A former CYT student, Josiah Payne performed in 11 productions from 2001-2005. Upon graduation, Josiah began teaching dance and stage combat classes and and worked as a choreographer and fight coordinator on several CYT shows. He was involved in the creation of CYT's Project Dance program in 2008 and was the coach for the Lake County chapter for 2 years. Josiah left CYT in 2010, pursuing a BFA in Theater/Dance Performance at Northern Illinois University, with which he graduated in 2013. He spent 9 seasons performing in a variety of roles at Six Flags Great America and has been a guest artist with Illinois youth Dance Theater, Rockford Dance Company, and Dance Center North. Josiah recently joined CYT's Main Office Staff as a Sets Warehouse Manager and is excited for the opportunity to return to teaching and to share his love of theater, dance, and combat with a new generation of CYT students.