Jorma Elo

Biography

Was born in Finland and 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 with Cullberg Ballet from 1984 through 1990. Throughout his career as a dancer Elo worked closely with numerous master choreographers, notably Jiří Kylián, Hans van Manen, Mats Ek, Ohad Naharin, William Forsythe and Paul Lightfoot. These influences led Elo to a choreographic career of his own.

Elo has choreographed for Basel Ballet, Ballet Debrezen (Hungary), Alberta Ballet (Blank Snow and L’Apres Midi d’un Faune/Spectre de la Rose, Norwegian National Ballet (Cut to Drive), Finnish National Ballet (Happy is Happy, Twisted Shadow, Two Fast, Offcore), Stockholm 59° North (in my DREAM team), and Netherlands Dance Theatre 1 (1st Flash and Plan to A). For Boston Ballet, Elo has created three world premieres: Sharp Side of Dark (2002), Plan to B (2004) and Carmen (2006). He is also a skilled designer of costumes, lighting and video effects for his ballets.

Elo was appointed resident choreographer of Boston Ballet in 2005, where he has created many world premieres: Sharp Side of Dark (2002), Plan to B (2004), Carmen/Carmen Illusions (2006 & 2009), Brake the Eyes (2007) In on Blue (2008), Sacre du Printemps (2009), and Sharper Side of Dark (2012). Boston Ballet premiered a full length performance titled Elo Experience, in 2011. Elo’s 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, conducted by Maestro Esa-Pekka Salonen. Vienna State Opera Ballet premiered his full length A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 2010.

Was awarded the prestigious Benois de la Danse prize for best choreography in 2010, for his production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, commissioned by Vienna State Opera Ballet and Slice to Sharp, a new version of the ballet created for the Stanislavsky Music Theatre. The Finnish Government awarded Elo with the 2012 Dance Artist Prize. The 2005 Helsinki International Ballet Competition awarded Elo their Choreographic Prize and he was the recipient of the Prince Charitable Trust Prize and the Choo-San Goh Choreographic Award in 2006. One/end/one, created for Houston Ballet in 2011, was supported by the first-ever Rudolf Nureyev Prize for New Dance. He was nominated for a 2008 Isadora Duncan Dance Award. Elo has been featured in Esquire, Dance and Pointe Magazines.