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Follow Break The Floor Productions on Instagram. 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. - Interactive venue and exhibit hall map. Break the Floor Productions LLC operates as a dance entertainment company. 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. 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. In 2018, 14 years later, he decided to tell his family, and confront Wallace directly. 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 didnt respond to the specific allegations. Ellis started working for BTF in merchandising, selling clothing at events in 2015 when he was 19. 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 . But the secret ate away at him. Break the Floor Productions Jan 2015 - Aug 2019 4 years 8 months. july 8-15. hyatt regency orlando. Professional dancers suffer a wide swath of sexual predation from irritating flirtation to full-out devastating attacks. Lavallee also said that Wall gave him ecstasy that night. The next day Meismer was removed from NUVOs website and abruptly left the tour. National News | I took the word of this choreographer, and thought he was helping me build a dance career. He said that he and Lonetree flirted with one another before the text in question. 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. Hicks, meanwhile, continued to work at RADIX every season, through 2021. In the months that followed, Ellis said he began accepting Lazzarinis advances, once making out in the choreographers hotel room during a work break. I apologize and sincerely regret that my actions have hurt people I cherish or has broken their trust. He added new conventions, and new locations, branching into Mexico, Costa Rica and Canada. Hamilton also said perpetrators in many youth-focused organizations use hotel rooms away from home to exploit the power imbalance between teachers and students. 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. A post shared by Travis Wall (@traviswall). 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. We are truly heartbroken that anyone has been subject to inappropriate behaviour by any person associated with Break The Floor, the statement read. And everybody strives for that, obviously, because that leads to more opportunity and attention from the faculty, said Uchida. 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. Button taught at Radix conventions. Lonetree said he recounted the alleged exchange to Stroming. A third said he and Lazzarini exchanged nude photos when he was 17. Description. However, Lavallee said Wall told him he had romantic feelings for him, and thought of him as his best friend. 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. I would not have stayed silent, said Wendy in a phone interview with the Star. He said he had never done drugs of any kind before. The incentive is a tax credit designed to help address complaints from school boards, police departments and hospitals about the growing . It just felt like the next step was for us to be in contact and kiss one another.. 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. I just knew after that the company was bad news and I wanted out.. 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. 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. 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. Etc. With a broad range of business prospects and a reach of over 100,000+ dancers annually, Break The Floor Productions is largely . In his first 10 days as CEO, he said four people were let go.. 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. <style>.g-image--loading{display:none;}</style> Seven sources say they saw Stroming interact with students in ways that appeared intimate and inappropriate. We understand that some studios and families might not yet feel comfortable attending the in-person workshop. Gil Stromings company capitalized on all of that studio growth, an industry that reached about $4 billion in value by 2021, employing more than 120,000 people, according to market research from analysts at IbisWorld. The next morning, Stroming left abruptly for Las Vegas and handed her $40 for a cab ride back to the airport. At 16, Hudson looked forward to the festive weekend gatherings. Afterwards, Schaufeld said Wallace told him never to say anything; it would be bad for both of their careers. Break the Floors reach extends across the entertainment industry to some of the biggest names in music, television and social media. The ultimate goal is winning first place under the spotlight at the annual Dance Awards. 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. 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.. Looking back, Lindsey feels he had been groomed. A post shared by Break The Floor Productions (@breakthefloorprod). These include Viewport Meta, IPhone / Mobile Compatible, and LetsEncrypt. Stroming picked up Lazzarini at the height of his fame to join the convention circuit, teaching hundreds of thousands of aspiring young dancers. 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. Read More . Lonetree alleges Hicks later confronted him, took off Lonetrees headset, and told him to take a walk and come back with the answer I want. Hicks strenuously denies saying this and denies removing Lonetrees headset. join our mailing list JUMP, NUVO and 24 Seven will host a virtual event, specific to the event and city, and broadcast from our studios in Los Angeles. Six dancers, including Clarke, allege Lazzarini subjected them to unwanted sexual advances. Lindsey, from California, said he started exchanging text messages with the 34-year-old choreographer. The AP and the Star haven't seen these messages because Maples said theyd been deleted. Sexual abuse pervades the dance world, according to child advocates and industry leaders. Break The Floor Productions uses 14 technology products and services including HTML5, jQuery, and Google Analytics, according to G2 Stack. (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). 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 . About two decades ago, when she was a dance teacher accompanying her students to a Break the Floor event, she said she refused Stromings $500 offer to join him in his hotel room. Lets be responsible journalists, shall we? In 2018, 14 years later, he decided to tell his family, and confront Wallace directly. I then felt very embarrassed. 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. 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. JUMP is proud to integrate CODA into all its competition. 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. To surprise him, Hudson said Meismer would buy them matching outfits. I could feel the relationship change because I basically rejected the offer., In a statement, Lazzarini apologized to those who bravely stepped forward to share their truth.. Employers / Post Job. 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. agreed. We remain committed to these initiatives and will continue to learn and be better.. Lavallee caught the attention of Wall an Emmy winner and So You Think You Can Dance runner-up who was judging his performance at a BTF competition in the summer of 2008, Lavallee said. 