ABOUT OUR FOUNDER
Zelinda Rae Benjamin
Zelinda Rae Benjamin, dancer/ teacher/ choreographer/director/ and fitness instructor, has been dancing since the age of 3. She has spent the last few years traveling, teaching, training, mentoring and performing both nationally and internationally. Pursuing her passion for dance, she graduated Magna Cum Laude from The University of Houston, earning her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Dance, an Associate in Arts, a Teacher’s Certificate (in Dance, K-12), and gained part lead of Leap n’ Learn Early Childhood Dance Program. While attending college, Zelinda began “Dance Destinations,” a mobile dance company providing dance education programs for private schools, gyms, community centers etc. With the rapid growth of ‘Dance Destinations,’ she began offering more extensive dance services such as dance performances, entertainment, themed birthday parties, private and group dance lessons for weddings and events. Zelinda’s choreography became well known and highly sought after for young girls and boys in quinceaneras, bar/bat mitzvahs and sweet 16’s. Her choreography has made the stage in various Musicals such as: Annie, Guys and Dolls, School House Rock Jr., and Beauty & the Beast, at the JCC of Houston, where she served as the Artistic Theatre Director, Dance Coordinator and Resident Choreographer for 5 years. Her choreography was also featured in The Musical, “Working,” and “Dances of We,” at St. Agnes High School Academy in Houston, TX, where she taught “Dance” as a Fine Arts credit. Subsequently, she accepted a position as ‘Dance Director,’ of Westwood Dance Academy, in Katy, TX. Nearly tripling the enrollment, Zelinda poured her heart and soul into this position for 3+ years, before choosing to leave Houston to dance abroad. Professionally, Zelinda has danced with Chrysalis Dance Company, DancePath Theater, FrenetiCore Dance Theatre, Psophonia Dance Company, Urban Indian Beat, VIBRA Dance Co., 2nd Generation Dance Co., and Karen Stokes Dance. In 2016, Zelinda danced and performed abroad with Tuscan Dance Troupe, La Bella Vita Arts in Tuscany, Italy. In April 2018, she enjoyed the privilege of teaching dance to over 200+ children in Africa as she embarked on a mission trip to Kenya. Zelinda’s career highlights also include performing as a dancer on the ‘Telemundo Network,’ in Miami, FL, as well as a dancer in a Fire Performer's act on ABC’s, ‘America’s Got Talent,’ in Los Angeles, CA. She was also ‘the featured dancer’ in a music video of a new single release of famous Tejano Group, “La Mafia.” Zelinda has been offered various roles in acting, promo-modeling/ photography, animation, voiceovers and broadcasting. Although Zelinda’s training is dominantly in Classical Ballet, Jazz, Tap Modern Dance, she has also acquired extensive training in International and American Ballroom Dance from Arthur Murray Dance Studios in Las Vegas, NV, most extensively from her coach/partner, and with Fred Astaire Ballroom Dance Studios, in Houston, TX and Chicago, IL. In 2013,, Zelinda was selected as the ‘lead female ballroom dance instructor,’ at one of the nation’s most reputable studios, Fred Astaire Ballroom Dance Studios in Chicago, IL. (South Barrington/Hoffman Estates). She currently enjoys teaching ‘Social Ballroom Dance’ to couples, large groups, and for parties and events. In addition, Zelinda has a strong belief that Health/Fitness/Mind/body and Breathwork play a vital essential role to her physical training and maintenance as a dancer. Since 2009, Zelinda has acquired several Mind/Body and Fitness certifications including: Ballet Body Barre Fusion, Bender Barre, Life Barre, Warrior Fusion, Warrior Sculpt, Fitness Pilates, Yogalates (Yoga and Pilates), Zumba Fitness (Basics I and II), Zumba Kids, and Kids Yoga. Zelinda has taught at Lifetime Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness, Awakened Yoga, Embody Fitness, Dynamic Fitness, Sweetwater Country Club, Houston Country Club, Gold’s Gym and the JCC of Houston’s Fitness Center to name a few. Zelinda is the founder and CEO of Inner Echoes Inc., promoting health, wellness, self-fulfillment, renewal of mind, body, spirit through powerful breathing exercises, meditation and ever evolving movement exploration. Inner Echoes offers onsite classes, virtual classes and lesson packages. In early 2016, Zelinda began teaching “Inner Echoes breathing exercises” at business seminars in Houston and Austin TX. Receiving an enormous amount of positive feedback from attendees and staff members as she was asked to join Profit Gold Group for future business seminars. In August of 2016, she was invited to a business convention in Frankfurt, Germany, where she eagerly volunteered her services to introduce “Inner Echoes Breathing Exercises.” Participants in Germany alike, were amazed with the fast results. Zelinda enjoys sharing these stress-relieving breathing tools with her students as loves to witness the positive transformation in their lives and in her own life, health, and well-being. This inspired the launch of her new patent “Inner Echoes 30-day Transformational Package,” and “Inner Echoes Virtual Online Classes.” Students can now virtually tune-in from across the globe to find Zelinda, as she continues to inspire, motivate, and transform lives one movement and breath at a time. Inner Echoes allows Zelinda to now offer her services and classes on a larger scale, directly, globally, and all from the comfort of her home studio. She is beyond grateful to continue to share God’s GRAND gift of Dance with as many people as she can, especially when it comes to teaching and mentoring aspiring young dancers. Zelinda’s latest focus is a new dance team she created, leads, directs, and personally named, “Unbound Dance Team (UDT),” at Shoreline Church in Austin, TX. Zelinda is beyond grateful that God would choose her to share 'HIS GLORIOUS GIFT of DANCE,' with so many others. She never loses her enthusiasm, drive, ambition, strong will, and her undying commitment to her craft. She takes pride in being a lifelong student and teacher, maintaining her active involvement in ‘the dance world,’ both professionally, communally, socially, and personally. greatest joy is witnessing her students transform move by move, breath by breath. As long as God continues to giver her HIS "GO," she will NEVER say "NO!" Therefore, Zelinda keeps her faith in GOD first as 'DANCE' will remain at the forefront of her life and her career.