The Montrealer. Ballets Jazz Montréal's tribute to Leonard Cohen concludes its decade-long international tour with performances at Montreal's Place des Arts,. From staged concerts and literary events to a contemporary dance production, artists across Canada are celebrating the Montreal icon’s enduring. When she took over as artistic director of Ballets Jazz Montréal five years ago, Alexandra Damiani was skeptical about the company’s homage to locally born and raised singer-songwriter Leonard.