Jakarta, IO – Jakarta’s afternoon breeze was a friendly touch, complementing a blue sky and bright sunlight. I had the pleasure of speaking with an Young Indonesian Kartini named Kalya Mahiya Pravina – a 13-year-old girl who has already accomplished so much in her dance career. Kalya is noted for her dance style, reminiscent of Kartini.
Every April 21, we celebrate and commemorate Kartini for her efforts to achieve women’s equality in education. The efforts of the young Indonesian woman made us proud, by achieving her dreams of becoming a prominent dancer at such a young age. She did not give up easily and kept pursuing new goals to sharpen her talents.
Kalya currently attends Al Izhar Middle High School in Pondok Labu, Jakarta. Despite the demands of her dancing career, she maintains an exceptional academic record. “I danced for the first time at the age of four when I performed Kalimantan’s Dayak Dance,” explained Kalya, who is also the Cultural Ambassador of Kiny Cultura Indonesia.
Teenage girls would prefer modern dances to traditional ones, which distinguishes Kalya from other teenage girls. “Indonesian traditional dance depicts the character of the nation, one that needs to be guarded. I want to learn many Indonesian traditional dances to do my part to preserve Indonesian culture,” Kalya stated enthusiastically.