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Noella Wants To Continue Dancing
Hard work and a never-say-die attitude towards achieving your dreams lie underneath all the sparkles of life as an idol group. This is a notion deeply appreciated by Noella Sisterina, a 17-year-old teenager who once held the title of JKT48 Member.
That Saturday evening, Noella sat comfortably in a café while she waited for the JKT48Stuff team; who arrived slightly late because of the congested traffic conditions in North Jakarta. “It’s alright,” she assured, a glow visible on her face. Just like that, all the weariness from the traffic jam quickly dissipated.
Since she officially “graduated” from JKT48 a few weeks earlier, Noella planned to take a short vacation before she faced the National Exam. “In the past few weeks, I’ve been studying continuously. Well, rather than get saturated now, I’d like to travel around before the exam season begins. It enables me to be more focused when I come back,“ she said excitedly. At that time, despite our attempts to find out more, Noella seemed reluctant to tell us about her travel destinations. Only after several photos were posted on her personal Twitter account @noellastrna, it was revealed that she vacationed to Europe.
Looking at the tall and slender Noella, ordinary people may not expect that this Surabaya-born girl is a skilled dancer. However, among fans of JKT48, Noella is well-known for standing out with her dancing skills. This is gratefully acknowledged by Noella. “Because, since a long time ago, the talent I chose to specialize in is dancing. I feel more confident in dancing compared to singing. I like to sing too but it’s just basic; haven’t once gone for singing lessons. Basically, I’m just a bathroom singer. Ha ha ha…”
According to a JKT48Stuff member who regularly watched her performances, Noella was at her coolest when she danced to the song Fushidara na Natsu and Cinderella wa Damasarenai. But Noella felt the most confident when dancing Itoshisa no Defense and Viva! Hurricane. “I feel very happy to be regarded as the best dancer in Fushidara and Cinderella. As long as I’m not considered as a good singer or musician, ‘cause I did it just for kicks. When it comes to the guitar, [I can only play] the basic chords,” she explained about her guitar performance during the Manatsu no Sounds Good Handshake Festival.
Talking with Noella is really fun. Although she is often described as are served and hostile person, she admitted that she is actually someone who is very noisy. “Perhaps, those who haven’t gotten to know me well may think that I’m a bit standoffish, but in reality, I like to get all excited by myself!” she exclaimed with a wide grin.
To balance out the excitement of JKT48, Noella looks to Kinal and Lidya as her role models. “It’s really cool for Kinal to become the captain. From nothing to something. It could be inspirational to others.”
Lidya, to her, is a “seriously hard worker” and Noella admitted that she was inspired to be like her. “Just look at K3poinOshi. It’s proof of how successful an effort can be when it is carried out in earnest. Furthermore, Lidya dares to speak out. She dares to express what she feels. I think it’s a good thing, because I myself am not able to be like that.”
The talk was interrupted by a waiter who served our ordered drinks. Noella stirred the orange juice in front of her before finally drinking it with enjoyment. Her eyes fluttered shut as she sipped the fresh drink, leaving traces of her thin lipstick on the straw. Noella’s cheeks flushed red. She looked so happy talking about the people she admired.
Being an idol
Actually, Noella wasn’t really a newcomer among the [senior] members of JKT48. Previously, she had auditioned with the first generation members alongside Melody, Shania, Kinal, and the others. At that time, Noella admitted that she had difficulty memorizing the choreography and Japanese lyrics of Heavy Rotation. It was a totally foreign song in the mind of this girl who was born on 16 November 1997. “At that time, I didn’t know anything about AKB[48]. In fact, I didn’t know JKT[48] would be formed. As it turned-out, watching them on TV looked quite interesting so I wanted to join.”
So, when she was offered to join the second generation audition, Noella accepted it with joy. “During the first generation audition, we had to memorize the movement and the Japanese lyrics of Heavy Rotation. It was like a required song. So, in the second generation audition, Nadila, Shinta (Naomi), Sinka, and I became more confident because we had learnt it. Ha ha ha…”
Unlike the previous audition, the grand finale for the second generation audition was held in Japan. “That announcement was made through video by Aki-P, who said, ‘Because I am not able to go to Jakarta, then, all the finalists will come to Japan.’ We were all hysterical because we’d never been to Japan before. It became a very memorable moment. There, the audition only took place for a day, so we’re able to travel around during the rest of the trip.”
Since becoming a JKT48 member, this attractive, brown-skinned girl has appeared in a variety of TV shows. A diversity of shows had been performed as well, ranging from the small stages to large scale concerts. “Since a long time ago, I have always enjoyed performing in front of people. So to be able to stand on such a huge stage and watched by thousands of people was an indescribable experience,” her eyes beamed brightly as she recalled about her fulfilled dreams.
