Methods and compositions for producing cells expressing CD56/Pax3, CD56Pax7, and/or Pax3/Pax7 are provided herein. In some instances, the method involves contacting a pluripotent stem cell in an in vitro culture with one compound, or with two or more compounds at the same time, wherein the contacting the pluripotent stem cell in the in vitro culture with one compound, or with two or more compounds at the same time, directly results in generation of cells expressing CD56/Pax3, CD56/Pax7, or Pax3/Pax7. Also provided are methods of using the generated cells. Typically one of the compounds is a wnt pathway activator, such as the GSK3 inhibitor CHIR99021.
