Larissa Kelloway
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Aristotle
Actor, Singer, and Singing Voice Researcher and Educator
I’m an actor, singer, singing voice researcher and educator, and a Pilates Practitioner. Each of these things are integrated into one in all hats that I wear in my professional life. Whether you see me on a stage in a production, come to hear my work presented at a conference or come to my private studio for voice lessons, you get an element of each of these parts of me in your experience. I am currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA.
Actor and Singer
I am a graduate of the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) from the internationally renowned Bachelor of Arts (Musical Theatre). I worked in the industry on and off till my first son was 2, and then took a break to focus on family and my busy Pilates studio. In 2007, I came back to the performing arts and have worked since then in theatre, cabaret, TV and advertising. In 2016, we relocated to the Bay Area, and I have worked in the local industry with companies including Center Repertory, The Mountain Play, Theatre Rhinoceros, Inferno Theatre, Marin Onstage, and cabaret work at Martuni’s and with Society Cabaret.
Upcoming Projects
“9 to 5: The Musical”, Lucky Penny Community Arts
“Convoy 31000”, Theatre Lunatico
Vocal Researcher & Educator
After years of hearing that singing teachers don’t recommend Pilates, and yet having so much personal success with that combination, my then voice teacher Dr Jean Callaghan encouraged me to undertake a PhD research project investigating Pilates and singing. I am currently enrolled at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia, and am in the write up phase. Alongside this research, I teach singing voice with a specific focus on the optimisation of the entire instrument, not just the vocal apparatus. I teach from my private studio in Berkeley, CA. Potential students are encouraged to reach out via “Contact Larissa” to find out more sessions. My research has been presented at conferences in Hobart, Australia and Stockholm, Sweden. My thesis is expected to be submitted in December 2019.
Movement Specialist
Prior to WAAPA, I completed a Bachelor of Science with Honours and majors in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Anatomy and Physiology from the University of Western Australia. After working in research for a couple of years investigating the genetic inheritance patterns of Retinitis Pigmentosa and Muscular Dystrophy, I gave up test tubes and headed off to acting school. As fate would have it, a nasty injury in my final year opened up a supplementary career pathway, and introduced me to Pilates movement therapy. Over the next 2 decades I worked between the worlds of injury rehabilitation and theatre. In 2011, I sold my Pilates studio, and moved entirely into voice research and acting. That being said, the PhD I am completing in singing voice research is underpinned by the Pilates methodology. Singing students benefit from the knowledge and experience across the two disciplines, and are empowered with the tools to build a sustainable career.