Linda Leven

Linda was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to a prominent lawyer and lived in the suburbs of the city, leading a rather typical, upper middle class life style until her move to New York City at the age of eighteen. At the age of five, encouraged by her mother, Linda began studying tap, ballet, and acrobatics at a local neighborhood school. But it was the ballet which became the driving force of her life for the next twenty-five years, consuming all of the hours that she did not spend in studying to maintain her almost straight "A" average through high school, college and graduate school. After arriving in New York City, Linda pursued both her ballet studies and the completion of her B.A. degree in mathematics at New York University, followed by an M.A. degree in mathematics, also at New York University. During this period, her time was divided between university classes, ballet classes, and auditions for major national and international ballet companies At age twenty-one, although an excellent and talented dancer, Linda, after several years of auditioning for ballet companies with little or no success and with pressure from her family to choose a career related to her university studies, gave up her lifelong dream of becoming a ballet dancer and began a career with the IBM Corporation in computer software development. Linda, nevertheless, continued taking classes every day until the age of thirty, when, severely injured, she was forced to give up the ballet completely. Her career with IBM -- over twenty years -- both rewarding and challenging, brought her the financial security to actively continue her lifelong, varied interests in the arts. Linda lives in New York City, is active in the equities markets, and is an aspiring writer, having written and published her first novel, The Impassioned Escapades of Caroline W. Another book is being planned. . Linda also works professionally with her partner, Lance Lee, as a model and graphics artist for his photography. Their collaboration has produced a prodigious body of work which has been displayed on the Internet, Libido Magazine, the Salmagundi Gallery (NYC) and the Photo District Gallery (NYC). She is also a model for the nationally acclaimed photographer, Tanyth Berkeley. A photo for which she modeled with Berkeley was bought by the famous London art collector, Charles Saatchi, for his permanent collection. Linda has also modeled for British photographer, Annie Collinge, who exhibits her work throughout Europe. Linda is also pursuing acting as an avocation and has acted in minor roles in numerous university and independent films. In 2004, Linda was listed in the Marquis 2004 edition of Who's who in America for outstanding lifetime achievement.