Born in Los Angeles, California, Roberta Laune decided she wanted to dance with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo at the age of eight when she first saw them perform. At twelve, after recovering from a life-threatening illness, she continued her studies with Theodore Kosloff, Maria Baldina, and Bronislava Nijinska. In 1949, Mme. Nijinska invited Sergei Denham and Alexandra Danilova to her studio to see Roberta dance. Subsequently she auditioned for Frederic Franklin, who invited her to join the Ballet Russe, thus fulfilling her childhood dreams. During the next three years, she graduated from corps de ballet to a demi-soloist in many ballets, including Coppelia, Swan Lake, Scheherazade, Paquita, and Raymonda. She worked on the Jimmy Durante Show as well as with the Louis Dance Trio. She danced in Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas. She then worked as a television editor at ABC televsion.