This was in 2008, when Wall was at the height of his fame, having become a staple on television after placing second on So You Think You Can Dance. Wall has denied these allegations. ","type":"text","isParagraph":true,"isHeading":false},{"text":"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. 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. In 2019, according to multiple sources, Lazzarini accidentally posted to Instagram a video that appears to show himself masturbating. One dancer alleges he was 16 when Wall gave him ecstasy and methamphetamine, and now believes Wall was grooming him for a sexual relationship. Lindsey alleges Lazzarini sent him nude photos of himself. The dance world, its not like its different than any other world, its just that theyve been able to keep their secrets longer.. ", The day before, the company posted another statement on its Instagram account. Due to the investigation, the dance company said it will be looking into the accusations. In his first 10 days as CEO, he said he let four people go because of credible allegations of 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. Lavallee said he made it clear he was not interested in a sexual relationship. Former DancerPalooza instructor, Eric Saradpon, has been charged by the Riverside County. Lavallee also said that Wall gave him ecstasy that night. "In. 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. So did his brother Jeff the companys chief production officer and mother Jackie, known within the company as the Chief Mom Officer.. Accusation was leveled against SYTYCD alum in Toronto Star report about widespread sexual harassment at the dance company, (Editors note: This story has been updated to reflect that Wall was not cut from Break the Floors tours, but suspended pending investigation.). For aspiring young dancers like Clarke, the company's events are an almost mandatory stop if they want to pursue dancing professionally. Former Break The Floor instructors have been accused of abusing young dancers in other settings. Lavallee caught the attention of Wall an Emmy winner and So You Think You Can Dance runner-up who was judging his performance at a BTF competition in the summer of 2008, Lavallee said. 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. Hed toured with Britney Spears, Madonna and Paula Abdul. 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 Ellis started working for BTF in merchandising, selling clothing at events in 2015 when he was 19. A joint investigation by the Toronto Star and the Associated Press has found alleged sexual misconduct stretches back to the dance companys early years, and involves some of its most prominent instructors and Stroming himself. He referred reporters to his lawyer, who did not respond. I didnt really understand why communication was cut off. Lilli Maples had taken classes with Gabriel since she was 10 years old. On Oct. 1, BTF kicked off its fall season with an event in Toronto at an airport hotel. This investigation, in partnership with the Associated Press, has found the alleged misconduct goes even deeper, and involves some of those responsible for turning Break the Floor into a dance industry empire. Break the Floor calls itself one of the worlds preeminent dance companies, and its programs reach more than 300,000 dancers each year. Former Break The Floor instructors have been accused of abusing young dancers in other settings. Warning: This article includes accounts of alleged sexual misconduct that some readers could find distressing. Others shared specific allegations that choreographers used their positions of power to manipulate them into sexual situations. BTF TV. 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. Lavallee said they exchanged numbers, and over a few texts and calls, he agreed to become Walls dance assistant. He said the fact that the sale occurred at the time of mounting allegations was a coincidence. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8, allegations of widespread sexual harassment and predatory behaviour. 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. Lavallee said Walls disappearance left him feeling unmoored and now feels he was being groomed for a sexual relationship. 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. In a series of text messages between Schaufeld and Wallace, reviewed by the Star/AP, Schaufeld laid out his accusations and Wallace said that although he couldnt remember anything, he couldnt be more sorry.. 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. The combination of hypersexual dance content and the close contact between adult teachers and the young dancers creates an atmosphere ripe for abuse, said Jamal Story, co-chair of the National Dance Committee for The Screen Actors Guild American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). A former student, Myles Lavallee, told the paper that Wall started grooming him when he was 16 and Wall was 20. Hundreds of studios and schools from. Ellis alleges that Stroming decided there was no sexual harassment because Lazzarini never touched his genitals. Former Break The Floor instructors have been accused of abusing young dancers in other settings. 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. 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. Click this link right now: https://advocatechannel.com, 26 Things Gay Sex Workers Want You to Know, 36 Pics of Inhibitions and Shirts Coming Off at Hebro's Jewbilee Party, 11 Homoerotic Ads, Covers From 20th Century Gay Artist J.C. 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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. 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. 