In an interview with the Star/AP, Wallace denied Schaufelds allegations and said nothing physical ever transpired between them, though he said he remembered having an inappropriate attraction to Schaufeld. "The dance community has long dealt with issues of inappropriate power dynamics as well as overt unacceptable behavior," Break the Floor said in a statement posted to Instagram Thursday. Judge Dismisses Jury in Trump Rape Trial for the Day The Break the Floor dance company is parting ways with the dancer after he and others were accused of a range of sexually inappropriate conduct while on tour. Mega dance company bred culture of sex, silence, dancers say 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. 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. Im not trying to bring this company down. The Star reviewed the text messages. Meismer did not respond to repeated requests for comment. I didnt know how inappropriate that was.. just about 10 hours ago, the owner of BTF Gil, who has also been accused of abuse has stepped down. The Toronto Stars story, which was published Thursday, detailed widespread sexual harassment and predatory behavior at the North America-based Break the Floor. On planes, Meismer would grope him in his seat, Hudson alleges. 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. It is one of the most exciting events of a young dancers life, recalled Keanu Uchida, a professional dancer from Ottawa. Former DancerPalooza instructor, Eric Saradpon, has been charged by the Riverside County. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. 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. \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":". Travis Wall Sexual Misconduct Accusation, Cut From Break the Floor Lindsey, from California, said he started exchanging text messages with the 34-year-old choreographer. In 2019, Stroming quietly fired him after he posted, then quickly removed, a video that appears to show himself masturbating on Instagram, as the Star previously reported. Travis Wall Scandal After Being Suspended From Break The Floor Three of them say these alleged advances happened when they were under 18. 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 . Once a dancer himself, Stroming said he was already making improvements. According to the Star, Wall told the outlet through his publicist that "the accusations against me are false," in response to the Star's initial story, but did not comment on being cut from Break the Floor's tour as a result of the accusation. Ellis started working for BTF in merchandising, selling clothing at events in 2015 when he was 19. Lindsey said he eventually sent nude photos back when he was 17. 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. 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. 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.. If an event changes from in-person to virtual, the difference in fees will be . 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. Dancers say leading company bred culture of sex, silence - The Mercury News He is no longer with the company, according to Break The Floor. That same year, Lavallee alleges a 24-year-old dancer forced himself onto a 16-year-old Lavallee at a party. Gabriel, when asked about Mapless accusation, said in a written statement that he had been drinking heavily that night to control fears about serious health problems in his family. Lazzarini denied subjecting anyone to unwanted sexual advances, adding that he would not respond to each and every claim in your forthcoming article that is false, taken out of context or completely exaggerated.. However, Lavallee said Wall told him he had romantic feelings for him, and thought of him as his best friend. Hudson is now a famous dancer, with a resume that spans mega tours with P!nk, 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. Two of the choreographers facing allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour are listed as employees on the companys website. Entering a BTF event is like walking into a carnival. Hundreds of studios and schools from. ","title":"Get more stories like this one in your inbox"},{"text":"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 as Stroming grew the company from a dance convention into an industry powerhouse, he also allegedly perpetuated a culture of sexual misconduct and silence, where dancers were assaulted, harassed and manipulated, according to interviews with dozens of former and current staff and students. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8, allegations of widespread sexual harassment and predatory behaviour. In addition to competitions with cash prizes, Break The Floors conventions which cost between $200 to $350 USD per student offer dozens of workshops, under strobing lights and thumping music. He added new conventions and new locations, branching into Mexico, Costa Rica and Canada. Break the Floor Sexual Abuse AP Article. Lavallee accused Wall of making sexual advances toward him then giving him ecstasy before Lavallee called a friend over to help him in the situation. Warning: This article includes accounts of alleged sexual harassment that some readers could find distressing. One dancer alleges he was 16 when Wall gave him ecstasy and methamphetamine, and now believes Wall was grooming him for a sexual relationship. Lonetree was 19. Three of these dancers were under 18. Instructors accused of predatory behaviour had been fired, Stroming assured. 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. But the sexual climate behind closed doors is deplorable to me. I was frozen in my own skin, I didnt know what to do, Schaufeld said. She says she didnt attend any auditions and returned home devastated. Wall has previously said "accusations against me are false." 11 74 101 Show this thread Morgan Bocknek @mobocks Oct 22, 2021 You can read the full investigation here: thestar.com Stroming declined interview requests and did not respond to the specific allegations. 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. He stopped eating and sleeping, and suffered from panic attacks, he said. 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.. 