Meet Your Teacher!
Ms. Maddie
Owner & Artistic Director
Madelyn James is a dance educator, choreographer, and entrepreneur with a passion for creating meaningful dance experiences for students of all ages. As the founder and Artistic Director of Elev8 Dance in Clinton, North Carolina, she is dedicated to providing quality dance education in a positive, encouraging, and technique-focused environment.
Madelyn graduated from Lakewood High School in 2018 before attending Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Dance with a concentration in Private Studio Teaching and a minor in Entrepreneurship. During her time at Meredith, she performed with Meredith Dance Theatre and Fierce International Rhythmic Experience, served as co-manager of the Meredith Jazz and Tap Company, and gained additional experience in choreography, stage management, and production work through both Meredith College and the American Dance Festival.
Before opening Elev8 Dance, Madelyn spent five seasons teaching and training dancers at Carolina Dance Company in Clinton, North Carolina. During that time, she founded and directed the Premier Dance Teams, leading dancers to regional competitions across North and South Carolina where students earned numerous overall awards and scholarships.
In 2024, Madelyn officially opened Elev8 Dance with a vision of creating a studio that prioritizes strong technical training, confidence-building, creativity, and community. Under her direction, Elev8 Dance has quickly grown into a thriving program offering both recreational and competitive dance opportunities in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, clogging, hip-hop, acrobatics, and tumbling.
Madelyn is deeply passionate about helping dancers grow not only as performers, but as confident and disciplined individuals. Through her teaching, she strives to create an environment where every dancer feels challenged, supported, and inspired to reach their full potential.
Meet the Elev8 Team
Addison Jackson
Administrative Support Staff
Addison Jackson (Miss Addie) brings organization, energy, and heart to Elev8 Dance! She began dancing at just 3 years old and is currently attending Fayetteville Technical Community College as she continues her education.
A talented dancer and proud Elev8 Dance graduate, Addison has trained under Ms. Maddie for several years in both recreational and competitive dance. This season, she serves as a member of our Administrative Support Staff, helping ensure that both studio locations run smoothly and providing a welcoming experience for every family who walks through our doors.
Whether she's greeting families at the front desk, assisting with studio operations, or helping keep everything organized behind the scenes, Addison brings positivity, kindness, and a genuine love for the Elev8 community. Her dedication to our studio and its families makes her an invaluable part of our team, and we're so grateful to have her as part of the Elev8 family.
Madyson Crumpler
Dance Instructor
Administrative Support Staff
Madyson Crumpler, also known as Miss Maddy or Little Maddy, is a graduate of Cape Fear High School and earned a certificate in Business and Management from Fayetteville Technical Community College. She is also a licensed cosmetologist and is passionate about helping others build confidence and express themselves creatively.
Madyson danced both recreationally and competitively for 10 years at Carolina Dance Company. During Elev8’s very first season, she had the opportunity to step into a teaching role, where she quickly discovered her passion for working with young dancers. This upcoming season marks her third year teaching, and she is excited to continue inspiring and encouraging the next generation of performers.
She loves creating a positive and supportive environment where children can explore, grow, and shine. Whether it’s mastering a new skill, gaining confidence, or celebrating a teammate’s success, Madyson believes those moments are what make dance truly special. Watching her students develop both on and off the stage is one of the most rewarding parts of her role, and she is grateful to be a part of each dancer’s journey at Elev8.
Cecilya Tyndall
Dance Instructor
Cecilya believes that family and passion are at the heart of everything she does. As a wife, mom, and proud bonus mom, she brings warmth, encouragement, and a caring spirit to every aspect of her life.
Dance has been a part of Cecilya's story since she was just 3 years old. What began as a childhood passion grew into years of recreational dance training and eventually led to three years of teaching experience. After stepping away from the studio to focus on raising her daughter, she is excited to return to the dance world and share her love of movement with the next generation of dancers.
As she begins this new chapter with Elev8 Dance, Cecilya is eager to embrace every opportunity for growth, inspiration, and connection. She looks forward to making a positive impact on her students while continuing to share the joy, confidence, and lifelong lessons that dance has brought into her own life.
Sidney Boone
Dance Instructor
Sidney Boone has been dancing since the age of six and brings years of performance, training, and teaching experience to the Elev8 faculty. Throughout her competitive dance career, she earned numerous overall placements and special awards, becoming known on stage for her incredible personality and performance quality.
Sidney's training includes ballet, pointe, lyrical, tap, hip hop, acro, cirque, jazz, contemporary, and musical theater, giving her a well-rounded background across many styles of dance. She has also received multiple scholarship awards through dance conventions and was selected as a Liberate Artists Dance Captain, traveling to both Delaware and Los Angeles to assist professional artists during master classes and workshops.
With five years of experience as a teaching assistant and two years as a full-time instructor, Sidney is passionate about inspiring the next generation of dancers. She believes dance is more than movement—it builds confidence, character, and empowers young people to become the best version of themselves. Sidney is excited to share her knowledge, energy, and love for dance with every student who walks through the doors of Elev8 Dance.
Ciara Martinez
Dance Instructor
Administrative Support Staff
With a lifelong passion for dance, she is a graduate of East Carolina University and has been dancing since the age of three. With over a decade of experience in the dance world, her performance background includes three appearances in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, two seasons in the local production of The Nutcracker, and performances at both Walt Disney World and aboard Disney Cruise Line.
Her training includes ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, and hip hop, and she is passionate about sharing her love of dance with the next generation. She is dedicated to inspiring her students and helping them grow both artistically and personally, believing that dance builds confidence, discipline, and lifelong friendships.
For her, dance is more than a career—it is a lifelong journey, and she is honored to share that passion with every student she teaches.
Eileen Juric
Ballet & Technique Coach for the Competition Team
Eileen Juric draws from a multi-layered history in the dance world. She began her career training on full scholarships at the Joffrey Ballet School and the School of American Ballet, afterwards dancing professionally as a soloist with the Chicago Lyric Opera Ballet.
After her performing career, Eileen shifted to teaching children and later opened her own studio in New Jersey. Recognizing first-hand how traditional approaches fell short in a mainstream setting, she came to understand the need for a fresh approach to technique.
Eileen began developing an innovative technique program called “BalletBarreNone”, and she produced the acclaimed 3-DVD series The Children’s Hour of Power for ages 3-9, which has appeared in numerous dance publications and has sold in over 23 countries.
Since that time, Eileen has taught locally and traveled internationally as a faculty member for such conferences as the Dance Teacher Summit, the DanceLife Teacher Conference, Dance Masters of America, and the Florence Summer Dance Intensive in Italy.
She has continued to refine and expand her progressive teaching methods for dancers of all ages and backgrounds. While creating her latest content, Eileen decided to rename her program “PowerDance Technique” to better reflect its essence and reach its audience!
Our Teacher Assistants
Gabriella Martinez
Competition Team Dancer
Teacher Assistant
Libbie Best
Recreational Dancer
2027 Senior!
Teacher Assistant
Macy Bell
Competition Team Dancer
Teacher Assistant
Kathryn Strickland
Competition Team Dancer
Teacher Assistant
KaiLeigh Cromartie
Recreational Dancer
Teacher Assistant