J. Style + Anna Duverne + (in)sight

Mukoma-K. Nshinga, also known as J. Style, discovered street dance at the age of seven. He honed his craft in popping under Montréal’s elite – MonstaPop, 7Starr and Venom – before traveling abroad to train with world-renowned dancers, test his skills internationally, and expand his vocabulary with styles such as bruk up. His accomplishments include television appearances, notably on Révolution, as well as commercials for Little Burgundy, Gaz Métro, Subway, and Tourisme Montréal. In 2024, he made a standout appearance in a UKG commercial aired during Super Bowl LVIII, showcasing his dynamism and artistry to a global audience. He embodied the Angel of Change in Kin Fables, a trilogy awarded Best Cinematography at the Fantasia Festival. A judge for Hit The Floor and a Canadian representative in competitions across Switzerland, France and Senegal, J. Style continues to build a singular path, aspiring to inspire through a dance practice that remains unapologetically his own.

A graduate of École nationale de théâtre and the University of Ottawa in theatre and history, Tristan-Olivier Breiding is passionate about lighting design. He uses light to paint reality and sculpt space, following the rhythms of sound and text on stage. He designed the lighting for Wahsipekuk – Au-delà des montagnes (Ivanie Aubin St-Malo), Newfoundland Rocks (Gros Morne Theatre), Blue Light (Théâtre Trillium), On maronne (Cercle Molière), and Ode (Théâtre Rouge-Écarlate). He works primarily in Montréal and Ottawa, where he also assists on touring productions.

My process began with building a mind map on Milanote, gathering journal entries, visual references and a playlist that triggered the emotions I wanted to reach. I also included songs that could pull me out of them, since some states are heavy to inhabit. My research is about identifying these states, observing the movements that emerge from them, and shaping choreographic material.

I also struggle with the urge to do or say too much. At first, I imagined a highly dressed show – musicians, costumes, painting – but I realized those elements hid the vulnerability I wanted to express.

In the studio, I’ve been exploring the progression of a single song into a 25-minute piece, built from 5-minute loops. The feeling shifts from appreciation to entrapment, then release, only to be caught in a new fragment. Each cycle creates a freedom unlike any other, one I aim to capture.

Originally from southeastern France, Anna Duverne is a 24-year-old performer and creator drawn to weaving connections between art forms in a multidisciplinary approach. From an early age, she develops an autodidactic practice across visual, performing and plastic arts. Anna is an idealist driven by authenticity, perseverance, and depth. Dance is her most instinctive language. It allows Anna to access what is most present in herself. The study of the body and movement is both a science and a poetry that has fascinated her for years, and still does. Since graduating from École de danse contemporaine de Montréal, she’s had the chance to work with various independent choreographers such as Alejandro Sajgalik, Jessica Serli, and Louise Bédard. She’s committed to deepening her technique, expanding her network and engaging actively with the Montréal contemporary scene.

Originally from southwestern France, Marianne Lataillade discovered dance at a very young age. She channeled her energy through modern jazz, ballet, and contemporary dance, finding joy in performance. At 15, she entered the Biarritz Conservatory for ballet and moved to Montréal 3 years later to focus on contemporary dance. She graduated from École de danse contemporaine de Montréal in 2022, where she was deeply influenced by Linda Rabin, Andrew Harwood, Marc Boivin, Jessica Serli, Alexandre Morin, and Louise Bédard. Marianne now mainly teaches children, nurturing imagination, self-confidence, and mutual support. In her own practice, she explores an intuitive, free, and lively approach to movement, fueled by curiosity and joy.

A graduate of École nationale de théâtre and the University of Ottawa in theatre and history, Tristan-Olivier Breiding is passionate about lighting design. He uses light to paint reality and sculpt space, following the rhythms of sound and text on stage. He designed the lighting for Wahsipekuk – Au-delà des montagnes (Ivanie Aubin St-Malo), Newfoundland Rocks (Gros Morne Theatre), Blue Light (Théâtre Trillium), On maronne (Cercle Molière), and Ode (Théâtre Rouge-Écarlate). He works primarily in Montréal and Ottawa, where he also assists on touring productions.