“But it’s easy to have many people looking at you. Just stand in the middle of the road, for example,” a JKT48Stuff team teased Noella with his old-fart jokes.
“That’s different! What I meant is to be watched during a concert! Ha ha ha,” Noella replied with a serious answer to the joking and grinning JKT48Stuff team.
Then, on 25 June 2013, through a dramatic announcement at the JKT48 Theater, Noella along with several other second generation members got selected to form a team called Team KIII. Unfortunately, not all of the second generation members were promoted. “I thought it would be the same as Team J where everybody got in. But it wasn’t. To get separated into those with a team and the others staying as trainees didn’t feel good. So yeah, I was really sad,” she recalled.
Luckily, that feeling didn’t last too long because in the end, her trainee friends got promoted as well – although they were split between Team J and Team KIII. “On one hand, I was sad that we were not able to be in the same team. But on the other hand, I was very happy for them to finally be in a team and no longer stayed a trainee. Especially since the third gen had already joined by then,” she continued.
The opportunity to become a member of an idol group with demanding schedule had brought about positive changes for Noella. Now, she claimed to be better in conversing and meeting with other people, and she became more confident. “Now, when I meet new people, I know better what to do. Before, I was a quiet and shy person and didn’t like to talk. That’s why I looked a bit distant, right?” she explained. “But thanks to the handshake events and the many encounters with fans, I also learned how to behave myself. Yet despite all this, my MC session wasn’t funny at all.”
Talking about her unfunny MC sessions, according to Noella, the whole Team KIII was already aware of it. “Since Saktia and Sisil [joined the team], it got better because [they’re] a joker. Saktia was like a drunken person. She said that [traveling] from Jakarta to Surabaya took 8 hours… even though [she] traveled on an airplane. Ha ha ha…”
Apart from this embarrassing MC moment, Noella added that she once felt very embarrassed while performing Junjou Shugi. At that time this lover of durians got up to the stage with a limp. “I was having a good time performing when, argh, my right shoe heel broke off! Don’t know why. So I got laughed at by many people. Sooooo embarrassing! It was so confusing and I didn’t know what to do. I kept performing till the end of the song anyway, but I cried once I got to the backstage,” said Noella, who broke into a shy laughter while grabbing a tissue and wiping her teardrops away.
The JKT48Stuff team was left momentarily speechless as we sat entranced by the beauty of Noella on that evening, who wore a graceful red cardigan, a flowery top and a long and sexy black skirt. It was a moment much like the song Yuuhi wo Miteiruka? where a gentle warmth suddenly embraced the heart, refusing to let this moment end.
Friends and family are everything to Noella Sisterina. However, when faced with the responsibility to undergo the hectic schedule as a member of JKT48, she was forced to sacrifice her time.
“I really like having a lot of friends,” said the Taylor Swift fangirl interrupting the daydreaming JKT48Stuff team who immediately protested. “Didn’t you like Justin Bieber, huh?”
“Yes, I used to… but now I no longer am, I’ve grown up. He he he…”
“Are you sure you no longer like Justin Bieber?” JKT48Stuff teased her.
“Well yeah, actually, I still like [Justin Bieber], but now I’m more into Taylor Swift,” she tried to convince us, but to no avail because her face was clearly showing her embarrassment.
“Where was I? Ah right, I really like to have many friends,” said Noella trying to divert attention, “Back when I was still a JKT48 member, it’s difficult when I wanted to play with [my friends]. Hanging out with family was also difficult because of the limited time.”
This first child of two siblings then told us about how busy she was as a member JKT48. “When I was still in ‘formal’ school, the school hours ended at 3 PM. If there was a theater scheduled for that day, I had to go straight to fX because members had to be there at 3 PM. I used to arrive there at 4 PM, so yeah, I was definitely running late. I had to eat in the car. I had to change my clothes in the car. After the theater was over, I went straight to bed when I got home. So there was no time to play at all.”
Now that she’s no longer part of the JKT48’s K3 team, Noella claimed to feel freer. “It’s really good to have more time with family, with friends. I can play with them. Things that were impossible to do when I was still in JKT48 can be done now. I can also focus more on studying for the National Exam. Oh, and I can go on vacation! Ha ha ha…”
During the two years as a member of a popular idol group with a lot of fans from Indonesia, and even foreign countries, a lot of things had been experienced by Noella Sisterina, including the treatment of fans who left a lasting impression in the heart of this pink-loving girl.
