Gavin Larsen is a writer, teacher, and former professional ballet dancer. During her 18-year career, she performed with Pacific Northwest Ballet, as a soloist with Alberta Ballet and the Suzanne Farrell Ballet, and as a principal dancer with Oregon Ballet Theatre. Since retiring from the stage, Gavin has written for numerous dance and literary journals, including Pointe, Dance Teacher, Dance Spirit, From the Green Room, Oregon ArtsWatch, Dancing Times, Artslandia, Threepenny Review, Page and Spine, and The Maine Review. Her memoir, Being a Ballerina: The Power and Perfection of a Dancing Life, was published in 2021 by the University Press of Florida. She loves living, teaching and writing about dance from Asheville, NC.