The history of Marin Ballet reflects the steady growth of Marin’s arts culture, the blossoming of regional dance schools across the United States, and ever-demanding educational and extracurricular expectations facing today’s youth. Marin Ballet remains vibrant and dynamic across decades of change due to its main assets: enthusiastic students of all ages, dance professionals dedicated to a standard of excellence, families and volunteers who value the arts, and ownership of a state-of-the-arts training and performance facility. 

The Leona Norman School of Dance garnered community recognition in the 1950s and in 1963 was incorporated as the Marin Civic Ballet, a non-profit organization founded by Max and Phyllis Thelen.

Marin Ballet has pioneered educational outreach and community partnerships, serving specific areas such as Marin City and San Rafael’s Canal neighborhood, and custom-tailored dance programs for elementary and middle schools. A generous portion of its students study on scholarship, and hundreds of free Nutcracker tickets are given to underserved families.

The 2022/23 school year marks the 60th Anniversary of Marin Ballet. A solid foundation, enduring mission, and stellar track record propel the school into a bright future, ever dedicated to the joy of dance.

Marin Ballet

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