Thunderbolt Display Connectivity

Just got a thunderbolt display. All my Macs were connected and tested without a problem, but my MacBook Pro from April 2010 appears to be incompatible with the thunderbolt cable.

I tied Apple support and geniuses at the Apple store to no avail.

Is there a way to circumvent this and use one of the connections in the back of the display with Apple adapters to connect to a DVI, VGA or HDMI cable? Sound may not work but I can always rely on an audio cable.

I am optimistic that there may be a way.

Thanks,