“During a handshake event,” Noella began, “I was suddenly told to get out of the cubicle. Apparently they’d brought many placards with encouraging message. I was so moved when reading their writings.” Another form of encouragement happened during Gingham Check Handshake Festival. Earlier, Noella’s chin was scratched from falling. “Apparently, during handshake, all of them wore bandages on their chin as well. They told me they wanted to feel what I felt,” she recalled with tears of emotion.
Playing guitar together at the handshake booth, given encouragement videos when Noella rarely tweeted and right after her graduation, and many more touching moments from the fans have colored Noella’s days. “Seeing [the encouragement videos] made me sad and touched. And I’m very grateful to be able to feel it all. To feel their support. [I] thank them so much.”
Performance reviews and suggestions were also happily welcomed. “My fellow JKT48 members and I were excited if there were theater reviews. I always read them because they helped me to evaluate how I did that day, and how I did the next day. But lately the fans who did reviews were not as active as they used to. There were more reviews during Boku No Taiyou [setlist]. Maybe they got tired. Or perhaps already bored? Ha ha ha.”
“Which moment together with fans that you like the most?” Asked one JKT48Stuff member who usually acts as a photographer.
“During OFC (Official Fan Club) events,” said the dog lover excitedly. “In OFC events the interactions were not just limited to ‘say hi’ with fans, but you could actually play and dine in the same table with them. It felt more intimate.”
Noella later recalled an incident during the last OFC event that she joined. “We’re playing the Monopoly board game. It was already evening and the event was about to end, when suddenly the lights went off. It’s really dark! Then, Chikarina and Natalia entered the room wearing a ghost costume. I screamed in horror and went to hide behind someone. I’m such a weak-hearted person,” said Noella, clearly embarrassed. The JKT48Stuff team could not help laughing at her suddenly changed adorable expression.
However, of all the interactions with the fans, there is one thing that she really appreciated. “They were very united. Maybe there isn’t that many of them, but their camaraderie is worth a praise. If I was dealing with something, they’d always encourage me. They would say ‘we are here for you.’.”
For the fans who have supported her until now, Noella said the same thing as what she had written on Twitter. “Because I couldn’t even say it directly, only via Twitter. I also didn’t get a chance to do the handshake event the next day. I didn’t want to disappoint them, but it was the management’s policy. Once again, please accept my apology.”
About future plans
As it got towards evening, the atmosphere was getting warmer. JKT48Stuff team invited Noella to continue the conversation outside the cafe while enjoying the twilight sky. A gust of wind blew her hair, strand by strand, allowing the sunlight to breathtakingly penetrate through them.
“Is there any plan to enter the entertainment world?” asked a JKT48Stuff team member, peering out from behind the camera lens.
“As long as there’s a way and opportunity, why not? It’s a new experience. After all I’m happy with this line of work,” she said bluntly. To that end, one of her desires is to improve her guitar skills. “I think if I could really do it more seriously, it’d be really cool to sing while playing guitar. Right now, [my guitar skill is] still mediocre at best, really. ”
When asked which JKT48 members who are skilled in playing an instrument, Noella answered Jeje and Andela without hesitation. “Viny’s ability to play musical instrument is not that much different from me. Ha ha ha,” she said jokingly.
In addition, this young woman with B blood type admitted that she still has great desire to continue practicing her ballet dance. “My passion since the second grade of elementary school was actually to become a ballet dancer. Even when I entered JKT48 I was still following ballet-related goings-on. In fact, sometimes I went to the ballet school when there was no JKT48 activities. I idly joined the exercises so that I wouldn’t forget about it. But it had to stop because of the tight schedule of [JKT48] activities, “said Noella excited.
Noella’s pupils were dilated when talking about this favorite topic of hers. There is an overabundant sense of pride that was emanated from her as she recounted her achievements in the field of ballet dance. “Ballet courses are divided into 13 levels. For each level, there is a promotion exam. And thank God, I always received the highest score in every level. Last time I joined, I was already at the intermediate level. It was supposed to be 3 more years, or 3 more levels to completion.”
The girl who also goes by the nickname “Wewel” added that learning ballet has to be continuous. “Now, [my body] is already stiff, but I could still continue [where I left off] because I’ve already got the basic. If I exercise routinely again, after some time [my body] could be flexible again.”
Noella acknowledged that the body flexibility from learning ballet came in handy when learning the dance choreography in JKT48. “Ballet makes my body flexible. Any kinds of moves became more comfortable and easier. Even in the first audition, I wasn’t asked to do any other dance, just the ballet dance.” When asked to compare which was more difficult between ballet movements or the choreography of JKT48 songs, Noella answered diplomatically. “Every dance has its own level of difficulty. However, when talking about the technique and detail of the movements, ballet is much more difficult.”
