Lumière brute is a choreographic research project born from the tension between darkness and the desire for light. It explores the body as a site of passage, memory, and healing. Here, creating beauty becomes an act of survival, a way to endure, transform, and express what cannot always be spoken.
Through raw, vibrant, and grounded movement, Lumière brute reveals what persists: the flicker of light, however fragile, within inner chaos. The body emerges as a territory of resilience and illumination, even when battered or trembling,a body that dances, struggles, and transforms pain into living material.
Rooted in a movement language that draws from whacking, punking, Burundian traditional dances, and contemporary dance, the work weaves together different embodied histories and modes of expression. These influences meet in a sensory and deeply personal approach, where aesthetics arise from truth, lived experience, and vulnerability.
Beauty is not an escape from pain but a way through it. In Lumière brute, beauty is alive: it trembles, resists, and heals.
This work has received support from the Canada Council for the Arts.
Axelle “Ebony” Munezero is a professional dancer, choreographer, and movement storyteller who stands out for her authenticity and passion. Born in Burundi, she was raised and artistically established in Montréal, Canada, and is now based in Finland. Internationally recognized for her mastery of whacking, she has traveled extensively to share her practice ; teaching, judging, and performing across the globe, including in Japan, South Korea, France, Italy, the United States, Greece, Germany, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Switzerland.She graduated from contemporary dance at Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and trained in street dance (whacking, punking, house, and hip-hop) with renowned pioneers in North America. Her artistic versatility has led her to collaborate across disciplines and industries: performing with acclaimed artists such as Dominique Fils-Aimé, Arcade Fire, Afrotronix, Aurora, and Corneille, choreographing for Olympic ice dancers Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron during their gold medal-winning journey, and appearing on prestigious stages such as the Apollo Theater in New York and Sadler’s Wells in London alongside poet Jessica Care Moore. She has also performed at La Villette in Paris in Brigitte Poupart’s Until We Die. In the theatre scene, she has worked with companies including Rubberband Dance Group, Ebnflōh, Gadfly, Juxtapose, and Trans Théâtre. She has also appeared on television and film projects including Star Académie, Face à la danse, Step Up 5, and Danser pour gagner.Her work has received both national and international recognition. She was awarded “Dancer of the Year” at the Dynastie Gala (2023), the Gadfly Award (Toronto, 2015), and “Hit of the Year” at Hit The Floor (2018). In the battle scene, she has won major international competitions including Eleganza (Italy), Step Ya Game Up (New York, twice), and Supernova (Taiwan), and has been invited to judge renowned events such as Summer Dance Forever in Amsterdam (Whacking category, 2025). Deeply committed to community building, Axelle co-founded the Montréal-based non-profit 100Lux, dedicated to supporting street dance professionals. She has produced dance battle events for over a decade and recently led the creation of a full street dance program for Expo Japan (2025). As a dancer, she is a powerful storyteller with a rich and versatile movement vocabulary. As a choreographer, she brings raw emotion and depth to the stage. As a community leader, she creates warm, authentic spaces where people are invited to grow, connect, and discover themselves. With over 15 years as a professional artist, she continues to shine on stage and through diverse projects, dedicated to inspiring people to move, connect, and dance.
Axelle’s photo: Valérian Mazataud Le Devoir
