Stephanie Kurlow facts for kids
Stephanie Kurlow is an amazing Australian dancer and ballet student. Many people know her as the world's first Hijabi Ballerina. She has inspired many young people around the globe.
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Stephanie's Early Life and Dance Journey
Stephanie was born in Australia. Her father has Belarusian family roots, and her mother is Tatar. She grew up in the suburbs of Sydney. Stephanie started dancing when she was only two years old.
Why Stephanie Stopped Dancing
In 2010, when Stephanie was nine, she stopped dancing. This was because there were no dance studios that understood her beliefs. She needed a place that supported her choice to wear a hijab.
A Mother's Support
Stephanie's dream was very important to her mother, Alsu Kurlow. In 2012, her mother opened a special performing arts academy. This academy offers ballet, martial arts, and even Aboriginal art classes for girls. Stephanie started wearing the hijab all the time when she was ten years old.
Achieving Her Ballet Dreams
Stephanie wanted to train in classical ballet full-time. She started an online campaign to raise money for her training. She successfully raised over $7000! This helped her continue her journey in ballet.
Who Inspires Stephanie?
Stephanie looks up to several famous dancers and athletes. Her inspirations include:
- Misty Copeland, an African-American ballet dancer.
- Li Cunxin, a Chinese-Australian ballet dancer.
- Zahra Lari, an Emirati figure skater.
Helping Other Young Dancers
Stephanie has big plans for the future. She wants to open her own dance school. This school would be for young people from all different backgrounds. She wants to make sure everyone has a chance to dance.
Stephanie's Work and Recognition
Stephanie is also an ambassador for a campaign called Remove Hate From The Debate. This campaign helps young people learn how to spot and deal with online hate speech.
Scholarships and Awards
Stephanie has received several important scholarships:
- The Aim for the Stars scholarship.
- The Game Changer Scholarship from Björn Borg.
Guest Speaker and Global Campaigns
In 2017, Stephanie was invited to Indonesia. She was a guest speaker at the Resonation Women's Empowerment Conference. In 2018, she received a scholarship to attend The Royal Danish Ballet summer school. That same year, she was featured in a Lenovo campaign for International Women's Day. In 2019, she was part of a global campaign with Converse. This campaign was called Love The Progress. It encouraged women to think about what "girl" truly means.
A Personal Decision
In March 2022, Stephanie shared a personal update on her Instagram. She announced that she had decided to stop wearing the hijab. She explained that it was hard being the only one in her dance community who wore a hijab. She also shared that at that point in her life, it was not as strong a part of her visible identity.
