Anita hails from a very artistic German-Italian family of 5 children, growing up in Brasil, in a home where parties, soirées, and artists’ gatherings were constant events. Mom, Laura Cavalheiro, was originally a lawyer but developed a very successful career as cultural producer, grant writer, and theatre-union do-all. Dad, Andre Petry, is an accomplished journalist, columnist, and funny-guy really. Anita stepped on the stage for the first time at age 12, as a very young modern dancer, but the theatre became an absolute passion shortly after that. At age 14, workshops and acting classes populated life and took over all of her time, consistently, from high school on. During her college experience (split between Brasil and the US), she worked professionally in both theatre and TV, and developed interest in dance-theatre, theatre of the absurd, clowning, and circus aerial acrobatics. Besides acting, Anita is in love with her Dubliner husband, with foreign languages, anthropology, yoga, cooking, and all beautiful music and poetry.