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. 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. Break the Floor Sexual Abuse AP Article. Former DancerPalooza instructor, Eric Saradpon, has been charged by the Riverside County. Ellis alleges that Stroming decided there was no sexual harassment because Lazzarini never touched his genitals. Im not trying to bring this company down. In 2018, 14 years later, he decided to tell his family, and then confront Wallace directly. His mental health deteriorated. His representatives at MSA Agency also said they had no comment on his behalf. Dancers say leading company bred culture of sex, silence - The Mercury News At 16, Hudson looked forward to the festive weekend gatherings. Now 25, Uchida grew up attending BTF conventions. And so Schaufeld stayed quiet. Stroming did not respond to questions about this incident. Hudson was still working with Meismer when he joined Break The Floors NUVO convention as part of its original lineup of instructors. The next morning, Stroming left abruptly for Las Vegas and handed her $40 for a cab ride back to the airport. Thats what Gary Schaufeld alleges happened to him. Many described an overtly sexual environment. The response from Trump who. He was a teenager in 2004, assisting a successful tap dancer named Danny Wallace, who was not with Break the Floor at the time. Nowhere in the world of education should students feel they are underneath the predators, he said. Break the Floor faces new sexual misconduct allegations | The Star Geyser said the allegations have nothing to do with the current company, and that people involved with alleged misconduct no longer work for Break The Floor. Warning: This article includes accounts of alleged sexual harassment that some readers could find distressing. Both said Stroming dismissed their concerns. 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.. Following his bosss instruction, Ellis went back to his tasks at BTF. I didnt know how inappropriate that was.. Emmy Award winner Travis Wall taken off tour with Break the Floor dance So the boy was playing on the floor with these toys, like not even . He referred reporters to his lawyer, who did not respond. Lavallee called a friend to come over to divert where he said he felt the night was leading. Hundreds of studios and schools from smaller communities bring teams of dancers to the events, branded by Stroming as JUMP, NUVO, 24 Seven, RADIX and DancerPalooza. "In. Discover short videos related to breakthefloor allegations on TikTok. Per the Star, 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.. 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. He apologized and said that he himself was a victim of abuse as a teen, and that his texts to Maples were a one time ever brief exchange that he would never consciously have sent. He said the texts have been misinterpreted and taken out of context.. If an event changes from in-person to virtual, the difference in fees will be . Keanu Uchida, photographed in Montreal, said many student dancers at Break the Floor endured inappropriate sexual advances from their instructors. "In the past, Break The Floor's policies and procedures did not focus on these issues as closely as they could have. Lindsey alleges Lazzarini sent him nude photos of himself. Former DancerPalooza instructor, Eric Saradpon, has been charged by the Riverside County. Mega Dance Company Bred Culture of Sex, Silence, Dancers Say - US News Lavallee said he did not tell Stroming or BTF staff about what he alleges happened with either Wall or the other choreographer, saying he thought his concerns would not be taken seriously. ","type":"text","isParagraph":true,"isHeading":false},{"text":"It was my church, he said, but now the whole dance scene feels dirty and tainted.","type":"text","isParagraph":true,"isHeading":false},{"captionPosition":"overlay","origImageSize":"960x1200","fullWindowGenericImage":false,"lastmodified":1650411169104,"forceoriginal":false,"caption":"Gary Schaufeld was a teenager in 2004 when he alleges a dance instructor pushed him up against a wall in an Ottawa, Ont., hotel room and forced oral sex on him. I could feel the relationship change because I basically rejected the offer. 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. Wall has previously said "accusations against me are false." : A Star investigation has found allegations of widespread sexual harassment and predatory behaviour at Break the Floor, a prominent company that tours Canada, the United States, and Mexico. He said the fact that the sale occurred at the time of mounting allegations was a coincidence. 