Dance Student Spotlight: Nicole Kosasih Widjaja

My name is Nicole Kosasih Widjaja, 13, and I live in Indonesia, Jakarta. I dance at Marlupi Dance Academy⭐️.

@nicolekosasihwidjaja

Can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.

I started when I was 5 years old after I fully recovered from a fracture. For 5 years, I took ballet for fun. Until one day, I was asked to join the “Trainee Program." I was 10 years old at that time and VERY chubby. My first competition was a few months after I joined the “Trainee Program." After my first competition, I joined even more competitions even until today. It was definitely not easy, especially because I grew up eating quite a lot. Before I joined the Trainee Program, I actually never joined a competition by Marlupi Dance Academy, and on my first competition, I fell on stage. When I fell, it was really embarrassing, and I could hear the audience gasp. I was very sad and disappointed in myself. But remember…failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently😉. So I didn’t want to stop there. With the help of my family and teachers, I kept going. I joined more international and national competitions, trained twice as hard, joined the “PTP” and “FTP” programs. Who knows what the future holds for me. All I can do now is keep working hard, stay humble, and be disciplined💫. I truly believe that the only way I got to where I am today is through hard work, dedication, and my willingness to get out of my comfort zone☺️.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?

Overall, things have not always been easy for me😊. Struggling is a part of being successful…with out struggle, there’s no success. I know that every other beautiful ballerina and dancer out there also had to go through their own struggles. Personally, my main struggles were: overcoming my stage fright, fix my eating habits, stop comparing myself to others, and stop being too hard on myself. I was probably the “chubbiest” dancer in trainee class at that time and it was pretty embarrassing. Most of them had beautiful bodies and beautiful lines, but I didn’t. Did people judge me? Yes, they did. But it didn’t stop me from changing myself to become the greatest version of me☺️. And to me, all those struggles were worth going through😉.

What personal limitations if any did you go through in your young career?

Probably not having a great body figure and having stage fright as I go through my young career.

Has anybody ever tried to limit you on what you could do? If so how did you fight it?

Yes, someone once told me that I can’t be a ballerina with a body like mine back in 2018, but oh well😕. Those words hurt me for some time. But slowly, I started to learn how to accept myself as a dancer, with the body and the skills I have. Remember to be kind and patient with yourself and the world you’re living in because it’s gonna take time, hard work, discipline, and dedication for you to get up there⭐️.

How do you conquer negative talk?

Usually, if someone talks negatively to you, it's either they want you to become better, or they are trying to pull you down. I usually would think of it positively, even though it’s really hard especially if your friends get positive feedback all the time and all you hear all day is negative feedback said to you😕. Don’t let people’s words affect your way of thinking and your career because they’re not worth listening to😉. It’s your life. You’re the pilot who has to avoid all the grey clouds in the sky, but sometimes you can’t avoid those clouds, you’ll have to go through it. It’ll be a bumpy ride, but just hang in there, you’ll get out of there soon because nothing lasts forever. You have full control of your life, don’t let anyone take it from you😊.

What is your favorite quote?

“Yesterday was history, tomorrow’s a mystery, but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present” ✨ - (the movie) Kung Fu Panda

So, what’s next? Any big plans?

This year, I got the chance to participate in the YAGP finals 2021, which I’m super grateful about, and I am planning to join YAGP again for the 2022 season and some other amazing competitions! I will probably also join some intensives from different schools to learn from different teachers so I can gain more experience and knowledge to prepare myself for the professional world⭐️😉.