This piece evokes my solitary night walks, when I’m on my way home. In those suspended moments, when I know the people I love are asleep, something opens up. In the heart of dark streets, thoughts become clearer, deeper, sometimes even revolutionary. The body, released, sketches light gestures, a quiet joy along the sidewalk. My steps, marked by a familiar grace, trace miles of vulnerability, but also of quiet strength. With my arms swinging freely, I float. The sound of a cat, the song of cicadas, a passing car – each becomes a fleeting partner. The night whispers truths that the day suppresses. I wanted to create a piece that pays tribute to these moments: intimate, raw, mysterious. A stroll through the hearts of dreamers and wanderers. 

Marianne and I have known each other since our time at École de danse contemporaine de Montréal. We’re very close in life, neighbors in the same neighborhood; our friendship is the starting point of this creation. I wanted to offer a friend the opportunity to play the saxophone on stage, and I find it beautiful that she isn’t a professional musician. The sound of this instrument immediately transports us to a mystical place. It adds something unique to the project. We have our little thing, just the two of us, that same little thing that soothes and calms me. The fact that she’s also a dancer brings us even closer in the creative process. Little by little, we began exploring together – in parks, on the street – dialogues between sound and movement. This project was born from those lovely, shared wanderings. It reflects an artistic symbiosis that feels natural to us: a desire to live our connection through the language of the stage.

David Lafleur is an emerging artist and dance educator working in the Outaouais region, on Anishinaabe ancestral lands. With a master’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Ottawa, he blends percussive movement, sound art and technology in a practice rooted in improvisation, experimentation, and collaboration. Under the collective (in)sight, with Ella Steele, they develop bold multidisciplinary artistic proposals that explore the expressive richness and contemporary possibilities of tap dance. Among their recent works: M/W/D: Sentiment du moi, commissioned by the Toronto International Tap Dance Festival (2022) and presented in Québec in 2025 as part of the Futur Danse program; Bruits, débris et souliers pointus, created in collaboration with sound artist Pierre-Luc Clément, was presented as a musical lodge at the Big Bang Festival at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa in 2025.

Deniz Lim-Sersan is a versatile musician whose roots in classical piano and Balkan rhythm evolved into a distinct, genre-defying style. After early jazz experiences in Ottawa’s community bands, he earned a scholarship to Humber College, where he graduated with multiple awards. He further honed his craft at the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music. Deniz has studied with renowned artists like Herbie Hancock, Vijay Iyer, and Robi Botos. He leads Primary Colours (pianist/songwriter) and NitroTurtle (drummer/bandleader), and has performed with KC Roberts, the Commotions, and Kellylee Evans. He also produces music for brands like Canada Goose and Holt Renfrew.

Ella Steele (she/her) is a tap dancer and artist based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her practice merges history, improvisation, and experimentation. Her work includes ongoing creations with the interdisciplinary collective (in)sight, through which she recently co-directed I/DEI\A, a short film featuring a tap dance-based score. She is the founder and director of Language of Rhythm, a pre-professional tap dance company that connects dancers with live jazz music, historically-informed education, and professional development opportunities. With support from the Manitoba Arts Council, she is leading a project where company dancers co-create original music under the mentorship of bassist and professor Karl Kohut.

A graduate of École nationale de théâtre and the University of Ottawa in theatre and history, Tristan-Olivier Breiding is passionate about lighting design. He uses light to paint reality and sculpt space, following the rhythms of sound and text on stage. He designed the lighting for Wahsipekuk – Au-delà des montagnes (Ivanie Aubin St-Malo), Newfoundland Rocks (Gros Morne Theatre), Blue Light (Théâtre Trillium), On maronne (Cercle Molière), and Ode (Théâtre Rouge-Écarlate). He works primarily in Montréal and Ottawa, where he also assists on touring productions.

Barb Bottle (she/her) is a queer interdisciplinary artist, white settler, and a guest on Treaty 1 territory in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Working in photography, knitting, video, sound, installation and performance, Bottle explores themes of memory, place and belonging through the lens of adoption trauma.

Drawing on the tradition of jazz, we aim to create work that dissects the past, present and future of our forms. In collaboration with Ella Steele (set design) and Tristan-Olivier Breiding (lighting), we explore sound and movement through a sensory, immersive, and multi-faceted technological approach. Effect pedals are the tool that allow me to expand my textural range while maintaining a connection to the innovators of tap dance,such as Eddie Brown and Honi Coles, and their approaches to the form. Blurring the boundaries between historical repertoire, choreography and improvisation is at the heart of my artistic approach. Though this work explores experimental elements, deep appreciation, connection and references to the history of tap dance and jazz music are ever present.