","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. The Star/AP spoke to the dancers father, who said that in the years following, she told him about what happened with Stroming. In addition to competitions with cash prizes, Break The Floor conventions which cost between around $200 to $350 per student offer dozens of workshops, under strobing lights and thumping . Ellis said Stroming peppered him with questions. To surprise him, Hudson said Meismer would buy them matching outfits. 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.. "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 just knew after that the company was bad news and I wanted out.. "The problem was not [the taking of his own life]. One staff member said Stroming showed him a nude photo of one of the students. Entering a BTF event is like walking into a carnival. 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. Break the Floor, which tap dancer Gil Stroming founded, provides master classes for younger dancers. At her first company event, when she was 17, she and Stroming had oral sex, she said. Updated: This article has been updated to include a comment that Break The Floor provided after the article published. 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. Nowhere in the world of education should students feel they are underneath the predators, he said. Representatives for Wall and Break the Floor did not immediately respond to TheWrap's request for comment Saturday. Break the Floor is investigating an allegation of sexually inappropriate behaviour raised in a Toronto Star investigation. When I began teaching dance, I did so with the singular goal of helping individuals discover, develop, and express their truest selves. 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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. His family has an INCREDIBLE amount of money. Attendees squeeze into small ballrooms where choreographers teach classes. Warning: This article includes accounts of alleged sexual harassment that some readers could find distressing. So the boy was playing on the floor with these toys, like not even . He said he must have passed out and has no recollection of sending the text. Wall has previously said "accusations against me are false." 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. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. The Stars prior investigation uncovered allegations that Lazzarini had subjected at least six dancers to unwanted sexual advances at Break The Floor events. Another told the Star Lazzarini texted her a nude selfie when she was 16. 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, he said. Explore the latest videos from hashtags: #breakthefloor, #dontbreakthefloor, #breakthelimitations . Schaufeld had fallen in love with tap at seven years old, and this opportunity offered a chance to raise his profile and learn from one of the best. To my family, friends, colleagues and, most importantly, to those who bravely stepped forward to share their truth: I am truly sorry. His representatives at MSA Agency also said they had no comment on his behalf. Donald Padgett October 25 2021. All He said that he and Lonetree flirted with one another before the text in question. 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. Its touring conventions will make numerous stops this year, from Miami to Vancouver and Calgary to Anchorage, Alaska. Six dancers, including Clarke, allege Lazzarini subjected them to unwanted sexual advances. 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. 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. Lavallee said Wall flew him around the United States to help him teach choreography to youth in a dance studio and other conventions. For aspiring young dancers like Clarke, the companys events are an almost mandatory stop if they want to pursue dancing professionally. "In. Since the accusations have come to light, Break the Floor has removed Travis Wall as a staff member for the time being. . Ellis started working for BTF in merchandising, selling clothing at events in 2015 when he was 19. 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. Carroll came out with her accusations against Trump in a book titled "What Do We Need Men For?" and in an excerpt of the tome published in New York Magazine in 2019. With stronger policies, he and his executive team would secure the sprawling organization that hosts as many as 300,000 aspiring dancers each year. Former Break The Floor instructors have been accused of abusing young dancers in other settings. 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. 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. But the sexual climate behind closed doors is deplorable to me. 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.
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