Lindsey Seegers
executivedirector@sdcyb.org
about
Our Team
Learn about some of the people who teach and manage the San Diego Civic Youth Ballet.
Leadership
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Danika Pramik-Holdaway
Artistic Director
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Danika Pramik-Holdaway
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Danika Pramik-Holdaway began her dance training at Marin Ballet, studying under Mikko Nissinen, Margaret Swarthout, and Cynthia Lucas. She continued her studies with intensive programs at Ballet Met, The Joffrey Ballet School, and the Rosella Hightower International School of Dance in Cannes, France. She received her B.A. in dance and pre-med from Barnard College, Columbia University, graduating cum laude. While in New York, she performed works under the coaching of Virginia Johnson and Yuriko, including dancing the lead role in Barnard College’s production of Lew Christensen’s Con Amore and worked as a Marketing Assistant for Ballet Hispanico. She then danced with Bodiography Contemporary Ballet Company in Pittsburgh and taught in various schools in the Pittsburgh area. Upon moving to San Diego, she became a company member with the San Diego Ballet, where she danced until 2010. Since joining SDCYB in 2006, she has directed and choreographed Cinderella, The Nutcracker, Beauty and the Beast, Coppélia, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and SDCYB's 70th Anniversary production of The Sleeping Beauty. Danika is overjoyed to be able to further the mission of SDCYB, and share her love of ballet with children from all over San Diego.
danika@sdcyb.org
Administration
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Leila Gardner
Artistic Programming Manager & Ballet Instructor
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Leila Gardner
Leila has over 20 years of experience in classical ballet education and performance. She began her training at the California Ballet School and continued at the San Diego School of Ballet. During her training, she attended summer programs at the Alabama School of Fine Arts and American Ballet Theatre and received extensive coaching from Thor Sutowski and Dame Sonia Arova. Leila pursued a dance major at the University of California, Irvine, where she performed various soloist roles in productions such as "Cinderella" and Balanchine’s "Serenade." Continuing her education, she earned a degree in psychology from the University of California, San Diego. Professionally, Leila danced with the San Diego Ballet for over 15 years, taking on soloist roles in "The Nutcracker," "Romeo and Juliet," "Sleeping Beauty,” “The Firebird”, and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, among others. She also performed with the San Diego Opera in operas such as "Aida," "Faust," and "Turandot," and appeared in commercials for Ford and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. While dancing professionally, Leila discovered her passion for teaching and mentoring young dancers. She has attended teaching seminars at Pacific Northwest Ballet and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and is Progressing Ballet Technique certified. Leila began teaching at the San Diego Civic Youth Ballet (SDCYB) in 2006 and has choreographed for numerous productions, including "Cinderella," "The Nutcracker," "Beauty and the Beast," "Coppélia," "A Midsummer Night’s Dream," and "The Firebird." Leila is dedicated to preserving the tradition of classical ballet while inspiring the next generation of dancers.
leila@sdcyb.org
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Gaby Mendoza
Operations Manager
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Gaby Mendoza
Gaby Mendoza serves as the Operations Manager at the San Diego Civic Youth Ballet. Her performing arts journey began in childhood with dance, later expanding into colorguard and musical theater—experiences that shaped her deep appreciation for youth arts education. Gaby brings this perspective into her administrative work, where she focuses on operational excellence, clear communication, and creating a positive experience for every family who walks through SDCYB’s doors. She is passionate about supporting organizations that nurture young artists and expand access to arts opportunities in the community. Gaby is excited to contribute to SDCYB’s mission and help strengthen the organization’s foundation as it continues to grow.
gaby@sdcyb.org
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Lucia Padilla
Education Services Coordinator
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Lucia Padilla
Lucia is a proud San Diego native, born and raised in National City. She began her dance training with transcenDANCE Youth Arts Project and later earned her Bachelor of Arts in Dance with a Minor in Women’s Studies from San Francisco State University. Upon returning to San Diego, Lucia reconnected with transcenDANCE as a Teaching Artist for their off-site residency with the Lemon Grove School District, and performed as an alumni dancer in several productions, including their 20th Anniversary celebration. Her experience also includes work with a variety of arts and entertainment organizations, such as Malashock Dance School, Seaside Arts Center, and the Entertainment Department at Sesame Place San Diego. Passionate about arts education, Lucia is dedicated to enriching the San Diego community through creative expression and is excited to take the next step with SDCYB. Outside of her work in the arts, she enjoys crocheting, tap dancing, and visiting her favorite theme parks.
