Classes

About


CYT offers classes for students ages 8-18 throughout the school year. Classes include drama, voice, dance, and behind-the-scenes training in makeup, costumes, tech, and more. Classes are held for two hours once a week and run for nine consecutive weeks in Fall, Winter, and Spring sessions. Class sizes are small and offer supervision both inside and outside the classroom. Each session culminates in a high-energy showcase to demonstrate to family, friends, and fellow students the skills acquired.
Parents send their children to CYT classes to learn, and that’s exactly what they will do! At the end of a CYT session, your student will come away with a new or improved skill in the area of emphasis. During the last week of class, a high-energy Showcase is presented by each class to show other students, family, and friends all they’ve learned.

Spring Class Registration is Open!

As a theater arts training program, our new students are required to take core CYT vocal, dance, and theater classes before taking intermediate or advanced classes.  When signing up for classes remember you must crawl before you walk. Technique is the foundation of every aspect of theater. You must learn and understand the basics before you learn the harder elements. This is for safety and to help you grow into well rounded singers, dancers, and actors. 

Auditions for our Spring production of Singin' in the Rain Jr. (students 8 to 18) will be held on Thursday, March 14th, at Bethany United Methodist Church from 6pm to 8:30pm, with call backs on Saturday, March 16th, at 9am.  If your student is interested in auditioning they will need to prepare a 1 minute audition using a song posted on the page link below. 

In addition, If your child is auditioning, they will need to print and complete the Audition Form found on the classes page, along with 2 copies of the Medical Release Form.  Both will need to be provided to the staff on the opening night.  PDFs of both forms are attached to this email and can also be found on the Classes page.

*Please note that students who have not taken a tap class beyond a core level, who would like to be considered for the tap chorus numbers or a lead role who will be required to tap, must enroll in Tappin' in the Rain" as their class choice. Taking this class does NOT guarantee eligibility for a lead role or tap chorus, but will allow you to learn how to tap and work towards that eligibility by working on technique and the songs from the show during class. 

All classes conclude with a showcase/recital on Thursday, May 23rd at Austin Baptist Church.
 
You must be enrolled in a class to audition for the show.

***The link for the audition side options for all students enrolled in a class will be posted here soon. 



SET CREW OPPORTUNITIES
Are you a student who is 12-18 and super responsible and want to be part of the production, but not sure if you want to perform on stage? Then ask us about being on set crew! It's super fun and exciting, and you only have to commit to  the last two to three Saturday rehearsals and production week.  Contact us at austin@cyt.org for more information! 
 
2019 Winter Production Information

Current Classes:

Class: Age: Chapter: Location: Day: Time: Start: End:
Improv I 12-18 Austin
(Spring 2019)		 Bethany United Methodist Church Thu 5:00pm - 7:00pm Mar 28 May 23
Improv II 14-18 Austin
(Spring 2019)		 Bethany United Methodist Church Thu 5:00pm - 7:00pm Mar 28 May 23
Intermediate/Advanced Musical Theater - Seussical The Musical 12-18 Austin
(Spring 2019)		 Bethany United Methodist Church Thu 5:00pm - 7:00pm Mar 28 May 23
Musical Theater 101: Disney on Broadway 8-18 Austin
(Spring 2019)		 Bethany United Methodist Church Thu 5:00pm - 7:00pm Mar 28 May 23
Musical Theater 101: Disney on Broadway 8-18 Austin
(Spring 2019)		 Austin Baptist Church Mon 5:00pm - 7:00pm Mar 25 May 23
Our Gang Dance 6-7 Austin
(Spring 2019)		 Bethany United Methodist Church Thu 5:00pm - 7:00pm Mar 28 May 23
Tappin' (and Singin') in the Rain 10-18 Austin
(Spring 2019)		 Bethany United Methodist Church Thu 5:00pm - 7:00pm Mar 28 May 23

Teachers

A CYT Teacher’s mission is to train and instruct students in such a way as to promote the development of character, self-esteem, and confidence. CYT teachers are qualified and experienced in the area in which they teach. They have been trained in the CYT methods of instruction and agree with the CYT values and outcome goals. All CYT teachers have been background checked and adhere to our CYT Mission and Values. Our teachers truly care about their students and provide a constructive and fun environment for them to learn.

Current Teachers:

Chris Barfield

I have been dancing since the age of 9, and have trained in jazz, tap, hip hop, ballet, contemporary, modern, and salsa. I attended the Art institute of Orange County, in Buena Park, CA. While attending school in California I was the choreographer for a youth performance group. In my time there I choreographed 3 main stage performances (Guys and Dolls, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Tom Sawyer). I look forward to being on the CYT team!