According to Noella, ballet is increasingly popular these days. Even the number of male ballet dancers in Indonesia has now increased compared with when she first started learning the Italian dance. “Although it is still small in number compared with other countries. I think male ballet dancers are cool.”
Asked when was the last time she performed ballet on stage, Noella said shortly before the audition of JKT48. “The last time I performed was during the 9th grade, back in 2012,” she said convincingly. After becoming a member of JKT48, her passion for ballet lived on through watching movies. “Black Swan was the last [ballet-themed] movie I watch. I really like the story. The thing is, if there’s ballet in a movie, I’d love it.”
If developing the ability to play the guitar and continuing ballet courses are her desire, then the future plan that is definitely on the list for this owner of number 37 shoes would be to go to college. “I’ve already applied to a university. I’d like to enter the Mass Communication Major. It looks like interesting to be able to do lots of things. Besides, I’m not so fond of materials that are too serious, such as economics or medicine. It’s just so not me,” she said innocently.
The conversation with Noella was very exciting that we didn’t realize the sun was already west-bound towards its resting place. Before bidding adieu, one question suddenly popped up in our mind. “If you’re given the ability to talk to the Noella two years ago, shortly after becoming a member of JKT48, what are you going to say?”
“I want to tell ‘her’ not to be too shy. Also, don’t be too stern looking. While I didn’t deliberately intend to be callous and mean anything bad deep down, but if other people assumed that I was being stern, then something’s wrong.” she concluded while smiling sweetly. The kind of smile that was just simply unforgettable to anyone who saw it. The very smile that makes her an idol. ***
Noella Ingin Terus Menari
Kerja keras dan pantang menyerah dalam menggapai impian ada di balik gemerlap kehidupan sebagai idol group. Itu yang disukai Noella Sisterina, remaja 17 tahun yang pernah menyandang predikat sebagai member JKT48.
Sabtu sore itu, Noella sudah duduk manis di sebuah kafe menunggu tim JKT48Stuff yang karena kondisi jalan menuju kawasan Jakarta Utara tersebut padat, datang sedikit terlambat. “Nggak apa-apa kok,” ujarnya dengan wajah berseri-seri. Rasa penat saat menerjang macet mendadak sirna.
Sejak resmi “lulus” dari JKT48 beberapa minggu sebelumnya, Noella memang berencana menyempatkan diri untuk berlibur sebelum menghadapi Ujian Negara. “Minggu-minggu kemarin kan aku belajar terus tuh. Nah daripada jenuh, mending sebelum ujian ya jalan-jalan dulu. Biar pulang-pulang bisa lebih fokus,” jelasnya dengan bersemangat. Saat itu, meski dipancing, Noella tampak enggan memberitahukan tujuan wisatanya. Baru setelah posting beberapa foto di akun Twitter pribadinya @noellastrna, terungkap bahwa dia ternyata berlibur ke Eropa.
Melihat sosok Noella yang tinggi semampai, orang awam mungkin tidak menyangka bahwa gadis kelahiran Surabaya ini adalah seorang yang piawai dalam hal tari-tarian. Namun bagi kalangan penggemar JKT48, Noella memang terkenal paling menonjol dalam hal menari. Hal ini diamini oleh Noella. “Karena memang dari dulu bakat yang aku dalemin itu ya nari. Aku paling pede kalau disuruh nari dibanding disuruh nyanyi. Ya nyanyi sih suka, tapi memang basic-nya nggak pernah les nyanyi. Pada dasarnya aku hanya penyanyi kamar mandi. Hahaha…”
Menurut tim JKT48Stuff yang cukup sering melihatnya tampil, Noella paling keren saat menari di lagu Fushidara na Natsu dan Cinderella wa Damasarenai. Namun menurutnya justru lebih pede saat menari di Itoshisa no Defense dan Viva! Hurricane. “Aku sih senang banget dianggap paling bagus saat nari di Fushidara dan Cinderella. Asal bukan dianggap jago nyanyi atau main musik, karena itu iseng-iseng aja. Bisa gitar aja kunci-kunci standar,” jelasnya tentang penampilannya bermain gitar saat Manatsu no Sounds Good Handshake Festival.
Berbincang dengan Noella memang menyenangkan. Meski dia sering dibilang pendiam dan jutek, dia sendiri mengaku orang yang paling berisik. “Mungkin orang yang belum kenal melihat aku sering jutek nggak jelas, padahal aku orangnya suka heboh sendiri lho!” ujarnya sambil menyeringai lebar.
