She says she didnt attend any auditions, and returned home devastated. Break the Floor helped launch his career, but an alleged assault by one of its star dancers continues to haunt him. Meismer shushed him, he remembers, warning that someone was asleep in a nearby room. Allegations of sexual misconduct first hit the dance company in October, when the Toronto Star revealed allegations of widespread sexual harassment and predatory behavior by Break the Floor instructors. At 16, Hudson looked forward to the festive weekend gatherings. 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. National News | 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. The next day Meismer was removed from NUVOs website and abruptly left the tour. Looking back, Lindsey feels he had been groomed. 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. I felt very invalidated, Ellis said.
Sami Levinbook - Director of Venue Sourcing - Break The Floor 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. Read More . j***@breakthefloor.com. Susan Kao illustration with photos from Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images, John Lamparski/Getty Images, Broderick Baumann and ngel Vasquez, VIDEO OF BTF EVENT, OCT. 14, 2018: NICO LONETREE/@NICOGOOFS. 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. Not saying it definitely never happened, but I need more proof before Im willing to label Wall or anyone else a predator. 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. Operating Status Active. 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 . Ellis alleges that Stroming decided there was no sexual harassment because Lazzarini never touched his genitals.
Break The Floor Productions - opradancewear agreed. When Ellis explained that he recoiled before Lazzarini actually touched his genitals, he alleges Stroming declared it wasnt actually sexual harassment because he didnt actually touch me..
Company Sold Dream of Fame. Dancers Call It a Nightmare - Newser Contact. Of the eight allegations made, Wall is only implicated in the one featured in this article- and it happened nearly fourteen years ago. In the months that followed, Ellis said he began accepting Lazzarinis advances, once making out in the choreographers hotel room during a work break. Break the Floors reach extends across the entertainment industry to some of the biggest names in music, television and social media. On planes, Meismer would grope him in his seat, Hudson alleges.
Break The Floor - Break The Floor - Break the Floor Productions 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. 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.. Still, he accepted a sought-after opportunity to assist Meismer as they toured various studios and conventions together. 165.8K Followers. 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.. Take a look at our available positions: las vegas, nv. 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. We are committed to making studios and families feel confident and secure when registering for our events.
Break The Floor Productions - Tech Stack, Apps, Patents & Trademarks Lilli Maples had taken classes with Gabriel since she was 10 years old. And whats egregious about seeing it in the context of conventions is that it happens to kids. 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. Lavallee said Walls disappearance left him feeling unmoored and now feels he was being groomed for a sexual relationship. The largest room is reserved for the main stage, where at many events, aspiring dancers perform showcases and compete for the title of best dancer.. He is no longer with the company, according to Break The Floor. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Earlier this year, after Geyser took the helm as CEO, Break The Floor published a new code of conduct. 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 . june 24-july 1. the venetian/palazzo. Hotel lobbies, colourfully decorated, are lined with vendors selling clothes and 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. At least four people removed from Break The Floor for alleged misconduct have continued to work around kids in other settings.
Break The Floor Productions: Contact Details and Business Profile 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. Lavalee also charges that in an earlier incident, he attended a hotel room party in California where Wall gave him crystal meth so he could stay awake for his flight back home to Arizona. (Lavallee had never done any drugs at all prior to the alleged incident). orlando, fl. Stroming was three years older, she said, a magnetic 19-year-old running the whole show. I would not have stayed silent, said Wendy in a phone interview with the Star. 11/20/2022 12:38 PM. Reviews from Break The Floor Productions employees about Break The Floor Productions culture, salaries, benefits, work-life balance, management, job security, and more. We are working on our competition entry limits for each event and will announce them soon. Ghislaine Maxwells appeals arguments mirror earlier claims Six dancers, including Clarke, allege Lazzarini subjected them to unwanted sexual advances. It just felt like the next step was for us to be in contact and kiss one another..
Here's what we know about the sexual assault allegations filed against . The company currently specializes in the Entertainment area. Button taught at Radix conventions. Founders Gil Stroming.
24 Seven Dance Convention Travis Wall Removed From Dance Tour After Misconduct Allegation Maples mother, however, told the news organizations that she saw the photos when they appeared on shared photo albums on their familys home computer.
Russell Geyser - CEO at Break The Floor Productions | The Org 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. Keanu Uchida, photographed in Montreal, said many student dancers at Break the Floor endured inappropriate sexual advances from their instructors. I totally feel like I was a headache [for Stroming], Lonetree said. For aspiring young dancers like Clarke, the companys events are an almost mandatory stop if they want to pursue dancing professionally. Schaufeld stopped dancing years ago and has no plans to return to the studio.
Lavallee said they exchanged numbers, and over a few texts and calls, he agreed to become Walls dance assistant.
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. 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. 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. Here is how it will work: JUMP, NUVO & 24 Seven will be planning all events, in-person, for the upcoming season. I believe if I had been taken seriously at the time I came forward with my experiences, this could have prevented another person from finding themselves in the same position that I was forced into, Ellis said. 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. 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. In the next week, we will be releasing an FAQ that will deal with all other questions. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. 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. 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 Floor calls itself one of the worlds preeminent dance companies, and its programs reach more than 300,000 dancers each year. A third said he and Lazzarini exchanged nude photos when he was 17. One said Lazzarini groped him through a hole in his pants. He said he found the work climate to be too sexualized to continue there. At least four people removed from Break The Floor for alleged misconduct have continued to work around kids in other settings. 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. 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. Dharma Productions shared the news of filming start on the project on the banner's social media handles. Break the Floor Productions Jan 2015 - Aug 2019 4 years 8 months. Gabriel who has performed with Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Beyonc and more was recently removed from the JUMP faculty. They provide amazing opportunities. - Interactive venue and exhibit hall map.
Mega dance company bred culture of sex, silence, dancers say - Yahoo! News Break The Floor Productions Company Profile: Funding & Investors Contact. 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 . To surprise him, Hudson said Meismer would buy them matching outfits. Website. 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.. with photos from Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images, The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star The only reason I could think of was because we didnt take it further romantically. 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. 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. Through transparency, integrity, and professionalism, we believe we can become a model throughout the dance industry. Subscribe to our emails. Break The Floor Productions is a Music & Music Related Services, and Media & Internet company located in New York, New York with $2.40 Million in revenue and 62 employees. But the sexual climate behind closed doors is deplorable to me. 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 Stars prior investigation uncovered allegations that Lazzarini had subjected at least six dancers to unwanted sexual advances at Break The Floor events. join our mailing list One staff member said Stroming showed him a nude photo of one of the students. I loved his reality show All the Right Moves & had a crush on Travis, if true makes my crush go away. Company reviews. Stroming did not respond to questions about Elliss allegations.
Break The Floor Productions - Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding Shapiro aims tax break at police officers, teachers, nurses 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. Meismer didn't respond to repeated requests for comment.
Break The Floor Productions | LinkedIn October 25 2021 11:10 AM EST. To get a job at Break The Floor Productions, browse currently open positions and apply for a job near you. 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. 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. Headquarters.
Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 16 years for rape, sexual assault Nico Lonetree (left) and Myles Lavallee are among eight dancers who allege they were subjected to sexual harassment or predatory behaviour from staff of the prominent dance company, Break the Floor. He was inviting her to his hotel room. Lindsey said he eventually sent nude photos back when he was 17. I have dedicated my life to creating happiness and joy in this world through dance and feel terrible that anything I might have done could have caused anyone to feel sad or hurt, he said. His representatives at the MSA Agency also said they had no comment on his behalf. Gil Stroming, who recently sold the company he founded more .