Meet our Teaching Artists
Our current roster features over 150 artists and presents 165 programs in creative writing, dance, drama, music, and the visual arts. These programs include performances, workshops, and professional development seminars for teachers.
Interested in becoming a KCYA teaching artist? Learn more here.
Erika Lynnette Baker is a local teacher, actress and puppeteer...
Erika Lynnette Baker
Brigitte Benyei holds a Bachelors in Dance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Brigitte Benyei
Kelsey Bowers, a Kansas City native, attended Northwest Missouri State University and received a degree in speech/theatre education.
Kelsey Bowers
Born and Raised in Brazil, Luis Felipe Ninja Pinto moved to the US in January 2000...
Brasicultura
Lindsay Cardwell began her life with ballet at age 3, and continued through her upbringing, studying at the Kansas City Ballet while also competing with a local studio.
Lindsay Cardwell
The artist, know locally as Day, has spent her life painting, sculpting,and creating, bringing the arts and puppets to the Kansas City Metro area...DaLene DePriest
Karen Engebretson, a Kansas City native, holds a Master of Music degree in Organ Performance and has spent over 40 years as a director of music, organist, pianist, vocalist and accompanist...
Karen Engebretson
Alex Espy is the Education Director at Mesner Puppet Theater, specializing in the Social/Emotional growth of young people through the power of puppetry.
Alex Espy
Bobbi Foudree started dancing at the age of 16 with Kim Shope and soon thereafter wished to pursue a career both in professional dance and as a dance teacher.
Bobbi Foudree
Since 1987, Vanessa Gibbs has taught West African dance. Working with Bird Fleming, she helped found The Traditional Music Society...
Vanessa & Rodney Gibbs
Dazzling and dynamic, Lisa Henry represents the best of Kansas City’s current Jazz era...
Lisa Henry
Nora Hennessy is a Kansas City-based actress & teaching artist. A Columbia, MO native, she moved to Kansas City after completing her BFA in Musical Theatre at Missouri State University.
Nora Hennessy
Valda Hsu was born and raised in Taiwan. She came to America in 1983 to attend college and study art...
Valda Hsu
LaTeesha McDonald Jackson performs throughout the region in musical theater, cabaret and opera...
LaTeesha Jackson
Lexi James is originally from Olathe, Kansas and trained at Legacy School of the Arts where she studied on scholarship.
Lexi James
A native of Kansas City, Kansas, Anthony Jappa, creator and author of Panda Oki, has been drawing and illustrating books and comics for over 20 years...
Anthony Jappa
The Kansas Settlers Band consists of Diane Bulan, Franci Witte, Chris Hudson, and Sam Wright...
Kansas Settlers Band
Amanda has been drawing, painting, and creating since she could hold a pencil.
Amanda Lea
Ziggy Livnat is an independent, multiple international award winning filmmaker, presenter, conservationist and educator...
Ziggy Livnat
G. Leayn Losh is presently the Director of Choral & Debate at Rosedale MS...
Leayn Losh
Committed to the authentic performance practice and spirit of the marimba heard throughout Mesoamerica...
Marimba Sol de Chiapas
Myrna Minnis has been inspiring children through classes in clay...
Myrna Minnis
Leigh Murray, an Atlanta, GA native, received her BFA in Dance from Arizona State University in 2009.
Leigh Murray
Pianist Maya Murthy earned her Masters degree at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music...
Maya Murthy
New World Connections is a trio made up of: Tom Aber, Gregg Briggs, Mark Cohick, Ron Hathorn, and Pat Conway...
New World Connnections
Whether he's counting monsters, fixing spaceships or swimming in peanut butter, Dino's interactive songs and tall tales engage curiosity and inspire the imagination...
Dinosaur O'Dell
Christopher J. Peacock was born in Thomaston, Georgia and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. While in the first grade, he discovered a passion for the art of dance
Christopher J. Peacock
Cynthia Pederson is an experienced writer, researcher, and teacher. She takes great joy in passing along knowledge through the many workshops and presentations she leads
Cynthia Pederson
Roger Pitts is a native Kansan, attending school in the greater Kansas City area...
Roger Pitts
Kim Ratliff has been a performer and educator for over 14 years...
Kim Ratliff
Janell has been with Kansas City Young Audiences (KCYA) since 2015...
Janell Rinne
Katie Schilling is a graduate of UMKC with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and a former Kansas City Ballet student apprentice and faculty member...
Katie Schilling
I began performing as an artist in residence in public schools in 1985...
Lem Sheppard
Kim's Ballet training began at age nine in Jackson, MS with Thalia Mara...
Kim Shope
Franci Talamantez-Witte is originally from Wichita, where she was fortunate to perform with theatre companies such as The Crown Uptown and Music Theatre Wichita.
Franci Talamantez-Witte
Heather Tinker currently serves as the Adjunct Director of Theatre at ...
Heather Tinker
Bethany Vermillion is a playwright, actress, director, costume designer, and teacher.
Bethany Vermillion
Nicholas Ward is a filmmaker, poet and painter. He has studied at the KID Puppet for Film Animation School in Prague, CZ...
Nicholas Ward
On Christmas Day, 1979, Mike received a copy of How To Draw Comics the Marvel Way...
Mike Worley