Untuk mengimbangi kehebohannya selama di JKT48, Noella pun mendapuk Kinal dan Lidya sebagai dua sosok yang dijadikan suri tauladan. “Kinal bisa jadi kapten itu keren banget. Dari nothing menjadi something. Itu bisa memberi inspirasi bagi orang lain.”
Sedangkan Lidya, menurutnya adalah “seorang pekerja keras sekali banget” dan Noella mengaku terinspirasi untuk menjadi seperti dia. “Lihat aja K3poinOshi. Itu kan bukti betapa suksesnya suatu usaha bila dijalani dengan sungguh-sungguh. Ditambah Lidya orang yang berani ngomong. Berani mengungkapkan apa yang dirasakan. Menurutku itu hal yang bagus, karena aku sendiri nggak bisa seperti itu.”
Pembicaraan terputus oleh seorang pelayan yang mengantarkan minuman pesanan kami. Noella pun sigap mengaduk jus jeruk yang hadir di hadapannya sebelum akhirnya meminumnya dengan nikmat. Kedua matanya terpejam saat ia menghisap minuman segar tersebut, meninggalkan bekas lipstick tipis di sedotannya. Pipi Noella pun bersemu merah, ia tampak begitu bahagia membicarakan orang-orang yang dikaguminya.
Masa-masa menjadi idol
Noella sebenarnya bukan orang baru di kalangan anggota JKT48. Sebelumnya ia pernah mengikuti audisi generasi pertama bersama Melody, Shania, Kinal dan lainnya. Saat itu, Noella mengaku kesulitan karena harus menghapal gerakan koreografi dan lirik lagu Jepang dari Heavy Rotation. Sebuah lagu yang asing sekali di benak dara kelahiran 16 November 1997 ini. “Waktu itu nggak tahu apa-apa tentang Ekebi. Malah nggak tau bakal dibikin Jeketi. Ternyata ngeliat mereka ada di TV kok kayaknya lucu juga. Jadi ya pengen ikutan.”
Maka ketika ditawari untuk ikut audisi generasi dua, Noella pun menerimanya dengan sukacita. “Waktu audisi gen satu kan disuruh ngapalin gerakan dan lagu Heavy Rotation bahasa Jepang. Itu kayak lagu wajib gitu. Jadi di audisi gen dua, aku, Kak Nadila, Kak Shinta, Kak Sinka jadi lebih pede karena sudah hapal. Hahaha..”
Setelah itu, berbeda dengan audisi sebelumnya, grand final audisi generasi kedua dilakukan di Jepang. “Begitu diumumin lewat video kalau Aki-P bilang ‘karena saya tidak bisa ke Jakarta, maka semua finalis ke Jepang,’ kita semua histeris. Karena kan belum pernah ke Jepang. Itu momen yang berkesan banget. Udah gitu di sana audisinya sehari, sisanya dibawa jalan-jalan.”
Sejak menjadi member JKT48, berbagai acara TV pun silih berganti dilakoni gadis cantik berkulit sawo matang ini. Beragam panggung, mulai dari panggung kecil hingga konser skala besar pun pernah dijajalnya. “Aku kan dari dulu suka tampil di depan orang. Jadi bisa berdiri di atas panggung sebesar itu dan ditonton ribuan orang adalah pengalaman menyenangkan yang tak bisa dilukiskan kata-kata,” matanya tampak berbinar-binar saat menceritakan cita-citanya yang kesampaian itu.
“Tapi ditonton banyak orang kan gampang. Berdiri di tengah jalan, misalnya,” tim JKT48Stuff berusaha menggoda Noella dengan joke ala om-omnya.
“Itu kan beda! Maksudnya kan beneran ditonton orang saat konser! Hahaha,” Noella berusaha menjelaskan dengan serius sementara tim JKT48Stuff yang bercanda tadi hanya nyengir usil.
Kemudian pada 25 Juni 2013, melalui pengumuman dramatis di JKT48 Theater, Noella beserta beberapa anggota generasi dua dipilih masuk menjadi tim yang disebut Tim K3. Sayangnya, tidak semua anggota generasi dua yang terpilih. “Kirain kan bakal kayak Tim J yang masuk semua. Ternyata kan nggak. Dipisah dengan status yang satu masuk tim dan sisanya masih trainee itu nggak enak. Jadi ya aku sedih banget,” kenangnya.
