Creating a special piece for the anniversary celebration of Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet led choreographer Jorden Morris to create a show that incorporated a love story, and was appealing to a diverse audience. In addition, it needed to be colorful and energetic.
“The idea came from talking with the director here, who wanted a new, full-length ballet for the 70th anniversary season,” explained Morris in a recent telephone interview. “I asked him what sort of parameters he wanted. ... We talked about a lot of different ideas and topics, and as I was thinking about something very colorful and vibrant, I was sort of thinking about Paris and the Moulin Rouge. When he said he wanted a love story to be incorporated, I thought that would work centered around the Moulin Rouge, as well. That’s how we came down to choosing that story line.”
And “Moulin Rouge — The Ballet” was born.
