My name is Melinda Becker, although I prefer to be called Mindi. I am originally from Pennsylvania, where I graduated from Penn State University in the Fall of 2004 with a degree in Elementary and Kindergarten Education.
I have been involved in dance from the time I could walk. I am trained in ballet (soft and pointe shoe), tap, jazz, modern, hip hop, lyrical, and some latin. In college, I taught advanced levels of jazz/hip hop to middle/high school aged girls. I was also apart of the PSU Whiplash Dance Team. We were a performance based dance group comprised of 40 girls trained in all different areas of dance. We were known for our hip hop routines and our showmanship.
Once I graduated college, I moved down to Southern Maryland for 2 years. While there, I taught 4th and 5th grade at Dr. James Craik Elementary. In Southern Maryland is also where I was first exposed to Zumba at the gym I belonged to. Being a dancer with no where to dance I was immediately hooked to the program and quickly became close friends with the instructor. It was she who encouraged me to get certified in Zumba. So, within 3 months of participating in the program, I was getting certified.
I have been teaching Zumba since 2006 and I have loved every single minute of it. I am very excited to bring Zumba to the Studio Edge family.
I moved into the Baltimore area in 2007. I am currently a 5th grade teacher in the Baltimore County Public School System and the Lead Teacher at Sylvan Learning Center in Pikesville.