- December 15, 2022 Break the Floor company is taking appropriate measures to investigate the allegation of inappropriate behavior made against its Emmy-winning choreographer, Travis Wall. 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. Stroming was three years older, she said, a magnetic 19-year old running the whole show. \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":". Stroming started the company after he came to fame in the 1990s, performing in an off-Broadway show Tap Dogs, described in The New York Times as a beefcake tap-a-thon where six husky hoofers show off more than their fancy footwork.. Travis Wall Dismissed From Tour After Sexual Misconduct Allegations I believe that we are doing more than most organizations to combat this head on, he said. 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. The relationship did not progress further physically, Lavallee said. Mega Dance Company Bred Culture of Sex, Silence, Dancers Say - US News Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star 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.. Alumni and faculty have danced onstage with Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift, at the Oscars and the Super Bowl. Break the Floor is investigating an allegation of sexually inappropriate behaviour raised in a Toronto Star investigation. On planes, Meismer would grope him in his seat, Hudson alleges. She says she didnt attend any auditions and returned home devastated. Many students endured inappropriate sexual advances or comments from their instructors, Uchida said. Thousands of hopefuls cram into hotel ballrooms across the continent for the chance to be discovered by a top choreographer and catapulted into the spotlight. And whats egregious about seeing it in the context of conventions is that it happens to kids. At her first company event, when she was 17, she and Stroming had oral sex, she said. They typically end with parents on the sidelines shooting photos of their beaming children in leotards and makeup, striking poses alongside famous choreographers and dancers. A dance instructor alleges Stroming offered her $500 to come to his hotel room. Afterwards, Schaufeld said Wallace told him never to say anything; it would be bad for both of their careers. We are truly heartbroken that anyone has been subject to inappropriate behaviour by any person associated with Break The Floor, the statement read. He worked at a convention in Minneapolis, Minn., where he alleges a 31-year-old Lazzarini groped him. I was naive, and I was just letting it all happen, Lindsey said. 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.. Schaufeld stopped dancing years ago and has no plans to return to the studio. 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. Thousands of. According to the Star, Wall told the outlet through his publicist that the accusations against me are false, in response to the Stars initial story, but did not comment on being cut from Break the Floors tour as a result of the accusation. Lazzarini would laugh and smile and would play it lighthearted so as to not take on the full responsibility of what he was doing, said Ellis. "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. 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. Through a publicist, Wall told the Star that the accusations against him were false. Meismer allegedly asked the young dancer, then 17, to come to his home. All Eventually, Lazzarini began to avoid her at dance conventions, Clarke said, and this made her anxious, as she feared he was in a position to impede her career. Im not a monster but I feel like one, Wallace wrote, adding that he has a lot of hazy memories and a huge list of regrets/mistakes from that time period. He is no longer with the company, according to Break The Floor. Meismer was recently removed from NUVOs website and abruptly left the tour. To my family, friends, colleagues and, most importantly, to those who bravely stepped forward to share their truth: I am truly sorry. One, who says he was groped, said Stroming told him that wasnt actually sexual harassment because the young dancer had recoiled before Lazzarini allegedly almost touched his genitals. One of those students, Myles Lavallee, accused Wall of beginning to groom him when Lavallee was 16 and Wall was around 20. So I think I always kind of accepted it as, it is what it is, you cant do anything about it. . Watch popular content from the following creators: (@americanpiefan), Rachel Daly(@rachelkdaly), (@americanpiefan), Break The Floor(@breakthefloor), Rachel Daly(@rachelkdaly) . "We take this very seriously and will take further action if necessary. In dance spaces, students are in frequent and close contact with their teachers, spending long hours training and rehearsing with them. : 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. Lindsey said he eventually sent nude photos back when he was 17. 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. 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. 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. 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. Lavallee, who says he became Walls dance assistant in 2008, says Wall made sexual advances on him when the two were staying overnight at Lavallees parents house in Arizona while teaching a dance course nearby. 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. We could have and should have done better, he said. He said he found the work climate to be too sexualized to continue there. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about After all, Meismer was already an icon. Two of the choreographers facing allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour are listed as employees on the companys website. ","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. 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 added new conventions and new locations, branching into Mexico, Costa Rica and Canada. A former student, Myles Lavallee, told the paper that Wall started grooming him when he was 16 and Wall was 20. ","type":"text","isParagraph":true,"isHeading":false},{"text":"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. 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. His family has an INCREDIBLE amount of money. Inside a Manhattan hotel, one of those choreographers Clarke idolized was now propositioning her for sex, she alleges. It banned inviting students to hotel rooms and said instructors shouldnt call students their daughter or son., The code of conduct also requires educators to report any suspected child abuse: If you witness anything concerning, it is your duty to report it to the appropriate authorities., Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. Break the Floor would not confirm if he was one of the four that were let go in the days after Stroming sold the company. 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 of sexual misconduct and grooming were leveled at him by a then-underaged dancer with the company. ","type":"text","isParagraph":true,"isHeading":false},{"text":"Schaufeld stopped dancing years ago and has no plans to return to the studio. The Star's investigation found that eight former staff and students at Break the Floor alleged that company staff "initiated sexual conversations, propositioned them for sex, sent them nude photos, sexually harassed them at work or engaged in sexual relationships with them.". Hed toured with Britney Spears, Madonna and Paula Abdul. 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.. The problem was the three-year-old boy that was in the video with this guy. Break the Floor cited new training that employees have been required to take along with a new and updated code of conduct. Lavallee said Walls disappearance left him feeling unmoored and now feels he was being groomed for a sexual relationship. His mental health deteriorated. Lonetree was 19. Ellis started working for BTF in merchandising, selling clothing at events in 2015 when he was 19. permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. Travis Wall Sexual Misconduct Accusation, Cut From Break the Floor Break the Floor, which tap dancer Gil Stroming founded, provides master classes for younger dancers. With stronger policies, he and his executive team would secure the sprawling organization that hosts as many as 300,000 aspiring dancers each year. Check out the all NEW Advocate Channel! 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. "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. Im not trying to bring this company down. The Toronto Stars story, which was published Thursday, detailed widespread sexual harassment and predatory behavior at the North America-based Break the Floor.