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. 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.. 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. ","type":"text","isParagraph":true,"isHeading":false},{"text":"Thats what Gary Schaufeld alleges happened to him. 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. To order Donald Padgett. One dancer said she met Stroming when she was a 16-year-old high school junior attending one of Break the Floors first events with her parents. He was a teenager in 2004, assisting a successful tap dancer named Danny Wallace, who was not with Break the Floor at the time. Discover short videos related to breakthefloor allegations on TikTok. 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. 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. Entering a BTF event is like walking into a carnival. Travis will not be traveling with BTF until weve had the opportunity for a third-party to look into these allegations, Break the Floor said in a statement shared in the dance companys Instagram Stories Friday. 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. An Ottawa dancer working as an assistant for the company said the same choreographer, then 31, groped him in public. I wish I would have known back at the time when it happened. 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 a written statement he told AP/Star I have been very upfront that when I first started the company at 19, over 20 years ago, there were issues of inappropriateness., The reach of California-based Break The Floor Productions extends across the entertainment industry to some of the biggest names in music, television and social media. "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. I would not have stayed silent, said Wendy in a phone interview with the Star. Break the Floor is investigating an allegation of sexually inappropriate behaviour raised in a Toronto Star investigation. 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Its touring conventions will make numerous stops this year, from Miami to Vancouver and Calgary to Anchorage, Alaska. At her first company event, when she was 17, she and Stroming had oral sex, she said. however he still holds a major position in the company, and it is rumoured that he is paying off news networks and social media workers to remove/not write negative posts about him. 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. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use. Lonetree was 19. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. For Myles Lavallee, that blurred student-teacher relationship began with BTF instructor Travis Wall. In dance spaces, students are in frequent and close contact with their teachers, spending long hours training and rehearsing with them. Hotel lobbies, colourfully decorated, are lined with vendors selling clothes and videos. Watch popular content from the following creators: (@americanpiefan), Rachel Daly(@rachelkdaly), (@americanpiefan), Break The Floor(@breakthefloor), Rachel Daly(@rachelkdaly) . Break the Floor cited new training that employees have been required to take along with a new and updated code of conduct. Your 24/7 streaming source for equality news and lifestyle trends. After all, Meismer was already an icon. He said he felt punished for dodging the alleged sexual advances. 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 comes after the Toronto Star published a recent news story accusing him of s*xually questionable behavior. Following his bosss instruction, Ellis went back to his tasks at BTF. Another told the Star Lazzarini texted her a nude selfie when she was 16. Hicks, meanwhile, continued to work at RADIX every season, through 2021. One of those students, Myles Lavallee, accused Wall of beginning to groom him when Lavallee was 16 and Wall was around 20. I didnt know how inappropriate that was.. 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.". 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. Of these sources, four say Stroming sometimes brought young Break the Floor participants to parties or company events, where they were introduced as his girlfriend. Wall has previously said "accusations against me are false." Break the Floor has a fervent following. Inside a Manhattan hotel, one of those choreographers Clarke idolized was now propositioning her for sex, she alleges. Im not trying to bring this company down. "In the past, Break The Floor's policies and procedures did not focus on these issues as closely as they could have. And so Schaufeld stayed quiet. I cant tell you how many times I thought about writing to Travis (Wall). Hudson said he was optimistic: This might just be his lucky break into professional dance. But after speaking with the Star/AP in February, Hudson went public and shared his experience in an emotional Instagram video, without naming Meismer. To my family, friends, colleagues and, most importantly, to those who bravely stepped forward to share their truth: I am truly sorry. Three of them say these alleged advances happened when they were under 18. To order copies of 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. Afterwards, Schaufeld said Wallace told him never to say anything; it would be bad for both of their careers. While not all of the complainants in this story were involved with Break the Floor at the time of the alleged incidents, those accused of wrongdoing have played key roles in growing the companys reach and popularity. Meismer did not respond to repeated requests for comment. 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. I just didnt know myself enough to understand how harmful it was, Hudson said.
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