Christina Daly
Chief Executive Officer
Founding Owner & Artistic Director
An Albuquerque native, Christina Daly began her training with Ballet Repertory Theatre before transitioning to the prestigious Virginia School of the Arts. Daly trained with VSA intensively on scholarship for two years, as well as with the schools at Kansas City Ballet and Ballet Pacifica. Upon her acceptance to SUNY Purchase College Conservatory of Dance, she graduated high school early to earn her BFA in Dance Performance. Accomplishments during her college career include: earning a Minor Degree in Asian Studies, training at Taipei National University of the Arts, premiering her first choreographic work in representation of SUNY Purchase at New York, NY's world renowned Dance Theatre Workshop, performing two featured roles for an original Dianne McIntyre work and graduating summa cum laude.
Following college, Daly launched her dance company, Sparrow Dance Productions, doing numerous productions throughout New York. Since returning to New Mexico, Sparrow Dance Productions has performed at numerous locations throughout Rio Rancho, Santa Fe and the greater Albuquerque area. In the meantime, Daly has performed as a Senior Company member with Ballet Repertory Theatre and Festival Ballet Albuquerque. Professional performance credits include dancing with BRT, as Carmen in Alex Ossadnik's ballet, Carmen, as well as the Sea Witch in The Little Mermaid, to name the highlights.
Daly has become the face for Adaptive Dancers in Rio Rancho, NM as she herself lives with fibromyalgia-a chronic disorder characterized by widespread pain and other symptoms such as fatigue, muscle stiffness, and insomnia; a traumatic brain injury, and compounded post traumatic stress disorder. Her passion for using dance and the performing arts to help heal herself and the Sparrow Dance Productions community bleeds through her work. Whether in the studio or on stage, her continued drive to do better, be better and master her dragons boldly inspires those around her to do and be the same. She lives authentically, unapologetically and to the fullest with kindness at the forefront of her every move.
James D. Smith
Director of Operations
James D. Smith is an Albuquerque native who has grown up with a sense of "New Mexico pride". He has a heart for community outreach, the a
rts, and local businesses. Smith is known both for his avid support for the local arts and his passion for the students, staff and company dancers at Sparrow Dance Productions. Smith’s newest endeavor as Director of Operations is his role as Stage Manager, Sound Engineer and Lighting Designer. Smith is highly motivated to pursue professional growth as an owner of a Dance Conservatory and Company. Stepping into these production roles is inspiring to his wife, Christina Daly-Smith, the dancers of Sparrow Dance Productions and the community at large as he truly leads by example.
Furthermore, Smith formerly served as District 2 Arts Commissioner for the City of Rio Rancho. Serving as Art Commissioner allowed for Smith to learn the intricacies of city arts collaboration, city arts support and city arts funding, as well as inspire his creativity as Sparrow Dance Productions' Director of Operations. Smith's passion, love and commitment to the City of Rio Rancho, Sparrow Dance Productions and his family are both undeniable and irreplaceable. He looks forward to all that Sparrow will continue to grow into.