each of them has since left the company amid allegations of sexual misconduct. If an event changes from in-person to virtual, the difference in fees will be . Two of the choreographers facing allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour are listed as employees on the companys website. 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. 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. 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.. Lazzarini noticed a tear in Elliss pants and he just shoved his hand up my pants, to which I quickly reacted because I was already embarrassed and didnt need a hand grabbing my genitalia, alleged Ellis. He referred reporters to his lawyer, who didn't respond. It has been humbling. 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. But during a 2020 in-house training, a recording of which was reviewed by the AP and Star, Stroming addressed his own past misconduct. If an event changes from in-person to virtual, the difference in fees will be refunded within 7 business days of the event. He stopped eating and sleeping, and suffered from panic attacks, he said. 165.8K Followers. 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. Break the Floor Productions is one of the world's preeminent dance entertainment companies, encompassing dance conventions, touring theatrical productions, software, photo and video . But at Meismers house, they didnt discuss work. Learn how to leverage transparent company data at scale. Contact. 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. Hudson is now a famous dancer, with a resume that spans mega tours with Pink, Lady Gaga and Kylie Minogue, and appearances in more than a dozen films including La La Land and FAME. For 17 years, he kept to himself about what happened with Meismer. Discover jobs. Sexual abuse pervades the dance world, according to child advocates and industry leaders. With a broad range of business prospects and a reach of over 100,000+ dancers annually, Break The Floor Productions is largely . Hudson said he was optimistic. 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. And whats egregious about seeing it in the context of conventions is that it happens to kids. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a298e5fcfbebcbd My resolve is unwavering. We have many different teams and departments who are in need of someone just like you! The creative type? Maples mother, however, told the news organizations that she saw the photos when they appeared on shared photo albums on their familys home computer. Here is how it will work: JUMP, NUVO & 24 Seven will be planning all events, in-person, for the upcoming season. 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.