Ellis said Stroming peppered him with questions. 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. In dance spaces, students are in frequent and close contact with their teachers, spending long hours training and rehearsing with them. Nowhere in the world of education should students feel they are underneath the predators, he said. 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. 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.. Hudson said he was optimistic. Read More . The company provides dance workshops and competitions, touring theatrical productions, photo and video production, corporate events and apparel along with a broad range of business prospects to its customers. Button taught at Radix conventions. The number of employees ranges from 25 to 100. Keanu Uchida, photographed in Montreal, said many student dancers at Break the Floor endured inappropriate sexual advances from their instructors. My Break The Floor | Photo & Video BREAK THE FLOOR PRODUCTIONS LLC :: California (US) - OpenCorporates Jackie Stroming Email & Phone Number - Break Th.. | ZoomInfo 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. Lavallee called a friend to come over to divert where he said he felt the night was leading. Break The Floor Productions General Information. 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 . Meismer asked the young dancer, then 17, to come to his home. Schaufeld stopped dancing years ago and has no plans to return to the studio. I felt very invalidated, Ellis said. Its the opposite of a zero tolerance policy, Ellis said. Dharma Productions shared the news of filming start on the project on the banner's social media handles. National News | Former Break The Floor instructors have been accused of abusing young dancers in other settings. It was my church, he said, but now the whole dance scene feels dirty and tainted.. Break The Floor Productions. Find salaries. Isla Clarke was 16 when she alleges she received a nude photo texted by one of North Americas most famous dance choreographers, a man nearly twice her age. Earlier this year, after Geyser took the helm as CEO, Break The Floor published a new code of conduct. To get a job at Break The Floor Productions, browse currently open positions and apply for a job near you. Break The Floor - Apps on Google Play 2023 www.detroitnews.com. 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. At 16, Hudson looked forward to the festive weekend gatherings. Ellis alleges that Stroming decided there was no sexual harassment because Lazzarini never touched his genitals. Teens who win titles at BTF events are invited back to work on the convention circuit as dance assistants for choreographers on the BTF roster, known internally as faculty.. The dance world, its not like its different than any other world, its just that theyve been able to keep their secrets longer.. Break The Floor now draws around 300,000 dance students, some as . Mega dance company bred culture of sex, silence, dancers say The next summer, Ellis said he approached Stroming at the Dance Awards, the biggest BTF event of the season, to tell him how Lazzarini had harassed 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. Break The Floor Productions is actively using 50 technologies for its website, according to BuiltWith. In 2019, Stroming quietly fired him after he posted, then quickly removed, a video of himself masturbating on Instagram, as the Star previously reported. (Please note: Some fall cities have a registration deadline of only 14 days prior). Others did make allegations about BTF staff to owner and CEO Stroming, but their concerns were dismissed, allege two former staffers who say they were harassed on the job. Juliet Linderman, Martha Mendoza and Morgan Bocknek. Break the Floor Productions is one of the world's preeminent dance entertainment companies, encompassing dance conventions, touring theatrical productions, software, photo and video . 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. It is one of the most exciting events of a young dancers life, recalled Keanu Uchida, a professional dancer from Ottawa. How much do Break The Floor Productions employees make? To surprise him, Hudson said Meismer would buy them matching outfits. On all orders over $100! While for some of the dancers in this story the sexual interactions were, at the time, consensual, they now feel a power imbalance pressured them into relationships with leaders of the dance world who are many years older than them. The Stars prior investigation uncovered allegations that Lazzarini had subjected at least six dancers to unwanted sexual advances at Break The Floor events. Russell Geyser is the new CEO of Break the Floor Productions. 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). 15 reviews. july 8-15. hyatt regency orlando. Learn how to leverage transparent company data at scale. Two-time Emmy-winning choreographer and So You Think You Can Dance star Travis Wall has been taken off of the Break the Floor dance company's tours after allegations . 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 . A year later, Hudson stayed with Meismer when he joined Break The Floors fledgling NUVO convention as part of its original lineup of instructors. Meismer didn't respond to repeated requests for comment. Stroming picked up Lazzarini at the height of his fame to join the convention circuit, teaching hundreds of thousands of aspiring young dancers. 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. All of our in-person events will now have a virtual option. Receive a full refund within 7 business days of the event. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! I was definitely inappropriate myself in a lot of ways, he told his staff. The Star reviewed the text messages. Thats what Gary Schaufeld says happened to him. But he was uncomfortable when a dance teacher, Mark Meismer, in his early 30s, repeatedly told him how attractive he was. At 16, Hudson looked forward to the festive weekend gatherings. Phone Number 818.432.1234. Break The Floor Productions LLC. One said Lazzarini groped him through a hole in his pants. Stroming was three years older, she said, a magnetic 19-year-old running the whole show. At her first company event, when she was 17, she and Stroming had oral sex, she said. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Instinct Magazine 2023 - All Rights Reserved. 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 . But during a 2020 in-house training, a recording of which was reviewed by the AP and Star, Stroming addressed his own past misconduct. CODA aims to revolutionize the dance competition experience and is complimentary for every routine registered for JUMP, NUVO, 24 Seven and The Dance Awards. Follow Break The Floor Productions on Instagram. Im not trying to bring this company down. Warning: This article includes accounts of alleged sexual harassment that some readers could find distressing. Lets be responsible journalists, shall we? Break The Floor Productions LLC Company Profile | Los Angeles, CA The dance world, its not like its different than any other world, its just that theyve been able to keep their secrets longer.. 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.. The annual revenue of Break The Floor Productions varies between 25M and 100M. (US Only) If an event changes from in-person to virtual, the difference in fees will be . Gabriel who has performed with Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Beyonc and more was recently removed from the JUMP faculty. 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. Following his bosss instruction, Ellis went back to his tasks at BTF. Break The Floor Productions | LinkedIn The next morning, Stroming left abruptly for Las Vegas and handed her $40 for a cab ride back to the airport. Hotel lobbies, colourfully decorated, are lined with vendors selling clothes and videos. I would not have stayed silent, said Wendy in a phone interview with the Star. Lindsey, from California, said he started exchanging text messages with the 34-year-old choreographer. High school student, convention boyfriend. But at Meismers house, they didnt discuss work. Break The Floor Productions, LLC was formed in 1999 by Gil Stroming with the rock-tap show Break The Floor. After all, Meismer was already an icon; he had toured with Britney Spears, Madonna and Paula Abdul. The company currently specializes in the Entertainment area. 550 Los Angeles, CA 90038 818.432.1234 info@breakthefloor.com. Email. Etc. 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. Wall did not respond to detailed questions sent by The Star, and said only the accusations against me are false, in a statement through a publicist. 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. For Myles Lavallee, that blurred student-teacher relationship began with BTF instructor Travis Wall. Operating Status Active. Looking back, Lindsey feels he had been groomed. CODA is Break The Floor's innovative online system of style specific score sheets, video tutorials, data analytics and judge training. Stroming declined repeated interview requests. These include Viewport Meta, IPhone / Mobile Compatible, and LetsEncrypt. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 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. 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. Hamilton also said perpetrators in many youth-focused organizations use hotel rooms away from home to exploit the power imbalance between teachers and students. That same year, Lavallee alleges a 24-year-old dancer forced himself onto a 16-year-old Lavallee at a party. Influential dance company bred culture of sex, silence, dancers say 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. Any claims to the contrary are simply untrue., Nick Lazzarini: My Apology and Promise to Do Better. When Ellis explained that he recoiled before Lazzarini actually touched his genitals, he alleges Stroming declared it wasnt actually sexual harassment because he didnt actually touch me.. 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.
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