Emily Calasopa

I am no stranger to CYT having been a student myself in WA State and going on to teach, direct, musical direct and choreograph over 50 classes, camps and shows! CYT is a huge passion of mine and I absolutely cannot wait to be involved in this amazing organization once more. I am now a mommy to two sweet little girls who love to sing and dance just like me!! I have travelled the World singing with The Continental Singers and been in many musical theater productions. I have formal training in Cabaret and belting, as well as acting for film and auditioning on Broadway. I truly believe that there is a place for everyone within the theater community. I was a shy, homeschooled introvert until my mom put me in CYT at 15. I credit all I learned through CYT with helping me find my voice. I so look forward to working with you all!

Kelsey Kimble

Kelsey Kimble uses her vast experience in performing a variety of different genres to entertain and educate others. As a performer, Kelsey enjoys singing jazz music with her husband, Austin Kimble. She also writes and performs original music with their band, The Kimbles. Trained in classical voice technique from The University of Texas at Austin under the direction of Rose Taylor, Kelsey also enjoys acting in local theater productions. Recent roles include: "Louise/Eve" in Ruthless (City Theater, Austin), as well as "Regina" in Rock of Ages, "Calliope" in Xanadu, and several Theatre for Young Audiences Productions at the Georgetown Palace Theater. Aside from performing, Kelsey has a passion for educating voice students of all ages and experience levels. She offers private lessons and group classes at several locations in the Austin area. Kelsey also music directed Mary Poppins at the Georgetown Palace Theater in summer 2018, which recently earned a nomination for Best Music Direction in the 2018 Broadway World Awards.

Lauris Blackwell

Lauris Blackwell grew up singing and dancing! After high school she attended Austin College, and then went on to New York, where she was a scholarship winner to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. She stayed in NYC for eleven years performing professionally on and off Broadway and on many National and European tours. Some of her favorite roles are the Narrator in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”, Rose, in “Bye, Bye Birdie”, Amnesia, in “Nunsense”, Lily, in “Annie”, and Rhetta, in “Pump Boys and Dinettes”. She has performed at the White House and the Kennedy Center for both the Bush and Clinton Administration in conjunction with the Children’s Literacy Program. She performed in the Natchez Opera for ten years and was fortunate enough to be the soloist for then Governor George Bush’s Inauguration. Since moving home to Texas, she has performed and Choreographed with Waco Children’s Theater, Temple Civic Theatre, the Public Domain, and River City Pops and many others. She has choreographed for Buzz Productions, Akins High School, River City Pops, Austin Summer Musicals For Children, as well as served on the RCP and ASMC Boards. She teaches tap, ballet, jazz, and musical theatre to all ages. She is the dance instructor and Choreographer for Christian Youth Theatre. When not dancing about, she spends time with her husband, James, and their wonderful son Dustin. She is so grateful and blessed to be a part of all of her work “families”

Lexi Beriswill

Lexi grew up in Cedar Park, Texas where she was trained in various styles of dance. She was First Lieutenant for the Cedar Park High School “Celebrities,” and was a member of the Elite Company at the Dance Center. She received a scholarship to dance and compete as a member of the National Dance Alliance champions, the Blinn College Treasures. Lexi was accepted into the Department of Dance at Sam Houston State University where she completed her BFA. While attending SHSU she performed under the direction of award winning choreographers Andy Noble and Dionne Noble of NobleMotion Dance, Dana Nicolay of Nicolay Dance Works, and Johnathan Charles. She was honored with the SHSU Choreography Award in 2014, and one of her pieces was nominated to compete in the American College Dance Festival. While Lexi was completing her BFA she also worked as a Chiropractic and Physical Therapy Tech. She quickly realized that she has a passion for assisting in the process of physical rehabilitation and injury prevention education. Upon graduation, Ms. Beriswill studied to become a certified Pilates Instructor and taught Pilates to patients who suffer from various back injuries. Because of her background in the medical field, Lexi values the importance of nutrition and injury prevention, and she stresses their significance to each of her students.

Mike Topel

Member of ComedySportz, improv teaching assistant at ColdTowne Theater, Fallout Theater, ComedySportz, and a dance instructor for 25 years.

Shawn Utterback

Shawn has performed and taught improv from coast to coast for two decades. Shawn began studying improv in California with Comedy Sportz and continued to hone his craft while training at Second City and the Improv Olympic in Chicago. He is the executive producer of Comedy Spartans /Comedy Sportz in Austin TX and the CEO of the Playstorming Group. He has been a teacher at the Palace Theatre in Georgetown, TX and is returning to CYT to teach Improv. He is the proud father of a 10 yr old girl.