The world of ballet is in transformation, with dancers like Misty Copeland redefining the image of a traditional dancer. Now Stephanie Kurlow, a schoolgirl from Sydney, Australia, is taking the bar slightly higher, aspiring to become the first dancer to perform in a hijab.
Ms. Kurlow said she feels a ballerina's performance is not dependent on her aesthetic. When Kurlow and her family converted to Islam in 2010, the 14-year-old initially felt ostracized from the community and almost quit dancing.
She said her dreams of going pro were damped by narrow-minded peers and teachers. But once Ms. Kurlow saw Ms. Copeland dominate the spectrum, Kurlow and her mother decided it was time to take matters of dance into her own hands.
"When there was nowhere for me to study ballet due to my outfit, [my mom] opened a performing arts academy that taught ballet, martial arts and aboriginal arts classes for girls like me, where no one questions children why they dress or look a certain way" Ms. Kurlow said to the New York Daily News. "[The hijab] is a part of who I am, and represents the beautiful religion that I love. If people have the right to dress down, then I have the right to dress up."
As part of her pgoal to break the mold, Ms. Kurlow is looking to raise $10,000 on LaunchGood to fund full-time ballet training. In a week she has already raised more than $2,000.
Check out the Ms. Kurlow below.
