We understand that some studios and families might not yet feel comfortable attending the in-person workshop. 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. 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 . 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. 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.. 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. Stroming did not respond to questions about Elliss allegations. The OFFICIAL TikTok for Break the Floor Productions! \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":". It has been humbling. Break The Floor Productions is part of the Home Improvement & Hardware Retail industry, and located in California, United States. Russell is known for a high level of professionalism in the entertainment industry. 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. Lavallee said he made it clear he was not interested in a sexual relationship. 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. But the sexual climate behind closed doors is deplorable to me. Entering a BTF event is like walking into a carnival. Who's who in the break the floor investigation. JUMP, NUVO and 24 Seven will host a virtual event, specific to the event and city, and broadcast from our studios in Los Angeles. With a broad range of business prospects and a reach of over 300,000+ dancers annually, Break The Floor Productions is largely . Find salaries. Lavallee also said that Wall gave him ecstasy that night. join our mailing list The Break The Floor faculty can't wait to dance with you! Hudson said he was optimistic. One of those dancers was Patrick Ellis, who alleges that he told Break the Floors CEO, Gil Stroming, that Lazzarini had stuffed his hand up through a hole in Elliss pants and tried to fondle him. Lawyers for Saradpon and the Buttons didnt respond to requests for comment. 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. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Lindsey alleges Lazzarini sent him nude photos of himself. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. New York,NY . Its the opposite of a zero tolerance policy, Ellis said. Sign in. 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 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.. Performance & security by Cloudflare. 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. Alumni and faculty have danced on stage with Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift, at the Oscars and the Super Bowl. 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 . Dancers can take workshop classes at home or the studio may organize a watch and dance party at their studio. 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. The Star has spoken to a friend of Lindseys who said they saw the texts and photos Lindsey and Lazzarini exchanged. That night, they had sex in his apartment. Three of them say these alleged advances happened when they were under 18. 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. At the New York event in 2012, Clarke said she turned down Lazzarinis request to join him in his hotel room. Competition routines will be uploaded to our website and judged virtually. 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. Reviews from Break The Floor Productions employees about Break The Floor Productions culture, salaries, benefits, work-life balance, management, job security, and more. Our goal for this coming season is clear we are going to be holding all events, no matter what, GUARANTEED. Dancer Isla Clarke, seen here performing in June 2021, alleges she was propositioned for sex by a choreographer nearly twice her age when she competed at a Break the Floor dance competition at age 16. The ultimate goal is winning first place under the spotlight at the annual Dance Awards. Another said Lazzarini texted her a nude selfie when she was 16. An Ottawa dancer working as an assistant for the company said the same choreographer groped him in public. Break The Floor Productions LLC. Dharma Productions shared the news of filming start on the project on the banner's social media handles. He referred reporters to his lawyer, who didnt respond. I felt very invalidated, Ellis said. 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. 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 . Schaufeld stopped dancing years ago and has no plans to return to the studio. At least four people removed from Break The Floor for alleged misconduct have continued to work around kids in other settings. 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 . Ellis said Stroming peppered him with questions. He said that he and Lonetree flirted with one another before the text in question. Break The Floor now draws around 300,000 dance students, some as . A third said he and Lazzarini exchanged nude photos when he was 17. In 2019, Stroming quietly fired him after he posted, then quickly removed, a video of himself masturbating on Instagram, as the Star previously reported. 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. 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. National News | 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. Stroming was three years older, she said, a magnetic 19-year-old running the whole show. 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. Break The Floors Health & Safety Protocols can be found here: https://www.breakthefloor.com/safety. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! After all, Meismer was already an icon; he had toured with Britney Spears, Madonna and Paula Abdul. las vegas, nv. 15 reviews. FREE Shipping. 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 . I was frozen in my own skin, I didnt know what to do, Schaufeld said. With a broad range of business prospects and a reach of over 300,000 dancers annually, Break the Floor Productions is largely . If an event changes from in-person to virtual, the difference in fees will be . Break The Floor Productions. Whenever I worked with a struggling student, I always reassured them that confronting our shortcomings is not a showing of weakness, it is the beginning of strength. As I Arts Apr 20. 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. 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. 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 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. Contact. The annual revenue of Break The Floor Productions varies between 25M and 100M. Location. 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. He added new conventions, and new locations, branching into Mexico, Costa Rica and Canada. Operator of dance entertainment company committed to creating a dance culture. 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. 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. 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. 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.. 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. 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 incentive is a tax credit designed to help address complaints from school boards, police departments and hospitals about the growing . Lindsey, from California, said he started exchanging text messages with the 34-year-old choreographer. 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 . 3 min read. 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. The only reason I could think of was because we didnt take it further romantically.. Contact Email info@breakthefloor.com. In dance studios, Hudson says Meismer would guide him into bathroom stalls for oral sex. And whats egregious about seeing it in the context of conventions is that it happens to kids. 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. At 16, Hudson looked forward to the festive weekend gatherings. Follow Break The Floor Productions on Instagram. This allows a dancer or studio to take class from home or at the studio (at the discounted virtual fee). 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 relationship did not progress further physically, Lavallee said. 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. A people person? 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. 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). JUMP is proud to integrate CODA into all its competition. 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 . Specialties: Event Production Established in 2000. It banned inviting students to hotel rooms and said instructors shouldnt call students their daughter or son. And it encourages discretion online regarding Religion, Social Justice, Discrimination, Politics, Love and Romance, Abuse, Mental Health, Bullying, and Terrorism., The new code of conduct also says educators are considered mandated reporters regarding suspected child abuse: If you witness anything concerning, it is your duty to report it to the appropriate authorities.. 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. We could have and should have done better. However, Lavallee said Wall told him he had romantic feelings for him, and thought of him as his best friend. Legal Name Break The Floor Productions. But he was uncomfortable when a dance teacher, Mark Meismer, in his early 30s, repeatedly told him how attractive he was. j***@breakthefloor.com. Not saying it definitely never happened, but I need more proof before Im willing to label Wall or anyone else a predator. Flat-rate shipping on all physical store items anywhere in the US! I cant tell you how many times I thought about writing to Travis (Wall). Three of these dancers were under 18. 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. Write a review. On planes, Meismer would grope him in his seat, Hudson alleges. 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. 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. 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. Get the latest business insights from Dun & Bradstreet. CODA aims to revolutionize the dance competition experience and is complimentary for every routine registered for JUMP, NUVO, 24 Seven and The Dance Awards. Learn how to leverage transparent company data at scale. He worked at a convention in Minneapolis, Minn., where he alleges a 31-year-old Lazzarini groped him. Two of the choreographers facing allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour are listed as employees on the companys website. One said Lazzarini groped him through a hole in his pants. Im not trying to bring this company down. Break The Floor (@breakthefloor) on TikTok | 2M Likes. 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 . So I think I always kind of accepted it as, it is what it is, you cant do anything about it. . A Toronto-born teen alleged a famous choreographer propositioned her for sex just hours after judging her at a 2012 Break the Floor convention. Button taught at Radix conventions. 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. The whole story seems fishy. He also noted that he was not in a position of authority but in a first-year, entry-level position. Start of main content. 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.. Please know, the Break The Floor team is committed to bringing you the safest, most organized and exceptional events in the dance industry.