Former Dancing with the Burke Stars director posts bond

Former “Dancing with the Burke Stars” organizer Stanley Travis Stancil returned to Burke County on Wednesday to settle his arrest warrant and post his bond.

The Morganton native now living in Boynton Beach, Fla., faces six felony charges, including two charges of obtaining property under false pretense and four charges of embezzlement.

Stancil, 29, posted his secured bond of $10,000 and provided fingerprints to the courts. There were no other conditions on his release order, meaning Stancil is free to return to his Florida home until his court date on Jan. 5.

The indictment named several Burke “stars” and referenced sponsors and dancers as the victims of embezzlement, while J.E. Broyhill Civic Center in Caldwell County was the named property obtained by false pretense.

Stancil allegedly booked J.E. Broyhill through a nonprofit entity, Your Big Break, Inc., when the organization conducting the show and gathering funds from the event was Stance Productions, LLC — Stancil’s for-profit company. J.E. Broyhill offered discount pricing to nonprofits at the time.

The criminal charges came nearly two years after Stancil abruptly postponed the Dancing with the Burke Stars and Dancing with the Catawba Valley Stars events following a dance crew walk-out. Former dancers associated with the shows cited a toxic work environment and a concern for their mental and physical well-being as the reason for their leaving.

"Any additional victims should report their grievances to [Morganton Department of Public Safety]," MDPS Captain Whitney Edwards said.

—JC