Sign in. BTF has undergone training and revised its code of conduct, the company said in a statement. The only reason I could think of was because we didnt take it further romantically. 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 . A year later, Hudson stayed with Meismer when he joined Break The Floors fledgling NUVO convention as part of its original lineup of instructors. Break The Floor Productions 6555 Barton Ave., Ste. 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. The dance world, its not like its different than any other world, its just that theyve been able to keep their secrets longer.. This story was reported in partnership with the Toronto Star. By Juliet Linderman, Martha Mendoza, Associated Press, Morgan Bocknek, Toronto Star . Break The Floor Productions is a private company. We know this season will look a little different for now. 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. Seven sources say they saw Stroming interact with students in ways that appeared intimate and inappropriate. 2023 www.detroitnews.com. Button taught at Radix conventions. But during a 2020 in-house training, a recording of which was reviewed by the AP and Star, Stroming addressed his own past misconduct. Break the Floor Productions is one of the world's preeminent dance entertainment companies, encompassing touring theatrical productions, dance workshops, photo and video production, corporate events and apparel. In 2019, Stroming quietly fired him after he posted, then quickly removed, a video of himself masturbating on Instagram, as the Star previously reported. Thats what Gary Schaufeld says happened to him. Hamilton also said perpetrators in many youth-focused organizations use hotel rooms away from home to exploit the power imbalance between teachers and students. For aspiring young dancers like Clarke, the companys events are an almost mandatory stop if they want to pursue dancing professionally. He is no longer with the company, according to Break The Floor. (US Only) Founders Gil Stroming. Break the Floors reach extends across the entertainment industry to some of the biggest names in music, television and social media. The annual revenue of Break The Floor Productions varies between 25M and 100M. las vegas, nv. 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.. 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. 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. All I would need to do is say [five] words: I know what you did. . 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. 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. Company reviews. Schaufeld stopped dancing years ago and has no plans to return to the studio. Man convicted of California rapes that attorney blamed on defendants twin 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. 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 However, Lavallee said Wall told him he had romantic feelings for him, and thought of him as his best friend. A Toronto-born teen alleged a famous choreographer propositioned her for sex just hours after judging her at a 2012 Break the Floor convention. In 2018, 14 years later, he decided to tell his family, and confront Wallace directly. 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 . In the years that followed, Hudson said Meismer continued to pursue him for sex. 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. This story was reported as a partnership between The Associated Press and the Toronto Star, The company was launched 22 years ago by a charismatic dancer, Gil Stroming, who came to fame in the 1990s, performing in the off-Broadway show Tap Dogs, described in The New York Times as a beefcake tap-a-thon.. In a statement, BTF Productions said, For some time, we have taken substantial steps to ensure BTF is the safe and comfortable environment that our attendees and employees deserve and expect.. On Oct. 1, BTF kicked off its fall season with an event in Toronto at an airport hotel. Break The Floor Productions. 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. 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. We understand that some studios and families might not yet feel comfortable attending the in-person workshop. And five dancers are suing former Boston Ballet star Dusty Button and her husband, alleging sexual abuse and assault. FREE Shipping. but trust us. The Open Database Of The Corporate World. I totally feel like I was a headache [for Stroming], Lonetree said. The company currently specializes in the Entertainment area. Of the eight allegations made, Wall is only implicated in the one featured in this article- and it happened nearly fourteen years ago. Lets be responsible journalists, shall we? The Star reviewed the text messages. 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 . At Floor Productions we deliver best-in-class quality with the industries' best time-to-market project completion. This allows a dancer or studio to take class from home or at the studio (at the discounted virtual fee). The alleged victims story is shaky at best. He said he felt punished for dodging the alleged sexual advances. 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. Our goal for this coming season is clear we are going to be holding all events, no matter what, GUARANTEED. Write a review. Thats what Gary Schaufeld says happened to him. Lonetree was 19. 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. He referred reporters to his lawyer, who didnt respond. 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. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. 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. Ghislaine Maxwells appeals arguments mirror earlier claims 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. 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. Read More. He said he had never done drugs of any kind before. Break The Floor Productions, LLC uses Remarketing with Google Analytics to advertise on third party sites to you after you visited our Site. 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. The Break The Floor faculty can't wait to dance with you! He was inviting her to his hotel room. 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. 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. His mental health deteriorated. A third said he and Lazzarini exchanged nude photos when he was 17. Which in fact, he wasnt, Hudson said in his video, viewed over 6,300 times. Warning: This article includes accounts of alleged sexual harassment that some readers could find distressing. This might just be his lucky break into professional dance. Hicks said he apologized to Lonetree and was reprimanded by Stroming. 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. 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 . Meismer didn't respond to repeated requests for comment. They provide amazing opportunities. Start of main content. We remain committed to these initiatives and will continue to learn and be better.. Snapshot; Why Join Us . Take a look at our available positions: In dance studios, Hudson says Meismer would guide him into bathroom stalls for oral sex. Its headquarters is located at New York, New York, USA. In the next week, we will be releasing an FAQ that will deal with all other questions. The next day Meismer was removed from NUVOs website and abruptly left the tour. Break the Floor Productions LLC operates as a dance entertainment company. 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. Meismer didnt respond to repeated requests for comment. Russell is known for a high level of professionalism in the entertainment industry. Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 16 years for rape, sexual assault Hudson alleges Meismer pushed him against a wall and performed oral sex on him. july 8-15. hyatt regency orlando. Read More . 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. To surprise him, Hudson said Meismer would buy them matching outfits. Now is the time for continued open dialogue, soul searching, and decisive action towards making amends. 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. 2.7 out of 5 stars. To get anywhere, like here, you have to do whatever the teachers said, you know what I mean? I didnt really understand why communication was cut off. Professional dancers suffer a wide swath of sexual predation from irritating flirtation to full-out devastating attacks. 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. Gabriel, when asked about Maples accusation, said in a written statement that he had been drinking heavily that night to control fears about serious health problems in his family. Schaufeld had fallen in love with tap at 7 years old, and assisting Wallace offered a chance to raise his profile and learn from one of the best. Break The Floor Productions is actively using 50 technologies for its website, according to BuiltWith. In his first 10 days as CEO, he said four people were let go.. 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. Lonetree said he recounted the alleged exchange to Stroming. National News | When I began teaching dance, I did so with the singular goal of helping individuals discover, develop, and express their truest selves. I didnt know how inappropriate that was.. He worked at a convention in Minneapolis, Minn., where he alleges a 31-year-old Lazzarini groped him. 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. 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. 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. But during a 2020 in-house training, a recording of which was reviewed by the AP and Star, Stroming addressed his own past misconduct. JUMP is proud to integrate CODA into all its competition. 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. I didnt know how inappropriate that was.. Check! Upload your resume. That dancer now works for BTF as a choreographer. Im not trying to bring this company down. But he was uncomfortable when a dance teacher, Mark Meismer, in his early 30s, repeatedly told him how attractive he was. Three of these dancers were under 18. 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. He said he must have passed out and has no recollection of sending the text. After all, Meismer was already an icon; he had toured with Britney Spears, Madonna and Paula Abdul. 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.
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