Cover image via dailymail
Like many young girls her age, 14-year-old Stephanie Kurlow, who had been dancing since she was 2, dreamed of becoming a ballerina. However, that came to a stop after she converted to Islam.
Sydney-born Kurlow converted to Islam in 2010 with her parents and 2 brothers, leading her to believe that she could not be a Muslim and a dancer at the same time due to perceived religious restrictions
Image via Mashable
Image via Mashable
Moreover, much to her frustration, most ballet studios in her town wouldn't accept a ballerina wearing a hijab
Image via New York Times
Recently, however, she has decided to continue pursuing her dreams after seeing success stories from women of colour such as Misty Copeland
In order to get back to dancing, she has started a fundraising campaign on LaunchGood so she can train full time at a professional ballet school
The funds would go to ballet and tutoring tuition, ballet supplies (dancewear, dance shoes and dance essentials) and ballet competitions. You can check out the campaign [here](https://www.launchgood.com/project/1st_muslim_hijabi_ballerina_in_the_world).
Ultimately, she hopes she can inspire people to chase their dreams – regardless of religion and race
Image via Dailymail
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