Larissa McGoldrick was born in Los Angeles and raised in Tucson, Arizona where she studied ballet from a young age. She attended the University of Arizona and received her bachelor’s degree in Oriental Studies. She moved to NYC in 1986 and danced for the Merce Cunningham Dance Company from 1987-1993. She is now a licensed acupuncturist specialising in women’s health and pain management and also a Senior Iyengar Yoga teacher. She lives with her husband (a math professor) and two sons near London.