Stroming did not respond to questions about Elliss allegations. Performance & security by Cloudflare. It was my church, he said, but now the whole dance scene feels dirty and tainted.. but trust us. Hudson said he was optimistic. 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. Sexual abuse pervades the dance world, according to child advocates and industry leaders. Lawyers for Saradpon and the Buttons didnt respond to requests for comment. Of the eight allegations made, Wall is only implicated in the one featured in this article- and it happened nearly fourteen years ago. Break The Floor Productions 6555 Barton Ave., Ste. 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 . National News | Break the Floor calls itself one of the worlds preeminent dance companies, and its programs reach more than 300,000 dancers each year. The combination of hyper-sexual dance content and the close contact between adult teachers and the young dancers creates an atmosphere ripe for abuse, said Jamal Story, a professional dancer who is co-chair of the National Dance Committee for The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). 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. And so Schaufeld stayed quiet. His picture and profile disappeared from the website, though there was no formal announcement of his departure. Read More . With a broad range of business prospects and a reach of over 300,000+ dancers annually, Break The Floor Productions is largely . Company Sold Dream of Fame. Dancers Call It a Nightmare - Newser Maples mother, however, told the news organizations that she saw the photos when they appeared on shared photo albums on their familys home computer. Flat-rate shipping on all physical store items anywhere in the US! In the years that followed, Hudson said Meismer continued to pursue him for sex. 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. Email. Mega dance company bred culture of sex, silence, dancers say - Yahoo! News BREAK THE FLOOR LIVE is now April 18-19! An Ottawa dancer working as an assistant for the company said the same choreographer groped him in public. Emmy winning choreographer Travis Wall has been cut from Break the Floor dance company's traveling tours amid an investigation into an accusation of . Break The Floor's Summer Jam 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. agreed. In dance studios, Hudson says Meismer would guide him into bathroom stalls for oral sex. Check! with photos from Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images, The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star 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. 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. Thats what Gary Schaufeld says happened to him. We remain committed to these initiatives and will continue to learn and be better.. Which in fact, he wasnt, Hudson said in his video, viewed over 6,300 times. Break The Floor Productions Company Profile: Funding & Investors Dharma Productions shared the news of filming start on the project on the banner's social media handles. Hicks said he apologized to Lonetree and was reprimanded by Stroming. JUMP is proud to integrate CODA into all its competition. Meismer asked the young dancer, then 17, to come to his home. 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. \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":". The Company encompasses dance workshops, competitions, touring theatrical and video . In 2018, 14 years later, he decided to tell his family, and confront Wallace directly. Lavallee called a friend to come over to divert where he said he felt the night was leading. 3 min read. Ellis recalled that on the last night of the dance season in May 2017, when Ellis was 21, Lazzarini kissed him while they were out at a club with other staff members. Stroming declined repeated interview requests. Hours earlier, the Toronto-born teen performed before a panel of judges that included the choreographer, Nick Lazzarini, a luminary in the dance world and first-ever winner of the TV show So You Think You Can Dance.. A post shared by Break The Floor Productions (@breakthefloorprod). Six of them have agreed to go public with their allegations. Former Break The Floor instructors have been accused of abusing young dancers in other settings. 324 Brickyard Rd, Dalton, Georgia, 30721, United States. Break the Floors reach extends across the entertainment industry to some of the biggest names in music, television and social media. Sign in. One staff member said Stroming showed him a nude photo of one of the students. All rights reserved. Employers / Post Job. What if we plan on it and they are cancelled again? [Winners] get the most attention and respect. 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. 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. 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. Its touring conventions will make numerous stops this year, from Miami to Vancouver and Calgary to Anchorage, Alaska. 24 Seven Dance Convention That night, they had sex in his apartment. Stroming was three years older, she said, a magnetic 19-year-old running the whole show. The Star has spoken to a friend of Lindseys who said they saw the texts and photos Lindsey and Lazzarini exchanged. 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. 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. In his first 10 days as CEO, he said four people were let go.. Im not trying to bring this company down. Break The Floor Productions 5446 Satsuma Ave North Hollywood, CA 91601 jam . Professional dancers suffer a wide swath of sexual predation from irritating flirtation to full-out devastating attacks. 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. Can a dancer do the scholarship audition through a virtual event? Stroming did not respond to questions about this incident. They provide amazing opportunities. The company currently specializes in the Entertainment area. Break The Floor - Break The Floor - Break the Floor Productions 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. Headquarters. Stroming declined repeated interview requests. Who's who in the break the floor investigation. 