Mega dance company bred culture of sex, silence, dancers say

By JULIET LINDERMAN, MARTHA MENDOZA and MORGAN BOCKNEK
Associated Press and Toronto Star

LOS ANGELES (AP) — One of the world’s leading dance competition companies sells the dream of Hollywood fame to hundreds of thousands of ambitious young dancers hoping to launch careers on television, in movies and on stage.But according to a joint investigation by the Associated Press and the Toronto Star, several dancers say they were sexually assaulted, harassed and manipulated by the company’s powerful founder and famous teachers and choreographers, The problems date back to the founding of Los Angeles-based Break The Floor Productions; as the company has grown into an industry powerhouse, its leaders perpetuated a culture of sex and silence, according to interviews with dozens of former and current staff and students.