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. ","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. All I would need to do is say [five] words: I know what you did. . I cant tell you how many times I thought about writing to Travis (Wall). Dance Convention Under Fire After Sexual Harassment Comes to Light Includes allegations against Break the Floor founder Gil Stroming (referenced in 1 episode by Abby), as well as choreographers Mark Meismer (had Elliana as a regular assistant over the pandemic, taught the older girls choreography at ALDC LA) and Travis Wall (danced with Maddie on SYTYCD . One dance instructor, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of professional consequences, said she warns the children and teens she brings to conventions to be watchful and aware of the potential for abuse of power. This site uses cookies for analytics, personalized content, and ads. 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. . For aspiring young dancers like Clarke, the companys events are an almost mandatory stop if they want to pursue dancing professionally. The dance world, its not like its different than any other world, its just that theyve been able to keep their secrets longer.. A former student, Myles Lavallee, told the paper that Wall started grooming him when he was 16 and Wall was 20. Thousands of. Wallace was already a star in the dance world and would later go on to be hired by Gil Stroming to direct Break The Floors 24 Seven. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. Travis Wall taken off tour with Break the Floor dance - The Star Once a dancer himself, Stroming said he was already making improvements. ","type":"genericimage","credit":"John Minchillo","url":"/content/dam/thestar/news/investigations/2022/04/20/break-the-floor-dance-company-new-sexual-misconduct-allegations/gary_schaufeld_portrait_2.jpg","crop":"0,0,960,1200","renditions":[{"url":"https://images.thestarimages.com/XpkVdH8hhq08GWvySqgACjErUWQ=/0x0:960x1200/1086x1358/smart/filters:cb(1650411169104):format(webp)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/investigations/2022/04/20/break-the-floor-dance-company-new-sexual-misconduct-allegations/gary_schaufeld_portrait_2.jpg","nonWebPUrl":"https://images.thestarimages.com/YKtR3ajTCoKaUyZg5byVLN2tiuI=/0x0:960x1200/1086x1358/smart/filters:cb(1650411169104)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/investigations/2022/04/20/break-the-floor-dance-company-new-sexual-misconduct-allegations/gary_schaufeld_portrait_2.jpg","width":1086,"height":1358,"scalefactor":113},{"url":"https://images.thestarimages.com/Fp522CQvcGywmcruYFgjUyqqIQM=/0x0:960x1200/968x1210/smart/filters:cb(1650411169104):format(webp)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/investigations/2022/04/20/break-the-floor-dance-company-new-sexual-misconduct-allegations/gary_schaufeld_portrait_2.jpg","nonWebPUrl":"https://images.thestarimages.com/zuc37Eu4pfx6WFysg0knYQwxoj0=/0x0:960x1200/968x1210/smart/filters:cb(1650411169104)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/investigations/2022/04/20/break-the-floor-dance-company-new-sexual-misconduct-allegations/gary_schaufeld_portrait_2.jpg","width":968,"height":1210,"scalefactor":101},{"url":"https://images.thestarimages.com/RvJ_imtY9UtoxoHSlv9_shdtQ2o=/0x0:960x1200/960x1200/smart/filters:cb(1650411169104):format(webp)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/investigations/2022/04/20/break-the-floor-dance-company-new-sexual-misconduct-allegations/gary_schaufeld_portrait_2.jpg","nonWebPUrl":"https://images.thestarimages.com/zCyptdVdU1v5N8s8aQE_y7a7T7U=/0x0:960x1200/960x1200/smart/filters:cb(1650411169104)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/investigations/2022/04/20/break-the-floor-dance-company-new-sexual-misconduct-allegations/gary_schaufeld_portrait_2.jpg","width":960,"height":1200,"scalefactor":100},{"url":"https://images.thestarimages.com/F_xvPDArbv6TZkZTu4bkXxQAC7U=/0x0:960x1200/850x1063/smart/filters:cb(1650411169104):format(webp)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/investigations/2022/04/20/break-the-floor-dance-company-new-sexual-misconduct-allegations/gary_schaufeld_portrait_2.jpg","nonWebPUrl":"https://images.thestarimages.com/YIfnaWQJQQ93