Jeff Morris was born in Toronto, and studied technical theatre production and administration at Ryerson’s Theatre School (now Toronto Metropolitan University). From 1990 to 1995, he was Production Stage Manager for Toronto Dance Theatre, including the company’s debuts in Berlin, Warsaw, Beijing, Tokyo, and at the Joyce Theater in New York. He was Production Stage Manager for Dancers for Life (AIDS Committee of Toronto) from 1991 to 1997, Stage Manager for Theatre Passe-Muraille (Never Swim Alone, Metamorphosis of a Shadow), da da kamera (House), Theatre Smith-Gilmour (To Cry Is Not So, In the Wings of Eden), and for the Fringe Festival of Independent Dance Artists.
Morris joined The National Ballet of Canada in 1995, and has since stage-managed a wide range of the company’s unique classical and contemporary repertoire, including the world premieres of James Kudelka’s The Four Seasons, Cinderella and An Italian Straw Hat, Crystal Pite’s Emergence and Angels’ Atlas, Guillaume Côté’s Le Petit Prince, Frame by Frame (with Robert Lepage), and Alexei Ratmansky’s Romeo and Juliet. Company premieres include John Neumeier’s The Seagull, A Streetcar Named Desire, Nijinsky and Anna Karenina, and Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Winter’s Tale. Special events include nine competitions for The Erik Bruhn Prize and company tours to Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Sadlers’ Wells, The Music Centre in Los Angeles, and Théâtre des Champs Elysées.
His freelance work in Toronto’s dance community has included independent artists and companies such as Sasha Ivanochko, Julia Sasso, Nova Bhattacharya, Dancemakers, Peggy Baker Dance Projects, and The Citadel + Compagnie (Jacob’s Pillow, James Kudelka’s alloneword).
In addition to his work with the National Ballet of Canada, he has taught and mentored stage managers at The Banff Centre and SMArts, and is Festival Co-Director for the biannual dance: made in Canada/fait au Canada.
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