Untung saja perasaan itu tidak dirasakan oleh keseluruhan tim terlalu lama, karena pada akhirnya teman-temannya yang masih trainee itu masuk tim juga, meski terpisah ada yang ke Tim J dan ada yang ke Tim K3. “Di satu sisi aku sedih karena nggak bareng satu tim. Tapi di sisi lain aku seneng banget buat mereka karena akhirnya masuk tim dan bukan trainee lagi. Apalagi saat itu kan udah ada Gen 3,” lanjutnya.
Berkesempatan menjadi anggota dari idol group dengan aktivitas padat membawa perubahan positif bagi diri Noella. Kini ia mengaku lebih bisa berbicara dengan orang lain, bisa menghadapi orang lain, dan lebih pede. “Sekarang kalau ketemu orang jadi bisa tahu mau ngapain. Karena sebelumnya aku kan pendiam dan pemalu dan nggak suka ngomong. Makanya jadi kelihatan jutek kan?” ujarnya, “Tapi berkat handshake dan ketemu sama fans jadi diajarin juga gimana harus berperilaku. Meskipun sesi MC kami memang garing banget.”
Berbicara mengenai sesi MC yang garing ini, menurut Noella, satu tim K3 memang sudah menyadarinya. “Semenjak ada Saktia dan Sisil itu udah mendingan karena lucu. Saktia itu udah kayak orang mabuk. Katanya Jakarta ke Surabaya itu 8 jam… padahal naik pesawat. Hahaha.”
Selain hal memalukan saat MC, Noella menambahkan bahwa dia pernah merasa sangat malu saat tampil membawakan lagu Junjou Shugi. Pasalnya, waktu itu gadis penggemar durian ini naik ke atas panggung dengan pincang. “Lagi enak-enak perform, eh, hak sepatuku copot! Nggak tahu kenapa. Jadi diketawain banyak orang. Maluuuu. Bingung banget nggak tahu harus gimana, soalnya keliatan banget. Tetap tampil sampai lagunya selesai, sih, tapi abis gitu di belakang langsung mewek,” ceritanya sembari tertawa malu seraya mengambil tisu dan menghapus air mata yang keluar.
Tim JKT48Stuff sejenak terdiam karena terpukau oleh kecantikan Noella yang sore itu tampil anggun dengan cardigan merah, atasan bunga-bunga dan rok panjang hitam nan seksi. Momen seperti di lagu Yuuhi wo Miteiruka? – Apakah Kau Melihat Mentari Senja? mendadak hangat menyelimuti sanubari, tak rela untuk diakhiri.
Teman dan keluarga adalah segalanya bagi Noella Sisterina. Namun, ketika dihadapkan pada kewajiban menjalani jadwal yang padat sebagai member JKT48, ia pun terpaksa harus mengorbankan waktunya.
“Aku suka banget punya banyak teman,” ujar dara penggemar Taylor Swift ini membuyarkan lamunan tim JKT48Stuff yang langsung protes. “Bukannya kamu suka Justin Bieber ya?”
“Itu duluuuu… Sekarang udah nggak. Udah lebih dewasa. Hehehe”
“Yakin nggak suka Justin Bieber?” goda tim JKT48Stuff.
“Ya sebenarnya masih suka sih, tapi sekarang lagi gila sama Taylor Swift, ”jelasnya berusaha meyakinkan, namun gagal karena raut wajahnya terlihat jelas sedang menahan malu.
“Sampai mana tadi? Oh ya, aku kan suka banget punya banyak teman,” lanjut Noella berusaha mengalihkan perhatian,”selama jadi member dulu susah banget mau main sama mereka. Main sama keluarga juga sulit karena waktunya terbatas.”
Anak pertama dari dua bersaudara ini lantas menceritakan betapa sibuknya dia semasa menjadi member JKT48. “Dulu waktu masih sekolah formal, pulang sekolahnya kan jam 3. Kalau hari itu ada teater harus langsung ke fx karena kumpulnya jam 3. Nyampe sana jam 4, ya udah pasti telat. Makan di mobil. Ganti baju di mobil. Selesai teater sampai di rumah langsung tidur. Jadi nggak ada waktu main sama sekali.”
Kini setelah tak lagi tergabung dalam kesatuan Tim K3 JKT48, Noella mengaku merasa lebih bebas. “Sungguh menyenangkan bisa punya waktu lebih banyak sama keluarga, sama teman. Bisa main. Hal-hal yang nggak bisa dilakukan di Jeketi jadi bisa dilakukan sekarang. Sama lebih bisa fokus belajar buat UN. Oh, dan bisa liburan! Hahaha.”
