Company News

Male Dancers

2011-04-19T14:06:00.000-07:00

As we look ahead to our 2011-2012 season, Continental Ballet Company is looking for male dancers to join our company. We have two paid positions available and several apprentice positions open. As an apprentice you would gain performing experience and receive free training. If interested, please contact us or send a DVD link. Our performance season starts in September 2011 and runs through March 2012.

Peter and the Wolf

2011-04-19T13:38:00.000-07:00

Continental Ballet Company received a Learning Grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council that will allow us to bring a dance residency to area schools. The four day residency culminates with a performance by our professional dancers of the ballet Peter and the Wolf. Our wonderful costumer, Claire, is busy working on costumes and set designer Robin has a beautiful set planned. Local students are in for a wonderful look at the art of classical ballet!

Valentine Success!

2011-02-21T14:29:00.000-08:00

Our special performance for our benefactors was a great success. Founder/Director Riet Velthuisen put together an eclectic program of beauty and skill. The dancers did a superb job and at the reception afterward, our patrons expressed their delight with the program.

Once again, thank you for your support!

Valentine Gift for our Benefactors

2011-02-09T06:36:00.000-08:00

Please call to RSVP and attend this special performance/reception for those of you who have contributed to the ballet. And for those who haven't, there is still time to make a donation and be invited to this exclusive event. Its our valentine gift to our benefactors! We want to show our appreciation and gratitude. The dancers have been working hard to rehearse for this exclusive performance. They will use their dancing to say thank you. It is going to be a fantastic event!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-09T16:55:00.000-08:00

~ Happy New Year!! ~

End of Year Tax Deductable Donation

2010-12-29T07:20:00.000-08:00

Blizzard Benefaction for the Ballet
As we are nearing the end of 2010, we respectfully ask you to consider making a year-end contribution to the Continental Ballet Company. We lost a major source of revenue on December 11^th when the winter blizzard hit. The blizzard affected many businesses but it was especially hard on non-profit organizations.

We had both a 3:00 PM and 7:30 PM performance on December 11^th. The evening performance was not sold out, so we were anticipating selling tickets at the door. This expected revenue is in our budget to cover dancers and stage crew wages. Now we are at a loss of several thousand dollars.

If you have the means to make a tax deductable donation, we will greatly appreciate your assistance in helping us to offset our budget loss due to the blizzard.

With grateful appreciation,

Continental Ballet Company

http://continentalballet.com/Donations.htm

Nutcracker - Last Chance!

2010-12-07T11:53:00.000-08:00

This weekend is your last opportunity to see Continental Ballet Company's 2010 Nutcracker Ballet at the Bloomington Center for the Arts. Performances are Friday, December 10 at 7:30 pm, Saturday, December 11 at 7:30 pm; and Sunday, December 12 at 3:00 pm. For tickets call 952-563-8562

Nutcracker Rehearsals

2010-11-30T13:03:00.000-08:00

Gina, from The Bloomington Crow visited and filmed a portion of our dress rehearsal. Visit their web site for a sneak peak at our upcoming performance.

http://www.gotothecrow.com/

Nutcracker 2010

2010-11-27T17:49:00.000-08:00

After a successful fall season with four performances of Sleeping Beauty, Continental Ballet Company is now preparing for the upcoming Nutcracker Ballet. This holiday classic is always a family favorite. Don't miss our Bloomington performances - the Company brings this production on tour after December 12th.

Performances at the Bloomington Center for the Arts are the weekends of December 3 and December 10. Friday and Saturday evenings are at 7:30 pm and Sundays are at 3:00 pm. To order tickets, please call us at 952-563-8562 or visit our web site at http://www.continentalballet.com/

Sleeping Beauty Preparations

2010-10-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

Continental Ballet Company's Wardrobe Manager, Claire Roden is working on our costumes to make repairs, adjustments and prepare them for the fall performances. Company member MacKenzie Martin is pictured getting fitted in one of the fairy costumes.

Don't miss these performances: November 14 in Elk River, November 19, 20 and 21 in Maplewood. For tickets to Elk River call 763-441-4725. For tickets to Maplewood call 651-249-2230

Sleeping Beauty on Tour

2010-09-22T07:31:00.000-07:00

The Company is currently rehearsing for their upcoming tour of the ballet Sleeping Beauty. This ballet will be performed in Elk River on November 14 and in Maplewood the weekend of November 19. Please check our performance page for more information on these performances.

