Inside a Manhattan hotel, one of those choreographers Clarke idolized was now propositioning her for sex, she alleges. Uchida, who was working as a dance assistant for BTF, alleges Lazzarini groped him in public without his consent before and after their relationship, and made derogatory, as well as racist comments about him in front of his peers and boss. Our goal for this coming season is clear we are going to be holding all events, no matter what, GUARANTEED. It has been humbling. Break The Floor Productions LLC. Break The Floor Productions. break the floor Latest Breaking News, Pictures, Videos, and Special Reports from The Economic Times. 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.. Afterwards, Schaufeld said Wallace told him never to say anything; it would be bad for both of their careers. Who's who in the break the floor investigation. I apologize and sincerely regret that my actions have hurt people I cherish or has broken their trust. 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. These include Viewport Meta, IPhone / Mobile Compatible, and LetsEncrypt. 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. june 24-july 1. the venetian/palazzo. Thats what Gary Schaufeld says happened to him. Our dance studio friends are finding it hard to plan for the new season. Film Production. 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. It was my church, he said, but now the whole dance scene feels dirty and tainted.. Stroming declined repeated interview requests. \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 was definitely inappropriate myself in a lot of ways, he told his staff. Dancers repeatedly described feeling sexualized in their learning space, and multiple dancers said they felt leered at by some choreographers who would message them compliments on their appearance, sometimes immediately following classes. In the years that followed, Hudson said Meismer continued to pursue him for sex. 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. Follow. Email. Emmy winning choreographer Travis Wall has been cut from Break the Floor dance company's traveling tours amid an investigation into an accusation of . join our mailing list (US Only) The annual revenue of Break The Floor Productions varies between 25M and 100M. 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 . . The action you just performed triggered the security solution. 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. 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. 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. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Reviews from Break The Floor Productions employees about Pay & Benefits. Studio Owners, please contact us to confirm pricing, discounts, and incentives. Lawyers for Saradpon and the Buttons didnt respond to requests for comment. Stroming picked up Lazzarini at the height of his fame to join the convention circuit, teaching hundreds of thousands of aspiring young dancers. It is one of the most exciting events of a young dancers life, recalled Keanu Uchida, a professional dancer from Ottawa. To get anywhere, like here, you have to do whatever the teachers said, you know what I mean? 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. It just felt like the next step was for us to be in contact and kiss one another.. The ultimate goal is winning first place under the spotlight at the annual Dance Awards. He said he felt punished for dodging the alleged sexual advances. 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 dance studios, Hudson says Meismer would guide him into bathroom stalls for oral sex. Meismer didnt respond to repeated requests for comment. With a broad range of business prospects and a reach of over 300,000 dancers annually, Break the Floor Productions is largely . 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. We could have and should have done better, he said. But during a 2020 in-house training, a recording of which was reviewed by the AP and Star, Stroming addressed his own past misconduct. Each of them has since left the company amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Schaufeld stopped dancing years ago and has no plans to return to the studio. 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. The lawsuit and its disturbing allegations have rocked the ballet world, one populated by young dancers most of them girls who train under exacting instructors in hopes of reaching the top . 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. I totally feel like I was a headache [for Stroming], Lonetree said. Russell is known for a high level of professionalism in the entertainment industry. 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. He added new conventions, and new locations, branching into Mexico, Costa Rica and Canada. Now 25, Uchida grew up attending BTF conventions. 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. Description. Thank you. 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. 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 . 3 min read. 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. Will Conventions & Competitions be happening? Phone Number (706) 217-6462. High school student, convention boyfriend. Meismer shushed him, he remembers, warning that someone was asleep in a nearby room. orlando, fl. 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. One staff member said Stroming showed him a nude photo of one of the students. What will the in-person events look like? What if we plan on it and they are cancelled again? Find company research, competitor information, contact details & financial data for Break The Floor Productions LLC of Los Angeles, CA. 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 performances led by elite dancers and choreographers known from Broadway, film and television. After all, Meismer was already an icon; he had toured with Britney Spears, Madonna and Paula Abdul. JUMP/NUVO/24SEVEN/TDA.Watch the latest video from Break The Floor (@breakthefloor). 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. We remain committed to these initiatives and will continue to learn and be better.. 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. Ellis said it was this moment where he realized he had to leave the company. Operating Status Active. 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. 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. At her first company event, when she was 17, she and Stroming had oral sex, she said. We know this season will look a little different for now. The company currently specializes in the Entertainment area. 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. Eventually, Lazzarini began to avoid her at dance conventions, Clarke said, and this made her anxious, as she feared he was in a position to impede her career. 