Selama 2 tahun menjadi member sebuah idol group ternama dengan banyak fans dari Indonesia, bahkan manca negara, banyak hal sudah dialami oleh Noella Sisterina. Termasuk perlakuan para penggemarnya yang meninggalkan kesan mendalam di hati gadis penyuka warna pink ini.
“Sempat waktu handshake event,” Noella mulai bercerita, “tiba-tiba aku disuruh keluar dari dalam bilik. Rupanya mereka udah bawa papan isi tulisan macem-macem gitu. Baca tulisan mereka aku jadi terharu.” Demikian pula saat Gingham Check Handshake Festival. Sebelumnya, Noella sempat terjatuh hingga dagunya lecet. “Ternyata saat mereka handshake, semua memakai plester di dagu. Ceritanya mau merasakan apa yang aku rasakan,” kenangnya sambil menitikkan air mata haru.
Main gitar bareng satu grup di bilik, bikin video penyemangat saat Noella jarang ngetwit maupun sesudah graduate, serta masih banyak lagi momen-momen mengharukan dari para penggemar telah mewarnai hari-hari Noella. “Melihatnya memang bikin sedih dan terharu. Dan aku sangat bersyukur bisa merasakan itu semua. Bisa merasakan dukungan mereka. Terima kasih banget.”
Review penampilan serta saran dari fans juga disambutnya dengan senang hati. “Aku dan teman-teman member itu senang banget kalau ada review teater. Aku selalu baca karena jadi tahu aku hari ini begini, besoknya begitu. Tapi sekarang yang nge-review udah nggak sebanyak dulu. Lebih banyak zaman BnT. Udah capek, mungkin. Atau udah bosen? Hahaha.”
“Momen bersama fans yang paling kamu suka itu apa?” tanya salah satu anggota tim JKT48Stuff yang biasa bertugas sebagai fotografer.
“Pas acara OFC (Official Fan Club),” jawab penyuka anjing ini bersemangat. “Di OFC event interaksinya bukan sekadar halo-halo, tapi beneran main satu meja, makan satu meja. Rasanya lebih akrab.”
Kemudian Noella teringat sebuah peristiwa di OFC event terakhir yang ia ikuti. “Waktu itu kan main Monopoli. Pas udah malam dan acaranya udah mau selesai, tiba-tiba lampunya mati. Gelap banget! Trus, Chikarina dan Natalia masuk pakai kostum hantu. Aku jerit-jerit ketakutan sembunyi di belakang orang. Aku tuh penakut banget orangnya,” aku Noella malu. Tim JKT48Stuff pun tak kuasa menahan tawa melihat ekspresinya yang mendadak berubah begitu menggemaskan.
Namun, dari semua interaksinya bersama para penggemar, satu hal yang ia salut. “Mereka itu kompak banget. Mungkin memang jumlahnya nggak sebanyak itu, tapi kekompakan mereka bisa diacungi jempol. Kalau aku lagi ada apa-apa, mereka selalu menyemangati. Mereka akan bilang ‘kita ada di sini buatmu.’.”
Buat para penggemarnya yang sudah mendukungnya hingga sekarang, Noella berpesan hal yang sama seperti yang pernah ia tulis di Twitter. “Berhubung nggak bisa ngucapin secara langsung, cuma lewat Twitter. Nggak sempet handshake juga padahal besoknya HS. Bukan bermaksud mengecewakan, tapi memang kebijakan manajemen seperti itu. Aku mohon maaf sekali lagi ya.”
Tentang rencana masa depan
Semakin sore, suasana semakin hangat. Tim JKT48Stuff pun mengajak Noella melanjutkan pembicaraan di luar kafe seraya menikmati langit senja. Embusan angin yang mengibarkan helai demi helai rambut Noella, membuat cahaya matahari menembus sela-selanya dengan begitu indah.
“Ada rencana masuk dunia hiburan?” tanya tim JKT48Stuff sambil mengintip dari balik lensa kamera.
“Selama ada jalan dan kesempatan, ya kenapa nggak? Kan pengalaman baru. Lagian aku memang suka dengan dunia ini,” jawabnya lugas. Untuk itu, salah satu keinginannya adalah bisa memperdalam ilmu bermain gitar. “Kayaknya kalau benar-benar bisa serius, keren rasanya bisa nyanyi sambil main gitar. Sekarang sih masih standar banget.”
Ditanya siapa member JKT48 yang piawai memainkan alat musik, tanpa ragu Noella menjawab Jeje dan Andela. “Kalau Viny itu kemampuan bermain musiknya sebelas duabelas lah sama aku. Hahaha,” selorohnya.
