Discover the Art of Dance at Sparrow Dance Productions

Our Approach

At Sparrow Dance Productions, we believe in nurturing tradition, precision, and grace through the art of dance. Our philosophy centers around providing a supportive and inspiring environment for students of all ages. We offer a wide range of dance classes including Ballet, Pointe, Partnering, Variations, Jazz, Lyrical, Modern, Contemporary, Tap, Hip Hop, Break Dance, Belly Dancing, Pilates, Alexander Technique, and Strength and Conditioning.

Christina Daly

Founder & Director

Christina Daly is an Albuquerque native whose early dance training began with Ballet Repertory Theatre. She was later accepted on scholarship to the prestigious Virginia School of the Arts, where she also had the opportunity to train with the Kansas City Ballet Company and Ballet Pacifica. Christina accelerated her academic path by graduating high school early to attend SUNY Purchase College Conservatory of Dance, where she earned her BFA in Dance Performance. During her time at Purchase, she completed a Minor in Asian Studies, trained at Taipei National University of the Arts, and premiered her first choreographic work at New York City's renowned Dance Theatre Workshop. She also performed featured roles in original works, including a piece by acclaimed choreographer Dianne McIntyre, and graduated summa cum laude.

After college, Christina founded Sparrow Dance Productions in New York, producing and choreographing original works that reflected her diverse training and artistic vision. Upon returning to New Mexico, she reestablished Sparrow Dance Productions as a thriving part of the local arts community, with performances throughout Rio Rancho, Santa Fe, and the greater Albuquerque area. Christina has also danced professionally with Ballet Repertory Theatre and Festival Ballet Albuquerque, earning acclaim in roles such as Carmen in Alex Ossadnik's Carmen and the Sea Witch in The Little Mermaid.

In 2024, Christina was honored with the Best of the City award for Best Pilates Instructor in Rio Rancho, a testament to her well-rounded expertise in ballet, modern, dance, and fitness instruction. Her deep, integrative knowledge of the body is often described as her superpower -- informing he ability to train dancers safely, effectively, and holistically.

A passionate advocate for adaptive dance, Christina uses her personal journey -- including her experiences with fibromyalgia, a traumatic brain injury, and complex PTSD -- to inspire and empower others through movement. Her approach to teaching and choreography is rooted in authenticity, resilience, and radical kindness, creating a space where all dancers are encouraged to rise to their fullest potential.

Christina is also a proud member of the fitness community as Defined Fitness's newest Group X instructor. A strong proponent of cross-training for dancers, she encourages others to prioritize physical wellness in order to perform -- and live -- at their best for as long as possible.

James D. Smith

Director of Operations

James D. Smith is a proud Albuquerque native whose deep-rooted “New Mexico pride” fuels his passion for community outreach, the arts, and local business development. A dedicated advocate for the performing arts, James is known for his unwavering support of Sparrow Dance Productions and his commitment to its students, staff, and company dancers.

As Director of Operation for Sparrow Dance Productions, James wears many hats -- Stage Manager, Sound Engineer, Lighting Designer -- delivering professionalism, creativity, and technical excellence to every production. His behind-the-scenes dedication is a continuous source of inspiration to his wife, Artistic Director Christina Daly-Smith, and to the entire Sparrow community.

James also previously served as District 2 Arts Commissioner for the City of Rio Rancho, where he gained valuable experience in municipal arts funding, programming, and community collaboration. This role helped shape his leadership approach and further solidified his impact on the local arts scene.

With a rare blend of technical skill, visionary leadership, and heartfelt dedication, James remains a driving force behind Sparrow Dance Productions' continued growth. His commitment to his family, his city, and the performing arts is both irreplaceable and deeply appreciated.

Instructors

Kira Akmajian

Lyrical and Tap Instructor

Kira Akmajian has been dancing since the age of three, with a lifelong love for movement and rhythm. She has trained in a wide range of styles including ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, folkloric, flamenco, and swing -- but tap dance has always been her greatest passion.

As an Albuquerque native and graduate of the University of New Mexico, Kira has had the privilege of training with accomplished tappers through the UNM Tap Program and the New Mexico Tap Fest. In addition to her work in dance, she is a dedicated elementary school teacher, blending creativity and education both in and out of the classroom.

Kira's featured roles with Sparrow Dance Productions including Grandma and Arabian in The Nutcracker ballet. She also enjoys performing tap numbers alongside her students, producing fun music videos, and exploring the rich history of dance -- especially the evolution and impact of tap.

Ja'lynn Ellison

Ballet and Hip Hop Instructor

Jay Ellison has been dancing since the age of three, and her love for movement has remained a constant throughout her life. During middle school, she deepened her passion by dancing under Mrs. Christina Daly in a dedicated dance elective class, where she often served as an assistant and mentor to her peers.