Continental Ballet Company welcomes two new dancers for this production. They are Melanie Baniqued and Luke Tucker. The Company has rehearsals Monday through Saturday at the Bloomington Center for the Arts. Tuesday through Saturday Company class is offered at 10:00 am. If you live near Elk River or Maplewood, be sure to check out our performances this fall.

FUND-RAISING EVENT!

2010-07-30T16:34:00.000-07:00

ANNUAL ANTIQUES SHOW & SALE TO BENEFIT THE ARTS

Please join us at the Bloomington Armory on Saturday, September 18 from 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday, September 19 from 11 am to 4 pm for this annual fundraising event.   Admission is only $4.50 and a ticket will allow you to attend both days. Over 30 high quality dealers will be showing and selling their merchandise to benefit the arts.

The Bloomington Armory is at 3300 West 98th Street (between Penn and France Avenues). Parking is free, food will be available for purchase, and you will be able to meet members of Continental Ballet Company.

Your attendance at this event will directly benefit the Continental Ballet Company and arts education.    Please come and share this information with friends and family!

Continental Ballet Video

2010-05-21T14:44:00.000-07:00

Not new, but definitely worth checking out if you haven't already...

Continental Ballet's promotional video on You Tube.

Audition Notice

2010-04-24T08:44:00.000-07:00

Auditions for dancers to join us for our 2010-2011 season will be held May 15 at 10:00 AM at the Bloomington Center for the Arts. We are looking for both male and female dancers. Positions open include paid, apprentice, and avocational dancers. There is no audition fee but we ask that you let us know you plan on attending either by email of phone.

email: gspooner@continentalballet.com

phone: 952-563-8561

Preparing for New Season

2010-04-16T20:06:00.000-07:00

Continental Ballet Company's professional dancers are on break for the summer and will return in September to prepare for our new season. While many of our dancers will be returning, we do have a couple of openings and will also welcome two apprentices this season.

An audition date will be scheduled within the next several weeks and we are asking ALL dancers interested in the coming season to attend the audition. The audition date will be posted here and if we have your email address, we will also send it directly to you.

Also remember that Continental Ballet Company has summer classes for both students and professional dancers.

Ballet Bouquet

2010-03-24T07:18:00.000-07:00

Ballet Bouquet is our spring production - a beautiful assortment of dances from the classical repertoire. The program features the premiere of Les Sylphides as well as excerpts from Paquita, Swan Lake, Le Corsaire and Rodeo.

Performances are Saturday, March 27 at 7:30 PM and Sunday, March 28 at 3:00 PM

To order tickets call 952-563-8562

Visit us on Facebook for some preview photographs of this production

Taste of Chocolate

2010-02-02T18:37:00.001-08:00

Tickets are now on sale for our annual Taste of Chocolate event. This is a joint fundraiser with all members of the Bloomington Fine Arts Council. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.

March 14, 2010 from 1:00 to 5:00 pm at the Bloomington Center for the Arts

There will be performances by the member arts organizations, a silent auction and of course chocolate to taste! In addition, we are selling raffle tickets for a riding lawn mower donated by the Toro Company. Please call 952-563-8562 to order your $2 raffle tickets - all proceeds go directly to Continental Ballet Company.

http://tasteofchocolate.org/

Happy New Year!

2009-12-29T12:15:00.000-08:00

The Company is on a well-deserved break until January. Kudos to our wonderful dancers. The Nutcracker season - 13 performances! - was fantastic. In January the Company will begin rehearsals for the spring show which will feature highlights from the classical repertoire. Further details will be posted as we get closer to the the date.

Nutcracker Ballet

2009-12-08T15:50:00.000-08:00

Continental Ballet Company will be performing the Nutcracker Ballet this weekend on tour. Saturday, December 12 we will be in Cambridge and Sunday, December 13 we will be in Elk River.

We are delighted to bring this timeless holiday classic to these northern communities. For tickets information contact the following:

Cambridge~ Box Office 763-689-6189
December 12 3:00 PM
Elk River~ Box Office 763-441-4725
December 13 3:00 PM

Volunteer Ushers

2009-11-24T15:31:00.000-08:00

Volunteer ushers are needed to assist us in our performances at the Bloomington Center for the Arts. If you are interested and available, please call Jenny at 952-563-8561. We are especially in need for ushers this Sunday, November 29th. Thank you!

