","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. 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. At least four people removed from Break The Floor for alleged misconduct have continued to work with students in other settings. ","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. Watch popular content from the following creators: (@americanpiefan), Rachel Daly(@rachelkdaly), (@americanpiefan), Break The Floor(@breakthefloor), Rachel Daly(@rachelkdaly) . Wall, an Emmy-award winner, was also removed from a BTF tour following the Stars earlier reporting. Nowhere in the world of education should students feel they are underneath the predators, he said. 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.. So the boy was playing on the floor with these toys, like not even . Lavallee said they exchanged numbers, and over a few texts and calls, he agreed to become Walls dance assistant. By clicking accept, you agree to this use. One staff member said Stroming showed him a nude photo of one of the students. According to the Star, Wall told the outlet through his publicist that "the accusations against me are false," in response to the Star's initial story, but did not comment on being cut from Break the Floor's tour as a result of the accusation. Two of the choreographers facing allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour are listed as employees on the companys website. I didnt really understand why communication was cut off. Ellis started working for BTF in merchandising, selling clothing at events in 2015 when he was 19. But after speaking with the Star/AP in February, Hudson went public and shared his experience in an emotional Instagram video, without naming Meismer. 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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. I apologize and sincerely regret that my actions have hurt people I cherish or has broken their trust., In a later response, after being presented with an additional accusation that he sent nude photos to a teenage dancer, Lazzarini added: I have never subjected anyone to unwanted sexual advances. Gil Stromings company capitalized on all of that studio growth, a dance industry that reached some $4 billion in value by 2021, employing more than 120,000 people, according to market research from analysts at IBISWorld. 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. 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. ","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. ","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. Updated: This article has been updated to include a comment that Break The Floor provided after the article published. 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. I totally feel like I was a headache [for Stroming], Lonetree said. Yet, I am blessed to be surrounded by the people I love and thank them for their patience and grace. The Star/AP spoke to the dancers father, who said that in the years following, she told him about what happened with Stroming. 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). We remain committed to these initiatives and will continue to learn and be better.. At her first company event, when she was 17, she and Stroming had oral sex, she said. In 2019, according to multiple sources, Lazzarini accidentally posted to Instagram a video that appears to show himself masturbating. Misha Gabriel 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.
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