JORMA ELO, Boston Ballet Resident Choreographer
Finnish-born Jorma Elo is one of the most sought-after choreographers in the United States and Europe. Elo, who was named Resident Choreographer of Boston Ballet in 2005, was singled out as a “talent to follow” by Anna Kisselgoff in her 2004 Year in Review for The New York Times. It was an astute observation. He has since created numerous works in the US and internationally, including Slice to Sharp for New York City Ballet, Glow-Stop and C. to C. (Close to Chuck) for American Ballet Theatre, Double Evil for San Francisco Ballet, Carmen for Boston Ballet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Vienna State Opera Ballet, Pur ti Miro for National Ballet of Canada, 10 to Hyper M for Royal Danish Ballet, and Offcore for Finnish National Ballet. His From All Sides debuted in 2007 for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, to a commissioned score from Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Mead Composer-in- Residence, Mark Anthony Turnage, and the piece was conducted by Maestro Esa-Pekka Salonen.
Elo trained with the Finnish National Ballet School and the Kirov Ballet School in Leningrad. Prior to joining Netherlands Dance Theater in 1990, he danced with Finnish National Ballet from 1978 through 1984 and Cullberg Ballet from 1984 to 1990.
For Boston Ballet, Elo has created six world premieres: Sharp Side of Dark (2002), Plan to B (2004), Carmen (2006), Brake the Eyes (2007), In On Blue (2008), and Le Sacre du Printemps (2009). Elo has received commissions from Netherlands Dance Theatre 1, Basel Ballet, Houston Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, Finnish National Ballet, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Stockholm 59° North, Alberta Ballet, Staatstheater Nurnberg, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet and Ballet X. He is also a skilled designer of costumes, lighting and video effects for his ballets.
The 2005 Helsinki International Ballet Competition awarded Elo a choreographic prize and he is the recipient of the Prince Charitable Trust Prize and the Choo-San Goh Choreographic Award in 2006. Dance Magazine (April, 2007) featured Elo on their cover with a corresponding article, Pointe Magazine named him a Dance VIP of 2006, and Esquire Magazine named him a “Master Artist” in 2008.
