Crystal Joyce

Owner/Director/Choreographer

Crystal Joyce began her dance training at the young age of three at LeAnne Leslie’s School of Theatrical Dance where she later became a company member. She also trained with the Marblehead School of Ballet under Paula Schiff, Jeannette Neill’s in Boston,  and the Boston Conservatory.

Crystal received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from Dean College in 2004, where she had extensive training under well known dance educators including Jill Silverman, Nailah Bellinger, and Jeffrey Polston. She was a featured dancer with the Dean Dance Company for three years, as well as performing in numerous student choreography shows. While at Dean, she was the recipient of the Beryl Martin Memorial Scholarship in recognition of her accomplishments in Dance and Theater.

Crystal has been teaching dance for 20+ years, and has choreographed for schools, cheerleading squads, and theatre companies. Crystal also has a background in musical theater and has been in shows such as 42nd Street, Footloose, and had the lead role of “Cassie” in A Chorus Line. Crystal has performed many times in the Greater Boston area, including performing at the Boston World Trade Center as a back-up dancer for Isaac Hayes.

Crystal’s passion in life is the art of dance, and to share this with her students brings her the greatest joy!

Linda Vieira

Assistant Director/Dance Instructor/Choreographer

Linda Vieira began her dance life at the age of 2 at Dance Class in Salem, MA.  Since then she has had the opportunity to train at several local dance studios as well as The Gene Murray School, Salem State University and Boston Ballet.

Linda began teaching dance in 1994 and in 2004 opened Just For Kicks School of Dance; after many wonderful years she sold her studio to focus on her family.

She received her Bachelor’s in History from Salem State with a minor in Educational Studies. While at Salem State Linda participated in the Repertory Dance Theater as a choreographer and dancer. Linda also has an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University.

Over the course of her dance career she has attended numerous master classes in dance and dance education.

Linda has been with Crystal Joyce Dance Academy for over 10 years and is thrilled to share her love of dance with the CJDA students!

Emily Nelson

Dance Instructor/Choreographer

Emily started her dance training at the age of two at a local Massachusetts studio. She continued her training as a competitive student at Kathy Medina’s Studio of Dance where she found a family and a true passion for dance. During high school, Emily was encouraged and pushed to reach her potential while dancing for Erica’s Dance Academy where she earned many awards in national competitions. Working to broaden her horizon and improve her artistry, Emily studied at a modern intensive at Columbia College Chicago. In addition, she has attended workshops across the country and internationally.

After dancing for the RPI dance club throughout her college career, Emily started teaching in the northern Massachusetts area. She enjoys sharing her love of dance and the movement arts through teaching all ages and all styles, including Acrobatics, Ballet, Contemporary, and Modern. Emily joined the CJDA faculty in 2017, where she supports dancers in discovering the joy of dance, reinforces positive self-esteem, and encourages them to work hard to achieve their goals.

Courtney Connors

Dance Instructor/Choreographer

Courtney has been dancing for 19 years. She began her training at Broadway Dance Academy in Tewksbury, MA where she was a member of the competitive program and trained in various styles until graduating from high school. Miss Courtney went on to attended Westfield State University where she graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Elementary Education in May 2017. While at Westfield, she was a member of the competitive Jazz and Hip Hop dance team for four years; she was elected captain her junior and senior years. Courtney competed at the Universal Dance Association College Nationals in Orlando, Florida all four years on the dance team where they placed 6th in the Nation for Open Hip Hop for 3 of those years. She was also a part of the teams 10th consecutive win for the New England Championships. Courtney is very excited to share her love of dance at Crystal Joyce Dance Academy!

Sarina Ste. Croix

Dance Instructor/Choreographer

Sarina has been dancing for over 30 years and has been teaching since she was 14 years old. She was the captain of her high school dance team, and was asked to perform lyrical solos at The World’s Fair and Mayfair in Cambridge, MA. When she was 21 years old she took over The Dance Center of Waltham as the owner and artistic director. After deciding to move on from that studio, she has been teaching and choreographing for recreational and competitive students across Massachusetts for all ages. More recently she has been specializing in teaching the youngest of dancers, focusing on caregiver/child and preschool dance classes as well as the lead singer of the Rock-A-Baby music classes in Newton, MA. When Sarina is not dancing, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter.

Angie Hogue

Dance Instructor/Choreographer

Angie began her dance training at the age of 12 right here at CJDA, where she was a member of our dance and competitive teams. Her dance education included Jazz, Tap, Ballet, and Contemporary. In 2015 she became an assistant dance teacher for Miss Crystal. She is a Salem State University graduate with a B.S. in Early Education and Care, and a minor in Sociology. When not at CJDA,  she is working at Danvers Public Schools as a Kindergarten paraprofessional. In her free time she loves to read, spend time with friends and family, listen to music (her favorite music artist is Taylor Swift!) and all things Disney! She recently participated in the Disney College programs as a cast member in Walt Disney World.  Miss Angie absolutely adores working with kids, and is looking forward to teaching our Creative Movement and Preschool classes!

Christina Ackley 

Ballet Instructor/Choreographer

Christina Banacos Ackley, daughter of a jazz pianist and classical pianist was destined to follow a life in the arts. At the age of 5 she was immersed in music, dance, and visual arts. Beginning her dance training with ballet tap and jazz at a local studio, her parents quickly saw her love of the art form and she went on to study ballet more seriously as a teen at the Boston Ballet School and the Marblehead School of Ballet. She then attended college at The University of Hartford’s Hartt School where she received her BFA in Children’s Dance Pedagogy in 2003. At Hartt, Christina was fortunate to work under the direction of former Martha Graham principle dancer Peggy Lyman. Upon graduation Christina was awarded a full tuition scholarship and graduate teaching assistantship at the University of Oklahoma where she received her MFA in dance in 2006. In graduate school, her thesis piece “Mechanical Goddesses” (a fusion of Middle Eastern dance and modern dance) won the modern dance choreography award and was selected for showcase at the American College Dance Festival in Austin, TX. Christina then became committed to pursuing her training in Middle Eastern dance and danced professionally for several years in and around Boston. She founded her own dance company, Bellybeat in 2009 and produced and directed 5 full length productions. Christina is thrilled to teach at Crystal Joyce Dance Academy. While she loves being on stage, her true love is being behind the scenes with her students, creating choreographies, and passing along the many gifts she’s received from her mentors to her own students. Christina is also a fully certified Pilates instructor and owns a small Pilates studio in Lexington MA where she’s been teaching for the past 17 years.

Alicia Ridgley

Dance Instructor/Choreographer

Miss Alicia has been dancing since she was 3 years old and has loved every step of the journey! From ages 5 to 17, she trained and participated in multiple competition teams. Miss Alicia joined CJDA in high school, where she continued to grow as both a performer and teammate, graduating as an alum from the dance team in 2019. In college, Alicia led the largest student-run dance organization on campus, bringing dancers of all backgrounds together through community and creativity. Alicia joined the CJDA faculty in 2025, and she is thrilled to share her passion for dance with her KinderDance, Primary Combo, and Acro Pop students, helping them build confidence, coordination, and a love for movement that lasts a lifetime. Miss Alicia also hopes to attend law school soon, where she plans to carry the same dedication and leadership she’s developed through dance.