Some 150 years after her death, the shadow of Ranavalona I still hangs over the history of Madagascar. Assuming the throne on the death of her husband in 1828, the woman who came to be known as "the Malagasy Caligula" ruled her country with an iron fist and, having ruled for 33 years, she left behind her a legacy of contrasts, to put it mildly. Historians, especially in Europe, have tried to create a dark legend for her. But what is the true legacy of this powerful woman who never ceased to defend the autonomy of her island against the onslaught of the colonial powers? Isn't it time we demystified what we have learned and told a different story? Travelling back to Madagascar's fractured past, where part of her roots lie, dancer and choreographer Soa Ratsifandrihana weaves a story she would have loved to hear as a child. She travelled to the island to gather the words of scholars, storytellers and elders, working to defend a long oral tradition that is now under threat. Soa invites us to discover a hybrid, sensory creation in which words, bodies and soundscapes intertwine. It's a raw new language that unlocks the mysteries of Soa's own heritage, and brings ancestral memory to the heart of the present. A mix of radio storytelling, musical composition and choreographic creation, Soa Ratsifandrihana's new work focuses on the fusion of orality and movement, reminding us that our bodies, like our words, are the bearers of stories. 

  Soa Ratsifandrihana is a Franco-Malagasy dancer and choreographer based in Brussels. After dancing for several years with Rosas, Soa presents her first solo in Brussels, entitled g r oo v e. The show has been performed over forty times and continues to tour, including at Kaaitheater. Her work reminds us that our bodies, just like our words, are bearers of stories, and that however we communicate them, they must be told. Soa is an associate artist of Kaaitheater from 2023 to 2025.