JrOCHGP8M1xs_eY=/0x0:960x1200/850x1063/smart/filters:cb(1650411169104)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/investigations/2022/04/20/break-the-floor-dance-company-new-sexual-misconduct-allegations/gary_schaufeld_portrait_2.jpg","width":850,"height":1063,"scalefactor":89},{"url":"https://images.thestarimages.com/r-o6OmveBMVIR83K7odTxwuzMCg=/0x0:960x1200/650x813/smart/filters:cb(1650411169104):format(webp)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/investigations/2022/04/20/break-the-floor-dance-company-new-sexual-misconduct-allegations/gary_schaufeld_portrait_2.jpg","nonWebPUrl":"https://images.thestarimages.com/C4fO0mOuztHo7XUJC8Wdz35dx0Y=/0x0:960x1200/650x813/smart/filters:cb(1650411169104)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/investigations/2022/04/20/break-the-floor-dance-company-new-sexual-misconduct-allegations/gary_schaufeld_portrait_2.jpg","width":650,"height":813,"scalefactor":68},{"url":"https://images.thestarimages.com/bLzf2REzAgbRRCgHEXPARfC5A-w=/0x0:960x1200/605x756/smart/filters:cb(1650411169104):format(webp)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/investigations/2022/04/20/break-the-floor-dance-company-new-sexual-misconduct-allegations/gary_schaufeld_portrait_2.jpg","nonWebPUrl":"https://images.thestarimages.com/K5U_ow0SNaNAigm3t7vnqlMFSpc=/0x0:960x1200/605x756/smart/filters:cb(1650411169104)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/investigations/2022/04/20/break-the-floor-dance-company-new-sexual-misconduct-allegations/gary_schaufeld_portrait_2.jpg","width":605,"height":756,"scalefactor":63},{"url":"https://images.thestarimages.com/BwnIx5OjGj5pfxgVKEHIxeP8Viw=/0x0:960x1200/480x600/smart/filters:cb(1650411169104):format(webp)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/investigations/2022/04/20/break-the-floor-dance-company-new-sexual-misconduct-allegations/gary_schaufeld_portrait_2.jpg","nonWebPUrl":"https://images.thestarimages.com/MjqOoaq1YdXM9mL5WKYsC0xJ00Q=/0x0:960x1200/480x600/smart/filters:cb(1650411169104)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/investigations/2022/04/20/break-the-floor-dance-company-new-sexual-misconduct-allegations/gary_schaufeld_portrait_2.jpg","width":480,"height":600,"scalefactor":50},{"url":"https://images.thestarimages.com/WtHeH7OSclW9mpjIV4fK-SD_pmo=/0x0:960x1200/400x500/smart/filters:cb(1650411169104):format(webp)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/investigations/2022/04/20/break-the-floor-dance-company-new-sexual-misconduct-allegations/gary_schaufeld_portrait_2.jpg","nonWebPUrl":"https://images.thestarimages.com/F3m-5uciNuH48oDuLtSC2y4VZjM=/0x0:960x1200/400x500/smart/filters:cb(1650411169104)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/investigations/2022/04/20/break-the-floor-dance-company-new-sexual-misconduct-allegations/gary_schaufeld_portrait_2.jpg","width":400,"height":500,"scalefactor":42},{"url":"https://images.thestarimages.com/z5_pwFVGsGreRkxoQOqSh2mupK0=/0x0:960x1200/320x400/smart/filters:cb(1650411169104):format(webp)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/investigations/2022/04/20/break-the-floor-dance-company-new-sexual-misconduct-allegations/gary_schaufeld_portrait_2.jpg","nonWebPUrl":"https://images.thestarimages.com/yUMNAJqUAxJR1YqNS0m4Z7v3yTY=/0x0:960x1200/320x400/smart/filters:cb(1650411169104)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/investigations/2022/04/20/break-the-floor-dance-company-new-sexual-misconduct-allegations/gary_schaufeld_portrait_2.jpg","width":320,"height":400,"scalefactor":33},{"url":"https://images.thestarimages.com/Xmi2uXUMWBvQHOCtVCSUNdrwpBM=/0x0:960x1200/93x116/smart/filters:cb(1650411169104):format(webp)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/investigations/2022/04/20/break-the-floor-dance-company-new-sexual-misconduct-allegations/gary_schaufeld_portrait_2.jpg","nonWebPUrl":"https://images.thestarimages.com/7lBOOrYVeSi6IYm53XfgHOL4A_U=/0x0:960x1200/93x116/smart/filters:cb(1650411169104)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/investigations/2022/04/20/break-the-floor-dance-company-new-sexual-misconduct-allegations/gary_schaufeld_portrait_2.jpg","width":93,"height":116,"scalefactor":10}]},{"text":", 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.
Bounty Chocolate Jokes,
Glasses With Nose Pads Vs Without,
Most Conservative Cities In The United States 2021,
Raptors 905 Roster Salary,
Xenia Emulator Compatibility List,
Articles B