[0:00] - I've never had a boring life. [0:02] (zipper zips) I love costumes, you know, [0:04] it's a big part of it. [0:05] So my name is Riet Velthuisen Van Der Blij, [0:07] and I'm the Founder and Director [0:10] of the Continental Ballet Company, for 35 years. [0:13] (orchestral music) [0:15] I was born in Rijswijk, in Holland. [0:17] One of my friends took me to a studio. [0:20] Right away, I knew I was going to do that, I loved it. [0:23] I was going to take classes. [0:24] My dad was not happy, [0:26] because he thought it was going to cost my education, [0:29] but I did it anyway. [0:30] I went to Paris for some time for training by Madame Nora, [0:34] and it was scary. (laughs) [0:35] It was special, Paris, [0:37] and all those beautiful dancers and me, wow. [0:40] That is me when I did audition. [0:42] You had to have an audition picture. [0:43] My friend, Jeanne, [0:45] we decide to audition for Ballet Holland, [0:49] and we both got accepted, so it was exciting. [0:52] It was hard, because you don't have much money, [0:55] and the hardest part has to be on the bike, [0:57] because, you know, we didn't have a car, [0:59] and it's just something far away. [1:01] But you know, if you want to do something, you do it. [1:04] No, it was not romantic. (laughs) [1:06] My mom and sisters loved it, [1:08] especially later when I start performing. [1:11] And even my dad, when I performed, [1:13] he was very excited and proud. [1:16] I met my husband, [1:18] and he was a big director of a hotel. [1:22] And then the Holiday Inn, [1:24] from here, from the United States, [1:26] wanted him to open a Holiday Inn in Holland. [1:29] Then, they asked him to come to United States, [1:33] and we thought, "Oh, that's for a year." [1:35] and we went to Memphis. [1:36] Memphis Ballet, they invite me to be a ballet mistress, [1:40] and it was a fun job. [1:41] And now from Memphis out, [1:43] they sent him all over the world, [1:44] and I went with him, and I loved it, of course. [1:47] Then my son was born, so we moved to Minnesota. [1:50] People are so helpful here, [1:52] and that's what I found out with the company. [1:55] Like, if there's a lot of snow, neighbors help. [1:57] And I think that's what I love [1:59] from Minnesota and Bloomington [2:01] is that people are nice and helpful, [2:04] and I didn't experience that in other countries. [2:07] When I was dancing, [2:09] I didn't like really to go in soloist or the principal. [2:14] My interest was more in dancing, [2:16] and later on, I felt like making ballets. [2:20] When I hear music, I felt the steps and I felt the thing. [2:23] So that's why I learned to do the choreography. [2:26] For Cinderella, I got an award [2:28] because I made completely by myself, [2:31] and I got the music together from Rossini [2:34] instead of just taking the Prokofiev music, [2:38] and I got an award from Kennedy Center. [2:40] So that is pretty good. [2:42] Andre, my husband, decide [2:43] we open a studio on Nesbitt Avenue, [2:46] a big studio on Nesbitt. [2:47] I got so many dancers [2:50] because they loved the style, the way I was teaching. [2:52] So slowly, I started the company there, [2:55] and that was the beginning of this company. [2:59] - She was my teacher [3:00] from the very early stages of my training, [3:03] all the way until when I was 18. [3:05] - I have one director, she was very mean, [3:08] and so I learned, oh my gosh, never want to be mean, [3:11] because it scares you [3:13] and it doesn't help you with dancing [3:15] because it makes you more nervous. [3:17] - As her student, I always felt loved by her [3:19] and felt like she believed in me, [3:21] but I was motivated to work hard [3:24] because I cared about what she thought. [3:26] - Susan Anderson was the director [3:28] of all the art groups here, [3:30] and with her together we did fundraising for this building. [3:34] It was amazing because the architects didn't believe [3:37] why I have to have the ceiling high. [3:39] So I have to explain, [3:41] when there's a lift, you have to get it high. [3:44] We got it all worked out. [3:45] There is not a classic company [3:48] who brings all the classic pieces [3:50] like Swan Lake, the Sleeping Beauty. [3:52] Bloomington is so lucky to have the company, [3:54] not about me, but about the company. [3:56] We have professional, beautiful dancers, [3:59] and we do fantastic ballets. [4:02] - I think the fact that Bloomington has [4:04] such a high quality company and school [4:07] is a great sign of health [4:09] for the city of Bloomington and its residents, [4:11] but also for the surrounding areas. [4:12] - I'm lucky, because, like, my husband have support me, [4:16] my son still support me, [4:18] so I'm a lucky person that I could do what I want to do. [4:21] It was not so long ago he died, so I miss him still. [4:24] He loved the company, and he loved the dances, [4:26] and he loved what I did. [4:28] Yeah, I'm going to retire. [4:30] I don't know when, I just have to see. [4:31] I think this is something what I have to do in long run, [4:34] but not right now, [4:35] 'cause I'm still excited [4:36] about the new "Nutcracker." (laughs) [4:38] (orchestral music)