Dance as an act of
resistance and unity
Sol Invictus, a manifesto of love and harmony carried by dance
By Sophie Jama
January 15, 2026
The “Unconquered Sun” (Sol Invictus in Latin) emerged in the third century as a radiant deity, forged by Emperor Aurelian in 274 to heal the wounds of a torn empire by blending Eastern heritage with Roman roots in a solstice celebration on December 25. This flame of resilience and unity now lights up Montreal’s stage at Théâtre Maisonneuve, Place des Arts, until January 17, where the choreography Sol Invictus unfolds a manifesto of love and harmony, transcending the shadows of time.
Led by French choreographer of Algerian roots, Hervé Koubi, and his assistant Fayçal Hamlat, seventeen dancers from thirteen nationalities merge into a living constellation through the magic of dance, cherishing their singularity in a rebellious breath against the shadow of uniformity, jealously preserving their uniqueness while defying the fractures of a sterile world.
Draped in Guillaume Gabriel‘s flowing, iridescent silks, they weave an acrobatic ballet—blending hip-hop, contemporary dance, and athleticism—across a vast golden, mirroring cloth that conjures a blazing sun, tenderly stroked by Lionel Buzonie‘s luminous play.
The hypnotic scores of Mikael Karlsson, Maxime Bodson, Steve Reich, and Ludwig van Beethoven pulse through these bursts of energy, where artists stride, soar, whirl, and converge toward hope—even amid moments of darkness.
Hervé Koubi: An Alchemist of Dance
Born of Algerian heritage yet raised in France, Hervé Koubi carves a singular path, blending academic pursuits with an all-consuming passion for dance, honed at Cannes’ École Rosella Hightower and l’Opéra de Marseille. After performing for luminaries such as Claude Brumachon at Nantes’ CCN, Karine Saporta in Caen, and Thierry Smits in Brussels, he launched his company in 2000, igniting a hybrid quest in which Mediterranean contemporary roots entwine with urban fire.
The Hervé Koubi Company
Since Le Golem (2000), Koubi weaves an enchanting repertoire—Les nuits barbares (2015), Odyssey (2019), Golden Age (2022)—often with Guillaume Gabriel crafting the costumes and, since 2017, Fayçal Hamlat as his assistant, an Algerian hip-hop dancer he first met at the Ballet National d’Alger. Now rooted at Calais’ Pôle chorégraphique (BCMO), the company gathers self-taught dancers from North Africa and beyond, fusing hip-hop, capoeira, and acrobatics into a virile, poetic masculine ballet hailed from New York’s stages to Hawaii’s shores. Knighted in the Order of Arts and Letters since 2015, Koubi masters the art of turning dance into a bridge of identity and unity.
Performers
Francesca Bazzucchi
Badr Benr Guibi
Joy Isabella Brown
Denis Chernykh
Samuel Da Silveira Lima
Youssef El Kanfoudi
Abdelghani Ferradji
Elder Matheus Freitas Fernandes Oliveira
Oualid Guennoun
Hsuan-Hung Hsu
Pavel Krupa
Islam Kunakkulov
Ismail Oubbajaddi
Ediomar Pinheiro de Queiroz
Ayoub Rouifi
Matteo Ruiz
Allan Sobral Dos Santos
Karn Steiner.
Sol Invictus
Production: Compagnie Hervé Koubi
Choreography: Hervé Koubi
Assistant: Fayçal Hamlat
Lighting: Lionel Buzonie
Costumes: Guillaume Gabriel
Sol Invictus runs until January 17, 2026, at Théâtre Maisonneuve, Place des Arts.