Now a behavior therapist, Jay brings her compassion and ability to connect with children of all backgrounds into everything she does. After stepping away from the studio to focus on her career, she rediscovered her love of dance at Sparrow Dance Productions, where she now teaches and performs once again.

Jay's attention to detail, strong work ethic, and natural rapport with students make her a valued member of the Sparrow team. She is excited to embrace the new chapter in her dance journey and to inspire the next generation of dancers.

Chelsea Fahrenback

Lyrical, Jazz and Tap Instructor

Originally from Seattle, Washington, Chelsea began her dance journey at the age of four in Jacksonville, Florida. With 18 years of training in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, pointe, and lyrical, she joined her studio's performance company at the age of 11 and began teaching jazz, ballet, and tap by the time she was 16.

Throughout her training, Chelsea has studied with former Rockettes and Broadway performers at clinics across the country. Her passion for teaching has also taken her abroad, where she served as a guest ballet and jazz instructor at schools throughout Peru.

After earning degrees in Health Administration and Emergency Management from the University of Central Florida, Chelsea took a brief break from dance before relocating to New Mexico in 2023. She resumed teaching through gymnastics and petite ballet classes for young children before finding her dance home at Sparrow in 2025.

Chelsea is thrilled to share her lifelong love of dance with students of all ages and is especially exciting to continue inspiring young dancers in lyrical and tap.

Amanda Hoyt

Ballet Instructor

Amanda Hoyt moved to Albuquerque in 2024 and is excited to join the Sparrow family! Originally from Buffalo, NY, she began dancing at the age of 3, and went on to study and compete in all disciplines. She began assisting at the age of 12, and quickly discovered her passion for teaching. While training in Buffalo, she took classes with Configuration Ballet Company, attended the Dance Masters of America Student Honor’s Intensive Program at the University of Buffalo, and trained and performed with Lehrerdance, a modern based dance company founded and directed by Jon Lehrer (now called Jon Lehrer Dance Company.)

After leaving Buffalo, Miss Amanda attended The Ohio State University where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance with a focus on modern and ballet pedagogy. In addition to daily technique classes, she studied topics such as dance history, Labanotation and movement analysis, and kinesiology. During her senior year, she organized and ran a program teaching dance to patients from Nationwide Children’s Hospital, specifically working with pediatric cancer patients and children with Ehler-Danlos syndrome.

Miss Amanda taught in Columbus, OH for 8 years, teaching ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical/contemporary, jumps and turns, and stretch and conditioning classes. She moved to Northwest Florida in 2017, and served as Ballet Company Director for a studio in Pensacola for the past 5 years.

In addition to her BFA, Miss Amanda also has a BS in finance from The Ohio State University, and an MBA from Florida State University. She lives in Rio Rancho with her husband, her 2 boys, and their dog.

Jessica Layman

Ballet Instructor

Jessica Layman is an accomplished dance instructor, originally from Texas City, Texas. She began her ballet training at the age of three and relocated to New Mexico at the age of four, where her focused dance education began by age nine. Her training spans multiple genres of dance, creating a strong and versatile foundation.

Jessica has performed in numerous productions, including The Nutcracker, Billy the Kid, Alice in Wonderland, and a landmark 2015 production of A Chorus Line -- her personal favorite. Most recently she appeared inWhite Christmas in 2022.

She was featured as the Snow Queen in Sparrow Dance Productions' The Nutcracker and also performed as a Carousel Pony in Poppins: A Theatrical Fusion Belly Dance Experience during the 2024-2025 dance season.

In addition to performing, Jessica has choreographed many high-scoring and overall award-winning competition pieces. Outside the studio, she enjoys kayaking and spending time in nature.

Rachel Martin

Ballet and Jazz Instructor

Mrs. Rachel brings over 35 years of dance experience and 25 years of teaching to the studio. She has taught dancers of all ages and skill levels in studios across South Carolina, Oregon and, New Mexico.

Her early training included tap, jazz, ballet, and clogging, and she later expanded her repertoire to include modern and contemporary dance while earning her B.A. in Dance.

In addition to studying and teaching dance throughout most of her life, Rachel has owned her own dance studio, worked as a stage manager, and choreographed original work -- including The Day the Degas Dancers Danced, created for the dancers of Sparrow Dance Productions.

Passionate about both the art and education of dance, Mrs. Rachel loves sharing her knowledge and inspring a love of movement in every student she teaches.

