In Sydney, Australia, a young girl named Stephanie Kurlow plans to become the world’s first ballerina in a hijab—despite haters, both within and outside the Muslim community, who say that Muslims shouldn’t dance.
“I believe [the hijab] covers my body, but not my mind, heart and talent,” she says in the New York Daily News.
Kurlow began ballet classes at two years old and showcased her talents at the Riverside Theater until five years ago, when her family—two brothers, an Australian father and Russian-born mother—converted to Islam. Suddenly it was hard to merge ballet with her new religious path; in some Muslim circles, dancing is not allowed, and she felt conspicuous matching her new religious garb with her ballet tights. Still, “everything made sense for me in Islam,” she says. “I like to be modest and I like to keep my dignity. I like to know the purpose of my life. I like to live a healthy lifestyle and avoid harmful things.”
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