Rijamanitra claims a personal signature, energetic and mobile across all dance disciplines. Rock, salsa, ballroom, urban dance, or classical—Rijamanitra Randrianarisoa stamps a personal signature on everything, which he calls his "Rijamanitra style." Movements that are "somewhat bouncy, elegant and require lots of displacement, for both men and women," reflecting an artistic identity built over three decades.
His passion for dance began in childhood. At 8 years old, he already mastered rock, gazo, waltz, and ballroom dance, inspired by his parents who practiced acrobatic rock. After competitions in Toamasina, he joined a club in 1996 and participated in several competitions and shows, notably with Don Rajohnson and Tovo J'Hay. Rock and roll champion with Rock Alliance in 1997, he continued his training in France, where he won an international standard sport dance competition and completed coaching stages in salsa and competition organization in Nice. Initially attracted to football like his father Percy Honoré, a former goalkeeper for Stade Olympique de l'Est, he ultimately chose dance. Self-taught at first, he deepened his sport dance training from 2005 with experts and coaches.
Ambition
This experience now fuels his teaching work at Dih'Art Madagascar, which he has directed for 25 years. The school welcomes practitioners aged 4 to 77 and offers several disciplines, including ballroom, classical, artistic awakening, K-pop, afro, and street jazz, as well as modeling and performances. "Our ambition is to give children a real place and offer them a space where they can develop their spirit through art," he emphasizes. For Rijamanitra, learning remains ongoing: he continues participating in workshops and training and stresses the importance of self-discipline.
This year, his artistic journey will take a new dimension with "Journey Through Time," a major show scheduled for August 2 at CCI Ivato, marking both the 25th anniversary of Dih'Art Madagascar and his 30-year career. The performance will bring together children and dancers from the school, as well as artists from Analamanga and various regions who have collaborated with Dih'Art. The program will explore free dance, ballroom, ballet, rock, salsa, bachata, retro dance, urban dance, musical theater, and zumba, with space for tsapiky and mangaliba.
Without experiencing a real break in his journey, the artist continues seeking, learning, and sharing. Also passionate about motorcycles and documentaries, he states: "I continue to seek and try to give the best of myself and my team." An approach that sums up his "Rijamanitra style," between energy, movement, and the will to advance Malagasy dance.