To the finish line: Jorma Elo in America.

With so many commissions on his schedule in Europe and North America, where does Jorma Elo live these days?

"That's what my girlfriend always asks," the Finnish choreographer says, laughing. "I live in Holland, but I don't spend much time there!"

A provocative amalgam of classical ballet, modern dance, and idiosyncratic gesture, Elo's movement style feeds distinctly 21st century. When his Sharp Side of Dark premiered at Boston Ballet in 2002, his innovation was evident in its spaceship stage design and fast-paced partnering. Two years later, his Plan to B, a spectacle of ricochet lighting and solo virtuosity set to organ music by von Biber, quickly became Boston Ballet's new signature work and ticket to the future. Last year, artistic director Mikko Nissinen named Elo resident choreographer; he'll create a premiere for the company every year through 2008-09.

"His distinct movement vocabulary made him an obvious choice," says Nissinen. When he served as artistic director of the Alberta Ballet, the first work he commissioned from Elo was Blank Snow. "He really develops the dancers. Working with Jorma has pushed many of them to another level."

Elo's first dance for New York City Ballet, an abstract piece set to Vivaldi, premieres June 16 as part of the Diamond Project Festival for new choreography. Except for the use of live music, the commission did not impose any conditions, which pleased Elo. And he was exhilarated by what he'd seen that morning in the studio.

"The City Ballet dancers are very different for me," he says. "They are so much [masters of] pointe technique, and they use extreme speed. All these kids have a quality of madness." Elo selected Sofiane Sylve, Ashley Bouder, Wendy Whelan, Maria Kowroski, Nikolaj Hubbe, Ask la Gout, Joaquin De Luz, and Edwaard Liang for his cast.

There aren't many ballet choreographers in Finland. "I guess I would be the closest to using mostly classical steps at this moment," says Elo. "It's hard for me to say that there is a Finnish school. I'm excited to use pointe work, and I guess I wouldn't have done that if I had worked only in Europe."

For one year of Elo's adolescence, a passion for hockey competed with his study of Graham and Cunningham techniques. But hockey had faded away by the time he was 15 and started taking ballet classes regularly. That same year he saw Herbert Ross' film, The Turning Point, which, he says, became a major obsession. A year later (1978), he joined Finnish National Ballet, where he danced for six years. After another six with Cullberg Ballet, Elo joined Nederlands Dans Theater, where he remained until 2004.

NDT artistic director Jiri Kylian provided Elo not only with great works to perform in, but also with the opportunity to make his own dances. Elo continues to be inspired by Kylian. "I saw his Throw of the Dice last spring, and it doesn't really have a clear structure," he says. "I couldn't understand why it gave me goose bumps."

With 17 ballets under his belt, Elo, 45, wants to explore narrative in his next effort. On May 11, Boston Ballet premieres his 50-minute Carmen, set to Rodion Shchedrin's arrangement of Bizet's music. "I don't plan to use mime," says Elo. "I guess you have to go to some symbolism, situations that are recognizable for people, to tell the story. Carmen has a very up-to-date look, like supermodels mixed with businessmen and soldiers."

Elo's research for Carmen led to his investigation of earlier stagings, from Roland Petit's 1949 classic to Kenneth Kvarnstrom's all-male 1993 version. Eventually, he set the action on a fashion show runway. He knows, too, what he will exclude. "I'm trying to avoid Spanish cliches as much as possible," says Elo.

The Boston Ballet's Carmen runs in mixed repertoire May 11-21 at The Wang Theatre, Boston, www.bostonhallet.org. Elo's NYCB commission premieres June 16 at the New York State Theater, www.nycballet.com.