Selain itu, dara dengan golongan darah B ini mengaku memiliki keinginan besar untuk meneruskan belajar balet. “Memang passion-ku dari sejak kelas 2 SD adalah balet. Ketika masuk Jeketi pun masih suka mengikuti beritanya. Malah beberapa kali masih main ke sekolah baletku itu kalau sedang libur kegiatan Jeketi. Iseng-iseng ikut latihan biar nggak lupa. Tapi sempat berhenti karena jadwal kegiatan yang padat,” ujar Noella bersemangat.
Pupil mata Noella tampak membesar ketika membicarakan topik favoritnya ini. Ada rasa kebanggaan meluap-luap yang terpancar dari dirinya saat menceritakan prestasinya di bidang balet. “Belajar balet itu terbagi dalam 13 level. Tiap kenaikan level ada ujiannya. Dan puji Tuhan, aku selalu dapat nilai tertinggi dari semua cabang. Terakhir aku ada di level intermediate. Seharusnya 3 tahunan lagi, atau 3 level lagi udah selesai.”
Gadis yang dikenal dengan panggilan Wewel ini menambahkan bahwa belajar balet memang harus berkelanjutan. “Sekarang memang sudah kaku, tapi masih bisa dilanjutkan karena aku sudah punya basic-nya. Kalau latihan lagi kan lama-lama bisa lentur lagi.”
Kelenturan tubuh hasil dari belajar balet ini diakui Noella sangat membantu dirinya dalam mempelajari koreografi tarian JKT48. “Balet itu membuat tubuh lentur. Mau gerak apa aja jadi lebih enak dan gampang. Bahkan saat audisi dulu, aku nggak disuruh nari yang lain, malah disuruh balet.” Ketika disuruh membandingkan mana yang lebih sulit antara gerakan balet atau koreografi lagu-lagu JKT48, Noella menjawab dengan diplomatis. “Semua punya tingkat kesulitan masing-masing. Namun, bicara mengenai teknis dan detail gerakan, balet jauh lebih sulit.”
Balet menurut Noella kini semakin populer. Bahkan jumlah penari balet pria di Indonesia sekarang jauh lebih banyak daripada saat dulu dirinya memulai belajar tarian asal Italia ini. “Walaupun memang jumlahnya masih sedikit dibanding di luar negeri. Menurutku sih para penari balet pria itu keren banget.”
Ditanya kapan terakhir menggelar pertunjukan balet, Noella menjawab sesaat sebelum lolos audisi JKT48. “Terakhir tampil itu kelas 9, tahun 2012,” ujarnya mantap. Setelah menjadi member JKT48, kegemarannya akan balet dilanjutkan lewat tontonan film. “Terakhir nonton film Black Swan. Aku suka banget sama ceritanya. Pokoknya film kalau ada balet-baletnya, aku pasti suka.”
Bila mengembangkan kemampuan memetik gitar dan melanjutkan belajar balet adalah keinginan, maka rencana masa depan yang sudah pasti direngkuh pemilik nomor sepatu 37 ini adalah mengecap bangku kuliah. “Aku sudah daftar di sebuah universitas. Mau masuk jurusan MassComm. Sepertinya menarik bisa jadi ini-itu. Lagipula, aku kan nggak begitu suka materi yang terlalu serius, seperti ekonomi atau kedokteran. Kayaknya bukan aku banget,” jelasnya dengan polos.
Perbincangan dengan Noella berlangsung begitu mengasyikkan hingga tak terasa matahari semakin condong ke barat menuju tempat peristirahatannya. Sebelum mengakhiri perjumpaan ini, satu pertanyaan terbesit di benak tim JKT48Stuff. “Bila Noella diberi kemampuan untuk berbicara dengan ‘Noella dua tahun lalu sesaat setelah menjadi anggota JKT48’, apa yang ingin disampaikan?”
“Aku ingin bilang ke ‘dia’ untuk jangan jadi orang yang pemalu-pemalu amat. Juga jangan terlihat jutek-jutek amat. Meski memang nggak bermaksud jutek dan dalam hati biasa aja, tapi kalau orang lain bisa beranggapan jutek itu kan berarti ada yang salah,” pungkasnya seraya tersenyum manis. Senyum yang membuatnya tak mudah dilupakan oleh siapapun yang melihatnya. Senyum yang menjadikannya seorang idola. ***
Interview by Pitra and Pipu
Article written by Pipu
English Translation by Ros and Haddad.
English QC by Hanif
Photos by Ijul and Pitra
The post Interview with a Former Member: Noella Sisterina appeared first on JKT48Stuff.