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 . Phone Number 818.432.1234. Uchida is now volunteering with BTF to help further revise the dance companys code of conduct. For payroll inquiries: payroll@breakthefloor.com For accounting inquiries: accounting@breakthefloor.com For human resources: hr@breakthefloor.com For general information about our dance programs: info@breakthefloor.com 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.. Here is how it will work: JUMP, NUVO & 24 Seven will be planning all events, in-person, for the upcoming season. 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. 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. The creative type? With a broad range of business prospects and a reach of over 300,000+ dancers annually, Break The Floor Productions is largely . The Star reviewed the text messages. Hudson said he was optimistic. Sign in. 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 . 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. 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. july 8-15. hyatt regency orlando. Entering a BTF event is like walking into a carnival. Mom Chief & Officer at Break The Floor Productions . Break The Floors Health & Safety Protocols can be found here: https://www.breakthefloor.com/safety. The Open Database Of The Corporate World. A typical convention weekend lasts from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon and features dance classes with some of the world's leading dance educators. In the next week, we will be releasing an FAQ that will deal with all other questions. His picture and profile disappeared from the website, though there was no formal announcement of his departure. Maples mother, however, told the news organizations that she saw the photos when they appeared on shared photo albums on their familys home computer. Another dancer who says he reported his harassment to BTF management is Patrick Ellis, 26, from Baltimore, Md. Our model gets smarter over time as more people share salaries on Glassdoor. He said he must have passed out and has no recollection of sending the text. 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. California teacher who gave birth to child fathered by student hit with another sexual abuse lawsuit At the New York event in 2012, Clarke said she turned down Lazzarinis request to join him in his hotel room. 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. FREE Shipping. Former Break The Floor instructors have been accused of abusing young dancers in other settings. 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 . 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. 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. Looking to travel? . BTF has undergone training and revised its code of conduct, the company said in a statement. After he turned 18, he engaged in a consensual sexual relationship with Lazzarini. (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). And whats egregious about seeing it in the context of conventions is that it happens to kids. I took the word of this choreographer, and thought he was helping me build a dance career. Break the Floor helped launch his career, but an alleged assault by one of its star dancers continues to haunt him. Discover jobs. National News | September 17, 2021. Meismer shushed him, he remembers, warning that someone was asleep in a nearby room. An Ottawa dancer working as an assistant for the company said the same choreographer groped him in public. Lavallee also said that Wall gave him ecstasy that night. 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. In 2019, Stroming quietly fired him after he posted, then quickly removed, a video of himself masturbating on Instagram, as the Star previously reported. The next day Meismer was removed from NUVOs website and abruptly left the tour. Average hourly pay for Break The Floor Productions Av Technician: $21. And so Schaufeld stayed quiet. 24 SEVEN Dance Convention is a dance workshop and competition that tours to 27 cities in the United States each season. 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.. Alumni and faculty have danced on stage with Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift, at the Oscars and the Super Bowl. 550 Los Angeles, CA 90038 818.432.1234 info@breakthefloor.com. Break The Floor Productions. 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. 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.. 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. Lilli Maples had taken classes with Gabriel since she was 10 years old. 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. A post shared by Break The Floor Productions (@breakthefloorprod). Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. A people person? This will be a real. He said that he and Lonetree flirted with one another before the text in question. Break the Floor Productions LLC operates as a dance entertainment company. 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. 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. Break the Floor Productions Jan 2015 - Aug 2019 4 years 8 months. One staff member said Stroming showed him a nude photo of one of the students. Its the opposite of a zero tolerance policy, Ellis said. 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. Hudson said he was optimistic. Follow Break The Floor Productions on Instagram. Break The Floor Productions. 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. I loved his reality show All the Right Moves & had a crush on Travis, if true makes my crush go away. But he was uncomfortable when a dance teacher, Mark Meismer, in his early 30s, repeatedly told him how attractive he was. 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. Jackie Stroming is a Mom Chief & Officer at Break The Floor Productions based in N Hollywood, California. For aspiring young dancers like Clarke, the companys events are an almost mandatory stop if they want to pursue dancing professionally. The AP and the Star haven't seen these messages because Maples said theyd been deleted. 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. [Winners] get the most attention and respect. In his first 10 days as CEO, he said four people were let go.. Learn More About 24 Seven! The OFFICIAL TikTok for Break the Floor Productions! 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. In the months that followed, Ellis said he began accepting Lazzarinis advances, once making out in the choreographers hotel room during a work break. Travis has made some great dance routines and is a great dancer. Each of them has since left the company amid allegations of sexual misconduct. CODA is Break The Floor's innovative online system of style specific score sheets, video tutorials, data analytics and judge training. Break The Floor now draws around 300,000 dance students, some as . 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. I didnt know how inappropriate that was.. 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.
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