Meet RiRi Realness | RiRi Realness | Choreographer & Professional Dancer (also known as Richelle Armijo)

We had the good fortune of connecting with RiRi Realness and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi RiRi, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor of my success and behind my brand has always been my authenticity. Living in my truth, celebrating my uniqueness and documenting my journey online has allowed me to create the career I have always desired for myself.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My body is a vessel of my art. I love to express myself creatively in many different ways. I am a 22 year old choreographer, professional dancer, creative director, model, actress & content creator. I think what sets me apart is how I’ve branded myself with the color green. Very rare color that not a lot of people can pull off but just by me incorporating it in my outfits at events, wigs, eyeshadow looks & etc has made it easy for my audience & viewers to distinguish me. As of right now I am most proud of choreographing & dancing on my first tour last summer with Coi Leray! Being the first trans women to choreograph a tour at such a big scale was truly one of my dreams come true and I’m excited to keep breaking boundaries and representing the dolls every stage I dance on. I’ve trained my entire life as a dancer, 10+ years at a dance studio, teaching classes, directing a dance team, passion projects, moving out to LA & more to be where I’m at today! It has not always been easy, I’ve encountered a lot of things a long the way trying to stop me or throw me off such as parents not being accepting when I came out, leaving my hometown dance studio to pursue my dreams, moving to LA at 18, scary car accident, hate comments online, but I always will commend myself for my resilience because without a strong mindset you will crumble. Thanks to my spiritual awakening back in 2019, is when I started self healing and doing the inner work to become the best versions of myself & getting closer with the lord. Lots of reading, journaling & documenting my journey has helped me be able to reflect upon my actions. But with every obstacle I look at it as a lesson that’s helping me grow into a better woman.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend was visiting my hometown in the Bay Area for a week I would definitely show them around everything I grew up as a kid. Monday I would take them to pier 39 in SF, eat the mini donuts & watch the seals. Then go to Chinatown, which is originally the first ever in the US! Then end the night eating dinner at San Tung one of my fav Chinese restaurants growing up. Tuesday I would take us to walk the Golden Gate Bridge then have a beach day at maybe bakers beach with all the beautiful mural art. End the night with a delicious burrito in sf. Wednesday I would take them for lunch at the veranda, maybe watch a new movie, eat desserts, shop around & do an escape room! Thursday we could go take the fairy to Alcatraz & do a free tour! Grab dinner in Sausalito. End the night with a view of the entire city at twin peaks. Friday we could drive up to Sacramento, shop at the Arden fair mall or watch a kings game at the golden one center. Then end the night club hopping in downtown Sacramento where the night life is enjoyable! Saturday we could have a chill day in the city I was born in Fairfield, grab breakfast at babs in Suisun. Walk around the outlets in Vacaville and do barbecue at my aunts house with my family. And to finish off the trip on Sunday we could go wine tasting in Napa & eat bomb Italian food in Vallejo with a view of the Pacific Ocean!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to give a shoutout to a group of girls who’ve made such an impact in my journey, my dance team, “The Nextkidz.“ Established in 2017 when I was still a sophomore in high-school training at my hometown studio “Chapkis Dance” where I met all the girls. I built friendships with each girl at different times during my 10 year duration at the studio, some I also went to school with! As we got older and closer at the studio, I started bringing us together more for activities, dance projects & more! We did our first talent show together and decided to call us “Next-Kidz as a joke, which originated from the two teams from our generation we were apart of at the studio, Next Prophecy + Chapkidz = Nextkidz. But it soon became our real name where we actually found it made sense for us, meaning the next kidz coming up, we were the new generation, the next generation of kids watching us will continue our legacy of following our dreams like we did! On December 17th, 2017 after filming our first concept video, I told the girls that we should come together as a dance team and help each other accomplish our goals & Angelina the yellow member also initiated that we would make a great group channel, we all loved the ideas and it’s been history ever since! I started as the only boy in the group of our girls, slowly over the years myself & the girls allowed me to express myself freely more & more. Without judgement, the girls loved me no matter if I was a boy or girl. Publicly came out to them in May 2019 at Olive Garden on Nicole’s, baby blue member, birthday was the most liberating feeling to finally accept my sexuality with no fear. 2 years down the line i announced my transition in March of 2021. And the girls held my hand and supported me all the way! They might not have knew exactly how to navigate being around a trans women but they learned for me and never gave me anything about it. The girls let me be myself before anybody else would, dressing feminine, getting glam, dancing feminine and that’s every queer persons dream is to just be themselves without conservative ideology. And that’s why I will always share my appreciation & give recognition to the girls because without their support I don’t think I would have built the confidence to reach the success I have now.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ririrealness?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Linkedin: https://linktr.ee/RiRiRealness

Twitter: https://x.com/ririrealness?s=21

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100074464844812&mibextid=wwXIfr

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@ririrealness?si=s4WU6EyaBbxZ8f9n

Image Credits
@fromheavensview @bymarina__ @_tylerdarling @directedbyjeremiah