Russell Geyser is the new CEO of Break the Floor Productions. Each of them has since left the company amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Parents sue Tomball dance studio - Chron In 2019, Stroming quietly fired him after he posted, then quickly removed, a video of himself masturbating on Instagram, as the Star previously reported. Due to the LA lockdown, it took us a little longer to organize. BREAK THE FLOOR PRODUCTIONS LLC :: California (US) - OpenCorporates Attendees squeeze into small ballrooms where choreographers teach classes. Lonetree said he was soon after moved to a different convention, which he said made him feel like he had to start over and establish himself with a new team. Phone Number 818.432.1234. [Winners] get the most attention and respect. 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. The Stars prior investigation uncovered allegations that Lazzarini had subjected at least six dancers to unwanted sexual advances at Break The Floor events. 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. 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 . Lawyers for Saradpon and the Buttons didn't respond to requests for comment. Write a review. 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. Nowhere in the world of education should students feel they are underneath the predators, he said. Ellis started working for BTF in merchandising, selling clothing at events in 2015 when he was 19. 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.. In 2019, according to multiple sources, Lazzarini accidentally posted to Instagram a video that appears to show himself masturbating. Company Type For Profit. It just felt like the next step was for us to be in contact and kiss one another.. Looking to travel? 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. Greater Los Angeles Area Event Planner Break the Floor Productions Jan 2012 - Aug 2019 7 years 8 months. He was a teen in 2004, assisting a successful tap dancer named Danny Wallace, who wasn't with Break the Floor at the time, but would go on to run one of its subsidiary conventions. 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. The AP and the Star haven't seen these messages because Maples said theyd been deleted. Performance & security by Cloudflare. About us. I would not have stayed silent, said Wendy in a phone interview with the Star. 2.7. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Please know, the Break The Floor team is committed to bringing you the safest, most organized and exceptional events in the dance industry. 324 Brickyard Rd, Dalton, Georgia, 30721, United States. Nowhere in the world of education should students feel they are underneath the predators, he said. join our mailing list Which in fact, he wasnt, Hudson said in his video, viewed over 6,300 times. Earlier this year, after Geyser took the helm as CEO, Break The Floor published a new code of conduct. I didnt really understand why communication was cut off. 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 . I didnt really understand why communication was cut off. With a broad range of business prospects and a reach of over 300,000 dancers annually, Break the Floor Productions is largely responsible for the transformation of dance entertainment. Start of main content. 165.8K Followers. 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). We know this season will look a little different for now. This might just be his lucky break into professional dance. Many students endured inappropriate sexual advances or comments from their instructors, Uchida said. Still, he accepted a sought-after opportunity to assist Meismer as they toured various studios and conventions together. 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. The Star reviewed the text messages. . Break the Floor Productions LLC operates as a dance entertainment company. 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. 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. Can a dancer do the scholarship audition through a virtual event? All of our in-person events will now have a virtual option. Meismer didn't respond to repeated requests for comment. 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.. Etc. I was naive, and I was just letting it all happen, Lindsey said. Each of them has since left the company amid allegations of sexual misconduct. 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. Another dancer who says he reported his harassment to BTF management is Patrick Ellis, 26, from Baltimore, Md. 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. He was inviting her to his hotel room. Maples mother, however, told the news organizations that she saw the photos when they appeared on shared photo albums on their familys home computer. But at Meismers house, they didnt discuss work. 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. 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. Flat-rate shipping on all physical store items anywhere in the US! 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. Film Production. The OFFICIAL TikTok for Break the Floor Productions! I took the word of this choreographer, and thought he was helping me build a dance career. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. 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. Im not trying to bring this company down. Stroming was three years older, she said, a magnetic 19-year-old running the whole show. A post shared by MYLES LAVALLE (@myleslavallee). Legal Name Break The Floor Productions. He referred reporters to his lawyer, who didnt respond. