Current Teachers:
Abe McKinney
Abe McKinney is a CYT alumni who you may recognize from some of his recent CYT and CCT roles, including, Luke in The Lightning Thief, Rolf in The Sound of Music, and Beast in Beauty and the Beast. Abe has been a part of CYT since 2019 and has preformed in CYT shows in both Spokane and North Idaho. Since graduating, Abe has continued to preform in shows locally with Aspire Community Theater. He is so excited to be back at CYT and to share his love for theater through teaching!
Amee Peltekian
Amee grew up in a very musical, theatrical family. She is so excited to have found a home with CYT so she can share this joy with her 2 kids and with this incredible theatre community! You may have seen Amee as Maria in CCT's production of The Sound of Music. Before moving to the area, Amee owned and worked for character entertainment companies for four years and was a children's leader at BSF for 8 years. Amee studied acting, dance, voice, and childhood development in college and has passionately pursued opportunities to teach and grow in dance, acting, and vocal performance.
Bridget Erb
Bridget is a CYT Spokane alumni who has been involved with the program since she was 7. She graduated from Seattle Pacific University in 2022 and moved back to the area in the spring of 2023. Since returning, she has enjoyed becoming involved in local theater communities, such as Aspire and CCT/CYT, once again.
Brooklyn Coppinger
Brooklyn Coppinger is a theater kid at heart and has done many CYT productions during high school. You might have seen her as Liesl in Sound of Music or Narrator in Joseph and the Technicolored Dreamcoat. She loves to sing and still blasts musicals in her car and at work.
Ella Moser
Ella is a CYT graduate you may have seen as Andrina in The Little Mermaid, a Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, or Mrs. Bucket in Willy Wonka. In addition to theater, she has enjoyed years of choir singing and piano instruction for over a decade. Ella is a North Idaho College graduate and is currently teaching piano to beginner students. She also worked as the Intern Musical Director for CYT's Spongebob the Musical. Ella is grateful for all she has learned at CYT and is thrilled to be able to pass these lessons on as a teacher!
Emma Jillson
Emma Jillson is a CYT alumni and is currently working as a choreographer/dance instructor at Expressions School of Performing Arts where she teaches all styles of dance, as well as choreographs for Expressions competitive team. Over the years while dancing competitively since she was 10, she found a passion for theater as well. She has played Mrs. Cratchit in A Christmas Carol, Atina in The Little Mermaid, Dance Captain for Joseph and The Lightning Thief and also taught two sessions for CYT @ School. She is so grateful for the opportunities that CYT has given her and looks forward to helping others learn and grow at CYT just as she did.
Emme Labenne
Emmé LaBenne has been involved with CYT since 2017. Since she recently graduated from the program, she is looking forward to the opportunity to be a part of the other side. Emmé has taken various dance classes over the years, and was given the opportunity to choreograph for CCS’s elementary production, as well as for CYT camps this summer! CYT has positively impacted her in more ways than she can express, and she is so excited to be able to witness the same type of growth in this future generation.
Jaelyn Young
Jaelyn is a recent graduate from CYT North Idaho. She has been a part of this program since she was 10 years old. CYT has always been a super important part of her life and she has made lifelong friends here! She is so excited to be able to introduce the new generation of CYT to the art of theatre. Jaelyn is currently a full time student at North Idaho College studying dental hygiene. She is so thankful for this opportunity and super excited to get started!
Jenny Keough
Jenny has been a teacher at CYT since 2020. She has been a backstage greenroom mom for many shows and was the director for Willy Wonka last winter. She has played the role of Queen Constantina in CCT’s production of Cinderella and Elsa, the Baroness in The Sound of Music. Jenny has loved theater from a very young age and took acting, singing and dance lessons throughout her childhood. She has performed off and on through the years on TV shows and movie sets and was cast as Cinderella and Ariel at Disneyland for 3 years. She loves being part of the CYT family and her goal as a teacher is to help students grow as performers and make sure they know how important and loved they are through the experience of theater.
Presley DuPuis
Presley DuPuis is a proud CYT graduate who flipped over to the grown-up side and hasn't looked back since North Idaho first staged production, Snow White, in 2008 (playing the Magic Mirror). He has gone from being the kid who would play the piano backstage that he wasn't allowed to touch, to a full-fledged accompanist. Over the past decade he has worn many different hats in various CYT leadership roles including teacher, music director, director, pit musician, HYPE adviser, and improv coach. Presley holds his Bachelor of Arts in Music from Eastern Washington University and serves as the resident music director for Aspire Community Theatre while also maintaining his own private music studio where he instructs in both voice and piano. He can always be found playing, teaching, and collaborating with local community theatres, schools, universities, and choirs.
Robbie Johnston
Robbie is a CYT North Idaho Alumni who was a part of more than 20 shows across the ten years he was a student. Since graduating he has stayed involved on the tech side of multiple programs shows, as well as choreographing a CYT show or two. Robbie has been dancing since he was 5 years old and is so excited to help a new generation of kids learn the fun that dancing in theater can be!