Famous blue leotard

Leonard Cohen gave his blessing toa dance show set to his songs, but did not live to see it. Ontour, its performers recall feeling his presence onstage

- Lyndsey Winship

The voice is unmistakable. That rich grain and mournful, lived-in tone can only be Leonard Cohen. His song Suzanne plays, while on stage a woman falls into the arms of a man. He curls then lifts and balances her body again and again, without her feet ever touching the ground. The dancers are from Canadian company Ballets Jazz Montréal, and Cohen gave his blessing to the creation of this show set to his songs. He agreed to the music selections and chose specific recordings, but died in November 2016 at the age of 82, before the rehearsal process had begun.

“He was supposed to be at the premiere,” says dancer Andrew Mikhaiel. “He was supposed to see the show. So the moment we stepped into the studio on the first day, there was a weight to it. We had to represent him and deliver something quite magical. He’s a Canadian icon: it was such a huge responsibility. But at the premiere – I will never forget this – we were all in a circle together and we felt his presence.”