A powerful and poetic work, War Pyramid explores memory, power, and resistance through embodied movement and striking imagery.

Join us at 6:30 p.m. at the Atrium of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens for this intense and moving performance, followed by a convivial apéro and conversation with the artist. An intimate and inspiring evening to kick off your night!

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War Pyramid: memory, power, and resistance

War Pyramid is a multidisciplinary dance work that delves into the emotional and psychological consequences of war through symbolic movement, repetition, and striking visual contrasts. Inspired by both past and present conflicts, the piece investigates how authoritarian systems maintain power through fear, silence, and control.

Blending personal narratives, archival documents, and mythological imagery, War Pyramid exposes the erosion of human dignity while revealing subtle forms of resistance.

Rather than depicting war directly, the work questions the systems and ideologies that normalize its presence. Through visceral physicality and layered imagery, Elahe invites audiences to reflect on how power reshapes landscapes, dreams, memories, and our inner worlds. It is a call to vigilance, empathy, and resistance against forces that threaten to numb our collective conscience.

A six-month residency as Associate Artist

This presentation of War Pyramid at FQD comes at a pivotal moment for Elahe: the conclusion of her six-month residency as Associate Artist with Montréal Danse (January–June 2025), carried out within the démART program of the Conseil des arts de Montréal.

Accompanied by dramaturg and Artistic Director Kathy Casey, Elahe received dramaturgical support for the first time in her career. Together, they deepened the creative process behind War Pyramid while also organizing community dialogues with artists and members of Montréal’s immigrant communities. These exchanges enriched the research, expanded her artistic network, and planted the seeds for future collaborations.

Alongside her own project, Elahe also contributed to two key Montréal Danse initiatives:

• the follow-up to the International Choreographers Retreat (June 2024), which brought together 26 choreographers from around the world;
• the company’s internal reflections on sustainability, inclusion, and accessibility.

This performance marks the culmination of her six-month residency, made possible thanks to the Conseil des arts de Montréal’s démART program.

More than professional support, the residency became a true human exchange. Kathy Casey notes:
“Working with Elahe has been profoundly enriching. I was mainly a sounding board for her artistic and human concerns. What struck me most was the cultural exchange, this window onto urgent realities. Her resilience is inspiring.”

In just six months, Elahe brought War Pyramid to completion and secured a presentation at FQD—an extraordinary achievement we are deeply proud of. And this is only the beginning!

War Pyramid — Elahe Moonesi
September 11, 2025 — 6:30 p.m. — Atrium of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens
Info & tickets: quartiersdanses.com/event/preludefqdonzesept/

L’article Memory, resistance, and poetry: Elahe Moonesi performs at the FQD est apparu en premier sur Montréal Danse.