Choreography in the Spotlight
This Saturday is the Northrop Dance season opener of Jorma Elo's Kings 2 Ends and Sir Kenneth MacMillan's Song of the Earth, performed by Scottish Ballet at the Orpheum Theatre. While we're excited about the phenomenal talent of Scotland's national ballet company, we can't forget that the choreographers are just as much on center stage as the dancers. Here's a quick glance at each of these famous choreographers and some highlights of their versatile careers:
Jorma Elo:
Elo is about the hottest name in choreography right now. The Finnish choreographer has won many awards and has been recognized widely, including in the 2004 The New York Times Year in Review, Dance VIP of 2006 from Pointe Magazine, Master Artist from Esquire, and is recipient of multiple choreographic prizes.
Elo danced with the Netherlands Dance Theater, as well as the Finnish National Ballet. His choreography reaches even further with commissions for New York City Ballet, ABT, Boston Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, and many more.
Interesting fact: Elo used to play hockey. See if you can catch any hints of influence in his choreography!
Sir Kenneth MacMillan:
MacMillan trained as a dancer at Sadler's Wells, which is now the Royal Ballet School. He eventually fell in love with choreography, and turned all his attention to his talents there. He created many stunningly unique ballets such as The Barrow, Diversions, The Rite of Spring, and, of course, his masterpiece, Song of the Earth.
He accumulated an astonishing number of accolades and recognition, such as Broadway's Tony Award for Carousel, a 1993 Laurence Olivier Award for lifetime achievement, and was knighted in 1983 for his contribution to British ballet.
Sir Kenneth MacMillan passed away in 1992, but like every one-of-a-kind artist, his legacy lives on in his work.
See the choreographers' work for yourself this Saturday!
Melissa Wray
Northrop Marketing & Communications Associate
*For another inside scoop before the performance, don't miss the Performance Preview with Carl Flink and Emilie Plauchè Flink in conversation with Cindy Sughrue, Chief Executive/Executive Producer; Hope Muir, Ballet Mistress; and two of the Scottish Ballet dancers.
