Lelia Benshoof has been dancing since the age of 9 after being accepted in a performing arts elementary school in her hometown of Columbus,Ohio. Dance started to be used as a way to get through stressful moments in her life growing up. It was an outlet for stress and a way to solve problems. Like in the 80’s tv show Fame, at the end of a set of dancing, her problem was solved.

At the age of 12 she moved to Orange County California to live with her dad. She formed a dance group with friends she met at her local junior high school who also shared a passion for dance like her. She participated in the Disneyland Creativity Challenge while in the 8^th grade and audition for the 80’s lip sync show Puttin’ on the Hits. She attended Savanna High School in Anaheim, California her 9^th grade year and was on the high school dance team who was fortunate to have a coach that was an ex-laker girl.

She moved back to Columbus and her 11^th grade year was accepted to Fort Hayes Metropolitan Center – Pre Professional Dance Program. The program trains students to prepare for a dance career along with curriculum from injury prevention, dance history, dance interpretation, developing lesson plans. Under the direction of China White, retired ballerina with Dance Theatre of Harlem, she got extensive training in ballet as well as modern dance when collaborating with instructors that trained with the dance program at Ohio State University. While at Fort Hayes she got the opportunity to perform in numerous performances including her first paid job for promoting Calvin Klein’s Obsession.  All the while, this was a tool to get through a lot of family and personal problems that plagued her growing up. It was a passion.

After taking time off of dancing, her doctor instructed her to do something to relieve her stress because the mental stress she was enduring was taking a toll on her physical health.

She’s finally found herself. She’s settled in San Antonio and has found her calling in helping others through dance and working in the criminal justice field. She is a junior at UTSA while  gaining plenty of experience doing what she loves best.

She joined the Award Winning San Antonio Street Dance and Drum Company in 2003 where she became lead dancer and choreographer. She coordinated and choreographed many performances including the 2006 Fiesta Flambeau Parade, 2006 St. Patrick’s Day Performance at the Arneson Theater, San Antonio Aids Foundation Annual Webb Party , Annual Children’s Festival on the Riverwalk and the San Antonio College Book Fair. In addition, she has performed on Great Day SA along side with Cynthia Trinidad, former Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader and Director of the San Antonio Roses and many Halloween, Mardi Gras, and Holiday River barges. She travels periodically back to California to take classes in some of the hottest dance studios in the dance industry such as Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio, Millennium Dance Complex and The Edge Performing Arts Academy in Hollywood. She is the dance coordinator for Diversified Youth Services, a dance program for after school through out San Antonio and Austin that performs at parades and Spurs/Silver Stars pre-game shows.

She now brings to you The Funk Facktory Dance Project, a therapeutic dance program for those in need of DANCE THERAPY or more like Dance For the Needy! The Funk Facktory is what the name says- Funky and Hip. Classes and workshops for all levels in jazz funk, hip hop, funk cardio, hip hop cardio, dance expression, dance interpretation, and technique.