Nutcracker Ballet

2009-11-24T15:26:00.000-08:00

Continental Ballet Company will be presenting their 21st annual Nutcracker Ballet beginning November 29th at 3:00 pm. Performances will be at the Bloomington Center for the Arts in the Schneider Theater on the following dates:
November 29 3:00 pm
December 3 6:30 pm SOLD OUT
December 4 7:30 pm SOLD OUT
December 5 3:00 pm SOLD OUT
December 5 7:30 pm
December 6 3:00 pm

For tickets call 952-563-8562. This office can also give you information on our school day performances and our performances on tour to Cambridge, Elk River and Red Wing.

Barnes and Noble Fundraiser

2009-11-10T13:53:00.000-08:00

Saturday November 14th, 2009
11:00am-5:00pm
Barnes & Noble in Mall of America

A portion of your purchase from Barnes & Noble on November 14th will be donated to Continental Ballet Company. Please stop by the office to pick up a coupon or get one from one of our professional dancers, who will be donning costumes from The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty.

Please spread the word!

Students participating in The Nutcracker are not required to be present. Of course, students and their families are encouraged to come out and shop to show support for CBC.

Nutcracker Participation & Schedule

2009-11-10T13:45:00.000-08:00

Hi-
Several of you have already picked up the new schedule for Nutcracker. Please disregard the dates in the booklet of information about the Nutcracker as those are no longer current. Here are the correct dates, times and locations:

Thurs. Nov 12 8:00-8:30 in the Studio
Sat. Nov 14 1:30-3:00 in the Rehearsal Hall
Sun. Nov 15 1:00-3:00 Run through
Mon. Nov 16 4:00-4:30 in the Studio
Thurs. Nov 19 8:00-8:30 in the Studio
Sat. Nov 21 10:00-noon in the Studio
Mon. Nov 23 4:00-4:30 in the Studio

Dress Rehearsal and Performances will be announced.

Barnes & Noble Book Fair

2009-11-01T17:39:00.000-08:00

Continental Ballet Company will be hosting a book fair on Saturday, November 14th at the Barnes & Noble in the Mall of America. Continental Ballet Company dancers will be wearing costumes from several of our productions and have information on our upcoming programs. We will be in the store from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. To make this a successful fundraiser, print out one of the Barnes & Noble vouchers from our web site or simply tell the cashier you want your purchase to benefit Continental Ballet Company. A percentage of sales on November 14th will be donated to Continental Ballet Company if you mention us or present a voucher.

Please consider doing a little early holiday shopping or indulge yourself with a new book or planner. We appreciate your support!

Cinderella on Tour

2009-10-25T13:27:00.000-07:00

Continental Ballet Company is taking their original production of Cinderella on tour in November. The first stop will be in Alexandria Minnesota on November 7th. The Company will be taking a charter bus to this northern Minnesota city and bringing the full-scale production of Cinderella to the theater on Broadway. If you are in the area, tickets can be purchased by calling the Alexandria Area Arts Association at 320-762-8300.

Our next stop will be in Maplewood at the Maplewood Performing Arts Theater. The Continental Ballet Company will perform the weekend of November 20, with performances Friday and Saturday evening and a Sunday matinee. For tickets to these performances please call 651-249-2230.

These tours allow us to reach new audiences and to bring the art of classical ballet to communities throughout the state. Please support these performances if you live in the area. Thank you!

New Season Begins!

2009-09-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

On September 8th our 2009-2010 performance season begins. The first Company class will be Tuesday at 10:00 am followed by rehearsal. The Company is excited to welcome five new dancers as well as our returning dancers. Our first performances will be Cinderella on tour to theaters in Maplewood and Alexandria.

Be sure to check our our first fundraising event ~ the 21st Annual Bloomington Armory Antiques Show & Sale. This will be held on September 26 and September 27 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. The admission cost is only $4.00. Refreshments are available on site and there are drawings throughout the day for door prizes. Come do a little shopping and support the ballet!

New Board Members Welcome

2009-08-12T16:56:00.000-07:00

We invite you to consider serving on our Board of Directors. We are particularly looking for volunteers with an accounting and/or marketing background. Board meetings are held at the Bloomington Center for the Arts on a monthly basis. If you are interested in promoting Continental Ballet Company and supporting our efforts in the arts, email us and we will send you a Board Member application.

Continental Ballet Company's mission is to promote the integrity of classical ballet while bringing ballet into the community. This is accomplished through public performances, educational programs and studio classes. Every effort is made to make the art of ballet accessible to a greater audience and to share knowledge and passion for the art of classical ballet.

Welcome!

2009-06-05T16:03:00.001-07:00

We have two blogs now! One for Company news, one for Studio news.

To access Studio News, click on the "about me" link or our logo. This should direct you to a page from which you can click on "Studio News" or "Company News." Those links will take you to where you want to go!