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.. That dancer now works for BTF as a choreographer. 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 . 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. 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. Dharma Productions shared the news of filming start on the project on the banner's social media handles. Sexual abuse pervades the dance world, according to child advocates and industry leaders. 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. . He is no longer with the company, according to Break The Floor. Follow. I loved his reality show All the Right Moves & had a crush on Travis, if true makes my crush go away. Nowhere in the world of education should students feel they are underneath the predators, he said. To my family, friends, colleagues and, most importantly, to those who bravely stepped forward to share their truth: I am truly sorry. But the secret ate away at him. Former Break The Floor instructors have been accused of abusing young dancers in other settings. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Here is how it will work: JUMP, NUVO & 24 Seven will be planning all events, in-person, for the upcoming season. Each of them has since left the company amid allegations of sexual misconduct. 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. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. 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. 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. Meismer asked the young dancer, then 17, to come to his home. 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. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 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. 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. 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. In the next week, we will be releasing an FAQ that will deal with all other questions. To surprise him, Hudson said Meismer would buy them matching outfits. Another dancer who says he reported his harassment to BTF management is Patrick Ellis, 26, from Baltimore, Md. Break The Floors Health & Safety Protocols can be found here: https://www.breakthefloor.com/safety. Gabriel who has performed with Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Beyonc and more was recently removed from the JUMP faculty. For more than 30 years, Russell has been CEO of numerous companies and run a portfolio of investments in theatrical film production, sports lending, film finance and lending, media buying, and . Many students endured inappropriate sexual advances or comments from their instructors, Uchida said. Emmy winning choreographer Travis Wall has been suspended from Break the Floor dance company's traveling tours amid an investigation into an accusation of sexually inappropriate behavior made . 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. After all, Meismer was already an icon; he had toured with Britney Spears, Madonna and Paula Abdul. The only reason I could think of was because we didnt take it further romantically.. 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. 11/20/2022 12:38 PM. 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. Jackie Stroming is a Mom Chief & Officer at Break The Floor Productions based in N Hollywood, California. In the years that followed, Hudson said Meismer continued to pursue him for sex. Schaufeld stopped dancing years ago and has no plans to return to the studio. BREAK THE FLOOR LIVE is now April 18-19! 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. Film Production. Company Type For Profit. His mental health deteriorated. Jackie Stroming's Phone Number and Email Last Update. Entering a BTF event is like walking into a carnival. Dance studios may apply their own additional administrative fees. Break The Floor Productions. 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. 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. He also noted that he was not in a position of authority but in a first-year, entry-level position. Break The Floor Productions is a private company. Through transparency, integrity, and professionalism, we believe we can become a model throughout the dance industry. Check! Juliet Linderman, Martha Mendoza and Morgan Bocknek. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Stroming was three years older, she said, a magnetic 19-year-old running the whole show. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. We know this season will look a little different for now. Ellis alleges that Stroming decided there was no sexual harassment because Lazzarini never touched his genitals. Three of these dancers were under 18. After he turned 18, he engaged in a consensual sexual relationship with Lazzarini. They provide amazing opportunities. 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. Any claims to the contrary are simply untrue., Nick Lazzarini: My Apology and Promise to Do Better. One said Lazzarini groped him through a hole in his pants. 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 . confront my own shortcomings, I vow to take every step necessary to turn them into the very strengths I will use to help empower and protect others. Three of them say these alleged advances happened when they were under 18. But he was uncomfortable when a dance teacher, Mark Meismer, in his early 30s, repeatedly told him how attractive he was. Professional dancers suffer a wide swath of sexual predation from irritating flirtation to full-out devastating attacks. Arts Apr 20. . break the floor Blogs, Comments and Archive News on Economictimes.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. On all orders over $100! Discover jobs. The whole story seems fishy. A typical convention weekend lasts from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon and features dance classes with some of the world's leading dance educators. Gil Stroming, who recently sold the company he founded more . Lonetree now questions whether he was punished for speaking up. Contact. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Glassdoor provides our best prediction for total pay in today's job market, along with other types of pay like cash bonuses, stock bonuses, profit sharing, sales commissions, and tips. Stroming did not respond to questions about this incident. Alumni and faculty have danced on stage with Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift, at the Oscars and the Super Bowl. Keanu Uchida, photographed in Montreal, said many student dancers at Break the Floor endured inappropriate sexual advances from their instructors. 165.8K Followers. He added new conventions, and new locations, branching into Mexico, Costa Rica and Canada. Warning: This article includes accounts of alleged sexual harassment that some readers could find distressing. Learn how to leverage transparent company data at scale. Hudson said he was optimistic. Subscribe to our emails. Stroming declined repeated interview requests. I felt very invalidated, Ellis said. 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. Its the opposite of a zero tolerance policy, Ellis said. I cant tell you how many times I thought about writing to Travis (Wall). Break The Floor Productions. The Star has spoken to a friend of Lindseys who said they saw the texts and photos Lindsey and Lazzarini exchanged.