Continental Ballet Company
It is with great sadness that we pass on the news that John Munger has passed away. John has been a part of our Company for over 20 years dancing in the Nutcracker, Coppelia, Cinderella and many, many others. He was Dr. Coppelius in our recent production of Coppelia and that was one of his favorite roles.
John was very active in the Twin Cities dance community as a teacher and performer. He has touched the lives of hundreds of dancers and we were so fortunate to get to dance with him.
A celebration of John’s life is going to take place Tuesday, May 21, at 7:30 PM at the Patrick’s Cabaret in Minneapolis at 3010 Minnehaha Ave S.
SPRING CLASSES: Our Company is on break right now until September. However, we are continuing to offer classes for professional dancers on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at 10:00 AM.
PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITY: We just finished three school visits – two Peter & the Wolf and one Act 2 from Coppelia. A few of our dancers are rehearsing excerpts from La Bayadere in preparation for performing at our annual student recital.
NEW SEASON STARTS IN SEPTEMBER
The students are preparing for the annual Spring Recital which will be held on Thursday, June 20th at 7:00 pm at the Schneider Theater, in the Bloomington Center for the Arts. Each teacher will choreograph a short dance that will demonstrate what the students have accomplished during the season. The Dress Rehearsal will take place Wednesday, June 19th.
There will be one more Parent Observation Week from Monday, May 6th through Saturday, May 11th. This will be an opportunity for families to observe what the students have been working on, before the performance. Recital tickets will be available starting May 1st at $8 per person.
Continental Ballet Company is celebrating its 25th Anniversary season with two productions this weekend and next. We invite the public to join us in this celebration by attending our Saturday evening and/or Sunday matinee performances. Former cast members are especially invited to attend opening night on March 16th. We will have a reception after the performance with an opportunity to meet with our Founder/Director Riet Velthuisen as well as all of the dancers.
Saturday evenings will feature our newest production, Giselle. This romantic classical ballet is told in two acts. It is a new production for our Company and we are very excited to offer it on this 25th anniversary.
Sunday afternoons will feature the ballet Coppelia. This was the first full-length ballet that Continental Ballet Company performed so it is very fitting to offer it again on our 25th anniversary. Coppelia is about a magical doll-maker and features beautiful classical ballet and lots of humor. It is a delight for children and adults.
Tickets are available on our ticket page, in person or by calling 952-563-8562. Visit our facebook page where we will be posting some sneak peak photos. Please join us in this celebration!
Start the new year with a beautiful new calendar featuring dancers from Continental Ballet Company. As a promotion, the dancers were photographed at landmarks throughout Bloomingont. These photos have now been assembled into an elegant calendar featuring one of our dancers. We have even included a group photo of the entire cast from our fall tour of Coppelia.
There are a limited number available ~ only $10 ~ Call our registration office 952-563-8562
Sunday, December 9 at 2:00 PM
If you are coming to the Nutcracker Ballet on December 9th at 3:00 PM, consider purchasing tickets to our Nutcracker Tea which is just prior to the performance. Enjoy tea and light refreshments while you meet cast members in full costume. It is a festive way to celebrate this holiday tradition. Tickets are just $5 for the Nutcracker Tea.
Volunteer ushers are an important part of our Nutcracker season. If you are interested in supporting the ballet through our usher program, please contact us as soon as possible. We are in need of ushers for this coming weekend on Saturday and Sunday.
Please call Alicia at 952-563-8562
Yuki Tokuda and Casey Juul in Coppelia
The Company is busy rehearsing for upcoming performances of the ballet Coppelia. The Company will perform in Alexandria on November 3 and in Maplewood on November 17 and 18.
Coppelia is a light-hearted, comical ballet that focuses on the story of two young lovers (Swanhilda and Franz) and a magical doll-maker, Dr. Coppelius. The ballet mixes razor-sharp story-mime with bravura classical dance. “Coppelia” was developed in 1870 and set to the beautiful music by Leo Delibes.
This ballet is not based on a fairy tale or royalty but was set on ordinary people at the time of its creation. In an effort to reflect the common people, the original choreographer Arthur St Leon, included a folk dance in the ballet. He was the first one to do that. When Swanhilda is upset about Franz’s interest in Coppelia, she trusts and ear of wheat to tell her whether or not Franz still loves her.
The wheat is used in a game of “he loves me – he loves me not” and suggests that Franz is in love with another. Franz is angry and storms off in protest. Swanhilda is pleased to see this display of affection from Franz and leads her friends into a joyous folk dance.
Continental Ballet Company presents this full-length ballet with a cast of professional dancers, beautiful backdrops, sets and costumes. Riet Velthuisen has staged this ballet using her own originally choreography.
Coppelia is full of youthful characters and playful behavior. The ballet is beautiful, comical and very entertaining.
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Open House from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm on Saturday, August 25th
Join us at the Bloomington Center for the Arts for an open house/class registration. Meet our instructors and register for fall classes. Classes start Tuesday, September 4th.
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Thank you!Accessibility Information
All of our ballet performances provide accessibility options for those who need it. When purchasing tickets, please let us know that you'll require a wheelchair accessible location. Our ushers at the performance can also provide assisted listening devices.
