Stephanie Kurlow facts for kids
Stephanie Kurlow is an amazing Australian dancer. Many people know her as the world's first Hijabi Ballerina. She is a talented ballet student who inspires many.
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Who is Stephanie Kurlow?
Stephanie Kurlow was born in Australia. Her father has roots from Belarus, and her mother is from the Tatar people. She grew up in the suburbs of Sydney. Stephanie started dancing when she was just two years old.
Stephanie's Dance Journey
When Stephanie was nine, in 2010, she stopped dancing. This was because she could not find a dance studio that fit her beliefs. Her dream to dance inspired 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 began wearing the hijab all the time when she was ten. She started an online campaign to raise money for her ballet training. She successfully raised over $7000!
Who Inspires Stephanie?
Stephanie looks up to several amazing people. Her inspirations include:
- Misty Copeland, an African-American ballet dancer.
- Li Cunxin, a Chinese-Australian ballet dancer.
- Zahra Lari, an Emirati figure skater.
Stephanie hopes to open her own dance school one day. This school would be for young people from all different backgrounds. She wants to create a welcoming place for everyone.
Stephanie's Important Work
Stephanie is also an ambassador for "Remove Hate From The Debate." This project helps young people spot and deal with online hate speech. She has also received special awards:
- The Aim for the Stars scholarship.
- The Game Changer Scholarship from Björn Borg.
In 2017, Stephanie was a guest speaker in Indonesia. She spoke at the Resonation Women's Empowerment Conference. In 2018, she got a scholarship to the summer school at The Royal Danish Ballet.
Stephanie has also been part of big campaigns:
- In 2018, she was in a Lenovo campaign for International Women's Day. She worked with designer Tarese Klemens.
- In 2019, she was in a global campaign with Converse. It was called "Love The Progress." This campaign asked women to think about what "girl" truly means.
A Personal Decision
In March 2022, Stephanie shared something important on her Instagram. She 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 said that at that point in her life, it was not a strong part of her visible identity anymore.