Tracy Mensching

Ballet Instructor

Tracy Mensching has been a dedicated and inspiring dance educator in the local community for over 40 years. A former performer with the New Mexico Ballet Company (NMBC), she was an original member of its Junior Company and has danced leading roles in The Nutcracker, The Firebird, and The Sleeping Beauty for various ballet Companies. Her extensive performance repertoire with NMBC under the direction of David Chavez also includes A Christmas Carol, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Red Shoes, The Jungle Book, Petrouchka, and Carmina Burana.

In addition to her ballet work, Tracy has a rich background in musical theater, having appeared in more than twenty productions with Albuquerque Civic Light Opera (now Musical Theater Southwest), as well as in summer stock productions of My Fair Lady and George M.. She also performed at the renowned Opryland USA theme park.

As a guest artist, Tracy has performed with Ballet Lubbock, Texas Ballet in Houston, and the Asian American Ballet Company in Los Angeles. Her early training began in Albuquerque with esteemed instructors including Suzanne M. Johnston, Cecelia Jaramillo, Bill Potenziani, David Chavez, Soili Arvola, and Leo Ahonen. Throughout her career, she has had the privilege of studying with many world=renowned teachers, continually enriching her artistry and teaching.

Marissa Montano

Ballet and Tap Instructor

Marissa Montano began dancing at the age of seven, training at La Mesa Dance Academy in Ballet, Tap, and Jazz. In 2018, she joined Sparrow Dance Productions, where she expanded her repertoire to include Modern dance—a style she quickly fell in love with and continues to cherish alongside her foundational loves, Ballet and Tap.

Marissa’s passion for dance extends beyond performance; she finds true joy in teaching and connecting with her students. Whether in rehearsal or in the classroom, she thrives on helping young dancers discover their own love for the art form. Marissa is committed to creating a positive and inspiring environment where students can grow in confidence, technique, and creativity—both in and out of the studio.

Lina Perrson

Ballet Instructor

Lina began dancing at the age of four at The Dance Center in Torrance, California. Throughout her training, she earned several opportunities to dance with master teachers in ballet, tap, contemporary, musical theater, and modern dance techniques. She danced competitively from the age of twelve up until her graduation year in 2019. She received several dance scholarships and opportunities to compete nationally through these competitions and conventions. During high school, she spent three summers training with The Joffrey Ballet in Chicago for their International Summer Dance Intensive. Other companies she attended summer intensives for include American Ballet Theater (ABT) in California and Hubbard Street Dance Company in Chicago. Her extra-curricular activities during the school year at Peninsula High School included the varsity level dance team, Choreo Company, where she earned her spot all four years she attended. Through this team, she received the challenge and opportunity to lead student choreography workshops, and ultimately choreograph for the team’s annual showcase for three consecutive years. During her time in college, Lina was invited to be a part of UCSB’s Senior Dance Company where she toured Europe and worked with world renowned choreographers to put on full length productions and add to the dance program’s repertoire. Lina recently graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), earning her Bachelor of the Arts degree in Dance with an emphasis in Ballet and pedagogy. Her first year post-graduation, she taught lyrical, tap, jazz, ballet, and directed the competition team at the studio she trained with, The Dance Center in Torrance. Her choreography for the competition team won several awards, and her team earned performance awards, backstage awards, and placed overall at each competition this past season. She is so excited to be part of this empowering and inspirational faculty at Sparrow Dance Productions, and cannot wait to share her knowledge with many future generations of this school.

Cameron Russom

Ballet Instructor

Cameron Russom has been dancing since childhood, but her true passion for dance and choreography blossomed in middle school when she began taking classes with Christina Daly, owner of Sparrow Dance. Inspired by Christina’s teaching, Cameron discovered her love not only for performing but also for creating and instructing. She appreciates the elegance and discipline of ballet, while also embracing the energy and expressiveness of jazz. In addition to her dance background, Cameron brings over eight years of experience as a gymnastics instructor, making her well-versed in acrobatics and movement-based technique.

Natalie Trujillo

Ballet, Pointe, Variations, and Lyrical Instructor

Natalie Trujillo began her dance journey at the age of 8 with the New Mexico Ballet Repertory Theater, where she trained in ballet, jazz, and contemporary styles. In the summer of 2023, she joined Sparrow Dance Productions, continuing to expand her performance and teaching experience. She also spent two years training in classical ballet with The Jilliana School.

Natalie has performed in multiple productions of The Nutcracker, as well as in other stage works including The Wizard of Oz and Sleeping Beauty. Most recently, she performed the role of the Dew Drop Fairy in Sparrow Dance Productions' The Nutcracker and choreographed for The Day the Degas Dancers Danced.

Passionate about inspiring others, Natalie is dedicated to sharing the joy of dance with her community through teaching a performing.