Grace & Poise: A Muslim ballet school in the UK

Grace & Poise Academy is a Muslim ballet school with a unique syllabuswhere students dance to poetry, not music, expectations of female modestyamong parents, teachers and students are met and attention is paid to Islamic theologyand morals. While cultivating Islamic adab (etiquette), akhlaq (ethics) andIslamic pedagogies, the academy is also inspired by classical ballet training andalternative holistic educational traditions. The result is both traditionalist and progressive,and points to a possible future for Islamic creativity, signalling openingsrather than closures. The research for this article is based on interviews, mediaanalyses and participant observation.