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. By clicking accept, you agree to this use. Carroll came out with her accusations against Trump in a book titled "What Do We Need Men For?" and in an excerpt of the tome published in New York Magazine in 2019. 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 largest room is reserved for the main stage, where at many events, aspiring dancers perform showcases and compete for the title of best dancer.. Hours later, Gil Stroming told his staff and customers he had sold the company for an undisclosed amount to Los Angeles real estate investor and producer Russell Geyser and was stepping down as CEO. "The dance community has long dealt with issues of inappropriate power dynamics as well as overt unacceptable behavior," Break the Floor said in a statement posted to Instagram Thursday. As a result of the story, Break the Floor is bringing in a third party to launch an investigation into the accusation made against "So You Think You Can Dance" alum Wall. I totally feel like I was a headache [for Stroming], Lonetree said. For aspiring young dancers like Clarke, the company's events are an almost mandatory stop if they want to pursue dancing professionally. Afterwards, Schaufeld said Wallace told him never to say anything; it would be bad for both of their careers. The dance world, its not like its different than any other world, its just that theyve been able to keep their secrets longer.","type":"text","isParagraph":true,"isHeading":false},{"text":"Hamilton also said perpetrators in many youth-focused organizations use hotel rooms away from home to exploit the power imbalance between teachers and students. with photos from Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images, The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star The problem was the three-year-old boy that was in the video with this guy. Photos: Break the Floor, Joe Corrigan/Getty Images, Jason Kempin/Getty Images, Beau Campbell, Miss Toto Rodgers, KiLeigh Williams, ngel Vasquez, Lee Gumbs, Broderick Baumann. A year or so later, shortly after her 18th birthday, Stroming flew the dancer out to New York, where he told her he had lined up dance auditions, she says. In the wake of the Stars first investigation, Stroming said the company has worked hard over the last year and a half to make Break the Floor a better and safer environment.. 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. Travis Wall Sexual Misconduct Accusation, Cut From Break the Floor One night, Schaufeld said, Wallace pushed him up against the wall and forced oral sex on him. His family has an INCREDIBLE amount of money. The company also published a new code of conduct. https://t.co/213nsiNJ73 Morgan Bocknek (@mobocks) October 21, 2021 Gil Stromings company capitalized on all of that studio growth, a dance industry that reached some $4 billion in value by 2021, employing more than 120,000 people, according to market research from analysts at IBISWorld. 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. Break the Floor CEO Stroming says he is stepping down | The Star 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. In light of this, over the last 18 months, we have made substantial strides to ensure BTR is a better and safer environment for everyone.". The Stars prior investigation uncovered allegations that Lazzarini had subjected at least six dancers to unwanted sexual advances at Break The Floor events. 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. Dancers accuse some of Break the Floor's famous choreographers of sexual harassment and grooming. Thousands of. Representatives for Wall and Break the Floor did not immediately respond to TheWraps request for comment Saturday. Attendees squeeze into small ballrooms where choreographers teach classes. 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. Ellis alleges that Stroming decided there was no sexual harassment because Lazzarini never touched his genitals. So did his brother Jeff the companys chief production officer and mother Jackie, known within the company as the Chief Mom Officer.. 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 Floor hosts conventions in cities across North America, putting on events in hotel ballrooms every weekend over the course of a six-month season. Wall cut off ties with Lavallee, which Lavallee said was due to him not accepting Wall's advances. 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Dancers say they were sexually harassed or groomed by famous choreographers and the dance company failed to protect them, Choreographer Nick Lazzarini pulled from dance company tour following Star investigation, The CEO of Break the Floor where famous dance coaches were accused of sexual misconduct says he is selling the company, This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. After all, Meismer was already an icon. In the. Break the Floor cited new training that employees have been required to take along with a new and updated code of conduct. ISLA CLARKE WAS 16 WHEN SHE ALLEGES SHE RECEIVED A NUDE PHOTO TEXTED BY ONE OF NORTH AMERICA'S MOST FAMOUS DANCE CHOREOGRAPHERS, A MAN NEARLY TWICE HER AGE. A few months later, without warning, Lavallee said, Wall cut off communication with him in the middle of one weekend and didnt show up to one of their scheduled teaching sessions. Hundreds of studios and schools from. As a result of the story, Break the Floor is bringing in a third party to launch an investigation into the accusation made against So You Think You Can Dance alum Wall. He remembers Meismer shushing him; someone was asleep in a nearby room, Meismer allegedly warned. He called me his convention boyfriend, recalled Hudson. Many students endured inappropriate sexual advances or comments from their instructors, Uchida said. It has been humbling. For aspiring young dancers like Clarke, the companys events are an almost mandatory stop if they want to pursue dancing professionally. Facebook work filtering posts 'cost me my humanity' - BBC News For Myles Lavallee, that blurred student-teacher relationship began with BTF instructor Travis Wall.
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