MEET OUR TEAM

Hollie delaMontaigne (she/her) is a Southern California native and graduate of the University of California Santa Barbara. She studied Art History and Early Childhood Education and has worked for various non-profit organizations in communications and development. She also has more than a decade of experience working with children, which taught her how essential it is for children to have a creative outlet and to find their own voices. As Director of Operations at Seaside, Hollie oversees everything from tuition and billing to scheduling and communications. When not at the Seaside studio, Hollie can be found with her energetic toddler, James, her husband, Brian, and their rambunctious boxer dog, Rudi.   

 Lucia Padilla (she/her/they) was born and raised in National City, California, and began her dance training at transcenDANCE Youth Arts Project. From there she practiced a variety of dance styles such as contemporary, Horton technique, and improvisation. She attended San Francisco State University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and Minor in Women's Studies. After moving back to San Diego, she reconnected with transcenDANCE as a Teaching Artist, and has been teaching special needs students of all ages through their off-site Artist in Residency program. In addition, she spread her passion for the arts in other communities such as Malashock Dance School and Sesame Place's Entertainment Department. Lucia's current purpose is to spread the joy and importance of dance education to San Diego communities. 

Danielle Behrens (she/her) was born and raised in Visalia, California. She works professionally as a musical theatre performer and dance instructor in both California and New York City. She has been dancing since the age of 3 and teaching and choreographing since the age of 16. While studying dance at Sierra Performing Arts Center, Danielle quickly discovered that she wanted to pursue a career in the arts and began training in voice and acting as well. She continued her training at College of the Sequoias, and then transferred to Marymount Manhattan College in New York City where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theatre. After graduation, Danielle joined the North American touring cast of The Wizard of Oz working as a swing. She then performed on the Disney Wonder cruise ship where she appeared onstage as Aurora, Cinderella, Belle and more. Danielle has also had the pleasure of performing at many regional theaters around the country. Some of her favorite credits include: Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street, Clara Johnson in The Light in the Piazza, Kathy Selden in Singin' in the Rain, and Meg Giry in Phantom of the Opera. She has worked as an instructor and choreographer at Broadway Dance Center, Thommie Retter’s NYC Tap Crew, Lopresti Dance Theatre, Sierra Performing Arts Center and College of the Sequoias. She loves sharing her passion for the arts as well as everything she has learned along the way!

 Uriah Brown (he/him) (Bass-Baritone)  is a graduate of San Diego State University where he earned a BM in Music Education and a BA in Spanish for Education. He is a classically trained Singer and has performed in a few operas, but is deeply rooted in Gospel and R&B as he grew up and learned to sing at church. Uriah  has an extensive background in musical theater both on-stage and behind the scenes. Some of his favorite leading roles were in The Wizard of Oz, Rent, and The Music Man. Although he loves to be on stage, Uriah’s true passions are Education and Advocacy for the Music and Dramatic Arts. He has served as an ambassador and mentor for Youth Entertainment Stage Company (Y.E.S. Co.), a Musical Theater Arts Education program of the Stanislaus County Office of Education in partnership with Gallo Center for the Arts and is annual lead performer for UC Merced’s Children’s Opera, an outreach program servicing the neighboring schools and districts. 

Uriah is originally from the San Fransisco Bay-Area, but spent his most important and formative years in Turlock, California.  Uriah is thrilled to share his passion for the stage and music with the children of Seaside Arts Center and it’s community.  

Xander Liszt (they/them) is a San Diego County native and recent graduate of San Dieguito High School Academy. They have trained in and performed classical ballet, Isadora Duncan Dance, musical theater, and singing. Some of their favorite roles have been the Rat Queen and the Dew Drop (The Nutcracker), Ms. Hannigan (Annie), Mother Abbess (Sound of Music), and Mrs. George (Mean Girls). They are currently pursuing a degree in Theater and Dance. Xander has always found their second home to be the dance studio and performances, and hopes to extend this same experience to their students at Seaside. They are excited to share the beauty and skills integral to dance, including artistry, story-telling, and technique.

Megan Wasniewski (she/her) is a San Diego-based dance professional, choreographer, and teacher. Originally from San Jose, CA, Megan began her dance training at the age of two and has studied extensively in the styles of ballet, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, and modern throughout her career. In 2016, she received a B.F.A. in Dance from San Diego State University and was a member of the SDSU Dance Company where she continued to perform and adapt her personal movement aesthetic. She has attended programs including the American Dance Festival and the American Dance Festival Winter Intensive. In 2016, Megan spent a year furthering her dance career in New York City. While in NYC, Megan performed as a company member on Bryce Dance Company, collaborated and performed in work by Sandra Kramerova, and danced in multiple music videos for various music artists. Since moving back to San Diego, Megan has performed and collaborated in dance shows throughout San Diego, as well as choreographed and produced work herself. Megan teaches dance styles including ballet, hip hop, jazz, and musical theater and is excited to start a new teaching journey with Seaside Arts Center!