Dessy Aipipidely-INDEPENDENT OBSERVER.
Indonesia has once again gained global recognition, through a cultural mission of Indonesian children at the 2024 Mediterranean Folk Fest in Lloret de Mar, Spain, in mid-October. Led by Kiki Puspita Sari, Kiny Cultura Indonesia won awards in the “Solo” and “Group” categories.
Representing her nation, 10th grader Kalya Mahiya Pravina from Al Izhar High School Jakarta clinched a 1st Place in the Folk Dance Solo Category.Kalya told the Independent Observer about her preparation for the competition. “My friends and I practiced for three months,” she said.For the solo category, Kalya performed “Langgam Remaja”, a Betawi dance. “I am ecstatic and grateful for having won this award,” said Kayla, with a smile. “Learning a Betawi dance is not easy. Thank God, I could give my best for Indonesia,” she said proudly.Kalya and her friends also participated in the Group Category and won the Grand Prix title. “For the group, we performed the Mambo Dance from Papua and Betawi “Dogger Jingkrak”, which was the more difficult one to master,” said Kalya.
Kalya, who regularly participates in cultural missions, has earned various awards. She believes that participating in cultural missions requires consistency and persistence. “During practice, commitment and good time management are essential to advance,” said Kalya.Also participating in the cultural mission are 12th-grader Farrel Achmad Gibransyah and 10thgrader Deandra Favian Atthaillah, from Al Izhar High School Jakarta, a duo immensely proud of theirachievements. “We feel excited and relieved that all the practice has led to victory,” said Farrel. Maximilian Adler Gunawan, a 6th grader from Dian Harapan School Lippo Cikarang, said “This is my first time to participate in this
cultural mission.” Although it was his first time, Adler was able to secure a win in the international folklore festival. “This win motivates me even more to dive deep into Indonesian culture and snare more achievements in the future,” said Adler.
The cultural mission coaches in the solo and group categories are also elated by the wins, infusing them with positive energy. “Even though we were optimistic that we would win, we were still happily surprised when it was announced,” said dance coach Lilis Suryani. Dance coach Ouky Suryatimur revealed that the students went the extra mile, with intensive practice twice a week. “Usually, one practice session lasts for 3-4 hours. The children practiced 20 times before finally leaving for Spain,” said Ouky. Not only students and coaches: parents of the students are also ecstatic about the Indonesian team’s achievements. Mayarni D. Anggoro, the mother of Andra (who participated in the festival) said, “As a parent, I always support whatever activities my child wants. This enriching activity will certainly be useful for his life experience in the future. It helps build a strong personality and competitive spirit to achieve outstanding results.” Representing Jakarta Cultural Office, Norviadi S. Husodo conveyed the provincial government’s support to the delegation sent to Spain. “I assisted them during the event and commended the achievements for the 1st place in the Solo category and the Grand Prix in the Group category in the International Folkdance Festival in Lloret de Mar, ”said Norviadi. “I saw the students’ enthusiasm, the dance coaches’ persistence, the full support of the school, the parents, the Ministry of Tourism and the Jakarta Cultural Office and also the hard work of Kiny Cultura Indonesia,” Norviadi continued. Noviardi hopes that more young people can join international events and put the nation on a global map, through cultural missions. “It’s important to preserve the nation’s cultural heritage by involving students, to foster a sense of pride in cultural arts,” he said.
