When Laurie Klein was a child, her parents enrolled their “rowdy little tomboy” in ballet lessons with Marin Ballet founder Leona Norman. It would change the direction of her life.

With time, the San Geronimo resident fell in love with the art form, and after being a member of the original Marin Civic Ballet and Norbert Vesak’s Western Dance Theatre, she got an opportunity from Norman to teach at her alma mater in her 20s.

She’s taught more than 1,000 students through Marin Ballet over the past five decades, making it her mission for everyone to find the joy in ballet and learn life lessons they’ll carry forward even if they don’t continue dancing.

Last year, in honor of her 50th year of teaching, Marin Ballet established the Laurie Klein Scholarship Fund to provide aid to Marin Ballet students.

Watch her students perform as part of Marin Ballet’s 60th anniversary performances at 2 and 5 p.m. March 26 at Marin School of the Arts in Novato. Get more information at marinballet.org/60th.

Q How did you start ballet?

A My parents were the first post-war generation that had a little bit of disposable income and started to look into activities for their children. Ballet was the new thing and they thought it would be good for me. I was not a good student for a long time and not a rewarding student to teach, but Leona persisted and look what happened. It gives me good rapport with students who don’t get ballet at first, like, “Let’s hang in there and see what we can make of this.” I was 5 years old starting out, so this school has really been my home and it really was the making of me. I was not cut out for a professional career, but teaching was what I was meant to do.

Q When did you fall in love with ballet?

A Your teen years are so difficult, you don’t know who you are. By then, ballet really gave me a center and something to cling to. It opened a whole world to me, and I will always be grateful that it turned out the way that it did. In fact, my husband saw me dancing and that’s how we met. A guy I knew was hired to produce a student production of “Brigadoon” in the summer and he said, “These kids need a dance captain, can you come and help?” It was one of the only musicals I have been in, and it was a blast. I danced, pretended to act and sort of sang but it was really a fun experience and my husband knew the stage manger, had come to see a show and asked the manager to meet me and that was that.

Q What did you take from your time with Leona Norman?

A She was very direct and personal with us and I try to emulate that in my teaching. Having four children of my own, I learned early on that any child you deal with could be your child — how would you like this experience to go for your child? I have kept scrapbooks of the cards, notes and photos that students and their parents have given me over the years. It’s the ultimate feel-good experience to look at this because you know you had the opportunity to really be a part of their lives. It’s been a real joy.

Q Did you ever think about teaching?

A No, it was serendipitous. I married young and started having my children early. I always thought after the children are older, I can do something in the medical field, like my family. But I was offered the opportunity to teach. I had taught a little bit as a student and as a scholarship student in Canada, but until you have your own classes and you start to develop who you are as a teacher, it’s not really the same.