Ley Desborough was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  She attended Temple University Tyler School of Fine Arts in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, and completed her degree in Fine Arts at York University in Toronto, Ontario.

Ley studied modern dance at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York City.  She taught and performed with the Terez Nelson Modern Dance Company in Philadelphia.
 
After receiving a Canada Council Grant, Ley founded the Vortex Intermedia Company in Toronto, Ontario.

Ley continues to pursue her current interests in watercolour painting and, most recently, in writing poetry.

In 2022, Ley joined with friend and poet Cidalia Paiva to co-publish Conversations in Poetry, which features collections by Ley Desborough and Paiva.