Sydney schoolgirl Stephanie Kurlow stopped performing ballet when she converted to Islam in 2010.

The 14-year-old, who has been dancing since she was two, doubted her chances of becoming a professional ballerina as she struggled to find schools that catered to both her religious beliefs and dance needs.

Stephanie Kurlow is crowdsourcing to raise money to pursue her dream. Credit:Edwina Pickles

Yet she watched around her as Misty Copeland became the first African-American principal dancer, Noor Tagouri became the first American news anchor to wear a hijab and Emirati weightlifter Amna Al Haddad took to the world stage with her headscarf on.

Not content to sit by, the industrious dancer has launched a crowd-sourcing initiative to help her become the first hijabi ballerina in the world.