Jorma Elo

Who is Jorma Elo?

Jorma Elo is a contemporary choreographer. He was born 30 August 1961 in Helsinki, Finland. His father, Professor Jaakko Elo, MD, is a prominent urological surgeon, mother Ruth Elo née Carlstedt, a dentist. Jorma Elo´s life partner since 1994 is Nancy Euverink, who – being a dancer herself – has also been assistant to Mr Elo and is from 2012 Director of the Dance Department of Royal Conservatory of The Hague.

As a schoolboy, Elo planned himself a professional ice hockey carrier, but began studying modern and jazz dance at 12. At 13 he was enrolled in Finnish National Ballet School for classical training. Later, 1979–80, he studied in the Kirov Ballet School, which under the Soviet era was the name of the Maryinsky Ballet School in St. Petersburg. The same school had educated Rudolf Nureyev.