On Monday, October 21, 2024, one of the Chinese Literature students of Brawijaya University won 2nd place in the solo dance category at the International Mandarin Competition entitled PETAK 99. This event was organized by the Student Association of Mandarin Language Education Study Program, State University of Jakarta. This student who is familiarly called Thea has often participated in dance competitions since childhood. Her interest began from a childhood hobby that developed into an extraordinary talent.
Her passion for dance began when Thea was 5 years old. Although she took a hiatus from dance for a few years, it didn’t take long for her to rekindle her talent. Her interest in traditional Chinese dance began in the second semester of college, on a whim when writing this dance branch in the talent interest data collection from the campus. By starting everything from scratch and capitalizing on the persistence of self-taught learning, Thea has succeeded in making extraordinary accomplishments at the international level.
Thea revealed that participating in the solo dance competition during a busy schedule was a challenge that she had to face when participating in this competition. In addition, the decision to join the competition at the last minute made her have to work extra hard in preparing for the performance. With limited training time, Thea was urged to focus and maximize every opportunity. She do all the dedication and effort that could continue to be done even with all the limitations. As a result, Thea managed to give her best performance and proved that with determination and good time management, any challenge can be faced.
Theodora’s success is not only proof of her natural talent but also her perseverance and love for arts. “I think dance is a way to express art, feelings, and beauty,” she said in a conversation with our team. With her high spirit and strong dedication, She hopes to continue making achievements and make her study program proud of her both in the field of dance and other field competitions in the future. Hopefully, Theodora’s achievement can raise the spirit and motivate other students of the Chinese Literature Study Program at Brawijaya University, to keep on excelling and work in the future.