Continental Ballet Company

What Continental Ballet Company does

Continental Ballet Company is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional ballet company and training school founded in 1988 by Riet Velthuisen, a Dutch-trained dancer who performed with the Dutch National Ballet. The organization operates from the Bloomington Center for the Arts in Bloomington, Minnesota, presenting full-length classical repertoire including Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Coppelia, Cinderella, and Les Sylphides — all originally choreographed and staged by the Founder/Director. A parallel school, Continental Ballet School, delivers structured technique-based instruction from Pre-Ballet through advanced levels for students ages 3 to adult, with a documented pipeline that allows advanced students to perform with the professional company.

The business model blends earned revenue and contributed revenue across five streams: performance ticket sales through the OvationTix platform, recurring class tuition (including summer intensives priced $70-$610 per program), charitable donations via PayPal and DonateStock, ancillary merchandise (annual calendar at $25, dancewear resale fundraiser), and a recently launched Alumni Network membership at $10/month. Distribution combines direct online ticketing with channel partnerships, notably through Bloomington Community Education for adult classes and outdoor performances at Normandale Lake and Richfield bandshells. The company maintains a multi-channel marketing approach via Instagram, Constant Contact email, community events including the Bloomington Farmers Market, and word-of-mouth.

The organization serves four primary segments: youth ballet students (ages 3-18), adult and teen recreational dancers, pre-professional and professional dancers, and Twin Cities community audience members. It has no venture or equity funding, is supported by a diversified base of named foundation and corporate donors (City of Bloomington, Kitselman Foundation, Harlan Boss Foundation, Bloomington Community Foundation, among others), and has received John F. Kennedy Center for the Arts recognition for its choreography. Headcount sits in the 11-50 band.

Name

Continental Ballet Company

Legal name

Continental Ballet Company

Website

https://continentalballet.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Continental Ballet Company is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional ballet company and training school in Bloomington, MN, founded in 1988 by Dutch National Ballet alumna Riet Velthuisen. It serves Twin Cities youth students, adult recreational dancers, and community audiences through live classical performances and structured ballet instruction.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts

NAICS

Dance Companies (711120), Dance Companies (71112)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Classical Ballet (Full-Length & Repertoire) (MPAGADAA)

Keywords

• Classical ballet performances
• Ballet dance classes
• Dance education programs
• Nutcracker ballet production
• Nonprofit performing arts

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Performance Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from selling tickets to professional ballet performances at Schneider Theater and outdoor venues. Tickets sold through OvationTix online platform.
2. Dance Class Tuition: Revenue from ballet classes and summer dance programs including technique classes, pointe work, character dance, and pre-professional intensives. Structured as weekly or monthly tuition.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporate sponsors, and foundation grants. Includes online donations, stock gifts, corporate matching, calendar sales, dancewear fundraiser proceeds, and alumni network monthly contributions.
4. Calendar and Merchandise Sales: Sale of official Continental Ballet calendars featuring performance photography. Proceeds support student scholarships and dancer development.
5. Dancewear Fundraiser: Resale of gently-used dancewear, leotards, costumes, and skating attire. 100% of proceeds support the school and young dancers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Continental Ballet Company is a Bloomington, Minnesota-based nonprofit performing arts organization founded in 1988 that presents classical ballet productions, including an annual Nutcracker, and provides ballet and dance education to students from age 18 months through adults. Its core activities are live ballet performances and studio-based dance instruction.

Product overview

Continental Ballet Company operates as a professional classical ballet company paired with a classical training school, both based at Bloomington Center for the Arts in Minnesota. The core offering comprises professional live ballet performances (with full-evening productions like Swan Lake, Nutcracker, and Giselle) and comprehensive ballet instruction through Continental Ballet School. Seasonal programs include Summer Dance Programs with technique intensives and children's camps. The organization supports its mission through ancillary products including a dancewear resale fundraiser, annual calendar merchandise, and an alumni network membership program. All programming is choreographed and staged by Founder/Director Riet Velthuisen.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Continental Ballet School: The official school of Continental Ballet Company, providing classical ballet training and dance education.

Products and services

• Classical Ballet Performances
• Nutcracker Ballet Production
• Children's Ballet and Dance Classes
• Adult Ballet and Dance Classes Open studio ballet and dance classes offered to adult students of varying experience levels.

Quantifiable outcome

• Produced professional performances for over 35 years in the Twin Cities
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Angelica CantantiminorOthersListed as a friend/supporter organization, a local arts organization in the community.
• ArtistryminorOthersListed as a friend/supporter organization, local arts center in Bloomington.
• Bloomington Art CenterminorOthersListed as a friend/supporter organization, providing arts programming in Bloomington.
• Bloomington Fine Arts CouncilminorOthersListed as a friend/supporter organization, supporting fine arts in Bloomington.
• Bloomington Symphony OrchestraminorOthersListed as a friend/supporter organization, local symphony orchestra in Bloomington.
• Medalist Concert BandminorOthersListed as a friend/supporter organization, local concert band.
• Bloomington Community EducationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for Adult Ballet classes, offered through Bloomington Community Education Department registration system at Bloomington.ce.eleyo.com.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Minnesota Ballet: Regional professional ballet company based in Duluth, MN, presenting classical and contemporary works. Directly comparable as a Minnesota-based professional ballet company offering performances and educational programming of similar scale and repertoire.
• James Sewell Ballet: Twin Cities-based professional ballet company producing contemporary and classical works. Directly comparable as a Minnesota professional ballet company with a similar-sized roster and educational outreach programming.
• St. Paul Ballet: Saint Paul-based ballet organization offering professional performances and a structured school. Comparable as a Twin Cities metro ballet company/school pairing with a similar nonprofit operating model.
• Ballet Minnesota: Minnesota-based professional ballet company presenting classical repertoire and touring programs. Comparable as a regional professional ballet company operating a company-plus-school model with community outreach.

Emerging players

• Bakken Ballet: Minneapolis-based ballet organization presenting classical and neoclassical works with a smaller company roster. Comparable as a Minnesota ballet company operating at a similar or smaller scale, with overlapping audience and donor bases.

Broad incumbents

• School of American Ballet: Pre-eminent classical ballet training academy affiliated with New York City Ballet. Comparable as a classical ballet training school pipeline for professional dancers, though at much greater national prominence and scale.
• Pacific Northwest Ballet: Major regional professional ballet company in Seattle offering full-length classical repertoire and an affiliated school. Comparable as a professional ballet company with an integrated school, though operating at significantly greater scale and budget.
• National Ballet of Canada: Large national classical ballet company with full-length repertoire and training programs. Comparable as a classical ballet company with a school-to-stage pipeline, though at far greater scale and national prominence.

Others

• Bloomington Symphony Orchestra: Local performing arts organization in Bloomington, MN listed as a Continental Ballet 'friend/supporter.' Comparable as a same-geography performing arts nonprofit competing for overlapping audiences, donors, and civic funding.
• Artistry (Bloomington): Bloomington-based community arts center listed as a Continental Ballet 'friend/supporter.' Comparable as a same-geography performing arts organization competing for audience attention, donor dollars, and venue partnerships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/continental_ballet_company
• Xx.com/CBC_Ballet
• Facebookfacebook.com/1988CBC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/continental-ballet-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Continental Ballet Company