Summary: A 14-year-old ballerini is on track to be the first professional dancer who wears hijab.
Read an excerpt of her inspiring story below:
“Stephanie Kurlow put on her first tutu at the age of 2. She donned her first hijab at the age of 9. When Kurlow first converted to Islam along with her family nine years ago, she feared her beliefs could never coincide with her artistic passion.
“Now, at only 14 years old, Kurlow’s fears are behind her. The young dancer is en route to becoming the first professional ballerina in the world to don a hijab.
“As these stunning photographs, taken at a dance studio in Sydney, Australia, clearly display, Kurlow is managing to combine her faith and her talent just fine. The images depict Kurlow, the daughter of Australian and Russian parents, in a striking blue tutu and matching hijab, as a dreamlike vision of discipline and poise. The stunning photos, starkly different from the ballet images that usually populate ballet reviews and Instagram feeds, present a preview of a more accepting and inclusive future for dance.
“When Kurlow first began wearing hijab, she couldn’t find a ballet class that would allow her to wear the garment while training. Rather than back down, Kurlow launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for rigorous, private tutoring that would provide her with the training she needed to become the world’s first Muslim hijabi ballerina.”
Read the full story @ The Huffington Post …