Kalya took first place in the Alpus Cup Renaissance Traditional Dance Competition and the International Festival Online Competition, Folk Dance and Music “Under the Hot UAE Sun,” in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Being so young and vibrant, Kalya manages her time well between school and dancing. “I set priorities. My first priority is my school and assignments, then dance practice on Saturday and Sunday,” she explained.
Kalya has noble dreams of passing on her dancing passion to her juniors. “I want to pass on my passion for traditional dances to the Indonesian young generation, to preserve Indonesian culture. I dream of traveling around the world to introduce Indonesian culture,” she hoped.
I ended the interview session by asking her what Kartini meant to her. “Kartini is a strong Indonesian woman who was brave to fight for women’s rights to education at a difficult time,” she concluded.
Read: Nukila Evanty: Seeking ways to involve indigenous peoples in all aspects of national development
Kalya is living proof—an Indonesian teenager who continues to pursue her aspirations. As our glorious heroine used to say: “Keep dreaming! Keep dreaming! Dream as long as you can! If you stopped dreaming, what would life be like? As real life is unkind,” RA Kartini. (des)