SCA, HanahanAfter a troubling inquiry that started with a contentious dance routine and progressed into severe accusations of abuse, misbehavior, and giving alcohol to minors, a dance instructor from South Carolina was placed under arrest.
According to court documents, 45-year-old Andrea Mizell, a teacher at Hanahan’s Happy Feet Dance Studio, is currently charged with four charges of second-degree assault and battery, four counts of contributing to a minor’s delinquency, and three counts of distributing harmful content to children.
Parental Concern Over Dance Routine Leads to Criminal Investigation
The matter began on March 12 when Mizell and a number of parents got into a heated altercation, leading to the police being summoned to the studio. According to reports, the argument started because of an advanced routine that several parents claimed went against their beliefs and caused them to worry about the lessons their kids were learning.
Mizell allegedly exited the school in her car when she noticed a gathering of parents gathered outside after setting up a meeting with one worried parent to address the matter. She then admitted to police that her abrupt departure was caused by feelings of intimidation and fear.
Students Reveal Allegations of Alcohol, Inappropriate Conduct
During the course of the inquiry, detectives spoke with kids who provided a troubling account of Mizell’s alleged actions:
-
Provided alcohol
(including margaritas) to minors during unsupervised movie nights at her apartment -
Engaged in
explicit sexual conversations
with students -
Showed sexually graphic photos
of herself to minors -
Allegedly
touched students inappropriately
during dance practice, including their
private parts and butt
, according to court filings -
Frequently
changed clothes in front of students
, sometimes
exposing herself
Investigators were informed by one student that the unwanted touching was frequent and that Mizell would intentionally make contact during exercises.
Charges and Next Steps
Mizell is still being investigated after being placed into Berkeley County Jail. No court date has been made public as of yet. Happy Feet Dance Studio has not made a public statement about her work status or the current investigation, and attempts to contact her for comment have not been addressed.
Counseling services have been made available to impacted students and their families, according to local officials.
Are you worried about improper conduct in youth programs? In order to safeguard children in our communities, The Saluda Standard-Sentinel encourages readers to speak up and report incidents.
