Emmy-winning choreographer, So You Think You Can Dance breakout star, and Shaping Sounds co-founder Travis Wall has been removed from a tour with Break The Floor dance company as allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior that have surfaced are being investigated (via The Toronto Star). Break The Floor puts on performances and hosts dance schools across the United States & has said that they will be looking into the allegations against Wall.
Based on the Toronto Star’s expose’, “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.” Myles Lavallee (one of the students) has accused Wall of starting to groom him when Lavallee was just sixteen years old and Wall was approximately twenty years old. Lavallee charges that in 2008, Wall made sexual advances on him when the two stayed at Lavalee’s parents home overnight while teaching a dance course close by.
Lavallee also revealed to The Star that Wall gave him ecstasy that night, and “we were doing hand massages, which just creeps me out now.” Lavallee told the Star he invited a friend to come over to “divert where he felt the night was going” and a few months later, Wall ceased all communication with him and didn’t show up for a scheduled teaching session. Lavalee stated that he felt he was being “groomed” for a sexual relationship and that he was now being punished for dodging the alleged sexual advances. Lavalee also charges that in an earlier incident, he attended a hotel room party in California where Wall gave him crystal meth so he could “stay awake for his flight back home to Arizona.” (Lavallee had never done any drugs at all prior to the alleged incident).
Break the Floor (who is bringing in a third party to launch an investigation into the accusation lobbied against Wall) said in a story on the company’s Instagram page on Friday “Travis will not be traveling with BTF until we’ve had the opportunity for a third-party to look into these allegations,” going on to say “We take this very seriously and will take further action if necessary.” For his own part, Wall told the Star through his publicist that “the accusations against me are false,” but has not commented on on being cut from Break the Floor’s tour due to the accusations.
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Innocent till proven guilty.
Travis has made some great dance routines and is a great dancer. I loved his reality show “All the Right Moves” & had a crush on Travis, if true makes my crush go away.
Let’s be responsible journalists, shall we? Of the eight allegations made, Wall is only implicated in the one featured in this article- and it happened nearly fourteen years ago. The alleged victim’s story is shaky at best. Not saying it definitely never happened, but I need more proof before I’m willing to label Wall or anyone else a predator.
agreed. Who would give someone Ecstacy in their parent’s home? The whole story seems fishy.