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Instinct Magazine 2023 - All Rights Reserved. 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. For Myles Lavallee, that blurred student-teacher relationship began with BTF instructor Travis Wall. 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. 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. Hamilton also said perpetrators in many youth-focused organizations use hotel rooms away from home to exploit the power imbalance between teachers and students. In the text conversation, Hicks told Lonetree, I have a blow job with your name on it. Lonetree brushed off Hickss propositions over text, the texts show. I was frozen in my own skin, I didnt know what to do, Schaufeld said. 24 SEVEN Dance Convention is a dance workshop and competition that tours to 27 cities in the United States each season. Button taught at Radix conventions. Now 25, Uchida grew up attending BTF conventions. We are working on our competition entry limits for each event and will announce them soon. 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. Gil Stroming founded the excellent company named Break The Floor Productions in 1999 and has since grown it into one of the most famous dance entertainment companies in the world. Hotel lobbies, colourfully decorated, are lined with vendors selling clothes and videos. 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. Break the Floor Productions Jan 2015 - Aug 2019 4 years 8 months. His representatives at the MSA Agency also said they had no comment on his behalf. Break The Floor Productions. Dance studios may apply their own additional administrative fees. Contact Email info@breakthefloor.com. Break The Floor Productions - opradancewear 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. Juliet Linderman, Martha Mendoza and Morgan Bocknek. 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. The incentive is a tax credit designed to help address complaints from school boards, police departments and hospitals about the growing . 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. <style>.g-image--loading{display:none;}</style> Hudson said he was optimistic. 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 . Lonetree now questions whether he was punished for speaking up. Payment Terms for the 2020-2021 Season: The registration deadline will remain 30 days prior to the events, however payment will not need to be made until 14 days prior. Receive up-to-date schedules and info when attending any of the Break The Floor events: JUMP, NUVO, 24 Seven, The Dance Awards, DancerPalooza and Dance Teacher Summit! Ellis alleges that Stroming decided there was no sexual harassment because Lazzarini never touched his genitals. 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. Thank you. 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. By Juliet Linderman, Martha Mendoza, Associated Press, Morgan Bocknek, Toronto Star . 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. 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.. 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. Break the Floor is the largest producer of dance conventions in the world with three dance conventions, JUMP, NUVO and 24 Seven Dance . 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. Mega dance company bred culture of sex, silence, dancers say 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. 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. We remain committed to these initiatives and will continue to learn and be better.. Yet, I am blessed to be surrounded by the people I love and thank them for their patience and grace. Follow Break The Floor Productions on Instagram. A post shared by Travis Wall (@traviswall). Break the Floor founder, celebrity dance instructors face sexual misconduct allegations as the prominent company's crisis deepens. Lilli Maples had taken classes with Gabriel since she was 10 years old. . 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. I took the word of this choreographer, and thought he was helping me build a dance career. Three of them say these alleged advances happened when they were under 18. Our dance studio friends are finding it hard to plan for the new season. Break the Floor helped launch his career, but an alleged assault by one of its star dancers continues to haunt him. Professional dancers suffer a wide swath of sexual predation from irritating flirtation to full-out devastating attacks. Founded Date 1999. We could have and should have done better, he said. Stroming did not respond to questions about this incident. Break The Floor Productions General Information. Emmy winning choreographer Travis Wall has been cut from Break the Floor dance company's traveling tours amid an investigation into an accusation of . Still, he accepted a sought-after opportunity to assist Meismer as they toured various studios and conventions together. CODA aims to revolutionize the dance competition experience and is complimentary for every routine registered for JUMP, NUVO, 24 Seven and The Dance Awards. Stroming picked up Lazzarini at the height of his fame to join the convention circuit, teaching hundreds of thousands of aspiring young dancers. Founders Gil Stroming. Break The Floor Productions Company Profile: Funding & Investors NUVO Dance Convention I cant tell you how many times I thought about writing to Travis (Wall). 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..
Alex Anthopoulos Family, Atascadero High School Staff, What Temperature Is Too Hot For Newborn Puppies, Homes For Sale On Lake Robinson Hartsville, Sc, Articles B