lucia@sdcyb.org
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Jess Carr
Outreach & Marketing Coordinator & Ballet Instructor
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Jess Carr
Jess Carr began dancing at the age of 4 and later joined the San Diego Civic Youth Ballet. She furthered her dance studies at the University of California, Irvine where she majored in Literary Journalism with a specialization in marketing/design. Jess has performed all over Southern California. Some of her favorites include various hip hop/freestyle competitions and the LA Clippers Halftime Shows. While in Michigan, Jess had been the head coach for West Ottawa High School’s competitive dance team, resident choreographer for TrueJEM Productions, and taught a variety of dance styles at Avalon School of the Arts. She’s excited to be back in California teaching, doing musical theater with the Sweetwater Union High School District, and dancing professionally with Bayanihan.
jess@sdcyb.org
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Eli Figueroa
Administrative Assistant
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Eli Figueroa
Elizabeth Figueroa serves as the Administrative Assistant at the San Diego Civic Youth Ballet. Her journey in the performing arts began at the age of five with ballet classes and soon expanded to include a variety of dance styles, musical theater, and opera. Inspired by her passion for the arts, Elizabeth earned a bachelor's degree in Voice Performance from San Diego State University and her master's degree in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. She believes the arts play a vital role in children's development by fostering confidence, strengthening social skills, and providing a meaningful outlet for emotional expression. Elizabeth is proud to be part of the San Diego Civic Youth Ballet, where she helps support the organization's mission of making dance accessible to the community. She hopes every dancer experiences the same joy, confidence, and sense of self-expression that the performing arts have brought to her own life.
elizabeth@sdcyb.org
Ballet Instructors
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Edilsa Armendariz
Ballet Instructor
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Edilsa Armendariz
Raised in Tijuana, Mexico, Edilsa received her early training at the Gloria Campobello Dance School, supplemented her studies at Escuela Superior de Musica y Danza de Monterrey, San Francisco Ballet School, and later graduated from the National Ballet School in Havana, Cuba. Over the course of her career, she has danced for San Diego Ballet, Nevada Ballet Theatre, Company C Contemporary Ballet, Bay Pointe Ballet, as well as freelancing as a guest artist in the San Francisco Bay Area and with the Ballet of Tianjin, in China. She has had the privilege to perform at the Vail Dance Festival and was a selected dancer for the National Choreographers Initiative held at University of California Irvine. Her repertoire includes works by George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, Susan Jaffe, Maurice Causey, Val Caniparoli, Vicente Nebrada, among others, and lead roles in Giselle, Coppélia, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, Cinderella, and The Sleeping Beauty.
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Lucas Ataide
Ballet Instructor
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Lucas Ataide
Lucas Ataide, a native of Brazil, started his training at the Escola Estadual de Dança Maria Olenewa in Rio de Janeiro. He continued his studies at Conservatório Brasileiro de Dança. In Rio, Lucas joined the Cia Brasileira de Ballet where he performed in full length ballets such as, Don Quixote, Giselle, Swan Lake, La Bayadere, Raymonda, La Sylphide and The Nutcracker. Now in his 11th season with City Ballet of San Diego, Lucas has been featured in productions including George Balanchine’s Rubies, The Four Temperaments, Serenade, Walpurgisnacht Ballet, Danses Concertantes, Le Baiser de La Fée, and Divertimento 15 as well as Peter Martin’s Ash and Hallelujah Junction, Christopher Wheeldon’s Morphoses, and most recently Annabelle Lopez’s Ecliptic. He has also been featured in principal roles choreographed by Betsey Wistrich such as Carmen, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, Giselle, La Bayadere, Paquita, and Romeo and Juliet.
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Denise Dabrowski
Ballet Instructor
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Denise Dabrowski
Denise Dabrowski danced as the Prima Ballerina of the California Ballet Company for nearly two decades. She was also a member of the Joffrey Ballet, dancing in works by Joffrey, Arpino, Fokine, Ashton, de Mille and others. Denise also danced with San Diego’s Three’s Company and Dancers, and Isaacs, McCaleb and Dancers. Performing in more than seventy ballets in the California Ballet Company repertoire, Denise received critical acclaim for her interpretations of her roles, many of which she originated for the Company. Her favorite roles include Giselle, Juliet, Odette-Odile, Aurora, the Sugarplum Fairy, and Lucy in “Dracula.”
Denise also served as Regisseur and Ballet Mistress for the California Ballet Company. Her work included coaching principals and soloists of the Company, maintaining the integrity of works in the Company’s repertoire, and assisting choreographers on new works. Denise’s intelligence and intuition for dance and her experience and delight in working with young dancers make her a compassionate, creative, and inspiring teacher and mentor. She has served as a faculty member for over forty years at the California Ballet School, and as former instructor and co-director of the Whitman College Summer Dance Lab.
