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BOSTON BALLET RE-SIGNS JORMA
ELO AS RESIDENT CHOREOGRAPHER
ELO’S CONTRACT EXTENDED
THROUGH AUGUST 2014
BOSTON, MA – June 6, 2008 – Boston
Ballet Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen announced today that Boston
Ballet will re-sign its contract with its highly-sought-after
resident choreographer Jorma Elo. Elo will remain with the Company
in his current role through August 2014. Elo has served as Boston
Ballet’s resident choreographer since September 2004, and his
current contract was set to expire in August 2009. Under the
extension, Elo will create at least three new works over the
five-year period between 2009 and 2014. Additionally, he will work
with Boston Ballet II and Boston Ballet School. While Elo’s
work is in high demand across the globe and he is frequently
commissioned by the world’s elite dance companies, his
position as resident choreographer is exclusive to Boston
Ballet.
“Jorma Elo is creating some of the most
exciting, innovative, contemporary ballet and we feel very
fortunate to have him as part of our company since 2004,”
said Nissinen. “Not only do I believe it is important to
foster the future growth of the art form, but it is an important
educational and professional experience for our dancers to work
closely with new choreographers and create new works.”
Elo recently premiered “In on Blue” as a
part of Boston Ballet’s Next Generation program this past
March. Elo’s first piece commissioned by Boston Ballet was
“Sharp Side of Dark” in 2002, which was followed by the
blockbuster hit “Plan to B.” in 2004. Elo created a new
“Carmen” for the company in 2006. “Brake the
Eyes” was commissioned in 2006 and premiered at Boston Ballet
in 2007 to audience and critical acclaim. “Brake The
Eyes” was called “the prize/surprise of the
evening” by Iris Fanger in Dance Magazine. The piece was
later performed in fall 2007 as a part of the New York City Fall
for Dance Festival. Additionally, Elo premiered his first work for
San Francisco Ballet, “Double Evil,” as part of San
Francisco Ballet’s 75th Anniversary season New Works
Festival.
Last weekend, the company performed Elo’s
“Brake The Eyes” as well as excerpts from
Nissinen’s production of “Swan Lake” and Twyla
Tharp’s “In The Upper Room” as part of the
acclaimed Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina.
Critic Eliza Ingle wrote in the The Post and Courier that,
“...Boston Ballet proved it was capable of doing everything
very well…” and “…the company was radiant
in its execution…”
Boston Ballet will perform Elo’s “Brake
The Eyes” as part of the Ballet Across America series at The
Kennedy Center in Washington, DC on June 13 and 15.
Elo 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. In addition to his work with Boston
Ballet, Elo has created new works for New York City Ballet,
American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet,
Finnish National Ballet, Royal Ballet of Flanders and Hubbard
Street Dance Chicago. In 2005, he received the choreographic prize
at the 2005 Helsinki International Ballet Competition.
About Boston Ballet
Founded in 1963, Boston Ballet is one of the leading dance
companies in North America. Under the leadership of Artistic
Director Mikko Nissinen, the Company maintains an internationally
acclaimed repertoire of classical, neo-classical and contemporary
works, ranging from full-length story ballets to new works by some
of today's finest choreographers.
Boston Ballet's second company, Boston Ballet
II, is made up of pre-professional dancers who gain experience by
performing with Boston Ballet and as an independent group,
presenting lecture-demonstrations and unique programs to audiences
throughout the Northeast. The Boston Ballet Center for Dance
Education is the largest ballet school in North America. In service
of its mission to bring the highest quality arts education to all,
it reaches and instructs more than 5,000 students of all ages each
year through Boston Ballet School, Summer Dance Workshop, Summer
Dance Program, Citydance, Taking Steps, and Adaptive Dance. The
wide array of dance education programs are held at four major
ballet studio locations, in community centers, and throughout the
Boston Public Schools.
Boston Ballet gratefully acknowledges
the following institutional partners:
State Street Corporation, 2008
Sponsor, The Nutcracker
Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family
Foundation/Linda S. Waintrup, Trustee
Massachusetts Cultural
Council
National Endowment for the
Arts
Boston Organ & Piano,
Official Piano Supplier of Boston Ballet
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