Ballet school offers classes adapted for Muslim girls

A ballet school is offering adapted classes for Muslim girls as campaigners call for more to be done to include them in extra-curricular activities.

Campaigners say a lack of confidence is a major "barrier" for young Muslim women and that more needs to be done to bring activities in line with Islamic teachings.

Grace & Poise in north London is believed to be the first Muslim ballet academy.

The dancing has been adapted so girls don't have to wear revealing leotards, there are no male teachers and classes are all female from six years old.

The children also dance to poetry as some followers of the Islamic faith don't listen to music.

The academy is open to non-Muslims, but the format has been adapted so that families with a broad range of beliefs can attend.

Dr Sajedah Shubib, one of the founders of Grace & Poise, says the academy gives girls a "safe space" where they can enjoy ballet.

She said: "There is a gap in our community, we find that Muslim children tend to sometimes fall short when it comes to university applications.

"I've seen that quite consistently when I've worked Muslim youth - there isn't much for them and they don't get involved as much so this is really really important.

"For various reasons Muslim girls in particular want to be able to have a Muslim girls-only space for modesty purposes. Through Grace & Poise we are offering that platform for girls so that they can take part in something as beautiful as ballet."

Muslim Girls Fence is another project aimed at making extra-curricular activities more inclusive.

The initiative works with schools to offer girls fencing lessons.

Organisers say that as a non-contact sport, with full body covering kit, fencing can remove a lot of the "barriers" Muslim women face.

Poet Suhaiymah Manzoor Khan, project manager at Muslim Girls Fence, says access can be a problem for many families who can't afford expensive after-school activities.

She said: "There are barriers to accessing [extra-curricular activities], whether that's cost, whether that's assumptions of coaches, whether that's not feeling comfortable to get involved because of kit.

"Young girls have a lot of body image pressure anyway, now add on top of that you're kind of dressed in a way that makes you feel different and if sports providers aren't actually aware of these needs, they're not making it comfortable, welcoming and accessible."

She added: "The girls that we work with, every single one we work with, have said they have had the words 'terrorist' shouted at them, and these are 11 and 12-year-old girls.

"That's already going to make you kind of disengaged from school and from accessing extra-curricular activities.

"Are you going to go to a sports context where you don't really see yourself reflected in any of these sports at a higher level?

"Probably not."