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. The next day Meismer was removed from NUVOs website and abruptly left the tour. 5446 Satsuma Ave, N Hollywood, California, 91601, United States. Break The Floor puts on performances and hosts dance schools across the United States & has said that they will be looking into the allegations against Wall. I apologize and sincerely regret that my actions have hurt people I cherish or has broken their trust., In a later response, after being presented with an additional accusation that he sent nude photos to a teenage dancer, Lazzarini added: I have never subjected anyone to unwanted sexual advances. Meismer shushed him, he remembers, warning that someone was asleep in a nearby room. 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 . 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. We understand that some studios and families might not yet feel comfortable attending the in-person workshop. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. 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 This allows a dancer or studio to take class from home or at the studio (at the discounted virtual fee). To surprise him, Hudson said Meismer would buy them matching outfits. Our model gets smarter over time as more people share salaries on Glassdoor. . Jackie Stroming's Phone Number and Email Last Update. 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. orlando, fl. Break The Floor Productions | LinkedIn 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. Break the Floor Productions - New York, NY - Yelp I was definitely inappropriate myself in a lot of ways, he told his staff. 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.. Break the Floor founder, celebrity dance instructors face sexual misconduct allegations as the prominent company's crisis deepens. 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 . One said Lazzarini groped him through a hole in his pants. Break the Floor Productions is one of the worlds preeminent dance entertainment companies, encompassing touring theatrical productions, dance workshops, photo and video production, corporate events and apparel. 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. But the sexual climate behind closed doors is deplorable to me. 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. We are working on our competition entry limits for each event and will announce them soon. - And more! You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. I was naive, and I was just letting it all happen, Lindsey said. Sign in. I didnt really understand why communication was cut off. Lawyers for Saradpon and the Buttons didn't respond to requests for comment. Break The Floor Productions | LinkedIn 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. Operating Status Active. National News | j***@breakthefloor.com. 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. This story was reported in partnership with the Toronto Star. Break The Floor Productions - Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding 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.. 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 said he must have passed out and has no recollection of sending the text. Ellis said it was this moment where he realized he had to leave the company. Famous Break the Floor instructors accused of sexual harassment | The Star 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 . That dancer now works for BTF as a choreographer. Take a look at our available positions: What will the in-person events look like? I just didnt know myself enough to understand how harmful it was, Hudson said. This is quite common in the industry and is used to cover the time and expense Studio Owners incur while organizing, registering and attending these events. 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. Stroming was three years older, she said, a magnetic 19-year-old running the whole show. In summer 2018, about two years after Ellis approached Stroming about Lazzarinis conduct, 17-year-old Zeke Lindsey met Lazzarini and began taking his classes. I then felt very embarrassed. Reviews from Break The Floor Productions employees about Break The Floor Productions culture, salaries, benefits, work-life balance, management, job security, and more. 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. 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. California teacher who gave birth to child fathered by student hit with another sexual abuse lawsuit 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 . Break the Floor helped launch his career, but an alleged assault by one of its star dancers continues to haunt him. 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. Lavallee said he made it clear he was not interested in a sexual relationship. October 25 2021 11:10 AM EST. COMPETITION INFO - JUMP Dance Convention 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. Break The Floor Productions General Information. 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. Meismer shushed him, he remembers, warning that someone was asleep in a nearby room. The next morning, Stroming left abruptly for Las Vegas and handed her $40 for a cab ride back to the airport. Break the Floor helped launch his career, but an alleged assault by one of its star dancers continues to haunt him. Break the Floor offers dance workshops, contests, touring theatrical productions, picture and video production, corporate events . Button taught at Radix conventions. 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. On all orders over $100! 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. The only reason I could think of was because we didnt take it further romantically.. 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. A year later, Hudson stayed with Meismer when he joined Break The Floors fledgling NUVO convention as part of its original lineup of instructors. How much do Break The Floor Productions employees make? 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 . 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. On planes, Meismer would grope him in his seat, Hudson alleges. The new owner, Russell Geyser, said the allegations have nothing to do with the current company, and that people involved with purported misconduct no longer work for Break The Floor. Each of them has since left the company amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Mega dance company bred culture of sex, silence, dancers say Afterwards, Schaufeld said Wallace told him never to say anything; it would be bad for both of their careers.