Denise has received numerous awards from the California Ballet Company and Starlight Opera, an NEA Fellowship Grant, and three San Diego Dance Alliance Tommy Awards.
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Rachael Dichoso
Ballet Instructor
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Rachael Dichoso
Rachael started her ballet training at the age of five years old and has been dancing ever since. She has trained at many Ballet schools some of which include, Ballet Virginia International, Virginia Ballet Theatre and Todd Rosenlieb Dance. She has performed in many ballets, including The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and many others. She received her bachelor of arts degree at Old Dominion University where her focused styles included ballet, modern and jazz. Rachael has performed in university dance theaters performances as well as the American College Dance Association. She has found her love of teaching dance and has been a ballet instructor for over ten years now. She is also in the process of getting her Pilates teaching certification.
test@email.com
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Audrey Honert
Ballet Instructor
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Audrey Honert
Audrey Honert is a native of Colorado. She danced professionally for 14 years with numerous companies across the country, including Ballet Idaho, the Colorado Ballet, and the St. Louis Ballet. She has performed classical roles such as Odette, Giselle, and Sugar Plum as well as principal roles in works by Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, Emery Lecrone, Pam Tanowitz, and more. In conjunction with her professional career, she has taught ballet at various levels and to a variety of ages. She has taught outreach students in Colorado, adults in Boise, and advance-level students in Saint Louis. She has a passion for passing along the art of ballet and loves coaching students in classical repertoire.
audrey@sdcyb.org
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Shantel Mora
Ballet Instructor
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Shantel Mora
Shantel Mora is a ballet instructor for San Diego Civic Youth Ballet. Shantel trained in the art of classical ballet for 20 years and danced in classical ballets such as The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Swan Lake, Giselle, Paquita and Sleeping Beauty. She started her training in “Escuela de Danza Gloria Campobello,” and then received her BA in Dance Education with a focus on classical ballet from “Escuela Superior de Música y Danza de Monterrey,” in Mexico. While in Monterrey, she worked as the 1st grade teacher of the BA in Classical Ballet in “La Superior” and as a ballet teacher in Freeman Dance Training, where she trained dancers for national and international competitions, such as the YAGP. Besides her training in classical ballet, she has also trained in jazz, contemporary, modern, lyrical, pilates, barre and Spanish dance. She has prepared in summer intensives with the Joffrey Ballet School in New York, Ballet Liszt Alfonso, and the National Ballet School of Cuba, in La Habana, Cuba. In 2019, she became a certified teacher by the American Ballet Theatre. In 2024, she participated in the Cross Threads program for ballet teachers in the Opera of Paris. In present time, she dances with the Spanish dance company, “Real Flamenco,” and is pursuing a professional certification from The Flamenco School of Andalucia to become a certified flamenco dancer. She has prepared with courses in administration such as a certificate in “Economics Administration for the Arts” by CONARTE and a diploma in “Organizational Analysis,” by Stanford University. In 2024, she completed an Associate of Science in Business Management.
shantel@sdcyb.org
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Lisette Morris
Outreach Instructor
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Lisette Morris
Lisette Morris grew up training with a variety of professional studios in New York City such as American Ballet Theatre, School of American Ballet, Finis Jung, David Howard and Alvin Ailey. Miss Lisette has been teaching for over 30 years in San Diego County including teaching Outreach Programs for City Ballet of San Diego and San Diego Civic Youth Ballet. She is also a PBT certified instructor! Miss Lisette teaches ages 2.5 through adult, and looks forward to seeing your dancer in class.
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Jessica Reed
Ballet, Modern & Outreach Instructor
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Jessica Reed
Jessica Reed holds a BS in Dance & a BFA in Creative Writing from Bowling Green State University. Her teaching career began in 1991, and spans across many cities, ages and levels. Her methods and inspiration are a blend of Limon, Horton, Graham, previous teachers, intensive summer workshops and herself. In 1994, Jessica returned to Boston to work for her MFA in Dance Performance at the Boston Conservatory. She began dancing professionally in 1996, performing primarily in Boston and New York City. Jessica danced extensively with the Nicola Hawkins Dance Company for ten years, earning the role of assistant to the director. After moving to San Diego, she joined San Diego Dance Theater, Malashock Dance and Butterworth Dance Company. Currently, Jessica is still dancing professionally, working as a Pilates trainer and teaching dance. She has been teaching modern dance at SDCYB since July 2007.